Fess Parker Dies At 85

Actor Fess Parker, best known for his television roles as historical figures Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, has died at the age of 85. You can read here about his career and legacy.











THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT
(Full Length)
Music by George Bruns
Lyrics by Tom Blackburn
© Disney. All rights reserved.

DAVY CROCKETT
King of the Wild Frontier (USA 1955)
Fess Parker as Davy Crockett

Lyrics:
Born on a mountain top in Tennessee, greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so's he knew ev'ry tree, kilt him a b'ar when he was only three
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!

In eighteen thirteen the Creeks uprose, addin' redskin arrows to the country's woes
Now, Injun fightin' is somethin' he knows, so he shoulders his rifle an' off he goes
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!

Off through the woods he's a marchin' along, makin' up yarns an' a singin' a song
Itchin' fer fightin' an' rightin' a wrong, he's ringy as a b'ar an' twic't as strong
Davy, Davy Crockett, the buckskin buccaneer!

Andy Jackson is our gen'ral's name, his reg'lar soldiers we'll put to shame
Them redskin varmints us Volunteers'll tame, 'cause we got the guns with the sure-fire aim
Davy, Davy Crockett, the champion of us all!

Headed back to war from the ol' home place, but Red Stick was leadin' a merry chase
Fightin' an' burnin' at a devil's pace, south to the swamps on the Florida Trace
Davy, Davy Crockett, trackin' the redskins down!

Fought single-handed through the Injun War, till the Creeks was whipped an' peace was in store
An' while he was handlin' this risky chore, made hisself a legend for evermore
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!

He give his word an' he give his hand, that his Injun friends could keep their land
An' the rest of his life he took the stand, that justice was due every redskin band
Davy, Davy Crockett, holdin' his promise dear!

Home fer the winter with his family, happy as squirrels in the ol' gum tree
Bein' the father he wanted to be, close to his boys as the pod an' the pea
Davy, Davy Crockett, holdin' his young'uns dear!

But the ice went out an' the warm winds came, an' the meltin' snow showed tracks of game
An' the flowers of Spring filled the woods with flame, an' all of a sudden life got too tame
Davy, Davy Crockett, headin' on West again!

Off through the woods we're ridin' along, makin' up yarns an' singin' a song
He's ringy as a b'ar an' twict as strong, an' knows he's right 'cause he ain' often wrong
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!

Lookin' fer a place where the air smells clean, where the trees is tall an' the grass is green
Where the fish is fat in an untouched stream, an' the teemin' woods is a hunter's dream
Davy, Davy Crockett, lookin' fer Paradise!

Now he's lost his love an' his grief was gall, in his heart he wanted to leave it all
An' lose himself in the forests tall, but he answered instead his country's call
Davy, Davy Crockett, beginnin' his campaign!

Needin' his help they didn't vote blind, They put in Davy 'cause he was their kind
Sent up to Nashville the best they could find, a fightin' spirit an' a thinkin' mind
Davy, Davy Crockett, choice of the whole frontier!

The votes were counted an' he won hands down, so they sent him off to Washin'ton town
With his best dress suit still his buckskins brown, a livin' legend of growin' renown
Davy, Davy Crockett, the Canebrake Congressman!

He went off to Congress an' served a spell, fixin' up the Govern'ments an' laws as well
Took over Washin'ton so we heered tell, an' patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, seein' his duty clear!

Him an' his jokes travelled all through the land, an' his speeches made him friends to beat the band
His politickin' was their favorite brand, an' everyone wanted to shake his hand
Davy, Davy Crockett, helpin' his legend grow!

He knew when he spoke he sounded the knell, of his hopes for White House an' fame as well
But he spoke out strong so hist'ry books tell, an' patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, seein' his duty clear!

When he come home his politickin' done, the western march had just begun
So he packed his gear an' his trusty gun, an' lit out grinnin' to follow the sun
Davy, Davy Crockett, leadin' the pioneer!

He heard of Houston an' Austin so, to the Texas plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fightin' another foe, an' they needed him at the Alamo
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!

His land is biggest an' his land is best, from grassy plains to the mountain crest
He's ahead of us all meetin' the test, followin' his legend into the West
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!

Mickey Katz parodies Davy Crockett with "Duvid Crockett, King of Delancy Street"

The wonderful thing about the internet is the serendipity of discovery. I was reading Mark Evanier's blog, News From Me, and he had posted a segment of the Hollywood Palace from March 27, 1965. It was Tony Randall introducing Allan Sherman performing his parody of Petula Clark's "Downtown" entitled "Crazy Downtown." I watched and enjoyed that piece, one thing led to another and I came across "Duvid Crockett, King of Delancy Street" by Mickey Katz.

