David Odgen Stiers - my 245th pick to be named a Disney Legend

M.A.S.H. actor David Ogden Stiers is my 245th pick to be named A Disney Legend. He had quite an extensive career with Disney Studios.

He voiced both Cogsworth and the opening narrator in Beauty and the Beast, Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins in Pocahontas, Fenton Q. Harcourt in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Mr. Jolly in Teacher's Pet, Jumba Jookiba in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, Kamaji in the English dub of Spirited Away, Mr. Piccolo in the English dub of Porco Rosso, and the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He also voiced the Narrator in My Neighbors the Yamadas, and an announcer in THX 1138.

He has also narrated several Winnie the Pooh stories. He was also the narrator in the American Dragon: Jake Long episode, "The Talented Mr. Long". He portrayed J.W. Harper in the film Iron Will, Alexei Jovanovic in the film Jungle 2 Jungle, Laius in Mighty Aphrodite, Judge Justin Beach in Bad Company, and Henry Spivey in Krippendorf's Tribe. He also voiced the King and the Prime Minister in the Mary Poppins short The Cat That Looked at a King.

He also played Ken Bradfield in Everyone Says I Love You.

Mark Sumner - my 244th pick to be a Disney Legend

If you love the Soarin rides at the Disney theme parks, then you can thank Mark Sumner, my 244th pick to be named a Disney Legend. Below is an article form themparktourist.com.

The premise of Soarin’ Over California was always to provide the sensation of flight for theme park guests. Imagineer Kathy Mangum described it thusly: “The genesis of the idea goes back to our dream of being able to fly, along with the impressive natural beauty of California” As originally envisioned, however, Soarin’ was determined to be impossible by Disney Imagineers in 1996. The ride was initially conceptualized as a hang gliding simulator. The infamous “dry cleaning idea” presumed that individual seats would rotate on a moving conveyor, with guests hanging from hooks like laundry. Alas, designer Barry Braverman noted that it “had all kinds of problems.” Presumably, theme park visitors don’t enjoy feeling like they just came out of the dryer.

Several other strategies were examined, all of which had the same intended goal of giving the rider a great IMAX view plus the sensation of flight. None of them was deemed feasible. In the end, inspiration came from an unlikely source. Imagineer Mark Sumner happened to discover his childhood Erector Set during a weekend visit to his parents’ house. While playing with his forgotten toys in the attic, Sumner was struck with inspiration. He returned to work with a functional design on the following Monday morning and promptly became known as Mr. Erector. Okay, nobody ever called him that, but his creative solution was immediately adopted.

The only difference between the model he displayed during that Monday meeting and the ride we have today is an apparatus built from a million pounds of steel capable of lifting 37 tons. The underlying design of the Erector Set prototype remains the same, though. Guests all board at once and then are simultaneously lifted to the appropriate level for their part of the IMAX viewing screen. It’s an elegant solution to a seemingly impossible problem.

Matthew Broderick - my 243rd pick to be named a Disney Legend

Actor Matthew Broderick is my 243rd pick to be named a Disney Legend. He voiced adult Simba in the 1994 animated film The Lion King, and its sequels, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½. This role alone should merit consideration as a Disney Legend.

He also played the titular character and RoboGadget in the 1999 live-action film Inspector Gadget. Additionally, he portrayed Professor Harold Hill in the 2003 television film The Music Man.

Leonard Maltin - my 242nd pick to be named a Disney Legend

My 242nd pick to be named a Disney Legend is Leonard Maltin, film critic, historian, and author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He had appeared in documentaries on The making of classic Disney animated films from late 1930s to late 1970s for the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection. He also appeared in the Walt Disney Treasures and was an interviewee in The Age of Believing: The Disney Live-Action Classics. Currently, he hosts Treasures from the Disney Vault on Turner Classic Movies.He has hosted the Silly Symphony Concert and wrote a book called Disney Films.

Dick Anthony - my 241st pick to be named a Disney Legend

Animator and background artist on classic films and shorts, Dick Anthony is my 241st pick to be named a Disney Legend.

