Beulah Bondi - my 236th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Beulah Bondi was an actress during the Golden Age, starring in some big name films such as It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Vivacious Lady. For Disney Studios she played a pivotal role in the live-action/animated mixed movie so Dear to My Heart. She is my 236th pick to be named a Disney Legend.

Walt Disney began work on building the first of the scenes which is known as "Granny Kincaid's cabin" based on a set from the Disney live action feature SO DEAR TO MY HEART. The completed project was on display at Disney's Hollywood Studios in the "One Man's Dream" attraction. Walt included everything from a spinning wheel to a rag rug on the plank floor to a flintlock rifle on the wall. There was a washbowl and pitcher, guitar and even a family Bible on the center table. For the chimney, he picked up pebbles at his vacation home, the Smoketree Ranch in Palm Springs.
It was Walt's plan that there would be no human figures. Viewers would hear the voice of Granny (recorded by actress Beulah Bondi who had played Granny in the movie) describing the scene.
The completed cabin was exhibited at the Festival of California Living at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles from November 28 to December 7, 1952

Renié Conley - my 235th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Renié Conley was one of Hollywood's premiere costume & gown designers, when she was asked to design many of Disneyland's original costumes. She also designed the elaborate costumes and gowns used in the Golden Horseshoe Revue. She is my 235th pick to be named a Disney Legend
Born Irene Brouillet, the famed gown and costume designer was also known as Renié. Renié was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning the Oscar for Best Costume in 1964 - for her work in Cleopatra. After almost 50 years of designing some of Hollywood's most elegant gowns and costumes, Renié died in 1992, in Los Angeles, California. She has a window in her honor on Main Street in Disneyland.

Ralph Hulett - my 234th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Background artist Ralph Hulett is my 234th pick to be named a Disney Legend. He was awarded a four year scholarship to study at the Chouinard Art Institute. While still at college, he was hired by the Walt Disney Studios to work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
After graduation in 1938, he went to work full-time at Disney. He did watercolor backgrounds for Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. By the 1940s, he had earned enough seniority to receive screen credits for his work on Make Mine Music, Song of the South, Melody Time, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, Aristocats, Bed-knobs and Broomsticks, The Sword and the Stone, The Alaskan Eskimo, Donald's Diary, Noah's Ark, The Story of Anyburg U.S.A., Goliath II, Primitive Pluto, Seal Island, Mickey and the Seal, and several episodes of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color .

Martha Wentworth - my 233rd pick to be named a Disney Legend

Martha Wentworth was a voice actress and she is my 233rd pick to be named a Disney Legend. She performed the voice of Jenny Wren in Who Killed Cock Robin? as well as the voices of Nanny and Lucy in One Hundred and One Dalmatians and Madam Mim and the Granny Squirrel in The Sword in the Stone.

Ron Husband - 232nd on the Disney Legend wishlist

Ron Husband is a character animator known and is my 232nd pick for the Disney Legend honor.

First hired by Disney studios in 1975, Husband has worked on over 17 animated features. He retired from the company in 2013 to focus on personal projects, including directing an upcoming film and teaching.

His Disney filmography includes:

1977 The Rescuers Character Animator

1978 The Small One Character Animator

1981 The Fox and the Hound Character Animator

1985 The Black Cauldron Character Animator

1986 The Great Mouse Detective Character Animator

1988 Oliver & Company Character Animator

1989 The Little Mermaid Character Animator

1990 The Rescuers Down Under Character Animator

1991 Beauty and the Beast Animator: Gaston

1992 Aladdin Animator: Jafar

1994 The Lion King Animator: Pumbaa

1995 Pocahontas Animator: John Smith

1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Animator: Djali

1997 Hercules Animator: Titans and Cyclops

2000 Fantasia 2000 Animator: segment Piano Concerto No. 2/Character Animator: Elk from The Firebird Suite

2001 Atlantis: The Lost Empire Supervising Animator: Dr. Sweet

2002 Treasure Planet Animator: John Silver

2004 Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers Animator

2005 Pooh's Heffalump Movie Key Animator

2008 The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning Character Designer

 

John Williams - my 231st pick to be a Disney Legend

John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. He is considered to be one of the greatest film composers of all time. 

He was named a Disney Legend in 2024.

In a career spanning over six decades, he has composed some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history, including the Star Wars saga, and the Indiana Jones films. He did the score for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

His score for the Star Wars films can be heard in Disney INFINITY 3.0. and in Rogue One.

Bob Jackman - my 230th pick for the Disney Legend award

Bob Jackman was a voice actor and musician who voiced Goofy in 1951 after his original voice actor Pinto Colvig left the studios for unknown reasons. Jackman joined Disney in 1942, working in accounting. He moved to the music department in 1955, later working together with Wayne Allwine, who later became the voice of Mickey Mouse. Jackman became the accounting department's manager that same year. He is my 230th pick to be a Disney Legend.