Now I'd never heard of Mickey Katz, but I gather he was a great jewish yiddish entertainer who received his first moments of fame in the 1940s as a member of Spike Jones and His City Slickers. There he was known for his "glugging" vocal sound effects on tunes like "Cocktails for Two" and "Hawaiian War Chant". Katz later went on to perform his own musical review and record highly popular "ethnic" comedy albums on the Capitol label where he would perform English-Yiddish parody songs.

Katz son is Broadway legend, Joel Grey, and his granddaughter is actress Jennifer Grey. The video that follows is Katz parody of the 50's Disney tv theme song to "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier." Have fun!

Cronkite, Williams, Disney

What follows is a brief excerpt from the film "Back To Neverland." It ran in the Disney-MGM Studios Animation exhibit from 1989 to 2003. The animation is by Frans Vischer with voice by Robin Williams. The live action actors are Walter Cronkite and animator, Bruce Smith.

Walter Cronkite: November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009

Fatal Monorail Crash at Walt Disney World

There was a monorail crash in Walt Disney World this 4th of July weekend that took the life of the 21-year-old driver.

Go here for raw footage of crash

Go here for the rest of the story

Something You Don't See Everyday: A Bicycle Piano

Bruce Johnson, Fantasy Worlds, and Those Disney Girls.

Summer is almost upon us and "Disney Girls" reminds me of my youth and simpler times. The first version is performed by its creator, Bruce Johnson. The second is by Art Garfunkel and the third is by "Mama" Cass Elliot

Disney Silences the Song of the Adventurers Club

It is New Years Eve, 1937 and you have been invited to attend a very special party at the Adventurer’s Club, a unique place filled with unique people. You descend the stairs from the Zebra Mezzanine, noting the attendees are world adventurers (or people who claim they are), and the walls of the Main Salon are covered with artifacts and bric-a-brac gathered from locations as diverse as Antarctica to Zanzibar.


Zeus Goes Fishing

You note the bronze statue of Zeus, with his rod and creel. You look up at the stone edifice of Babylonia, goddess of all things fertile and tip your fedora to the Club Gleemeister, Colonel Critchlow Suchbench, who pays you no mind. You jimmy the lock and slip into the Library, moving over to the haunted organ, fish a Liberty half dollar out of the watch pocket of your vest, and drop it into Fingers Zambezi’s over-sized brandy snifter. You hear the sharp crack of knuckles and watch as the keys of the organ seem to move without provocation and the tune, “My Funny Valentine,” fills the Library. You slip out a side door as the main door opens.

Straightening your tie, you walk into the Mask Room and watch for a few minutes as the masks of Arnie and Claude banter back and forth. You feel something brush up against you. You turn and see a maid with auburn tresses who gives you a wink and pops her gum in synchronicity. Graves the butler, standing behind her, clears his throat and she moves off, swishing her feather duster as she goes. Graves addresses you as, “Sir,” and presents a silver tray containing a glass tumbler three quarters filled with a 50-year-old adult beverage. You accept the proffered drink and move on to the Treasure Room as Beezle the genie makes an appearance for the clubs new inductees. He sees you and bows as you incline your head in his direction. Just then, you hear a fanfare coming from the Main Salon and you head back that way. Colonel Suchbench is finishing a song and beginning the official Club Song. You join in.


KUNGALOOSH!

The Library doors open, initiates, and full members alike enter for the night’s festivities. You take out your pocket watch and note the 10:00 hour. It is just two hours until 1938. You close the watch, replace it in your vest, and follow the crowd into the Library for the evening main entertainment.
The preceding is the type of experience and entertainment you could enjoy at the Adventurers Club on Pleasure Island in Downtown Disney while staying at Walt Disney World. Correction, not “could enjoy” but could have enjoyed, because Disney has shuttered the Adventures Club, perhaps forever.

On May 1st, 1989, The Adventures Club opened on Disney’s Pleasure Island along with a number of other clubs, restaurants, and stores at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Disney Imagineers, led by Head Writer, Show Producer, and Show Director, Roger Cox and designer, Joe Rohde (designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom) styled the interior after a 1937 era private club for explorers and world travelers. The walls of the club were festooned with photographs and artifacts from countless expeditions and explorations. The Adventurers Club featured audio-animatronics, puppets, and a cast of characters and adventurers who performed in scripted shows and improvisational comedy. The shows and cast conversations were often laced with innuendo, while they mingling with the club's patrons who were often referred to as initiates, fellow adventurers, or simply “drunks.”

The cast of live characters were large: Aviator and ladies’ man, Hathaway Browne. Club Treasurer and ichthyologist, Otis T. Wren. Befuddled Club Curator, Fletcher Hodges. Club President and socialite, Pamela Perkins. Explorer and cabaret singer, Samantha Sterling. Junior Adventurer and contender for the Balderdash Cup, Emil Bleehall. The mysterious rarely seen and gypsy, Madame Zarkov, Club Butler and trumpeter of announcements, Graves, along with too many maids to name.


