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This site is dedicated to the original Mickey Mouse Club Show of the 1950's, the first television show for, by, and about kids. But first the commercial: (*ahem*) News and Updates Now is the time to say Good-byeThe website will close on April 30th, after fourteen years on the web. Changing technology and other circumstances have led to this decision, but you can still access the (mis)information from here through the good graces of the people at the Internet Archive.....
April 20th, 2020Enlightenment on a par with the decipherment of Linear B is achieved as Randall Nakashima unravels the mystery of MMC Color Coded Teams.....
April 4th, 2020One of the most interesting MMC related documents seen in years has been sold at auction on eBay. For $203, some lucky bidder won a ACH Day script. Why is this script so unusual and valuable? The short answer is in the date of the script: November 1958, which means it is from the MMC's abortive Fourth Season. But more than that, it shows that the studio was still planning on using Karen and Cubby, months after all other mice (save Annette) had been placed on inactive status.
March 31st, 2020
March 25th, 2020Theme Park Press, publishers of many Disney related books, will soon release a memoir by Mouseketeer Eileen Diamond. Randall Nakashima has obtained permission from the publisher for website visitors to preview two excerpts from The Mouseketeer That Roared. The first, with Randall's introduction, covers some of Eileen's time on the MMC, while the second deals with the 1980 Reunion Show.
January 31st, 2020The profile for Eileen Diamond has been rewritten and enhanced with new photos, while the profile for Bonnie Lynn Fields has a new photo and some new information..... Speaking of Eileen, she figures prominently in our feature video, which by the way has been reworked to provide a larger and more accessible viewing experience.....
October 7th, 2019
Farewell to Karen Pendleton October 3rd, 2019Three Mouseketeers go to lunch and our Mousekereporter is there to pick up the tab..... Rumor has it that a new Mousekememoir may be in the offing, this time from a Blue team member. We'll see if it comes about..... Feature video? Oh yes, we still do that here.....
August 1st, 2019As part of a celebration of Disneyland's Opening Day, some of the original mouseketeers who were there will be guests at an event to be held in Anaheim, California on August 21st. Click here for more details..... To see Nancy Abbate as a contestent on ABC's revival of To Tell the Truth, visit this external link. Be warned, Nancy is in the final trio of contestants at the end of the show.....
July 13th, 2019Nancy Abbate appears as a contestent on ABC's revival of To Tell the Truth tomorrow, July 14th..... Tim Rooney's profile has been revised and updated with lots of new info and photos, thanks to Marcia from Kansas..... For the feature video, a TRU day show featuring some talented visitors and a couple of mouseketeers, complete with original commercials.....
June 6th, 2019
Farewell to Dennis Day Death revealed..... today the family of mouseketeer Dennis Day announced that the Oregon State Police had positively identified the remains found in his home as his own. April 27th, 2019Peripatetic Mousekereporter Randall Nakashima visits Studio City for a lunch date with a Mouseketeer..... Walt Disney's grand-niece Abigail Disney has her own views on Robert Iger's salary as CEO of Disney..... Geeky Gil Lamb freaks out the mice for Guest Star Day.....
March 1st, 2019Our chief Mousekereporter took another road trip in search of the answer to an MMC casting mystery..... From the third season comes a performance by The Twin Tones for Talent Roundup Day.....
January 23rd, 2019The Facebook group coordinating the search for Dennis Day has now renamed itself to Help Us Find Dennis Day! (thanks to Marcia for updating his profile).....
November 17th, 2018The indefatigable Randall Nakashima has produced another set of reviews for the Lost Episodes series..... The feature video has an unicyclist-juggler called Boy Foy from Circus Day.....
September 4th, 2018Check out some marvelous photos of the Mouseketeer trips to Australia in 1959 and 1960 at this website belonging to the Victoria state government (thanks to Marcia for this)..... When the website first went up in 2006 many Mouseketeer profiles were hastily researched and written. Those profiles are gradually being revised with better research, writing, and some new photos, with the two latest being for Charley Laney and Linda Hughes (also thanks to Marcia)..... For the feature video, here's a first season Anything Can Happen Day with Lionel and Kathleen Kaye.....
August 12th, 2018Comments on the Lost Episode Project by the Mouseke-reporter
With this month's "Lost Episode" feature, we now know the content of fifteen of them, but nobody's asked where I found this stuff. I could be making it up, you know. Truth is, the UCLA Film and Television Archive holds approximately 400 episodes of the MMC which were a "donation" (in lieu of destruction) from ABC-TV. Not all episodes are available, and they are not in order. The Archive will not allow copying or viewing of the films but will grant requests for viewing after the films have been digitalized. These requests are granted at the rapid rate of two films per quarter as the process is costly. This is why the Lost Episodes are an irregular feature. June 8th, 2018
Farewell to Larry Larsen Mouseketeer Larry Larsen passed away on May 30th, 2018. He was an engineer who had retired to southwestern Colorado where he owned a ten-acre farm. A brief obituary appeared in a local paper on June 5th, 2018; a more complete notice may be read here. May 5th, 2018Two new updates from our favorite Mousekereporter Randall Nakashima: first another in the series of Lost Episodes, and second a brief Road Trip article with video clips..... For the feature video there's a first season Circus Day show with Pansy the Costume Horse.....
