Randman's World

from Jim Hill Media

Wayne Allwine, the man behind the mouse, is gone. This sweet 62-year-old passed away on Monday due to complications from diabetes.

Now some folks will tell you that Wayne was one of only three men to voice Mickey Mouse (with the other two being Walt himself and veteran Disney Studios sound man Jimmy MacDonald). Which isn't entirely true. At the time that Allwine initially began recording for the Mouse, there were actually a number of folks within Walt Disney Productions who did Mickey's voice. MacDonald provided Mickey's vocals for the studio & television side of things, Jack Wagner (i.e. the official voice of Disneyland) spoke for the Mouse in the theme parks and arena shows, while Hal Smith did Mickey's voice for Disney Consumer Products.

But where Wayne lucked out was ... Well, just as he began speaking for Mickey, The Walt Disney Company (Thanks -- in large part -- to Les Perkins' efforts in establishing the Character Voice Department) decided that it was time that it selected one performer to be the official voice of each character. That way, the Goofy that appears in parades for the Parks would sound exactly the same as the Goofy that you'd see in Jello commercials on TV. That there'd then be a uniformity in performance style & sound.

And though a number of folks did audition to be Mickey's official voice, it was Allwine who eventually landed the gig. Not so much because he'd actually been mentored by MacDonald (these two worked together for years in Disney's sound department). But -- rather -- because Wayne took the job seriously. He understood what he'd been entrusted with with Mickey Mouse and always did what he could to protect this character.

"What do you mean by 'protect the character?'," you ask. Well, as the official voice of Mickey Mouse, Allwine spent over 30 years in recording sessions. Where he'd invariably be handed copy that had been prepared by some Marketing executive who had no idea how Mickey actually sounded. Which is why -- in an effort to make this 70-year-old Mouse sound hip, happening & now -- they'd have written dialogue that had Mickey using trendy slang or making off-color jokes.

And as he was rehearsing this material, Wayne would quickly identify the problem areas. And then -- as politely as possible -- he'd work with the director & sound engineer at that session to rectify these problems. Make sure that what was being recorded actually sounded like something that this timeless character might say.

Mind you, this isn't to say that Wayne wasn't up to a challenge. I remember talking with him once about his work in "The Prince and the Pauper." When I told Wayne how much I enjoyed his performance as the Prince in that featurette, how he had crafted a distinctly different character that still sounded like Mickey, the man lit up like a Christmas tree. "I'm so glad you noticed that," he said."I really tried to make Mickey and the Prince sound like two different characters."

Of course, when you talk about Wayne, you have to bring up Russi Taylor, the talented voice actress who played Minnie to Allwine's Mickey. Those two literally met in a recording booth and quickly became a couple in real life.

Now what was kind of funny about that is -- for the first couple of years after Wayne & Russi were wed -- The Walt Disney Company expressly forbid these two from mentioning to the press that they were a married couple. Reportedly out of fear over what might happen if Allwine & Taylor's marriage didn't last. Studio execs supposedly dreaded the headline: "Mickey & Minnie split up." (Which -- given this bizarre corporate edict -- led to the in-house joke that " ... theirs was a love that dare not squeak its name.")

Anyway ... Anyone who ever saw Wayne & Russi together knew that these two were never going to split up. They were so sweet, so into one another, this couple seemed to be joined at the hip. Allwine & Taylor would do radio interviews together, promotional appearances together. They were inseparable.

Which is why -- as other people talk about how sad it is that we've lost Wayne -- to be honest, my heart really goes out to Russi at this moment. I mean, this woman's career and personal life were all tied up in one incredibly sweet guy. I can't imagine what she's going through right now.
In closing ... I know that it might sound somewhat sacrilegious to say this, especially to Disneyana fans. But whenever I watch Mickey Mouse shorts from the 1930s now, I find myself thinking that Mickey doesn't sound quite right. That -- as Walt Disney performed this character back in the day -- his Mouse isn't warm enough. That Walt's performance as Mickey is too one note.

That -- in the end -- may be the greatest compliment that one can pay Wayne Allwine. That the pupil eventually surpassed the master. That his performance of Mickey Mouse -- over time -- became better than the one Walt Disney did.

Though -- knowing Wayne -- he'd have been quick to dismiss that idea. As MacDonald once told Allwine as he was getting ready to record Mickey's voice back in the 1970s; "Just remember, kid. You're only filling in for the boss."

But that said, Mickey Mouse was always in good hands as long as Wayne Allwine was here.

Sorry it's been a while. Busy, work, blah blah blah. So, what's going on around here?

Well, we're in the middle of t-ball season. Charlie does pretty well, although sometimes the dirtclods are a bit too tempting to play with. He catches well, hits good, and throws ok. And he runs like the wind. We finally got him his own t-ball bat. He was so proud. As soon as I get them scanned, I'll include his official photo.

I survived the turmoil at Disney. A lot of good people didn't. It really put a damper on us over the past few weeks. It's pretty tough when reality strikes that hard in a place where "dreams come true". But, it's going to mean a stronger, leaner company. And, with any luck, more income, and the opportunity to hire some of these people back.

My work continues to be busy. We are having a record year. Tough times = tough choices by some people. And sometimes, they make the wrong choice.

We enrolled Charlie in kindergarten. Wow. That was really surreal to think that the little baby I just met the other day halfway around the world is getting ready to start school. Thankfully, he's been in pre-k, so he already knows stuff I'm sure I didn't know until 2nd grade. He's already reading some stories. Amazing stuff.

Also, we had a big dentist visit. His baby teeth were just not that good (having the poor nutrition from the baby house didn't help), so he got some cavities. They were really hurting him, and causing him to be a bit of a grouch. We had him sedated while they worked on him, so he doesn't remember anything but the initial shot to make him drowsy. He called it a "sneaky". And now, he's like a different child. So sweet, sits down in class, and not nearly as grouchy. What a blessing that we got that taken care of.

Kim's work is going good. She's really getting good at query writing. Considering she had never done it before, I'm pretty proud of her.

Each day, I come outside, feel the warm sun, look at the beautiful sky and large, cotton ball clouds, and just love the fact that we are living in such a beautiful place. We are truly blessed!

I'm still shaking. I can't believe how close it came. You truly never know how wonderful your life is until you face your mortality.

Yes, I went out in public during the swine flu pandemic! Without a mask or gloves. I shook hands with people at church. I touched things that other's had touched. I breathed the same air as others in an elevator. I must have a death wish.

Really, can we calm the heck down?!?! Ted Kennedy's car has killed more Americans than Swine Flu.

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but if you think about it, with all the swine flu panic on the TV, what have you not been hearing about? The economy! The fact that the government is taking over more and more private business. Layoffs. Bankruptcy. The unions being given majority ownership of Chrysler. Ted Kennedy's car.

It's just a bit too much "wag the dog" for me. CNN reports 985 confirmed cases of swine flu in the world. 26 deaths (25 in Mexico, and 1 in the US, a mexican child visiting relatives). The CDC reports that regular influenza kills 36,000 American's annually.

So, why the uproar? Why the panic? It's a non-event. Calm down, everyone.