Babylonia

The group of faux cast members included: Club Gleemeister and cable-controlled puppet, Colonel Critchlow Suchbench. The stone-faced goddess of women and all things fertile, Babylonia who would sometimes speak to the mounted animal head of the Yakoose. These three could be found in the Main Salon. In the Mask Room were Arnie and Claude, who were (as you might have guessed) talking masks. The Treasure Room contained the disembodied head of Beezle, a genie. The Library is the domain of the disembodied "Fingers" Zambezi and his haunted organ. Each of these characters is a combination of mechanical magic and human actor.

Lastly, there was the cast of characters who were either only referred to, but never seen, or those who appeared in the early or closing days of the clubs existence: Sutter Bestwick, Emil Bleehall, Sr, Sheila Griffin, Chilton Thompson, and Marcel, a man in an ape suit who appeared in the early days of the club and in the final Hoopla on September 27, 2008, the clubs closing night. Marcel would invite the clubs permanent members to join him on a yearlong safari.



On June 17th, 2008, Disney announced they would be “. . . taking the Downtown Disney experience to the next level. We are doing this through enhancements to existing Downtown Disney locations. Extraordinary new shopping, dining and other experiences including a completely re-imagined Pleasure Island, and enhanced theming and story telling brought to life by Disney Imagineers.” Disney also released the statement that “. . . it’s consistent with our commitment to regularly evaluating and refreshing our product to ensure it is relevant to our Guests and providing them with new and exciting experiences they can only have at Walt Disney World Resort. In addition, our Guests are telling us that they want additional shopping and dining experiences at Downtown Disney and we want to position Downtown Disney for long-term success.”

My interpretation of those statements is the operating costs of the Pleasure Island clubs - 8 Trax, The Adventurer's Club, BET Sound-Stage Club, Mannequins Dance Palace, Motion, and The Comedy Warehouse (my personal favorite) – were too high or the revenues generated were too low and Disney wanted a bigger profit. I believe that they have removed several reasons for going to Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island and they may well see a loss of revenue for some time to come. Over 8,200 people signed the on-line petition to save the Adventurers Club and I share their hope that Disney will reconsider and perhaps resurrect the AC in a fitting venue, perhaps the new Animal Kingdom Lodge. It would indeed be a shame to lose this unique and eclectic entertainment venue forever.

In closing, I give you the Adventurer's Club Creed:

We climb the highest mountains,
just to get a better view.
We plumb the deepest oceans,
because we're daring through and through.
We cross the scorching desert,
martinis in our hand.
We ski the polar ice caps,
in tuxedos looking grand.
We are reckless, brave, and loyal,
and valiant to the end.
If you come in here a stranger,
you will exit as a friend.

KUNGALOOSH!


















The Petition
Peter David's Comments
A brief history of the Club
Early rumblings of trouble
Disney forum on the changes
Pleasure Island FAQ
Wikipedia
"This American Life." Go to position 48 minutes.

Carl Barks, Donald Duck, and others

I think it's time for something on the lighter side dealing with ducks.

Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture - "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"

On September 18, 2007, Professor Randy Pausch, a virtual reality pioneer and human-computer interaction researcher, of Carnegie Mellon University gave his last lecture at the university before a packed audience in McConomy Auditorium. This was noteworthy because Pausch had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, given three-to-six months of good health, and this was to be his very last lecture, ever. Family, friends, and colleagues came from all over the world to share that moment in the life of Randy Pausch.

Pausch spoke about lessons he has learned throughout his life, goals he set, brick walls he has broken through, and advice he has for others to achieve their own dreams. The lecture was well received and Pausch went about the business of living out the time he had left with his family. Then something happened. A video recording of the lecture had been made available on the Internet and viewings now number over six million. On September 20th, 2008, Jeffrey Zaslow of the Wall Street Journal wrote a column about Pausch. A few months later, Pausch was approached by publishers, asking that he turn his experiences and his "Last Lecture" into a book. Pausch contacted Zaslow and they co-authored "The Last Lecture" for Hyperion Press, a publishing division of Disney. The book was released on April 8th, 2008. The next day, Diane Sawyer's interview with Professor Pausch aired on ABC (owned by Disney) and has generated a nationwide out pouring of concern and empathy for his inspirational story.

To find out more about Randy Pausch, including his current condition, go to his home page.





Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management


Randy Pausch's other projects:

The Legacy of Randy Pausch

Alice is an free, innovative 3D programming environment provided by Carnegie Mellon University that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web.

The Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University offers a two-year Masters of Entertainment Technology degree, jointly conferred by Carnegie Mellon University's College of Fine Arts and School of Computer Science.