April 4th, 2018
Farewell to Lynn Ready February 14th, 2018Randall Nakashima brings us another in the series of Lost Episodes, while the profile for John Lee Johann has been revised by a long-time contributor to the website..... For the feature video, here's a second season Talent Roundup Day with Nancy Druckenbrod and Benn Zeppa.....
January 22nd, 2018Although it is very short, this feature video from a first season Anything Can Happen Day shows the Blue Team mice playing the What Am I? game.....
January 10th, 2018
January 1st, 2018Happy New Year! To open the new year here's a lesser known third season FWM Day skit for the feature video. Your webmaster's prediction for 2018 is that this video, like so many others from this site, will sooner or later find its way to a certain YouTube channel.....
December 2nd, 2017Randall Nakashima has favored us once again with a Lost Episode having a strong tie-in to a well-known Disney animated short..... For the feature video there is a second season Circus Day equestrian act, The Platos.....
August 10th, 2017A new article in the Lost Episodes series by Mousekereporter Randall Nakashima is now available..... Watch Karen Pendleton learn about animation in Karen in Kartoonland.....
June 30th, 2017A new series of articles debuts with Mousekereporter Randall Nakashima recounting the first entry in Road Trips..... Your webmaster recently had the pleasure of hearing Tommy Cole sing in person, and can happily report his voice has slightly deepend since his performance in this Unbirthday Celebration.....
June 16th, 2017
May 6th, 2017Hack O'Brien, who was a guest on the very first Talent Roundup Day show, passed away Wednesday at age 102. He was the last living Mouskedad to my knowledge; at least two Mousekemoms still survive..... Mousekereporter Randall Nakashima gives us another chapter in the irregular series of Lost Episodes...... And here's a brief video appropriate to the Great American Pastime.....
April 1st, 2017
March 4th, 2017Mouseketeer Ron Steiner gave an interview to Randall Nakashima about his days as a mouse...... And along those lines here's a feature video with him and his pals
December 31st, 2016Death Revealed: Kurt over at the Cinch and Set website has a brief eulogy for one of the main actors in the Spin and Marty serials......
December 24th, 2016Longtime website visitor Jim E. from Canada recently got Winnipeg reporter John Einarson interested in Ronnie Steiner and his two brothers, all of whom appeared on the MMC. The result was a marvelously written and illustrated recounting of their long show business career..... After a six month engagement by the Amandi's its time for a new feature video......
November 2nd, 2016Thanks to roving Mousekereporter Randall Nakashima we have another in the series of Lost Episodes and an updated season one FWM skits page......
July 4th, 2016Another in the series of Lost Episodes comes your way. This one will be updated on an irregular basis as new information becomes available..... A website visitor requested our new feature video, otherwise it probably would not have been shown due to video quality concerns.....
May 18th, 2016First season director Dik Darley passed away on April 21, 2016 at age 92, though his death wasn't reported in the media until just recently (thanks to Justin B)......
May 9th, 2016Sherry Alberoni gets the Baby Boomers Talk Radio treatment starting today......
April 17th, 2016Lonnie Burr will be the next Mouseketeer to be interviewed on Baby Boomers Talk Radio starting tomorrow, Monday April 18th...... and speaking of Lonnie, a thoughtful retrospective on him attending a 1956 fan party was posted a few years back at this blog site.....
April 4th, 2016Cubby O'Brien is the new Mouseketeer interview on Baby Boomers Talk Radio......
March 24th, 2016Mouseketeer J.J. Solari does an interview with Baby Boomers Talk Radio......
March 1st, 2016Regular twice monthly updates, a feature of this site for many years, will give way to a much more irregular schedule going forward...... For the third season (1964-65) of the Mickey Mouse Club's first syndication the studio offered some hastily produced new material to entice local stations into renewing their subscriptions. One of these new segments featured college science teacher Julius Sumner Miller as Professor Wonderful......
February 17th, 2016YouTube has a new channel called MickeyMouseClubChannel. Hmmmm...... The mid-month video is a rare item from a second season short serial called Children of the Arctic......
February 1st, 2016The leadoff video this month is from a first season Anything Can Happen Day show broadcast November 16, 1955 and called Gadget Band #2......
January 16th, 2016There's an update to the other magazines page thanks to Marcia from Kansas..... The mid-month video is an interesting glimpse of what the film editors did to shape the fourth season reruns......
January 1st, 2016Happy New Year! To open the new year here's a complete TRU Day show from the first season (including the original commercials) for our feature video......
December 1st, 2015Though some may decry an interest in set stills sans mice your webmaster finds them worth a glance..... Our lead off video this month comes from a second season Fun With Music Day skit called Day's End.....
November 15th, 2015From a first season Fun With Music Day show comes a website visitor's request for our mid-month feature video.....
November 1st, 2015Those who grew up in Southern California during the fifties may remember how crowded the schools were as new construction couldn't keep up with the Baby Boom. Competition for scarce resources within the school could lead to a situation like our lead-off video depicts in Basketball Ballet.....
