From the Mailroom: Mickey's Nephews

The past weeks have been especially busy for me, primarily due to trips to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Content has been a bit lighter here and I have certainly been neglecting the mailroom. More articles are on the way (look for new entries in both Disney's Hollywood and Roadside Disney series soon), and for today we'll at least take a look at one email inquiry.

One of our favorite 2719 Hyperion readers, David Caffey, recently posed this question:

While browsing around the web this afternoon I checked in at Jessica’s If We Can Dream It… blog. The most recent post featured photos from Fulton’s General Store at Port Orleans Riverside and among the characters hard at work in the store displays are Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse. Who in the world are Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse and why do they look so much like the boss?

Unlike Huey, Dewey and Louie, Donald Duck's long famous nephews, Morty and Ferdy have not experienced the fame and notoriety of their waterfowl counterparts. While the younger ducks' collective resume lists many appearances across numerous media, Morty and Ferdy have largely been confined to the four color world--the comics medium, from which they emerged in 1932.

Disney Legend Floyd Gottfredson introduced the pair in the Mickey Mouse newspaper strip Mickey Nephews that appeared on Sunday, September 18, 1932. They are the children of Mrs. Fieldmouse. Gottfredson very likely drew inspiration for the characters from the Mickey Mouse cartoon Mickey's Nightmare, which had been released to theaters a little over a month before. The comic strip incarnations are identical to the dream sequence offspring portrayed in the short.

A similar brood of toddler Mickeys were featured in the 1933 short Giantland. Mickey is identified as their uncle when he tells them a story that is a variation of Jack in the Beanstalk.

One year later, two toddler Mickeys appeared in the cartoon Mickey's Steamroller where their mischievous antics produced calamitous consequences for their famous uncle. They are not identified by name but numerous Disney texts consider this to be the one and only screen appearance of Morty and Ferdy. It is a convenient and easy connection to make, though it is likely the cartoon's creators never considered such an identification and were merely carrying over the toddler Mickey models from the prior shorts. The same character model would be used again in Mickey Plays Papa, Orphans Picnic and both the 1934 and 1941 versions of Orphans Benefit. Four decades later, a similar model would form the basis of the Tiny Tim character in Mickey's Christmas Carol. Twenty years after that, similar characters would make a brief cameo in an episode of Mickey's Mouse Works that would lated be recycled into the House of Mouse program.

The comic book incarnations of Morty and Ferdy in subsequent years grew more distinct and defined and eventually became fodder for both merchandising and theme park appearances.

The Official Encyclopedia Disney A to Z lists "Ferdy" as the official spelling, although it frequently appears as Ferdie as well.

From the Mailroom - Too Many Anniversaries?

From the Mailroom this week, reader Marci Cameron made this inquiry regarding Disney's efforts in commemorating character anniversaries:

Mickey Mouse's 80th birthday is coming up this November 18th (the release of "Steamboat Willie") and it's got me curious. You see, Disney had a big celebration for him on his 60th, but they didn't make too big a deal for his 75th and most recently from what I've seen on the 'net, they didn't seem to care about Goofy's 75th birthday either. So, I was wondering, is Disney planning something big for Mickey's 80th birthday or don't they seem to care about characters' birthdays anymore?

Thanks for writing, Marci. Let's face it, Disney fans and enthusiasts love to celebrate. And they tend to be very disappointed when it appears that a notable birthday or anniversary will go unheralded. Last year's response by fans to an initial lack of recognition for EPCOT's 25th anniversary certainly bears that observation out. But while fans tend to perceive these celebrations as sincere and necessary commemorations of benchmarks in Disney history, from a company standpoint they have always been largely seen as the basis for marketing campaigns and consumer products initiatives. In that context, especially following Disneyland's recent Happiest Celebration on Earth, there are many individuals within Disney who feel that they may be overplaying the birthday/anniversary dynamic.

In that regard, most recent initiatives have been generally low key and typically limited to consumer products marketed to Disneyana collectors. Goofy's 75th Anniversary last year was marked by the release of a commemorative pin, a piece in the very high end Walt Disney Classic Collection of figurines, an art print by artist Randy Noble and little else.

In 2003, the focal point of the company's efforts in celebrating Mickey 75th Birthday was the Celebrate Mickey: 75 InspEARations event. The Walt Disney Company commissioned 75 notable individuals, among them celebrities, athletes, artists and corporate executives, to each custom design their very own Mickey Mouse statue. The statues were unveiled at Walt Disney World on November 18, 2003, Mickey's 75th birthday. The statues were subsequently taken on a cross-country tour lasting two years before ultimately being auctioned at Sotheby's in November of 2005, with proceeds going to charities selected by the individual designers.

