|
Post by mikef6 on Aug 4, 2017 3:47:23 GMT
All right, all together now. Uh-one-and-uh-two-and-uh…..
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mouse Forever let us hold your banner high High High High. Come along and sing our song And join our jamboree. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
In the early 1950s, ABC was the smallest of the 3 networks and needed a big hit; they had never had a show in the Top 20. At the same time, Walt Disney needed a cash infusion to go ahead with building his Disneyland amusement park in California. They found each other and the show “Disneyland” (premiered October 1954) was the result. It became ABC’s first smash hit. A year later, wanting to keep that momentum going, they went back to Disney and got an hour-long daytime kids show to run daily Monday thru Friday.
The concept was revolutionary. There had been many kids’ shows, but this one would be performed by – and star – kids! 24 lucky singers and dancers from age 8 to 13 were picked to be Mouseketeers. There would be 2 adults on the show, known as Mooseketeers. Chief adult Jimmie Dodd wrote the opening theme, “The Mickey Mouse Club March” The 24 chosen Mouseketeers were divided into three teams: Red, Blue, and White. Only the Red Team participated in the Roll Call that opened each show. Even though “Mouse Club” became an enormous hit and a merchandising bonanza for Disney (you had a set of those mouse ears, come on, admit it), it was canceled after only three seasons. Ratings were still good but dropping, ABC and Disney were feuding, and they had only two real breakout stars: Annette Funicello from the Mouseketeers and Tim Considine from “Spin and Marty” and “The Hardy Boys” – stories serialized on the program. (I was more partial to Darlene Gillespie.)
“The Mickey Mouse Club” ran from October 3, 1955 to September 24, 1959.
What are your memories of the ORIGINAL Mickey Mouse Club?
|
|
|
Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Aug 4, 2017 6:47:10 GMT
In the early 1950s, ABC was the smallest of the 3 networks and needed a big hit Wrong: There were four networks. You forgot DuMont. DuMont and ABC were equal to each other prior to 1953 per the book The Forgotten Network, then ABC began going up and DuMont began sliding towards oblivion (dropping most operations by the end of the summer of 1955, with a modest amount of boxing telecasts continuing until August 1956). Actually, there was an even smaller network out there: The Paramount Television Network, which ceased operations in 1953 or so (EDIT: turns out it was actually 1956). Never heard of the Paramount Television Network? No surprise, they were a complete miserable failure that makes DuMont look like a success by comparison.
|
|
|
Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Aug 4, 2017 7:41:20 GMT
It was introduced, at different dates, to various Australian cities. In Melbourne it began being shown during January 1957, while in Sydney in began being shown in April 1957. In both cities it was preceded on the schedule by a local kids show: In Melbourne it was originally "The Judy Jack Show", in Sydney it was "Desmond and the Channel 9-Pins".
Elsewhere in Australia, it took longer for television to come. Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane did not get TV until 1959, and I don't have access to their schedules. I do have an Adelaide TV magazine from July 1961, which indicates that in that city it was also preceded by a local kids show (a series called "Funfair"). The fact it had already ended in the U.S. wasn't going to stop it from being shown in Adelaide!
Canberra did not get TV until 1962. Although the series had already ended in the U.S, it began being shown in Canberra during November 1962, again preceded by a local kids show ("Children's TV Corner").
The odd thing: it was shown in a 45-minute time-slot on commercial TV, which indicated it was edited for Australian broadcast (I wonder which material got cut).
|
|
wanton87
Sophomore
@wanton87
Posts: 224
Likes: 198
|
Post by wanton87 on Aug 4, 2017 16:29:58 GMT
Loved it! Particularly the serials that they presented towards the end of the show. I liked Corky and White Shadow, the Hardy Boys, Spin and Marty, and the Annette Series wasn’t too bad, for it also featured the lovely Roberta Shore.
Annette was the most popular female Mouseketeer, but for me it was the lovely blond haired Cheryl Holdridge; may they both rest in peace.