October 25th, 2015Lonnie Burr will once again be a guest on Stu Shostak's internet radio show this coming Wednesday, October 28th, at 7 pm EDT/4 pm PDT. Stu Shostak's program is devoted to interviewing Television's early stars, including the Mouseketeers.......
October 23rd, 2015Serial actor George Ferrante, who was credited as "Brand Stirling" in The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Further Adventures of Spin and Marty, passed away October 18th. For a retrospective on his early television and film career visit the Cinch and Set website.
October 15th, 2015Rotating video clips on this site are usually from Mouseketeer numbers but occasionally one of the lesser known serials is featured, as is the case with Border Collie.
October 7th, 2015Serial actor Kevin Corcoran passed away in Burbank, California yesterday after a long battle with cancer.
October 1st, 2015A new limited series called "Lost Episodes" begins with a look at some Newsreel Specials from the summer of 1956..... For the monthly video we'll take a journey south of the border.
September 15th, 2015Today we have two more in our irregular series of set still photos, this time from the skit Holiday in Hawaii..... A website visitor's request leads to a complete Talent Roundup Day Mouseketeer segment from Nov 4, 1956 for the mid-month video.
September 1st, 2015For those who missed the live event you can watch the complete D23 Mouseketeer show on YouTube courtesy of Laughing Place (thanks to Marcia from Kansas)..... J. J. Solari and Darlene Gillespie are the featured performers in this month's lead-off video.
August 18th, 2015
August 15th, 2015Here's another of our infrequent pages devoted to Set Still Photos..... Just in time for Sharon's birthday lets watch The Sharon Show for the video update.
August 1st, 2015Happy Birthday to Karen Pendleton..... Sherry Alberoni, whose brief tenure on the MMC was marked by near invisibility, has become remarkably visible in recent decades..... In honor of Karen's birthday one of her most unusual (and charming) numbers is the video update.
July 25th, 2015
July 13th, 2015The official Disney fan club D23 will present Celebrating Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club-60 Magical yEARS on Sunday, August 16, at 5 p.m. in Stage 23 at the D23 EXPO in Anaheim, CA. On stage celebrities will include original Mouseketeers Sherry Alberoni, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O'Brien, and Doreen Tracey, along with actors Tim Considine and David Stollery. In addition, many more Mouseketeers and serial actors will be present as VIP guests. For more information on D23 EXPO, please visit D23EXPO..... No video update this time, your webmaster will be in Los Angeles for the next two weeks.
July 1st, 2015♪ S u m m e r t i m e, and your webmaster is livin' easy.....♫ The only update is a visitor's special request for Get Acquainted Calypso.
June 15th, 2015A book your webmaster always meant to review, Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records, is finally added to the website..... The Blue Team Mouseketeers welcome Hank Penny for a first season Guest Star Day......
June 1st, 2015Donovan Monteith of Brothers' Ink Productions has found a rare item, a mock-up of the first Walt Disney's Magazine..... A brief review has been added for a DVD re-issue of the first Hardy Boys serial..... Carol Lynley made a third season appearence to promote The Light in the Forest......
May 15th, 2015There will be panel discusion with Bobby Burgess and Sherry Alberoni at the Disneyland Diamond Merchandise Event on May 20-21 at the Disneyland Hotel..... For the mid-month video a website visitor has requested A Day in the Life of a Mouseketeer......
May 1st, 2015Another May 1st rolls around as the website reaches its ninth anniversary; still has a long way to catch up with Lonnie Burr's website which is well into its second decade..... And speaking of that old hoofer Lonnie lets watch him and Margene Storey set the floor on fire in our feature video......
April 15th, 2015
April 1st, 2015April has arrived and hopefully spring-like weather with it..... There have been a lot of video requests lately, and here's another for the Thompson Brothers on Talent Roundup Day......
March 15th, 2015
March 1st, 2015A website visitor's request for a first season Mouseketeer number is honored by two "Mouseketune Specials"......
February 15th, 2015The Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater started off as a simple question-response chant between Jimmie Dodd and twenty or so mice sitting in bleachers. By the end of first season filming however the song had been expanded to its familiar form and became another showcase for the dozen Red Team members. A special request for that late first season Alma Mater is presented along with one of the Disneyland ride shows for the mid-month video......
February 1st, 2015Bobby Burgess will be at Disneyland on February 28, 2015 for a special appearance and signing of his memoir...... The lead-off video is a dance performance by a second season Mouseketeer talent winner......
January 15th, 2015While winter keeps a hard cold grip and icicles form on your webmaster's mustache you can enjoy dreams of balmy weather with some Hawaiian music courtesy of two charming third season talent winners......
January 1st, 2015Happy New Year! A website visitor noted that three Blue team girls have birthdays during the first week of January and so requested something featuring them for the monthly video clip. Your webmaster thought to go him one better and include the fourth Mouseketeer girl with a birthday this month as well in a brief compilation video......
December 15th, 2014A special request leads to the mid-month video of the Oberkirchen Children's Choir first perfomance on the MMC......
December 1st, 2014Something a bit different to start this month... a video clip of a dozen 21st Century Mouseketeers (and three original mice) recreating the MMC daily roll call dances......
November 15th, 2014A website visitor requested two different first season Fun with Music Day video clips be shown when possible. Since one of these is very short, both are included with this update. The first is Orange in the Orchard and the second the slightly oddball Humphrey Hop......