The vast majority of 75th merchandise was directed at Disneyana collectors and took the form of limited edition pins, watches and figurines. The most mainstream item produced was likely the Mickey Mouse Monopoly game that featured a 75 Years brand logo. A few other products bore that same logo including playing cards and a trading cards set.

While the efforts put forth to celebrate Mickey's 75th were by no means minor, they paled in comparison to what transpired fifteen years earlier in 1988. The celebrations surrounding Mickey's 60th Birthday encompassed a marketing and promotional bonanza that was widespread and involved nearly every division of the Walt Disney Company. The company's consumer products division mounted a campaign that was comparable to efforts given to contemporary product juggernauts such as High School Musical and Hannah Montana. Mouse-related merchandise was displayed prominently in mass merchants such as Wal-Mart and Toys-R-Us, all featuring 60th Birthday branding. Anniversary specials aired on both network and cable channels, and year-long celebrations took place at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Most significant was the construction of Mickey's Birthdayland at Florida's Magic Kingdom, a new area that was centered completely around the anniversary celebration.

Mickey and Donald Duck both enjoyed 50th birthday commemorations in 1978 and 1984 respectively, but neither were of the magnitude of the 1988 festivities. One of the more memorable elements of Donald's 1984 birthday activities was the Walt Disney World parade that featured Donald, accompanied by fifty live ducks in party hats, all waddling down Main Street U.S.A. When Donald celebrated his 60th birthday in 1994, the only evidence of commemoration I was able to personally find was a number of products at the Disney Store, all featuring an exclusive 60 Years brand logo.

Character-based anniversary celebrations in fact stretch back all the way to the very early years of Mickey Mouse, when theater owners would hold birthday parties to draw young children to special weekend matinée showings.

As to Mickey's 80th Birthday that arrives this November 18th? So far we have seen a PEZ candy product featuring an 80 Years brand, but little else. Disney Parks executives have voiced an inclination to steer clear of anniversary-based marketing promotions, so any theme park related celebrations will likely range from low key to non-existent. In the dynamic of anniversary commemorations, eighty doesn't seem to have the glamor of a fifty, sixty or seventy-five mark. We may very well have to wait until Mickey's 2028 centennial for the next truly extensive and far reaching birthday celebration.

Images © Walt Disney Company

The Catalina Eddy behind Catalina Eddie's

To follow up on the recent post concerning the origins of the name Catalina Eddie's, Werner Weiss provided some additional enlightenment:

I have a comment about the origin of the name Catalina Eddie's at the Studios park, which was the subject of your February 17 blog entry. Catalina Eddie's is a play on the Southern California weather condition known as the Catalina Eddy — at least that's what I've always assumed. I have to believe that the WDI folks in Glendale had the Catalina Eddy in mind when they coined Catalina Eddie's as one of the food service counters of the Sunset Ranch Market.

When I grew up in Southern California, TV weathercasters would often describe how a Catalina Eddy condition would bring cooling winds to the Los Angeles basin. The Pacific Ocean off the Los Angeles basin is the Catalina Channel because of Catalina Island. An eddy is usually defined as a circular movement of water, counter to a main current. But I believe the Catalina Eddy is a movement of air, not water. I assume that Southern California TV weathercasters still talk about the Catalina Eddy. With the ridiculously perfect summer weather in the Los Angeles area, they don't have much else to talk about.

Thanks, Werner!

Werner is one of the true pioneers of the Disney online community. If you haven't checked out his amazing and wonderful Yesterland, what are you waiting for?

From the Mailroom - Catalina Eddie's and the Sunset Market Ranch

Our virtual Mailroom here at 2719 Hyperion recently received this inquiry from a reader:

In (then) MGM / (now) Hollywood Studios there is a building directly outside of Rock N Rollercoaster grouped with all of the counter services. It is called Catalina Eddies (I belive they serve pizza or something). Is this in reference to Eddie Valiant (of Roger Rabbit) always making a point of returning to Catalina with Delores? I have asked many of people but can never seem to get an answer. I'm pretty sure that is the origin of this counter service but I simply just need some vindication and figured that you could get me some answers. Thanks and keep up the good work. I really love the site.

Ian

Thanks for writing, Ian. Your question gives me the opportunity to briefly showcase an area of Disney's Hollywood Studios that is often overlooked in regard to its architectural inspiration and historical references.

Catalina Eddie's is part of the Sunset Market Ranch that is located along the left side of Sunset Boulevard as you approach the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The area consists of counter service food venues that, in addition to Catalina Eddie's, includes Rosie's All American Cafe, Anaheim Produce, Hollywood Scoops and the Toluca Legs Turkey Company.