I didn’t realize just how old Jimmy Dodd was, but he was nearly the same age as Roy, he just didn’t show it.
My understanding mikef6, is that the many of the more popular Mouseketeers continued to work as such following the cancellation of the series, in the form of various tours. I know that they also toured Australia at one point.
I later watched the 1970’s Mickey Mouse Club, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the original to me.
|
|
|
Post by mikef6 on Aug 4, 2017 18:41:05 GMT
Loved it! Particularly the serials that they presented towards the end of the show. I liked Corky and White Shadow, the Hardy Boys, Spin and Marty, and the Annette Series wasn’t too bad, for it also featured the lovely Roberta Shore. Annette was the most popular female Mouseketeer, but for me it was the lovely blond haired Cheryl Holdridge; may they both rest in peace. I didn’t realize just how old Jimmy Dodd was, but he was nearly the same age as Roy, he just didn’t show it. My understanding mikef6, is that the many of the more popular Mouseketeers continued to work as such following the cancellation of the series, in the form of various tours. I know that they also toured Australia at one point. I later watched the 1970’s Mickey Mouse Club, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the original to me. I don’t remember reading about the touring. It is quite possible. There is a good recent book, “Why? Because We Still Like You: An Oral History Of The Mickey Mouse Club” by Jennifer Armstrong (2010), that is very informative. I know that the show was canceled rather abruptly. Disney staff was sent out to the homes of the Mouseketeers to deliver the news that it was all over and to collect any clothing or other items they might have. They weren’t even allowed to keep their mouse ears for a remembrance. Some of the Mouseketeers went on to show biz careers. Bobby Burgess was a dancer for many years on the Lawrence Welk show. I remember Corky and White Shadow very well because that is where my fav, Darlene Gillespie, got her breakout opportunity. It didn’t work out, though. She tried for a singing career but in the late 1990s she and her boyfriend got some jail time on fraud charges. I don’t know anything about her since then. UPDATE: Just before posting this I said, “What the hell. Do a Google search.” I did and immediately found this profile of Darlene. She seems to have lived a life of stress up until not long ago. I hope she’s happy now. The profile mentions (in passing) the Australian tours. DarleneThis is an interesting site that profiles all of the other Mouseketeers.
|
|
wanton87
Sophomore
@wanton87
Posts: 224
Likes: 198
|
Post by wanton87 on Aug 4, 2017 18:52:23 GMT
mikef6 Oh yes, I’m familiar with that site mikef6, and have spent a lot of time there. In fact, that’s how I first learned of Ms Holdridge passing about 9 months after the fact. It was my understanding that the tours were not arranged by the Disney Studio, and that Jimmy Dodd himself had arranged them. If I recall, Darlene was not invited on the Post-MMC tours. A brief illness taking her out of production for a while, led to her being surpassed in popularity by the newcomer Annette. Apparently there was some bitterness, and Darlene became difficult to work with at times. I’m only going off of memory at the moment, so if I’m wrong on any of this, please forgive me. I too liked Darlene a lot, and thought she was quite cute in the day. It appears that she has led a hard life unfortunately, and that it’s taken its toll on her.
|
|
|
Post by taylorfirst1 on Aug 15, 2017 21:43:52 GMT
I wasn't able to watch it when it originally aired but I watched it in endless reruns as a kid in the 1970's. It was a great show and it really was a lot of fun. Annette was and will always be my favorite.
|
|
|
Post by telegonus on Aug 17, 2017 17:48:03 GMT
It was a fun show and I remember it well. For a while there Walt Disney seemed to be branching out from his Disneyland series to become a major player as a TV producer, what with Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro (can anyone think of anther?), with the latter a modest hit, the former a major one.
Looking back on it, Disney was probably wise, in the long run, to put all his eggs in one basket, renamed his own show, moved to NBC, focus more on live action feature films. The ones he produced were making a fortune, and he generally didn't spend much on them.
As to MMC club alums, The Rifleman's Johnny Crawford was one such.
|
|