2004:
Disney's Home on the Range is released on DVD.
Actress Brooke Tansley steps into the role of Belle in Disney's Broadway
stage show Beauty and the Beast. She is the 14th actress to play the role on Broadway.
2001:
Disneyland turns somber at noon as park guests and
employees stop to remember those lost in the
September 11th terror attacks on this
Day of Prayer and Remembrance.
Michael Eisner addresses several thousand Disney Cast Members gathered around the flag at the Burbank studio. His words include:
"Today I stand here before you without the usual Disney pageantry, but with the usual Disney spirit. I thank you for coming to this plaza to show your support for community and company, your profound sense of compassion, your respect and your unity."
Disney World's "Hurricane Preparedness Plan" enters several phases while a potential major storm works it's way across the Florida region. All outdoor shows and sporting activities are canceled. Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground guests are relocated to other Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Later, the nightly New Year's Eve celebration held at Pleasure Island is canceled again out of respect for the victims of the terrorist attacks (and the pending hurricane).
Today is a Day of Mourning and Commemoration for the victims of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. by the European Union. Disneyland Paris joins the moments of silence organized Europe-wide at noon. For three minutes all attractions close down, the music-broadcast are halted and all Cast Members stop their activities. Guests are informed by an announcement and are asked to join the employees of Disneyland Paris for three minutes of silence to commemorate the victims and express their support.
At Disney California Adventure, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! opens.
The second park to feature the attraction (the first one opened in Disney's Hollywood Studios in April 2001), it is based on the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire television game show.
1928:
Walt Disney (visiting New York) writes a letter to his brother Roy
and animator Ub Iwerks about the next day's recording session for
Steamboat Willie. Walt has hired Carl Edouarde - who has led pit orchestras in theaters - to
conduct the session. (This first session will be a disaster and Walt will realize that a system to indicate
the tempo to which the music should be performed, needs to be developed before it is tried again.)
1955:
The Disneyland television series opens its second season
on ABC with an edited version of the 1941 Dumbo.
Disney's True-Life Adventure The African Lion is released in theaters.
The documentary mainly focuses on the King of the Beasts but also includes fascinating glimpses of
rhinos, hippos, vultures, and even locusts. Three years in the making, The African Lion is directed
and co-written by James Algar. The 10th film in Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures series and the 3rd
feature length film in the series, it is narrated by Winston Hibler.
1964:
At the White House, U.S. President
Johnson presents Walt Disney with the
Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest
civil honor. Recipients of the medal are those
who have made outstanding contributions to the
security or national interest of the United States or
to world peace, or those who have made a
significant public or private accomplishment.
Actress Faith Ford, who played Julie Plummer in Disney's 2005 action comedy "The
Pacifier," is born in Alexandria, Louisiana. In 1983, Ford landed her first television role on ABC's "One Life to Live." Fans of the ABC-TV sitcom "Hope & Faith" will remember Ford for her role of Hope Shanowski. Her credits also include the 2002 ABC Family TV movie "Mom's on Strike," the 1999 ABC sitcom "Norm," and the 2007 ABC sitcom "Carpoolers." Ford may be best known for her role as Corky Sherwood in the CBS sitcom "Murphy Brown."
1969:
Disney's long-running weekly television series changes its name (for the
3rd time since its 1954 debut on ABC) to The Wonderful World of Disney.
Actor, television presenter, writer, director and comedian Oscar Kightley is born in Samoa. He supplied the voice of Fisherman for the 2016 animated Moana.
1980:
The Mickey Mouse Revue, an audio-animatronic indoor stage show located in
Walt Disney World's Fantasyland Theater, closes after nearly 9 years in
operation. (It will be dismantled and shipped to Tokyo Disneyland, making it the
first major Magic Kingdom attraction to leave the Florida park since its opening.)
1984:
Actor Adam Lamberg, David 'Gordo' Gordon on the Disney Channel
sitcom Lizzie McGuire, is born in New York City. Lamberg also made a brief
appearance in the 2001 film Max Keeble's Big Move.
1985:
Disney's very first Saturday morning animated television shows Disney's Adventures
of the Gummi Bears (on NBC) and The Wuzzles (on CBS) both debut.
Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears is the first animated production by Walt Disney Animation Television, and loosely inspired by the gummy bear candies (Disney CEO Michael Eisner was struck with inspiration for the show when his son requested the candies one day). The series will air for 4 seasons on NBC before moving to ABC for
one season in 1989.
The Wuzzles features a variety of short, rounded animal characters (each called a Wuzzle, which means to mix up). Narrated by Stan Freberg, only 13 episodes of Wuzzles will be produced, making it one of the shortest running animated series produced by Disney.
The Golden Girls, a sitcom produced by Touchstone Television and distributed
by Buena Vista Television, debuts on NBC. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue
McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women who share a Miami, Florida home.
The series will win several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
twice, during its 7-year run. (All four actresses will be named Disney Legends in 2009.)
1991:
The Main Street Electrical Parade has its final performance at Disney World.
This version will be shipped to France to be used at Disneyland Paris.
1993:
The All New Mickey Mouse Club make their recording debut with
the release of their self-titled album MMC. Recorded during the hiatus
of the popular Disney Channel series, MMC features 12 songs and 13 members of the hit show.
Annette Funicello is Inducted to the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. Her star in category of Motion Picture is located at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard (in front of The Disney Soda Fountain). A singer and actress, she was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of Disney and beach party films.
1999:
Hurricane Floyd clobbers the Bahamas, toppling power lines and ripping
roofs off homes. Meanwhile Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina brace for Floyd (a category 4
hurricane) as people evacuate to the west away from the coast. Even Walt Disney World closes its
doors in the afternoon to prepare and ride out the storm. It is the resort's very first unscheduled closing.
The Nashville Sessions, an album by the Colorado-based jam band Leftover Salmon, is released on Disney's Hollywood Records.
2000:
The sounds of salsa, and Latin pop enliven the streets of Downtown Disney
Pleasure Island during the sixth annual Latin Rhythm Nights celebration.
2002:
New York's The Lion King comes to Dallas at the Music Hall at Fair Park.
All proceeds of this spectacular evening will benefit the children and families of the Ronald
McDonald House of Dallas.
Disney's Fillmore debuts on ABC-TV's morning line-up known as ABC Kids. The new animated series centers around Safety Patrol Officer Cornelius Fillmore (voiced by actor Orlando Brown).
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1937:
Walt Disney screens one thousand feet of his newest animated feature Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs for RKO executives. They believe the picture will make
"plenty of money". (At this time RKO is distributing Disney's cartoons.)
Disneyland's only residents were Owen
& Dolly Pope. They were hired in 1951
to put together some livestock for
Walt's future park. They first lived in a
trailer at the Disney Studio where they
raised & trained horses. Three days
before Disneyland opened, they moved
into the park to run the
Disneyland Pony Farm.
2007:
Walt Disney's Hometown Toonfest kicks off for two days
in Marceline, Missouri. The hometown of Walt from 1906 until 1911, Marceline
throws a celebration every September to honor the memory of its most famous citizen.
1997:
The second episode of Muppets Tonight to air on Disney Channel debuts with
guest Rick Moranis. (It is the second season of the show - but the first to air on Disney Channel.)
Going Wild with Jeff Corwin, a nature documentary television series, debuts on the Disney Channel. For the next two seasons, Corwin (a biologist and wildlife conservationist) will travel to natural places around the world, including Florida, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Death Valley, and Hawaii, in search of wild animals.
1880:
Earl Hurd, a pioneering animator, film director and writer, is born in Kansas. Noted for
creating and producing the silent Bobby Bumps animated short subject series for early animation producer J.R.
Bray's Bray Productions, Hurd also worked at the Walt Disney studio as a storyboard artist.
He helped adapt the story of Snow White for Disney's 1937 animated version.
SEPTEMBER 14
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
SEPTEMBER 14
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Sophia: "I need the money for my old age."
Dorothy: "Old age? You don't leave fingerprints anymore."
-The Golden Girls
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2007 Hometown Toonfest kicks off
Walt awarded Medal of Freedom
SEASON 2 EPISODE 1
1994:
Disney's Hollywood Pictures releases the historical mystery-drama "Quiz Show." Starring John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes, Paul Scofield, David Paymer, Hank Azaria, and Christopher McDonald, the film tells the story of the real-life "Twenty One" quiz show scandal of the 1950s. Directed and produced by Robert Redford, the film's cast also includes Mira Sorvino, Martin Scorsese, and Timothy Busfield.
1971:
Actress and director Kimberly Williams is born in Rye, New York. She is best known
for her co-starring role on the ABC sitcom "According to Jim" as Dana, as well as her breakthrough performance of Annie in the Touchstone comedy film "Father of the Bride," for which she was nominated for several awards - along with its sequel "Father of the Bride Part II." She also portrayed Gwen Daugherty in Touchstone's 1993 comedy-drama "Indian Summer." Williams is married to country music singer Brad Paisley. They both attended the World Premiere of Disney's "Planes: Fire & Rescue" at the El Capitan Theatre in July 2014.