The Sunset Market Ranch was inspired by the original Farmers Market located at the intersection of 3rd and Fairfax in Los Angeles. During the summer of 1934, a group of farmers set up an informal market at that location. The idea for the market originated with two individuals, Roger Dahlhjelm, a businessman, and Fred Beck, an advertising copywriter. The two asked the owners of the former Gilmore dairy farm at 3rd and Fairfax if local farmers could park trucks on the land as a means of selling their fresh produce. A complex of stalls and buildings quickly grew out of the formerly vacant area. The market's now iconic clock tower was built in 1941 and remains a part of the complex to this day. The buzz-phrase "Meet me at 3rd and Fairfax" has become ingrained in southern California popular culture. One interesting notation on the Market's web site states:

"When Walt Disney was preparing his early designs for a place called Disneyland, he did some of his work while dining on one of the Farmers Market patios. Elements of the Market’s unique design - it is said - are incorporated into his original drawings."

The Sunset Market Ranch at Disney's Hollywood Studios is distinctly themed to World War II-era southern California. Anaheim Produce alludes to a pre-Disneyland time frame when Anaheim consisted mostly of farmland, primarily orange groves. Rosie's All American Cafe pays homage to the iconic character of Rosie the Riveter, who symbolically represented the country's women who became the nation's blue collar workforce during the war years. A Victory Garden can be found adjacent to Rosie's Cafe.

Which brings us back to Catalina Eddie's. Was the name of this restaurant inspired by the characters from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Seeing that there is no documentation that can be found that validates this theory, I would have to say that in the end it appears that the name Catalina Eddie's is simply an interesting coincidence. But to be sure, I put the question to Disney historian and Imagineering expert Jeff Kurtti, author of numerous books about Disney theme parks, including Since the World Began: Walt Disney World The First 25 Years and the upcoming Walt Disney's Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park.

Jeff responded, agreeing that there likely was not a Catalina Eddie's-Who Framed Roger Rabbit connection. He explains:

I think the reference to Catalina is self-evident: a nostalgic, romantic island, closely linked geographically and culturally with old Los Angeles. The idea of a "beach shack" probably relates most closely to the culture that began to evolve in the early 20th century around the lifestyle of beach living and surfing. It grew even stronger after the war, when returning GIs brought back the ideas and paraphernalia of the South Pacific islands.

Catalina Eddie's is no doubt an evocation of the California "beach bum," of which Wikipedia says, "The members of this subculture are typically ocean and beach-going people who enjoy spending spare time sitting or relaxing on a beach. As such, the life of a beach bum is usually one of leisure. This holds true if the particular beach bum is a local, a retiree, a vacationer, or just someone who enjoys life by the ocean."

It appears Ian, that I can't give you the vindication you were seeking. But while there may be no direct Disney connection to Catalina Eddie's, its design and execution still reflect the Imagineers' passion for detail and authenticity to the theme they are presenting.

From the Mailroom: The Star of the Acorn Club

We are going to start visiting the Mailroom here at 2719 Hyperion on a regular basis. I've been wanting to showcase reader feedback and questions for sometime, so hopefully this will be the start of an ongoing feature.

First up, I piqued the curiosity of David Caffey when he was listening to a recent episode of the WDW Radio Show:

Jeff – You just can’t toss out a name Clarice Chipmunk on WDW Radio without providing a little more info on 2719 – I’m now going acorns trying to find out more about her and see a picture. Hows about a short blog entry about this star of the Acorn Club (that’s all I could really find). Thanks for all you do!

Thanks for writing, David. Clarice, sadly, was a victim of the very era she was born into.

A new generation of characters began to emerge in Disney cartoons in 1950s. Humphrey Bear and Ranger Woodlore grew out of the Donald Duck shorts into adventures of their own, specifically In the Bag and Hooked Bear, both released in 1956. Chip 'n' Dale had also spun off into cartoons of their own, and it was in one of those efforts, Two Chips and a Miss from 1952, where we encounter the nightclub vamping Clarice in her one and only appearance. But unfortunately for all these then rising toon stars, within a few years, production of cartoon shorts would all but dissolve at Disney. Clarice was subsequently never brought back for a return engagement.

Two Chips and a Miss was an unusual outing for Chip and Dale. It was a rare instance where the two were rivals instead of partners. And for all her cuteness, Clarice was no innocent. She deliberately plays the boys against each other with competing invitations to meet her at the Acorn Club, and clearly takes pleasure when their rivalry later comes to blows. There can be little doubt that director Jack Hannah was taking inspiration from Tex Avery's Red Hot Riding Hood series of shorts at MGM. In fact, one very funny gag has the pair's heads morphing into wolf features that, in context to the setting, bears a direct connection to Avery's "Wolfie" character from the Red shorts.

Despite her one night stand in cartoon history, Clarice lives anew, albeit just not in animated form. Her entertainment resume has recently earned her a spot as a walk around character at Disney's Hollywood Studios. She even sports her original Acorn Club costume.

As always, I welcome your feedback and questions. Email to jeffpepper@2719hyperion.com.

Screenshots © Walt Disney Company