November 1st, 2014A request for showing the second season Fun with Music Day roll call is honored for this month's opening feature video......
October 15th, 2014Hey, let's all go peek into Darlene's bedroom, courtesy of some more set still photographs..... From the first season, Jimmie Dodd and the Mouseketeer guys are Painting Aunt Polly's Fence......
October 1st, 2014Were parents allowed on the MMC set? At least one was as yet another special page for an MMC set still photo shows..... The lead-off video this month is a second season Fun with Music Day skit called Switzerland......
September 15th, 2014Be sure to check out Lonnie Burr's official website for some news and photos of his recent Disney Legends award..... Here's another special page for an MMC set still photo..... The mid-month video is a second season Guest Star Day with the Firehouse 5 + 2......
September 1st, 2014Here's something that hasn't been done on this website for awhile, a special page covering an MMC set still photo. It includes a brief video clip in a format new to this site.... The lead-off video is from a first season Guest Star Day with The Sons of the Pioneers......
August 16th, 2014The mid-month video is a first season feature from the time slot usually given over to the Newsreel Segment on Circus Days called Karen in Kartoonland......
August 9th, 2014Well, someone finally got around to telling your webmaster there was a problem viewing the feature clip; thanks to Dan in Los Angeles it's now fixed. ..... Dan has also provided a link to a YouTube clip of Cheryl Holdridge playing "Betty" in an unsold TV pilot for a live-action Archie Andrews sitcom. (Be warned, this has some commercials)......
August 2nd, 2014
July 25th, 2014
July 21st, 2014
July 19th, 2014
July 15th, 2014
July 14, 2014On Friday, July 18, Lonnie Burr will be honored at the Disneyana Fan Club's Disney Legends Award Luncheon from 12:00 noon - 2:30 p.m. at the Wyndham Anaheim, 12021 Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA. (If you know the area, until very recently this was a Crowne Plaza hotel). Lonnie will be interviewed, and after the luncheon, there's an autograph session and sale of Lonnie's updated memoir The Accidental Mouseketeer, photographs, and DVDs for DisneyanaMania attendees and friends..... Also, please help inaugurate Lonnie's new Roll Call GuestBook. The previous one was lost when the company hosting it just vanished one day......
July 9, 2014Some dates to remember for those who will be in Southern California late next week: First up on July 17th at the Disneyland Hotel is the Disneyana Fan Club's Thirty Years of Ears luncheon that will include a silent auction to benefit A Minor Consideration. Rumor has it there will also be a brief Mouseketeer performance or two, and a group panel. Check the link for registration form and a list of Guests of Honor..... Later that weekend The Hollywood Show will host a mini MMC reunion at the Westin LAX Hotel in Los Angeles, CA, on July 19th and 20th. Several Mouseketeers are scheduled to appear to meet with fans, sign autographs and take photos.....
July 1, 2014Serial actor Glen Graber's profile has been added with unique photos and information about Adventure in Dairyland...... The lead off video this month is from a second season travel serial English Correspondant that focuses on scouting.....
June 17, 2014Whoops! Your webmaster got his signals crossed; only one Red Team Mouseketeer is to be awarded Disney Legend status come July 18th. Apologies for any confusion created by this misunderstanding...... The mid-month video is from a first season Circus Day featuring some female acrobats.....
June 1, 2014From Troy Lewis with The Hollywood Show comes word of a MMC reunion at the Westin LAX Hotel in Los Angeles, CA, on July 19th and 20th. Bobby Burgess , Cubby O'Brien, Karen Pendleton, Sharon Baird, Sherry Alberoni, Tommy Cole, Steve Stevens, and Tommy Kirk are all scheduled to appear to meet with fans, sign autographs and take photos..... The lead-off video this month is a first season Guest Star Day featuring the original performers from Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Revue.....
May 15, 2014Electric guitars were vastly outnumbered by accordions as a favored instrument for kids to play during the mid 1950's, but that would soon change as this first season video of some teenage talent winners shows......
May 5, 2014Cartoonist and illustrator Dan Cunningham has just posted a Q & A session with Lonnie Burr on the occasion of the re-release of The Accidental Mouseketeer. Dan's interview with Lonnie covers a lot of ground and ends with his echoing Stu Shostok's call for the remaining core group of mice to be inducted as Disney Legends in 2015......
May 1, 2014May marks eight years on the web for this site; many thanks to all the folks who have contributed information, photos, and videos over the years..... Speaking of videos, the feature video is again a special request from the first season, this time an Anything Can Happen Day number.....
April 15, 2014Craig Adams has written a well-researched and very informative article on Bob Amsberry and Ginny Tyler's early days in radio and television (Thanks to Marcia again) ..... The feature video is a special request for a first season Guest Star Day.....
April 8, 2014Long-time website contributer Marcia from Kansas has pointed out this interesting video of the MMC Circus from November 1955. Uploaded by the legendary Dave Oneal of the Extinct Attractions Club, it features intermittant glimpses of Mouseketeers amongst the circus wagons, parades, and animal acts..... The feature video has been uploaded to YouTube in honor of Darlene's 73rd Birthday.....