2010:
The first Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party of the 2010 season
takes place at Walt Disney World. A Magic Kingdom event, it will be held on selected
dates through November 1.
Penguin Random House releases the book "Kingdom of Color (Disney Tangled)"
by Melissa Lagonegro.
Disney Press releases "Tangled: The Junior Novelization."
Little Golden Book releases the picture book "Disney Tangled."
Disney Read-Along Storybook and CD releases "Disney Tangled."
1998:
The Villains in Vogue store opens at the Disney-MGM Studios on Sunset Boulevard.
2011:
The 26th newly-designed Disney Store to open in the U.S., debuts at the
Saint Louis Galleria (a mall in St. Louis, Missouri).
2012:
Halloween Time officially begins at the Disneyland Resort. Park guests can take part in
such spooky events as The Halloween Carnival at Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree in Frontierland, Disney’s
Happiest Haunts Guided Tour, "The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition" and The Pirates League.
Disney•Pixar Cars fans teamed up with NASCAR driver Casey Mears to wave the
green flag and kick off the Cars "Take Flight" experience during the 3-day Chase
weekend at Chicagoland Speedway (a 1.5-mile, paved oval race track located in
Joliet, Illinois). Promoting the world television premieres of the Cars Toons short films "Air Mater" and
"Moon Mater" to air this fall on Disney Channel, and the launch of a new Cars "Take Flight" product collection,
Disney has created this fun and immersive family experience for race fans to enjoy the world of Cars.
Finding Nemo 3D is released to theaters for a limited time.
Barfi!, a romantic comedy about three young people who learn lessons about love
and societal pressures, is released in India and to a limited amount of U.S. theaters by UTV Motion Pictures and The Walt Disney Company India.
September 14
"Artist and impresario, in the course of entertaining an age, he has created an American folklore."
-U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson on Walt Disney
2016:
The 21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival begins. The 62-day event will
showcase 30 global marketplaces including four new Future World marketplaces featuring fresh culinary
concepts to pair with select wines, beers, cocktails and other beverages.
At Epcot's Innoventions, both The Sum of All Thrills and StormStruck close at
the end of this day. Running since 2008, The Sum of All Thrills allowed guests to build and then "ride"
their own roller coaster. StormStruck helped guests learn how to prepare for a hurricane or strong storm.
1974:
Actress Barbara Jo Allen passes away at age 68 in California. She was the voice of Fauna (the green good fairy) in Disney's 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty and Scullery Maid in Disney's 1963 The Sword in the Stone.
1933:
Actress Zoe Caldwell is born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She provided the voice
of the Grand Councilwoman for the Disney films Lilo & Stitch (2002), Stitch! The Movie (2003), Stitch's Great Escape! (2004), and Leroy & Stitch (2006). A four-time Tony Award winner, she won Best Featured Actress in a Play for Slapstick Tragedy (1966), and Best Actress in a Play for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1968), Medea (1982), and Master Class (1996).
2020:
Songwriter & producer Al Kasha passes away at age 83 in California. He is one of those rare artists who, as a composer/lyricist, had hit records over five decades (starting in the sixties), ranging from Elvis Presley to Aretha Franklin to Helen Reddy to Sherrie Austin to Donna Summer. Kasha was awarded two Oscars and had two other Academy Award nominations for his critically acclaimed work in films. His first Academy Award for Best Song was for "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure, and his second for "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno. Two additional nominations came from the live-action animated Walt Disney 1977 classic Pete's Dragon. He co-wrote the film's signature song "Candle on the Water" (sung by Helen Reddy).
1936:
Actor and singer Nicol Williamson is born in Scotland. He played the role of Dr. Worley/Nome King in the 1985 dark fantasy Return to Oz.
1972:
Voice actor Marc Silk is born in Solihull, West Midlands, England. His character vocal work includes Aks Moe & Sil Unch in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Bob in Bob The Builder. Silk is also the voice of the promo announcer for Disney Channel.
2021:
Comedian, actor, and writer Norm Macdonald passes away at age 61 in California.
Known for his deadpan style, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for five years, including anchoring the "Weekend Update" segment for three seasons. His ABC-TV credits included writing for Roseanne, appearing on 2 episodes of The Drew Carey Show, starring in his own sitcom Norm for 3 seasons, and appearing in 10 episodes of The Middle.
The Lion King returns to Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre. It is among the first shows to resume performances (along with Hamilton and Wicked) since the pandemic shutdown in March 2020. (Aladdin will resume performances at Broadway’s glorious New Amsterdam Theatre on September 28, 2021.)
