Online Encyclopedia
Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club was a very long-running variety television series in the 1950s, produced and televised by the Walt Disney Company, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of teenage performers, of which the most popular was Annette Funicello. Each show would have a dramatic portion in which teens faced challenges in everyday situations, often overcome by their common sense or through recourse to the advice of respected elders.
The main cast members were called "Mouseketeers," and they performed in a variety of musical and dance numbers, as well as some informational segments. The most popular of the Mouseketeers constituted the so-called "Red Team," which consisted of:
- Annette Funicello
- Darlene Gillespie
- Cheryl Holdridge
- Bobby Burgess
- Doreen Tracy
- Cubby O'Brien
- Karen Pendleton
- Lonnie Burr
- Sharon Baird
Other notable non-Mouseketeer performers appeared in various dramatic segments, including:
- Tim Considine
- Tommy Kirk
- David Stollery
In the 1970s, The Walt Disney Company revived the concept but modernized the show cosmetically, with a disco re-recording of the theme song and minority cast members. The show was not a success.
In the early 1980s, the Disney Channel revived the show with a different format. The teens pretty much ran their own lives, getting into trouble that would have seemed scandalous to 1950s audiences. The characters rarely sought or followed adult advice. Several of these teens went on to become major popular music successes and become notorious for flaunting their sexuality.
Notable performers from the new Mickey Mouse Club show: