Thanks to Comic-Con, all eyes will be on San
Diego for the next few days. But — to be honest — that
doesn't matter much to the fine folks of Philadelphia.
You see, they're still jazzed about the great news that came
down from The Walt Disney Company last week. Which is that three local boys
have made good. American Bandstand host Dick Clark, animator Glen Keane and
comedian and actor Ed Wynn are to be inducted as official Disney Legends during
next month's D23 EXPO at the Anaheim Convention
Center.
Dick Clark back in 1956 when "Bandstand" was still only
being broadcast in Philadelphia on WFIL-TV. Copyright
Dick Clark Productions. All rights reserved
While not a Philadelphia
native, Dick Clark's career was launched in the City of Brotherly
Love as the host of "Bandstand," a local afternoon
dance show on WFIL-TV which featured high school kids dancing to the tunes of
the day. Clark
was able to convince the very young ABC television network to give his local
show a national tryout in 1957. On August 5th, 1957, Clark
took his local dance show to the national airwaves as host of "American
Bandstand."
Clark's honor as a Disney Legend
literally comes days after his dance program will celebrate its 56th
anniversary in the building which housed Studio B of the old WFIL-TV studios at
46th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia. His stint as the host of the dance show which
brought rock-and-roll music to more than 40 million homes across the country,
opened the door for Clark to produce game shows like the
"$100,000 Pyramid", award programs like the "Golden Globes" and the "Academy
of Country Music Awards," television
specials and his annual "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve." Clark passed away in
April 2012.
A proud poppa pays tribute to his talented son as Bil Keane
folds Glen Keane's take on "Tarzan" into a Summer 1999
edition of his daily single panel comic, "The Family
Circus." Copyright King Feature Syndicate.
All rights reserved
Glen Keane is a Philadelphia
native who has given life to many of Walt Disney Studios most popular animated
characters. Born in Philadelphia
in April 1954, Glen is the son of the late cartoonist Bill Keane, creator of "The
Family Circus" comic strip. Since
joining Disney in 1974, Glen has animated such characters as Penny in "The
Rescuers," Elliott in "Pete's Dragon," the Beast in "Beauty and the Beast
," as
well as the title characters in "The Little Mermaid
," "Aladdin
," "Pocahontas," and
"Tarzan
."
Comedian and star of stage and screen, Ed Wynn is the third
person with Philly ties to be named a Disney Legend this year. Born Isaiah Edwin Leopold, Wynn attended Central
High School in Philadelphia
until the age of 15 when he ran away from home to pursue a job in show business. Fearing that his family would be embarrassed
by his choice of careers, the teenager adapted his middle name "Edwin" into his
new stage name "Ed Wynn." The comedian
and actor appeared in numerous Disney classics like "Babes in Toyland
," "That
Darn Cat
," "The Absent-Minded Professor
," and "Mary Poppins
." Animation fans will also recognize his voice
as that of the Mad Hatter in Disney's classic "Alice
in Wonderland
."
Ed Wynn as he appeared when he was shooting the live-action reference footage for
Walt Disney Studios' animated version of "Alice in Wonderland." Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Clark, Keane and Wynn join "Monsters, Inc.
" and "Monsters
University
" stars Billy Crystal and
John Goodman, technology visionary Steve Jobs and Imagineers Tony Baxter and
Collin Campbell as the next class of Disney Legends. They will be honored during ceremonies at the
D23 EXPO on Saturday, August 10th at the Anaheim
Convention Center at 2 p.m.
So if you're headed to the "Ultimate Disney Fan
Event" next month, be sure to bring along some Scrapple, some cheese
steaks and some soft pretzels. So that — when the time is right — you can
then pay tribute to this trio of Philly favorites who have left their mark on
the House of Mouse.