2003:
Retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin (of the famous Apollo 11 crew) takes the controls
aboard Mission: SPACE at Epcot during the filming of an ABC television
segment that features the new attraction. The segment will be shown Aug.15,
2003, on ABC-TV during the network's airing of the feature film Mission to Mars.
Emily Bavar Kelly, a retired journalist for The Sentinel Star (the newspaper which
later became The Orlando Sentinel), passes away at age 88. She is best known for her
1965 articles which speculated that Walt Disney was behind the secret purchase of large parcels of land in
central Florida.
2004:
Character actor Sam Edwards passes away in Colorado. His Disney voice credits include
Thumper in Bambi and Ollie the Owl for the America Sings park attraction. He also appeared in the live-action 1975
film Escape to Witch Mountain and episodes of Disney's television series; most notably "The Flight of the Grey Wolf."
Edwards also performed the voice of Tigger (a role most commonly assocaied with Paul Wincell) for various projects.
(Fans of Little House on the Prairie will recognize Edwards for his role of Bill Anderson.)
1931:
Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon The Cat's Out, directed by Wilfred Jackson, is
released. The plot centers around a cat who after being struck on the head begins hallucinating all sorts
of creepy things!
1940:
Actor Philip Proctor is born in Goshen, Indiana. His long list of Disney voice credits include:
The Rescuers Down Under (1990) – French Mouse, Beauty and the Beast (1992) – various voices, Aladdin (1992) – Guard, The Lion King (1994) – Hyena, Toy Story (1995) – Bowling Announcer / Pizza Planet Guard, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) – Frollo's Soldier / Guard / Paris Citizen, Hercules (1997) – Boat Captain / Snowball the Cat, Mulan (1998) – China Citizens / Hun Army, A Bug's Life (1998) – Slick the Slug, Tarzan (1999) – Max / English
Captain / Elephant #1, Toy Story 2 (1999) – Airline Rep / Japanese Collector / Sign-Off, Monsters, Inc. (2001) – Charlie Proctor, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) – Atlanteans / Explorers, Treasure Planet (2002) – Blinko / Meltdown, Brother Bear (2003) – Inuit Tribe Members, Finding Nemo (2003) – Bob the Seahorse, Home on the Range (2004) – Man on Train, The Princess and the Frog (2009) – various voices, Monsters University (2013) – various voices, and
Inside Out (2015) – various voices. Proctor was also a member of The Firesign Theatre, an American surreal comedy troupe who was active between 1966-2012.
1951:
Walt Disney's 13th animated film Alice in Wonderland is released in U.S. theaters by RKO Radio Pictures, two days after its London premiere.
Based on the "Alice" books by Lewis Carroll, a restless young British girl named Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont), falls down a rabbit hole and enters a magical world. (Beaumont, will later narrate the
Alice attraction at Disneyland.) Alice features the animation of all
of Walt's "Nine Old Men," and songs written by Sammy Fain, Bob Hilliard, Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, Oliver Wallace,
Ted Sears, Gene de Paul, and Don Raye. The film will be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture,
Also released is the True-Life Adventure Nature's Half Acre, a short documentary film directed by James Algar.
1987:
Disney's experimental computer animated film Oilspot and Lipstick
is released at a computer convention in Anaheim, California. The short
centers on two dogs (named Oilspot and Lipstick) who are made out of junkyard metal parts.
1993:
At Disneyland, the Main Street branch of the Bank of America (in business since the
park's opening day) closes. One of the longest-running participants at Disneyland, it was one of the only banks to have regular Sunday and holiday hours.
1995:
The 400th Disney Store opens - in Rochester, New York at 271 Greece Ridge Center Drive.
Disney releases the comedy Operation Dumbo Drop to U.S. theaters. Conceived from a
screenplay written by Gene Quintano and Jim Kouf, it is based on a true story by United States Army Major Jim
Morris. The film stars Danny Glover and Ray Liotta as Green Berets during the Vietnam War in 1968, who attempt to transport an elephant through jungle terrain to a local South Vietnamese village which in turn helps American forces monitor Viet Cong activity. Directed by Simon Wincer, the cast also includes Denis Leary, Doug E. Doug, and Corin Nemec.