Arlene Ludwig - my 229th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Long-time Disney employee is my 229th pick to be named a Disney Legend. From the Walt Disney Company website -

Imagine being part of the Disney magic for 50 years. To date, 22 individuals have reached that milestone, and now it’s part of Arlene Ludwig’s story.
Arlene received an extra special honor during the Los Angeles celebration for her 50 years of service at Disney. She hired into the Walt Disney Studios public relations department in 1962 and says that it’s “hard to believe that 50 years have gone by.”
From meeting Walt Disney to working with Hollywood’s top talent on dozens of films, Arlene’s experiences are truly one of a kind. Her connection to the company actually began with her father, the late Disney Legend Irving Ludwig who began working with Walt Disney in 1939.

Icg Publicists Guild presented a special award to Arlene Ludwig,  Julie Andrews and Jodie Foster insisted on sharing the honor of introducing her at the ceremony in 2012.  Arlene made a lasting impression on many people in Hollywood as a tireless publicist for the Walt Disney Company.

Perce Pearce - my 228th pick to be nameda Disney Legend

My 228th pick for the Disney Legend honor is director, writer and producer Perce Pearce.



His Disney Filmography:

As producer

Song of the South (1946)
So Dear to My Heart (1948)
Treasure Island (1950)
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
The Sword and the Rose (1953)
Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue
(1954)
The Mickey Mouse Club (1955)

As writer
Fantasia (1940)
Bambi (1942)
All About Magic (1957)

As director
Victory Through Air Power (1943)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Marni Nixon - my 227th pick to be named a Disney Legend

My 227th pick to be named a Disney Legend is singer Marni Nixon. Nixon was a soprano and playback singer for featured actresses in movie musicals.

Marni Nixon lent her voice to four Disney movies, but was only credited in one. She was the main title soloist in the opening of Cinderella, the singing flowers in Alice in Wonderland, the singing geese in “Jolly Holliday” in Mary Poppins, and (her only credited role) the singing voice of Grandmother Fa in Mulan.

Kathy Mangum - my 226th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Imagineer Kathy Mangum is my 226th pick to be named a Disney Legend. Her current title is Chief Design & Project Delivery Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering. The following is from ana article from the D23 website -


Mangum started her Disney career working at Disneyland park while a student at California State University, Fullerton. And now, she’s the Atlantic regional executive for Walt Disney Imagineering! She’s responsible for oversight of Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line, and Disneyland Paris. Have you visited Cars Land inside Disney California Adventure? You have Kathy to thank for all that Radiator Springs fun; she was the executive producer of the 12-acre land/expansion that first revved its engines for the public in 2012. She’s also overseen the enhancements to the Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion at Epcot, and provided creative direction for Walt Disney World Resort’s two exhilarating water parks—Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

Don Patterson - my 225th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Don Patterson was a producer, animator and director who worked at various studios during the golden age of animation, including Disney, MGM, and Walter Lantz. He was the older brother of animator Ray Patterson.

His animation credits at Disney included animation on Boat Builders, Mickey's Trailer, The Whalers, Brave Little Tailor, Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, Pinocchio, the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" segment of Fantasia, Pluto's Playmate, Dumbo, The New Spirit, Donald's Garden, The Three Caballeros, The Eyes Have It and effect animations on Make Mine Music.

Ken O'Brien - my 224th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Ken O'Brien was an animator and imagineer and he is my 224th pick to be named a Disney Legend.  He also worked on animatronics in the mid-'60s at WED, specializing in facial action on Audio-Animatronics and he taught at Cal Arts. He has a window on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.

His work for Disney included character animation on Pinocchio, Bambi, Make Mine Music, Song of the South, the Bongo segment of Fun and Fancy Free, the Pecos Bill segment of Melody Time, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Donald's Diary, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, the ABC Afterschool Specials episode "The Last of the Curlews", Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, and the ABC Weekend Specials episodes "The Puppy's Great Adventure", "The Puppy's Amazing Rescue", and "P.J. Funnybunny".

Marjorie Ralston - my 223rd pick to be named a Disney Legend

Marjorie Ralston was the first female voice of Minnie Mouse.  She was chosen by Walt after all employees auditioned (including Walt's sister-in law, who was then Head Inker). Marjorie voiced her in only three cartoons - Wild Waves being the first - before she begged to stop out of shyness and recommended new-hire Marcellite Garner to Walt after hearing Marcellite talking and giggling as Minnie at work. Marjorie began as an Inker at the Walt Disney Studio in 1929, Walt's thirteenth employee and fifth female employee. She worked for Disney for 12 years until 1941, finishing as Head Inker, until she retired.She is my 223rd pick to be named a Disney Legend.

