Darlene Gillespie is one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club. The most popular cast member in the first season, her popularity was usurped by Annette Funicello in the second season and thereafter. Darlene enjoyed a career in medicine, before becoming a petty criminal, and even did some jail time, before retiring to a respectable life. This is her intriguing tale.
Marc Davis is one of the best-known of the animators at the Disney Company. In fact, he is one of the company’s original panel of respected animators that were depended upon to make the early Disney cartoon movies magical. He also had an important hand in designing many of the characters on the iconic Disney theme park rides. Here is his story.
John Lounsbery was one of the famous Nine Old Men of the Walt Disney Company. He was a prolific and talented animator, and his hand touched most of the early work of the company. Art teachers noticed his talent early, and one of them sent him to interview with the Walt Disney Company—an interview that would change John’s life for the better. This is John Lounsbery’s story.
Who was the first person to buy a ticket to a Disney theme park? The answer to that interesting question is a twenty-two year old man named Dave MacPherson. This college student had one simple goal on Disneyland’s opening day to the general public on July 18, 1955, to be first in line. This is his story.