1997:
TIME magazine runs an article titled, "The Lion King A Different Breed Of Cats."
The article focuses on the Minneapolis production and the question of whether or not Broadway audiences
in New York are ready for Disney's version of its classic animated film.
Win Ben Stein's Money debuts on Comedy Central. The game show is produced for Comedy
Central by Valleycrest Productions, Ltd., a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, and distributed by Buena
Vista Television. It features three contestants who compete in a general knowledge quiz contest to win the
grand prize of $5,000 from the show's host, Ben Stein (an actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political
and economic issues). In the second half of the show, Stein participates as a "common contestant" in order to
defend his money from being taken by his competitors. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel is the show's co-host.
Actress Rosalie Crutchley passes away at age 77 in London, England. Her Disney credits include The Sword and the Rose (as Queen Katherine) and Greyfriars Bobby (as the Farmer's wife).
1998:
Disney's first cruise ship The Magic, is christened by Patricia Disney (Roy
E. Disney's wife) in Florida. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the Disney Magic can
hold approximately 2,400 passengers. The ship boasts 10 expansive decks, a total length of 964
feet, a maximum width of 106 feet and an astonishing gross tonnage of 83,000. Patty Disney
christens the ship by remote control, flicking a switch that sends a 3-foot-tall bottle of champagne
crashing into the ship's hull. The Magic then sets sail with a star-studded manifest that includes Star
Wars director George Lucas, San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson and country singer Travis
Tritt, on a two-day trip to Disney's private island in the Bahamas. The ship's last test run, it will
embark on its official maiden voyage two days later.
"The Parent Trap (Original Soundtrack)" is released through Disney's Hollywood Records. The 15 tracks include such well-known songs as Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E," The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic," Linda Ronstadt's version of "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," and George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone." The film score (by Alan Silvestri) won't be released until September. "The Parent Trap" (a remake of Disney's 1961 film) will be released in theaters the following day (July 29).
2002:
The life and contributions of the late animator Ward Kimball is celebrated at the Walt Disney Barn Museum. Kimball was one of the founding governors of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society, which operates Walt's Barn in Griffith Park, California.
L.A. Times staff writer Joel Sappell became Disneyland's
first Mowgli (the Man-Cub from Disney's The Jungle Book) in 1967. As a 14-year old, he roamed the park with an ape
named King Louie
and a bear
named Baloo.
2007:
The 22nd Annual Imagen Awards Gala debuts at the sold out
Walt Disney Concert Hall in California.
Hilary Duff's Dignity tour, in support of her third studio album (released by
Disney's Hollywood Records) kicks off in Winnipeg.
2005:
Disney's stage musical The Lion King begins performances at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. (It will play through June 2006.)
JULY
JULY 28
JULY 28
THIS SITE MADE
IN THE
USA
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Alice in Wonderland U.S. Release
1989:
Touchstone Pictures releases the comedy Turner & Hooch starring
Tom Hanks (the future voice of Toy Story's Sheriff Woody). Detective Scott Turner (Hanks)
is an uptight, by-the-book police officer who hopes to leave his sleepy California town and work in the big city.
When his friend Amos Reed (played by John McIntire), the proprietor of a junkyard, is killed, Turner reluctantly
inherits the man's dog called Hooch (played by a canine named Beasley). Realizing that the canine may be able
to help him solve the murder case, Turner attempts to adjust to life with the big dog, resulting in much household destruction and unwelcome chaos. The film is distributed by Buena Vista Pictures.
"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't." -Alice in Wonderland
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2010:
Disney's Animal Kingdom celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Guests learn why biodiversity is so important by participating in fun, informative activities and presentations.
1962:
Meet Me at Disneyland (a limited TV series broadcast live on KTTV directly from the
Anaheim park) airs episode 8 "Music on the Mall." Host Johnny Jacobs takes viewers on a ride
on the Douglas Moon Rocket. Special guests include Dave Barry, Harry James, The Osmond Brothers and Walt
Disney himself! Meet Me at Disneyland is designed to boost park attendance during the summer weeknights.
