In the 1950s, Walt Disney
saw that, not only was television was starving for product, but also that his company needed new outlets. On October 3, 1955, the Mickey Mouse Club
premiered, offering kiddies wholesome after-school entertainment,
and proving Disney once again that was a marketing
genius.
The Mousketeer cast
was filled with bright, eager, and talented youngsters, some of whom went on to modest showbiz careers (and some, not so much).
The original show stopped
production in 1959, and had brief revivals in the '70s and the '90s. Competition for roles on the
newest version was tough, though, and some
just couldn't cut
it. This newer crop of Mouseketeers was a different breed.
With Walt's hand no longer guiding them, the new generation of Mouseketeers
weren't fresh-faced innocents, but were more streetwise
and in your face.
In the cases of Justin,
Keri,
and Christina,
some of the new group have gone on to distinguish the name of the Mouse. But
some -- well, let's just say their antics
have been enough to thaw out Walt's frozen corpse.
Suggested Sites...
- Walt Disney Family Museum: The Mickey Mouse Club Reunion - recap of a 2010 convocation.
- Walt Disney and Television - details Disney's grasp of TV as a marketing product.
- IMDb: The New Mickey Mouse Club - the forgotten missing link between the 50s and the 90s.
- Wikipedia: Mickey Mouse Club - overview of all three editions.
- Who Are the Greatest Mouseketeers?- Variety asks the question no one else dares to.
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