Donald teams up with the Cheerios Kid!

Put a little "Go Power!" in your day and watch this cute 50's commercial. Not too much to say about it, but a nice little time capsule nonetheless!

Disneyland '61!

I came across this recently uploaded episode of Walt Disney Presents. I'm always so happy to find these wonderful shows that I miss so dearly from The Disney Channel (yes, back in its good old days). I wonder how my neighbors would feel if I installed a full size version of that super cool dancing topiary model in my front yard?! Hmmmm...

Enjoy this three-parter. I will attach the links to the other parts below for your convenience.

Part Two
Part Three

So Long, Farewell

It was funny... I had this urge to watch the round table discussion with current animators on the second disc of Cinderella, Monday. I think I just wanted to immerse myself in that element a bit. Sometimes, after a hectic day, I find it helpful to get into the artistic "zone" by listening to others who so frequent the "zone" as well. Ollie came to mind and I was wondering how he was doing... and yes, how much longer he'd be with us.
When news of him came the following day, I met it with mixed emotions. I was never fortunate enough to know or even meet Ollie, as many in the Disney community have, but so many of my beautiful childhood memories are wrapped up with the incredible work he did. I have been so thankful for the blood, sweat, and tears he put into his craft to help deliver something to the public that would become a part of their soul in many ways. Those films are a part of me, and I've been long appreciative to the incredible Nine Old Men, as well as the lesser known artists for giving me countless of remarkable, unforgettable moments.
So, yes. I was sad. But in another way, happy. Happy to know that Heaven is a greater and even more creative place than it was just a few days ago. Happy that I know he was greeted by incredible people that we all have come to respect, and most happy to know that he was reunited with his wife and best friend, Frank Thomas. I never knew how he was able to carry on without the both of them. I don't think I could if put in the same situation.
So, here's to a life superbly lived. May we all strive for similar excellence in our crafts. My life-long admiration to you, Ollie. To quote a song sung by another amazing artist in his own right, "Thanks for the memories..."

April Peace Day

I wish I could say something April Foolsy. But alas, I'm not so great at pulling gags. I used to be... but they usually involved buckets of water or plastic wrap on toilets. Things of that nature. Ah, youth.

Instead I bring you something non-Foolsy and is just plain pretty in my opinion. I've been having Disneyland withdrawals... as it has been too long since my last happy jaunt there. Popping in the WDT Disneyland DVD, watching People and Places for the 100th time, I just dug this shot. I dug a lot of them, actually. I really like all that grassy area of old. I like the composition of the shot, and the watercolor-like colors. It's so peaceful. So, on my blog anyway, I declare it April Peace Day, for those of you who suck at pranks like I do.

Have a peaceful day! :D

October '85- part deux.

Ahh! I forgot part two. My bad. Here's the rest of October '85!

The Disney Channel Magazine, October 1985

Ah, October. October 1985 to be exact. We've come several months forward since our last Disney Channel Magazine post.
Every October, the Disney Channel would feature much Halloween programming, that seemed to increase throughout the years until the channel's downfall. This year we had the very popular "A Disney Halloween" as well as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and the classic "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Much like "The Watcher in the Woods," that movie freaked me out as a kid, but I loved it anyway!
In later years, the channel would also see my childhood Halloween favorite, "Witch's Night Out".
In addition to the fun Halloween programming, we have the classics ranging from Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux" to Annette in "The Monkey's Uncle."
One of the greatest things about the Disney Channel was its variety. You could watch brand new episodes of Danger Bay, and later on catch up on a classic episode of Ozzie and Harriet, while having learned a bit about Marc Davis on "A Disney Family Album". You could literally watch the channel all day, be entertained and be educated. It was great stuff and I miss it everyday!
I have included a couple of articles from this issue. Danger Bay was a great show, and of course, reading about the "New Management" is always interesting in hindsight.
Stay tuned for part 2!

Yes, Virginia... There Was a Contraption

For years I thought I might have been the only person who remembered a little show called "Contraption". It was this great game show from my youth that involved clips from Disney films, trivia, and riding around in these super cool little "contraptions", and getting "contraptiles" to win the game. I loved that show. I wanted to be on that show! So I would question people, when the topic arose, on whether or not they remembered it. The answer, even to Disney Channel devotees, was always a big fat NO. Bummer for me. Countless no's later, and a few "no, but it sounds cool!", I turned my quest for proof of existence to YouTube, and though it took me over a year to find some type of mention of it, some brilliant and wonderful person uploaded an entire show.

I'm confident by the comments left on the video that there are other people out there who have been searching for this, too. I found it a few months ago, but didn't think to put it up on the blog until now, with the whole Disney Channel topic running. So, for those people, here it is! Let's hope other people upload other episodes! (For those of you who checked out the previous post, you will find mention of Contraption in that Disney Channel Magazine.) I'm only posting the first portion. You can link to the other 3 parts by navigating your contraption mobile on over to YouTube.

By Request: The Disney Channel Magazine - May 1985 part 2

Here's part two! I hope it's bringing back some memories for all of you.
Have a great week, everyone!

By Request: The Disney Channel Magazine - May 1985 part 1

All righty! We have had a request for The Disney Channel- the way it used to be! I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way about the channel as I do. It was truly a wonderful channel back in the day, and to see what it has become is rather depressing. For those of you who like to look back on how things were in better times, or for those who are trying to recall a certain program or film that was shown on the channel, this post's for you! If you're like me and you are a child of the 80's who grew up on The Disney Channel, a nice little portion of your childhood is contained in these pages. No doubt a trip over to YouTube to find some of these gems will follow shortly!
I will be posting some more Disney Channel Magazines in the near future from other years. Keep in mind I will only be posting programming. If anyone would like me to post the articles in the magazine, just shout and I'll be very happy to do so.