Leslie Nielsen - My 41st choice as a Disney Legend

Many people in their 30s and 40s will remember Leslie Neilsen as the screwball actor from the Naked Gun films and Airplane! they might also recall his brief role in the Poseidon Adventure. But long before these days he played an important role for Walt Disney's television program. He was the lead character - Colonel Frances Marion in the TV show The Swamp Fox. The series encompassed eight episodes, running as part of The Wonderful World of Color.

Like Davy Crockett (played by Fess Parker who is a Disney Legend) and Zorro (starring Guy Williams - also a Disney Legend), the Swamp Fox was a popular hero for all those Baby Boomers and the rest of us who watched the reruns on later version of the Wonderful World of Disney.

Besides the Swamp Fox, Nielsen played Mr. Magoo in the 1997 film of the same name, Mr. Penn in the 1998 Disney television film Safety Patrol , Dick Steele in the 1996 Hollywood Pictures film Spy Hard, Santa Claus in Santa Who? He also narrated The Boy Who Flew with Condors and Katie and Orbie.