1934:
William "Bud" Luckey, a cartoonist, animator, singer, musician, and composer, is
born in Billings, Montana. Best known for his work at Pixar as a character designer for Toy Story, Toy
Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, Luckey also
supplied the voice for Eeyore in Disney's 2011 animated feature Winnie the Pooh. (Luckey has designed and
illustrated more than 100 children's books and wrote and animated many short films for Sesame Street.)
Alice in Wonderland voice cast:
Kathryn Beaumont as Alice / Ed Wynn as Mad Hatter
Richard Haydn as Caterpillar / Sterling Holloway as Cheshire Cat
Jerry Colonna as March Hare / Verna Felton as Queen of Hearts
J. Pat O'Malley as Tweedlee & Tweedledum / Bill Thompson as White Rabbit
1994:
Ground breaking begins for a new Vacation Club Resort in Vero Beach, Florida.
Scheduled to open in October 1995, it will be the first Disney resort built separately from a Disney park.
2009:
The 13th Marc Davis Celebration of Animation: Hayao Miyazaki takes place at the
Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Attending this special tribute to the great Japanese
animator are John Lasseter, Matt Groening, June Foray, Ron Clements and John Musker.
July 28
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
1996:
Brian Setzer and his 17-piece big band perform two shows on the
West End Stage at Disney World's Pleasure Island.
1992:
Actor Spencer Boldman is born in Dallas, Texas. He is best known for his role as Adam Davenport
on Disney XD's comedy series Lab Rats. His Disney television credits also include 3 episodes of I'm in the Band and
the Disney Channel film Zapped.
Voice actor, writer, singer, musician and production manager Danny Mann is born in Tennessee. His Disney voice credits include The Brave Little Toaster (1987), The Lion King (1994),
Pocahontas (1995), Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998), Tarzan (1999), The Emperor's New Groove
(2000), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2004), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Inside Out (2015).
Mann has also voiced characters for many Disney television shows such as DuckTales, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers,
Darkwing Duck, and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
2014:
The third (and final) season of Violetta premieres on Disney Channel Latin America.
2020:
The nominations for the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards are announced. Among the 145 nominations for the Walt Disney Company alone (which include Disney Television Studios, ABC, FX, Hulu, Disney+, National Geographic, ESPN & Disney Channel) are:
-The Mandalorian (Disney+) - Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series—Giancarlo Esposito, Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance—Taika Waititi, Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)—"Chapter 7: The Reckoning", Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series—"Chapter 2: The Child", Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series—"Chapter 4: Sanctuary", Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series—"Chapter 8: Redemption", Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special—"Chapter 6: The Prisoner",
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program—"Chapter 1: The Mandalorian" (Half-Hour), Outstanding Music Composition for a Series—“Chapter 8: Redemption” (Original Dramatic Score), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation—"Chapter 1: The Mandalorian", Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation—"Chapter 2: The Child", Outstanding Special Visual Effects—"Chapter 2: The Child", & Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie
-Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson Sr. on Black-ish (ABC) - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
-Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish (ABC) - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
-Modern Family (Episode: "Finale Part 2"), Directed by Gail Mancuso (ABC) - Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series,
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series—Fred Willard, & Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation—"Finale Part 1"
-Star Wars Resistance (Disney Channel/Lucasfilm Animation) - Outstanding Children’s Program
Winners will be announced September 20, 2020.
2017:
Disney's Hollywood Records releases Content, the second studio album by American indie rock band Joywave.
The final episode of the animated Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero airs on Disney XD.
1964:
Actor Ben Lipitz, a familiar face in regional theatres across the country, is born in New Jersey. Known for his multi decade association with The Lion King, he played the warthog Pumbaa for more than 6,000 performances. Lipitz held the role both on Broadway and multiple national tours, and was one of the longest-tenured performers in the history of the musical. Sadly, he passed away in April 2023.