Sandy Duncan - my 222nd pick to be named a Disney Legend

Actress Sandy Duncan is my 222nd choice to be named a Disney Legend. For Disney, she starred in the 1974 television special Sandy in Disneyland, where she and other special guests went on a musical tour of Disneyland. She also voiced Vixey in The Fox and the Hound, guest-starred in episode 114 of The Muppet Show and played Katie Dooley in The Million Dollar Duck, a tour guide in Christmas in Disneyland and Dr. Elizabeth 'Liz' Barlett in The Cat from Outer Space.

Ray Spencer - my 221st choice to be named a Disney Legend

Ray Spencer was an executive for the Disney theme parks and he is my 221st pick to be named a Disney Legend. According to his LinkedIn page - his WDI resume reads as follows:


Executive Creative Director
Walt Disney Imagineering

July 1997 – October 2016 (19 years 4 months)

 

Sample Projects including but not limited to:
Creative Director: Disney California Adventure "Buena Vista Street"​, Blue Sky concept through project completion, including Field Art Directing to opening day
Creative Director: Disney California Adventure "Grizzly Peak Airfield"​ Initial Concept through opening day.
Creative Director: Disneyland "Matterhorn New Magic" including all animatronic figures and CG media
Creative Director Disneyland Haunted Mansion "Hatbox Ghost" reboot​.
Creative Director: Disneyland Big Thunder Mountain Railroad complete rebuild including New Magic Finale.
Creative Director "Red Car Trolley"​, Disney California Adventure
Creative Director "Carthay Circle Theater"​, Restaurant and members-only "Club 1901", Disney California Adventure
Creative Director Tokyo Disneyland Fantasyland and Tomorrowland Expansions 2016
Creative Director Shanghai Disneyland "Wandering Moon Teahouse"​ restaurant
Creative Director Disneyland Hotel Exterior, Entry, Lobby "Trader Sam's"​ bar, Tangaroa Terrace Restaurant and central courtyard including Monorail pools, restaurants including all graphics and color styling.
Concept Designer/ Art Director "Soarin'​"​ Disney California Adventure, Epcot Florida
Creative Director "Bugsland" Disney California Adventure
Creative and Art Director "Turtle Talk with Crush" and related exhibits Epcot Florida, Disney California Adventure

He alos oversaw the development of Storytellers statue of Walt with Mickey showing Walt at his arrival in L.A in 1923 was at Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure.

Mel Gibson - my 220th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Actor and director Mel Gibson is the final of my string of five Disney "Princes" in a row who I would like to see be named Disney Legends. He sits at pick number 220. At Disney, he is best known for voicing John Smith in the 1995 Disney animated feature film Pocahontas. However, his younger brother Donal took over the role in the 1998 direct-to-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. He also played Tom Mullen in the 1996 Touchstone Pictures film Ransom, and Rev. Gramham Hess, in the 2002 Touchstone Pictures film Signs. He also directed Apocalypto.

Christopher Daniel Barnes - my 219th pick to be named a Disney Legend

My next Disney Prince that I would like to see named a Disney Legend is Christopher Daniel Barnes. He is also widely known to Disney fans for providing the voice of Prince Eric in Disney's 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid, a role in which he reprised in the video game Kingdom Hearts II. He was only 16 years old when he first provided the voice, but the producers cast him because he sounded much older. This probably made him the youngest actor to voice a Disney Prince. Barnes also provided the voice for Prince Charming in Cinderella II: Dreams Come True and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time and Electro in Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bill Shirley - my 218th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Bill Shirley, another Disney Prince voice actor, is my 218th pick to be named a Disney Legend. was the original voice actor for Prince Phillip. He appeared in many films, then he retired from acting in 1963, four years after Sleeping Beauty. 26 years later, in 1989, he died at the age of 68.

From an article by Al Hunter - "in 1959, Bill Shirley made the film appearance he is most remembered for by today’s fans when he appeared as the voice of Prince Phillip in Walt Disney Pictures’ Sleeping Beauty. It was an impressive feat considering that he was one of only three lead voices in the entire film. The film would take nearly an entire decade to produce. The story work began in 1951, the voices were recorded in 1952 and the animation production began in 1953 and did not conclude until 1958 with the musical score recorded in 1957. During the original release on January 29, 1959, the film was considered a box office bust, returning only one half of the Disney Studios’ investment of $6 million. It was widely criticized as slow paced with little character development. Time has been much kinder to the film and today’s Disney fans and critics alike hail it as one of the best animated films ever made with successful releases in 20 foreign countries. To date the film has grossed nearly $500 million, placing it in the top 30 highest grossing films of all time.... By the way, what is the trivia question attached to Irvington’s Bill Shirley? Prince Phillip was the first of the Disney Princes to have a first name. Cinderella’s and Snow White’s previous princes had gone nameless."

