By Paula Green

Happy 80th Birthday, Mickey Mouse!  Mickey Mouse was ‘born’ on Nov. 18, 1928, when he first appeared in the black and white cartoon Steamboat Willie.  Walt Disney was the voice for Mickey from 1928-1946.  He was followed by Jim MacDonald who spoke for the lovable mouse for thirty years.  Finally, Wayne Allwine, who is the voice of Mickey still today, was the third person to speak for the popular character.

In 1935, Mickey made his first color movie appearance in The Band Concert.  This led to his first full-length feature film, Fantasia, which debuted in 1940.  It was followed by Sorcerer Mickey and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

In the 1950s Mickey went from the big screen to the small screen when the Mickey Mouse Club premiered on television.  Mickey Mouse has become one of the most well-known characters in the world.  He is the official greeter at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks.

Mickey, of course, was the first of many other beloved Disney characters.  There is his girlfriend, Minnie Mouse, and friends Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto. 

Don’t forget about those other animated classics.  Winnie the Pooh, and the cast from the 100 Acre Woods featured Pooh, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Tigger, Piglet and Christopher Robin.  Another numeric classic was 101 Dalmatians, which featured the nasty Cruella de Vil with lots of furry little spotted puppies.  Speaking of furry, those two spunky little chipmunks Chip N’ Dale sure enjoyed the spotlight. 

Pinocchio gave us Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy.  Peter Pan showcased Tinker Bell, Wendy and Captain Hook   Dumbo was a unique flying elephant.  The film Bambi was about a white-tailed deer and lots of adorable forest friends, such as Thumper the Rabbit and a skunk named Flower.

Flowers are thing of beauty, and Disney has certainly created many beautiful, enchanting princesses.  The current count is eight: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan and Pochontas.  Coming next year, a ninth princess will be added: Princess Tiana, from the 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog. 

Other Disney classics to reminisce about are:  The Artistocats, The Black Cauldron, Brother Bear, Chicken Little, Country Bears, DuckTales, The Emperor’s New Groove, Hercules, Lilo & Stitch, The Hunch Back of Notre Dame, Meet the Robinsons, Monsters, Inc., Teamo Supremo, Wall-E, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Incredibles.

It is incredible how many wonderful films the Disney Studios have released.  So now that we have illustrated some Disney classics, we must now animate our thoughts into the world of make believe because it is time to get a little trivial...

1.  What was the original name that Walt Disney had chosen for Mickey Mouse? (His wife didn’t like this name, so he picked Mickey instead).

2.  What are the names of Donald Duck’s three nephews?

3.  Name the seven dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
4.  What Disney film starred Princess Aurora?
5.  Name the Disney classic that featured the characters Brer Bear, Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit.
6.  This Disney movie had an Italian restaurant scene with two spaghetti eating canines.
7.  What was the name of the crab in the Disney movie The Little Mermaid.
8.  Name the male and female lead in the Disney film Mary Poppins.
9.  Who voiced the Genie in the Disney movie Aladdin?
10.  This Disney classic was based on a book by Rudyard Kipling, and featured the characters Mowgli and Baloo.
11.  What Disney film features the line “To infinity…and beyond!”
12.  What is the Lion King’s name?
13.  This 1951 Disney classis is based on a novel by Lewis Carroll.
14.  Name this Disney father-son underwater adventure featuring a boy clownfish.
15.  Who voiced the character Doc in the Disney movie Cars?

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List _of_Disney_characters

www.disney.go.com

Answers:

1. Mortimer Mouse  2. Huey, Louie and Dewey  3. Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy  4. Sleeping Beauty  5. Song of the South  6. Lady and the Tramp 7. Sebastian  8. Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews  9. Robin Williams 10. The Jungle Book  11. Toy Story (Buzz Lightyear) 12. Simba  13. Alice in Wonderland  14. Finding Nemo  15. Paul Newman

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