Jim shares some tales from the storyman behind the Mouse Ears.
Like many kids, I was intrigued by Roy Williams on the Mickey Mouse Club. He seemed huge, perhaps a little slow on the uptake and less articulate compared to the slender and perky Jimmie Dodd.
He was almost like Br'er Bear, obviously good-hearted but dangerous. I don't know what really bothered me about him. Did I fear he would eat one of the Mouseketeers or sit and crush Jiminy Cricket before the little insect could spell "encyclopedia"?
Made a Disney Legend posthumously in 1992, Roy made many amazing contributions to the legacy of Disney, from his story work on the animated shorts to designing over 100 Disney military insignias during World War II (including one for the Flying Tigers) and from coming up with the concept of the Mouse Ears caps for Disneyland to his appearances on the Mickey Mouse Club television show that helped inspire young artists.
Joseph Roy Williams was born July 30, 1907 in Colville, Washington. His father passed away before Roy was 12 years old and the family moved to the Los Angeles area. His mother worked in a candy shop and later as a chambermaid at a hotel.
Roy went to Fremont High School, where he gained fame as a football player and was known by his classmates as "Moose" Williams, and as a funny cartoonist for the school newspaper.
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