April 1, 2014Something a bit different for this month's lead off video, a Darlene song sampler......
March 15, 2014
March 1, 2014Though it was not the first Disney or even MMC use of this theme, there's a simple charm about this month's lead-off video ......
February 24th, 2014
February 1, 2014Brrr! Winter dreams, of milder climes and gentler times, takes us to the Land of Me-Oh-My......
January 19, 2014The Mouseketeer segment for a first season Talent Roundup Day is reconstructed from different syndicated shows......
January 1, 2014Happy New Year! Some YouTube clips related to Mouseketeers and the Mickey Mouse Club have made a reappearence after a brief hiatus; for video tributes to Doreen Tracey and Lonnie Burr click on their names, while you can watch Nancy Abbate sing by clicking on her name as well..... Let's start the new year with both musical numbers from the skit Sweet Shoppe Rock......
December 16, 2013Mouseketeer Lonnie Burr has updated his website, give it a visit..... The pages for the Anything Can Happen Day programs have been updated for the first and second seasons..... It's cold and snowy where your webmaster lives, a perfect day for going Strollin' by the Beach......
December 2, 2013As a Blue Team Mouseketeer Dick Dodd didn't always get a chance to say lines on camera, but in this feature video he not only speaks but he also gets to dance with guest star Helene Stanley......
November 30, 2013
November 20th, 2013Diane Disney Miller, elder daughter of Walt Disney, passed away yesterday of complications resulting from a fall......
November 15th, 2013The Fun with Music Day pages for musical numbers and skits for the first, second, and third season have been updated..... Feeling a bit disappointed with the dating scene? Here's someone else with the Blind Date blues......
November 1st, 2013
October 17th, 2013
October 15th, 2013Circus Day performer Kumar of India has passed away after a long career in show business. Video of his performance is sadly unavailable; one Mouseketeer recalls his act as being the most amazing ever shown on the MMC (thanks to RichardF)...... For the mid-month video here's an episode from Further Adventures of Spin and Marty......
October 1st, 2013A long-time contributor to this site had a special request for the feature video, a clip not shown on here before, featuring the Lennon Sisters in their second appearence on the show......
September 15th, 2013Those who enjoy equine activities might like these first season four-legged visitors to the show......
September 1st, 2013For the lead-off video this month here's a first season guest star presenting his version of Fractured Fairy Tales with cello accompaniment......
August 15th, 2013
August 1st, 2013
July 15th, 2013Back in 2008 MMC guest star Ralph Heid contacted your webmaster looking for a video clip of his 1956 performance. Unfortunately one wasn't available then, but last year a copy came this way and is now our mid-month feature......
July 7th, 2013
July 3rd, 2013The Disney Studio rededicated one of it's sound stages on June 24th to Annette Funicello in a ceremony hosted by CEO Bob Iger. Many of her former colleagues were there (video) with one delightful surprise being the inclusion of Darlene Gillespie..... Two website visitors have independently written in about Jimmie Dodd's guitar (which incidently figures into our feature video). Mark Josephs of the Tenor Guitar Foundation informs us Jimmie played a four string tenor guitar tuned CGDA, the same tuning as his Mousegetar, while from Mac Birch comes a link on the origin of Jimmie's guitar.....
June 1st, 2013Only one update this month, as your webmaster will be travelling in Southern California the latter half of June..... Another special request for the monthly video, a first season Fun with Music Day number featuring Tommy Cole and Darlene Gillespie singing Do-Mi-So......
May 15th, 2013
May 1st, 2013May marks seven years on the web for this site, with last month bringing nearly seven million hits and delivering over 200 gigabytes of photos, videos, and information (equal to about 100 DVD's) to website visitors..... A few updates to the Other Magazines page, including one with more rope twirling by Johnny Crawford, come courtesy of Marcia from Kansas..... By special request the monthly video is an odd little first season Fun with Music Day number featuring Tommy Cole, Nancy Abbate and a trio of Mousekegirls......
April 25, 2013
April 22, 2013The Oregonian has posted a video of Lonnie Burr singing the MMC Alma Mater a capella.....
April 16th, 2013For the mid-month video there's a Talent Roundup Day show from the second season featuring singer Pamela Beaird......
April 14, 2013Lonnie Burr posts unique photos and a reminder in a valedictory reminisence for Annette.....
April 12, 2013
April 8, 2013
April 1st, 2013
March 18th, 2013A late arrival for the mid-month video: a first season Circus Day animal act......
March 1st, 2013Several of the magazine pages have been updated with new material (here, here and here), largely courtesy of Marcia from Kansas..... Apologies to users of the Chrome browser about the MP3 audio files on some of the pages. Apparently that browser automatically starts playing them when the page is visited..... For the monthly video, here's the complete version of a Fun with Music Day skit from the second season featuring nearly all the Mouseketeers......
February 15th, 2013The video links page has been updated to include some more clips of Mickey Mouse Club clips from around the internet.... For our own mid-month video, here's a charming little Anything Can Happen Day show from the first season featuring the Mouseketeers playing a game......
February 3rd, 2013Magician Bill Chaudet, who with his first wife appeared as Circus Day act The Chaudets twice during the first season, passed away last month at age 91. Read Kerry Ross' tribute to his friend and mentor in Daily Variety......