William Phipps - my 217th pick to be named a Disney Legend

In continuing the Disney Prince theme, William Phipps is my 217th pick to be named a Disney Legend. the speaking voice of Prince Charming in Walt Disney's 1950 animated film, Cinderella. It remains one of his most renowned and celebrated roles to-date. He also has a role in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey as Quentin the old man, who lives in the woods and finds Sassy. Following the death of June Foray in 2017, Phipps is the last surviving cast-member of Cinderella.

Harry Stockwell - my 216th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Harry Stockwell is my 216th pick to be named a Disney Legend and he is the grouped with several Disney Princes. Stockwell is best known for providing the speaking and singing voice of The Prince in Disney's 1937 animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He was married to Nina Olivette and had two children with her, Guy and Dean Stockwell, both of whom are actors.

Lance Nolley - my 215th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Lance Nolley, my 215th pick to be named a Disney Legend, was an art director and background artist for Disney Studios. He joined the staff right after work was completed on Snow White. Some of his credits include Bongo, Football Now and Then, Fun and Fancy Free, The Coyote's Lament, The Saga of Windwagon Smith, The Litterbug,
Holiday for Henpecked Husbands, Fantasia, The Reluctant Dragon, Make Mine Music, Melody Time, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Peter Pan, Paul Bunyan, Plutopia, How to Have an Accident in the Home, Grand Canyonscope, Cinderella, The Simple Things, Cold Turkey, Pluto's Party and R'coon Dawg .

He was also a layout artist for eight episodes of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color:

- Highway to Trouble (1959)

- How to Relax (1957)

- Four Fabulous Characters (1957)

- More About the Silly Symphonies (1957)

- Disneyland, the Park/Pecos Bill (1957)

- The Adventure Story (1957)

- Pluto's Day (1956)

- Where Do the Stories Come From? (1956)

Chuck Myall - my 214th pick to be chosen as a Disney Legend

Chuck Myall,art director and project designer WED, and he was the lead designer for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, is my 214th pick to be named a Disney Legend.He worked on the overall development of Walt Disney World to include the Haunted Mansion and It’s A Small World. He also worked on projects in Disneyland to include Sleeping Beauty Castle, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the monorail.

He has gravestone in his honor at the line of the Haunted Mansion ride which reads In Memorium Uncle Myall, Here you’ll lie for quite a while. He also has a window in his honor on Main Street in Magic Kingdom above the Plaza Restaurant. He was involved in creating the master plan for Walt Disney World.

Milt Neil - my 213th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Milt Neil is my 213th pick to be named a Disney Legend, Neil,sometimes known as "the Duck Man", was a career character animator. He worked for Disney Studios from 1935 to 1944. He worked on Dumbo, Fantasia, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and The Three Caballeros. He headed the animation team that won an Academy Award for Der Furher’s Face (1942), a wartime propaganda film featuring Donald Duck. He was called the Duck Man because he became very adept at drawing Donald Duck.
Milt Neil went on to design practically all the products that came out under the Howdy Doody name.

Thelma Witmer - my 212th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Thelma Witmer, background artist during the classic years of Disney Studios is my 212th pick to be given the Disney Legend artist. Her first credit for Disney was the animated short Donald’s Off Day (1944) and subsequently she worked on over twenty animated shorts featuring beloved Disney characters such as Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy and Chip ‘n’ Dale before being asked to contribute backgrounds to the feature-length production of Cinderella (1950). Much like Mary Blair, Witmer’s work was often surprisingly bold and modern and these two inventive artists both worked together with the animation team behind Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953).



Some other Disney films and shorts that include her artists talent are: First Aiders, The Eyes Have It, No Sail, A Knight for a Day, The Whale who wanted to sing at the Met, Straight Shooters, Clown of the Jungle, Bootle Beetle, Daddy Duck, Inferior Decorator, Three for Breakfast, Tea for Two hundred, Sea Salts, Winter Storage, Honey Harvester, All in a Nutshell, Slide Donald Slide, Toy Tinkers, Lion Around,  Trailer Horn, Hook Lion and Sinker, Out on a Limb, Corn Chips, Lucky Number, Cold Turkey, Bee on Guard, Donald Applecore, Let's Stick Together, Pluto's Party, Pluto's Christmas Tree, The New Neighbor, Ben and Me, Social Lion, Lady and the Tramp, I'm no Fool With a Bicycle, Chips Ahoy, Donald's Award, Sleeping Beauty, Donald in Mathmagicland, Goliath II, Guided Mouse-Ille and The Jungle Book.