February 27, 2013: Top of the world Ma!

There is a little corner in my heart reserved for Noir films. There are a few detective films that I really love and recently I went to see Gangster Squad with my kids and enjoyed it. What can I say? It’s a sickness. If he were still alive, Edward Brophy would have fit in to Gangster Squad perfectly. Brophy, born on this date in 1895, just looked like a gangster, a gangster with a high, squeaky voice. The contrast of the tough looking, bald, 5’ 5” thug with that voice led to many comedic moments in over 130 movies that Brophy was a part of. All that being said, in 1941 Brophy broke type and starred in a role that he will be eternally remembered for, Timothy Q. Mouse in Dumbo. My kids say that Dumbo is one of, if not THE, saddest Disney movies. It is a sad story but I always felt good knowing that ultimately everything worked out okay for Dumbo. The obvious way to honor Brophy is to ride Dumbo at the Magic Kingdom but let’s not overlook The Great Movie Ride at Hollywood Studios. The Great Movie Ride has a wonderful tribute to the genre that was Brophy’s home for 50 years, the gangster movie.

Costume from Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in the queue for the Great Movie Ride

 While we are talking about sadness and violence, we should take a moment to remember one of the, at its base, saddest movies in the Disney canon; A movie that begins with the murder of an entire family except one child, who is handicapped, and the father, who suffers from guilt issues at allowing the deaths of his entire family. Then, the child is kidnapped and carried to a distant land to be enslaved and kept caged for the rest of his life. The father pursues his son with the assistance of a total stranger who has serious mental issues, surviving one life-threatening situation after another. Of course, we are talking about Finding Nemo. Actor, Bill Hunter, the voice of the Dentist in 2003’s Finding Nemo, was born on this date in 1940 in Australia. Hunter starred in more than 60 movies and was usually a tough guy with a hard-boiled exterior but a heart of gold. This is a no-brainer, with two great options at Walt Disney World, Finding Nemo: The Musical at the Animal Kingdom or Under the Seas with Nemo at EPCOT.

"Go with the Flooowwww..." Finding Nemo: The Musical

Today is No Brainer Day. Go to Walt Disney World, it’s a no-brainer.

Today is International Polar Bear Day. What color is a polar bear’s fur? White? No. A polar bear’s fur is clear. This allows sunlight to penetrate the fur where the energy is absorbed by the Polar Bear’s skin and held in by the fur. Polar bears have been associated with Coca-Cola and EPCOT has a wonderful polar bear / Coke attraction, Club Cool. At Club Cool you can try Coca-Cola products from around the world, Beverly, Kinsley and all the other, sometimes odd, flavors from other lands. Best of all, it costs nothing extra. Free Pop! Woo Hoo!

Remember, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.