February 1st, 2013For those using a Mac or other Apple products who are having problems viewing video clips on this site, try installing Flip4Mac. It's free and available at Macupate or by going to Flip4Mac's website (Thanks to Rick O'Leary)...... There were a lot of "givens" to Mouseketeer performances, and one illustrated by our lead-off feature video is when the producers needed a female prat fall they inevitably turned to Doreen Tracey.....
January 15, 2013The Disney Studio created roughly 266 hours of programming for the original Mickey Mouse Club, however it's anyone's guess how much of it survives. Much of what is accesible today exists in fragmentary form. Two such short excerpts have been combined for the mid-month feature video.
January 4, 2013Author and Mouseketeer (though Disney's CEO winces everytime he hears this) J. J. Solari features in a new memoir by Los Angeles radio personality Dave Hull. In between his dancing and writing careers J. J. performed as a shill for Dave Hull's Lovelines radio program during the seventies. The book even has a full page photo of J. J. counselling a fellow author.....
January 1, 2013Happy New Year! Speaking of Biden and the Fiscal Cliff, here's a complete second season Fun with Music Day skit, hearkening back to depression-era tramps and railroad cops.
December 28, 2012Actor Harry Carey Jr, who played counselor Bill Burnett in all three Spin and Marty serials, has died at age 91. (Thanks to webmaster Kurt Spitzner)
December 15, 2012Disney Historian and author Jim Korkis has written up some interview notes from earlier this month with four Mouseketeers..... Jim Hill's website reports that CalArts has a new special collection on the Mickey Mouse Club built around papers and effects from the estates of Jimmie Dodd and Ruth Carrell (thanks to Mark Hickson)...... The mid-month video feature is a first season reprise of songs from the 1946 Disney film Song of the South
December 8, 2012Author Rita Rose has thoughtfully provided some photos and a brief description of Bonnie Lynn Fields memorial service......
December 1, 2012Lonnie Burr has some photos from Bonnie Lynn Fields memorial service on his Anything Can Happen page..... When Disney released the first week of the The Mickey Mouse Club on DVD in 2005, it included five parts of the ten part serial What I Want To Be. For this month's opening video we pick up with part six......
November 17, 2012
November 15, 2012For the mid-month video a Fun with Music Day number called Old MacDonald from the first season.....
November 1, 2012The serial page for Corky and White Shadow has been given a minor facelift, but a lady named Sandy prevented a full revision. When first setting up this page the serial's production was ascribed to October 1955 for circumstantial reasons. Upon encountering a published source that placed the filming in June 1955, the page was changed to reflect that assertion. Now new evidence has caused a reversion to the original date.... And along those lines this month's opening feature video is the Introduction to Corky and White Shadow.....
October 15, 2012
October 1, 2012This month's opening feature video is the last half of a third season Fun with Music Day. It is a somewhat controversial piece today, but not at the time it was made (1957), and no disrespect is intended by showing Japanese Cinderella.....
September 15, 2012A trbute site to many actors of the 1950's and 60's has a page of screen captures from some of Cheryl Holdridge's many post-MMC television appearences (thanks to Marcia from Kansas)..... The mid-month feature video is a first season Guest Star Day with the Sons of the Pioneers.....
September 1, 2012A new section has been added to the website, where visitors can upload their own MMC related photos. Called the Gallery, everybody can view the photos, but you'll have to register to upload your own. Registration is on the honor system to start; fill out the required fields and you'll be instantly activated. For the "Full Name" field, do NOT put your real name (unless you want). This field will become the title of your personal album. For the email field, put a valid email, it will not be displayed. Webmaster reserves the right to delete any inappropriate photos August 15, 2012For Annette fans, a link to an ever changing collection of photos of her and co-stars (thanks to Richard F)..... Another third season Fun with Music Day skit for the mid-month feature video, starring a little dynamo who turns seventy tomorrow.....
August 1, 2012 A special request for this month's feature video, a third season Fun with Music Day skit whose star turns sixty-six today.....
July 31, 2012Goodbye to Fern Persons, who was absolutley marvelous as farm wife Mrs McCandles in the serial Adventure in Dairyland. A superb actress who continued to find work long past the usual retirement age, she was also a union officer and tireless voice for the working person.
July 17, 2012Ginny Tyler, who as the "Disneyland Storyteller" on KTTW Channel 11 in Southern California hosted live 15 minute segments for the 1962-63 syndicated Mickey Mouse Club, passed away July 13 at age 86.
July 15, 2012Some updated information and a couple of new photos for Ruth Carrell (photos courtesy of Gary Miller)..... Two more Mouseketeers who turn 70 this month are highlighted in the mid-month feature video, a second season Fun with Music Day number.....
July 11, 2012Be sure to check out Lonnie's Anything Can Happen Day Page for some photos and memories on Don Grady
July 7, 2012From Disney Historian Jim Korkis comes this last interview with Don Grady, including some information that has never appeared before in print about his time with the Mouseketeers.
July 1, 2012There are a few new photos on the Cast, Other Mags and 'Teen pages (the last two courtesy of Marcia from Kansas)..... The feature video this month is a third season Fun with Music Day skit with Don Grady......