His Disney filmography inlcudes:

1942

            Bambi

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds )

1943

            Lake Titicaca

       (Disney - Donald Duck Cartoon - Backgrounds )

            Saludos Amigos

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds )

            Victory Through Air Power

       (Disney - Feature Films: United Artists - Backgrounds )

1949

            So Dear to My Heart

       (Disney - Feature Films : Disney - Backgrounds )

            The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

       (Disney - Backgrounds )

            The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds )

1950

            Cinderella

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds )

1951

            Home Made Home

       (Disney - Goofy Cartoon - Backgrounds )

            Tomorrow We Diet

       (Disney - Goofy Cartoon - Backgrounds )

            Alice in Wonderland

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds )

1952

            Man's Best Friend

       (Disney - Goofy Cartoon - Backgrounds )

            Two Gun Goofy

       (Disney - Goofy Cartoon - Backgrounds )

            How to Be a Detective

       (Disney - Goofy Cartoon - Backgrounds )

1953

            Peter Pan

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds )

            Football (Now and Then)

       (Disney - Backgrounds )

            Ben and Me

       (Disney - Backgrounds )

1954

            The Lone Chipmunks

       (Disney - Chip 'n' Dale Cartoon - Backgrounds )

1955

            Lady and the Tramp

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds )

1959

            Sleeping Beauty

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Backgrounds

Eric Jacobson - my 240th pick to be named a Disney

Imagineer and theme park executive Eric Jacobson is 240th pick to be named a Disney Legend. He has served in several roles within the Disney theme parks, including global attraction and entertainment safety, creative leadership of Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot and senior vice-president of development at Walt Disney Imagineering. He had roles in developing the Star Tours attraction, Splash Mountain, and the New Fantasyland. He is not the same Eric Jacobson who is a Muppeteer.

Richard Rich - my 239th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Director, animator and musician Richard Rich is my 239th pick to be named a Disney Legend.

He started at the mail-room at the Walt Disney Studio in the late 1970s after founder Walt Disney had died, working with his successor as chief animator, Don Bluth. The only two films he directed at Disney were The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron.

After 1985, he left Disney to found his own studio, Rich Animation Studios (later known as RichCrest Animation Studios), and directed a series of upbeat, inspiring Bible stories. It should be noted that he doesn't have as much successful films compared to Don Bluth.

He is youngest animation director in the history of The Walt Disney Company but did not start out as an animator.

He taught piano lessons during his lunch hour which got the attention from Disney executives.

Alan Horais - my 238th pick to be named a Disney Legend

Imagineer Alan Horais is my 238th pick to be named a Disney Legend. Horais spent close to 20 years with Walt Disney Imagineering where he was Senior Principle Production Designer. He led Hong Kong Disneyland's Tomorrowland project and was responsible for concept, art direction, and production. He was also responsible for vehicle design, engineering and the overall success of various Disney projects at Epcot and Downtown Disney. After Disney, Al was Chief Design Engineer for Scenario Design and then, Creative Director for Thinkwell Design.

George Rowley - my 237th pick to be named a Disney Legend

George Rowley was an early animator for the Walt Disney studios. He later animated for Hanna Barbera in Scooby Doo cartoons.

His Disney filmography includes:

1935

            Music Land

       (Disney - Silly Symphony - Animator )

1936

            Toby Tortoise Returns

       (Disney - Silly Symphony - Animator )

1937

            The Old Mill

       (Disney - Silly Symphony - Animator )

1938

            Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Animator )

            Wynken, Blynken and Nod

       (Disney - Silly Symphony - Animator )

            The Brave Little Tailor

       (Disney - Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Animator - Drafts Available)

1939

            Society Dog Show

       (Disney - Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Animator )

            The Practical Pig

       (Disney - Three Little Pigs Cartoon - Animator )

            The Hockey Champ

       (Disney - Donald Duck Cartoon - Animator )

            Donald's Cousin Gus

       (Disney - Donald Duck Cartoon - Animator )

            Officer Duck

       (Disney - Donald Duck Cartoon - Animator )

1940

            Pinocchio

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Animator )

            Bill Posters

       (Disney - Donald and Goofy Cartoon - Animator )

            Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

       (Disney - Animator )

            The Sorcerer's Apprentice

       (Disney - Animator )

1941

            The Little Whirlwind

       (Disney - Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Animator - Drafts Available)

            Canine Caddy

       (Disney - Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Animator )

            The Reluctant Dragon

       (Disney - Animator )

            Dumbo

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Animator )

1942

            Bambi

       (Disney - Disney Theatrical Feature - Animator )

1943

            The Grain That Built a Hemisphere

       (Disney - Animator )

            Victory Through Air Power

       (Disney - Feature Films: United Artists - Animator )

            Chicken Little

       (Disney - Animator )

1946

            Casey at the Bat

       (Disney - Animator - Drafts Available)

1948

            The Big Wash

       (Disney - Goofy Cartoon - Animator )

1949

            Pluto's Surprise Package

       (Disney - Pluto Cartoon - Animator )