Yeah. Annette. Her and Jimmy Dodd. He died of an overdose.

"In 1955, the 12-year-old was discovered by Walt Disney as she performed as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake at a dance recital in Burbank, California. On the basis of this appearance, Disney cast her as one of the original "Mouseketeers". She was the last to be selected, and the only one picked by Walt Disney. She soon proved to be very popular. By the end of the first season of Mickey Mouse Club, she was receiving 6,000 letters a month, according to her Disney Legends biography."

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....What a vision of fine and fancy stuff she and Jimmy and Doreen and the rest made. A dream, indeed. Tinkerbells, beach blankets, the endless starry hopefulness of un-scarred youth in Smallville.

Oddly enough, I never forgave Disney for his celluloid saccharine bubble. Probably wrongly (being young and hot-headed at the time) I blamed him for adulterating the hearts of America with dopey substitute realities and cellulose barf.

But I was so much older, then. I'm younger than that, now.


A