June 28, 2012
June 15, 2012The profiles for Canadian Mouseketeer Ronnie Steiner and show creator Hal Adelquist have been updated with a few new photos and some information (thanks to Greg Brown for the latter)..... Hard to believe this little red-haired girl is turning seventy, but Nancy Abbate is still as cute as when she filmed this mid-month Fun with Music Day video with Tommy Cole......
June 1, 2012The 1995 made-for-TV movie of Annette's memoirs is now available on YouTube. Website visitor Ron F. has put together a playlist for it..... A new photo and some updated information for songwriter and studio nurse Hazel George..... For a different looking Jimmie Dodd check out these screen captures from one of his film roles (thanks to Marcia from Kansas).....And for the more familiar Jimmie watch this video clip from a first season Fun with Music Day.....
May 15, 2012For the mid-month update, a video clip from a first season Guest Star Day with Carla Alberghetti.....
May 1, 2012Disney Historian Jim Korkis has written an overview of the I'm No Fool animated shorts created for the Mickey Mouse Club..... To celebrate six years on the web, there are two feature videos, each one a complete serial episode. From the first season comes the San Juan Expedition and from the second season the beginning of Adventure in Dairyland.....
April 17, 2012Apologies for the late update..... the mid-month feature video is another second season Fun with Music number.....
April 10, 2012
April 1, 2012A new interview with Lonnie Burr and former Disney imagineer Mark Hickson has appeared on the latter's website..... A few new photos and some corrections to the Guest Stars, Circus Acts, Talent Winners, and first season Fun with Music pages..... For our lead-off feature video this month here's a little second season gem by Darlene.....
March 29, 2012A website devoted to the 1991 film Hook has an interview with Lonnie Burr, who appeared in the movie along with Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, and Bob Hoskins.
March 15, 2012
March 1, 2012
February 16, 2012A website devoted to the music of sixties Beach movies has full pages for both Annette and talent winner Donna Loren (thanks to Richard F)..... Your webmaster confuses holiday seasons with a haunting number from a Fun With Music Day episode......
February 1, 2012Listen to a recent blog radio interview with Sherry Alberoni as she discusses her MMC career and later charity work (thanks to Marcia from Kansas)..... What could possibly be better than hearing Darlene Gillespie sing? How about watching all four Gillespie sisters perform on Talent Roundup Day......
January 23, 2012David Keeler, who has contributed many original Mouseketeer and Talent Winner photos to this website, has a side hobby to his career as a press photographer. He maintains a blog on vintage TV show crew jackets..... Serial actor Glen Graber (Adventure in Dairyland) has generously provided bright clean scans to replace the tattered images formerly on the American Dairy Association's pamphlet page.
January 17, 2012It appears the feature video is not displaying properly in some browsers. Internet Explorer seems to work best with it for now.
January 15, 2012From website contributor Richard F. comes another interesting Annette fan site link; this one is really comprehensive, with pages of photos, discography. book and article reviews, and more. For the mid-month video there's a rare clip of the Mouseketeers dancing in various styles while Leo Damiani and the Burbank Symphony Orchestra play live on the set. .
January 1, 2012Happy New Year! We'll start the new year with the second half of a first season Guest Star Day video clip.
December 16, 2011For the holiday season here's a full Talent Roundup Day performance for the mid-month video clip. Its features an original first year Mouseketeer returning as a second season talent winner.
December 12, 2011
December 1, 2011There was nothing controversial about the Mickey Mouse Club when it first aired, but times change and this month's video clip features performances that might now be considered bad form.
November 15, 2011The mid-month video has Hank Penny return for the second part of his Guest Star Day appearence with the Blue Team Mouseketeers.
November 1, 2011Disney actor George Ferrante (stage name Brand Stirling) is the subject of a new page at the Spin and Marty website Cinch and Set..... The late actress Irish McCalla (Sheena) was on the 1960 tour to Australia with the Mouseketeers. This page (scroll down after clicking the link) from a site devoted to Tarzan and Sheena recounts some of her experiences with them and has a couple of photos (thanks to Marcia from Kansas)..... Though its been featured here before the second season Talent Roundup introduction and roll call return by special request.
October 15, 2011Attention Spin and Marty fans: Disney historian and author Don Peri is hosting a live discussion with Tim Considine and David Stollery about their experiences filming the epic serial on November 12 at the theater of the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. For more details, visit the museum's website.... Something different for the feature video, an entire serial episode. Not from the long dramatic serials, but one of the near-forgotten short documentary serials that deserves to be remembered....
October 3, 2011
October 1, 2011Two neat links: Todd James Pierce has a photo article about A Clown and Mouseketeers in the Magic Kingdom, and from the Disney Family Museum comes a short piece on the Mouseketeer performance at Yuba City in February 1956 (thanks to Marcia from Kansas for both).... From Richard F. comes this Annette fan page with some rare photos of her.... Gary Miller sent a neat photo of Ruth Carrell and Jimmie Dodd performing for US airmen in China during WWII.... The Crew page finally gets its own photo.... Darlene and her Troupe de Hobo do the Tramp Ballet.
September 15, 2011An interesting page from talent winner Bobby Crawford's website may be seen here (thanks to Richard F).... For the mid-month feature video, a second season talent roundup sisters and little brother trio.
September 1, 2011Through the generosity of serial actor Glen Graber the Adventure in Dairyland page has been updated with many new photos including candid shots never published before.... As a nod to those who enjoyed Sooty his page has been updated with a videoclip of the introductary song used for the second season.... For the feature video here's a quick little number from the third season.
August 15, 2011There was a lot of entertaining and interesting material on the Mickey Mouse Club, and then there was this first season Guest Star Day.
August 9, 2011Now your webmaster isn't much for dolls and such but MMC fan Sandi had a really cute idea.
August 5, 2011Visit Lonnie's website for a link to the Disney podcast he recorded with Nancy Abbate and Cubby O'Brien, coming Sunday August 7th. (And check out the James Dean lookalike just below the link).
August 1, 2011Did Disney film a MMC serial in color? Apparently so, as serial actor Glen Graber explains in an email... A birthday tribute to Karen Pendleton has her singing Gershwin in this feature video. In so much as your webmaster has a philosophy of life this song expresses it.
July 15, 2011Disney historian Bill Cotter and Lonnie Burr have teamed up to help Glen Holt replace photos and memoribilia Annette lost in the fire that destroyed her Encino home in April..... Speaking of Lonnie, he just completed recording a Disney podcast today with Nancy Abbate and Cubby O'Brien, and will soon do a radio interview and appear in a film documentary for Annette's Research Fund for Neurological Diseases. More details as they become known.... And speaking of Annette, she makes a rare Guest Star Day appearence with other Mouseketeers and the Firehouse 5 +2 in this feature video.
July 12, 2011For collectors of MMC costumes there's an unusual offering on eBay... a chance to own spats once worn by Bob Amsberry for his performance as Bob-O the Clown with the Mickey Mouse Club Circus at Disneyland. July 1, 2011Her official website has an update on Annette and Glen Holt's plans in the wake of the fire that destroyed their home..... The profile for Art Director Bruce Bushman has been updated with photos and information courtesy of his son Chris..... A first season Fun With Music feature combines charming interplay between Annette and Jimmie with a musical number that goes "thud".
June 15, 2011
June 1, 2011The profile for Darlene Gillespie has been updated and expanded with new photos, information, and a recording of one of her non-Disney songs. (To play the latter you may need to use IE for your browser)..... Some of the magazine pages in the Media section have been updated, thanks to contributions by Marcia from Kansas..... A special request for the feature video: the singing Smith Sisters appear for a third season Talent Roundup Day..... This will be the last update for a while as your webmaster is moving from Dairyland to the Chesapeake.
May 24, 2011
May 21, 2011Mouseketeer Cubby O'Brien was recently interviewed by Sam Tweedle on the website Pop Culture Addict. He shares candid thoughts and opinions about some of his former colleagues, both at Disney and in after years.
May 15, 2011With his seventieth birthday occuring this week let's watch Bobby Burgess in Father and Son.
May 7, 2011
May 6, 2011Disney historian Don Peri has published a new book through the University Press of Mississipi entitled Working with Disney: Interviews with Animators, Producers, and Artists. Among those interviewed are Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, and Lou Debney, whose many Disney credits include associate producer of the Mickey Mouse Club.
May 5, 2011If anyone has knowledge about the existence of a transcript for the Opening Day Ceremonies at Disneyland (July 17, 1955) please get in contact.
May 1, 2011To commerate the fifth anniversary of this web site a special video feature is offered... The entire second season skit In the Land of Me-Oh-My as part 1 and part 2.
April 21, 2011
April 15, 2011If you haven't seen it recently, be sure to check out the Cinch and Set site. Webmaster Kurt has done a terrific job exploring the physical locations and researching the background stories of the Spin and Marty series...... The taxman has been paid, springtime is here, so let's go to a ball game!
April 7, 2011Mouseketeer Lonnie Burr has an extensive interview with the website Pop Culture Addict today. There's lots of photos and information so check it out.
April 1, 2011
March 15, 2011Mouseketeer Mike Smith's profile has been updated with some new photos and information from a former dancing partner.... A special request for the mid-month video update, a first season Talent Roundup Day featuring a trick horse and a dancing cowgirl.
March 11, 2011
March 1, 2011
February 17, 2011
February 15, 2011The Firehouse 5 + 2 make a return to Guest Star Day in this video from a second season show.
February 11, 2011Retired Disney animator Bill Justice, who created the opening sequences of the Mickey Mouse Club, passed away yesterday in Santa Monica, CA at the age of 97. In a follow-up article Lonnie Burr mentions another contribution Bill Justice made to our favorite show.
February 1, 2011Well of course we all want to hear Darlene sing with a German accent....
January 27, 2011
January 15, 2011Disney television historian Bill Cotter has kindly loaded three Mousekartoon introductions to YouTube. Look for them on the embedded videoclips page.... Cliff Edwards and six Mouseketeers sing, dance, and play ukuleles for the mid-month feature video.
January 4, 2011
January 1, 2011Happy New Year! Professional singer and actress Pamela Beaird helps us kick off 2011 with a couple of songs from her Talent Roundup appearence in 1956.
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