The Mickey Mouse Club is a long-running American variety television show that began in 1955, produced by Walt Disney Productions and televised by the American Broadcasting Company, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of teenage performers. The Mickey Mouse Club was created by Walt Disney. The series has been revived, reformatted and reimagined several times since its initial 1955-1959 run on ABC.
This show premiered on ABC the same day "Captain Kangaroo" (1955) premiered on CBS.
Annette Funicello has stated in interviews that, upon being cast for the show, she told Walt Disney that she wanted to change her last name to one that sounded more "American". To his credit, Disney told her to keep her original last name because, "once someone remembers it, they will never be able to forget it".
In the animated inserts, Walt Disney provided the voice of Mickey Mouse for the very last time. He retired from voicing the character during the production of Fun and Fancy Free (1947) because he simply could not do the required falsetto anymore, and let sound effects man Jimmy MacDonald take over.
The Mouseke-ears were designed by Disney storyman/Big Mooseketeer _'Roy Williams (I)'_. He based them on a gag in _The Karnival Kid (1929)_, in which Mickey doffed the top of his head - ears and all - like a hat.
Although the show was filmed and broadcast in black and white, all of the animated segments - the opening theme, Mickey's introductions and farewells, the Jiminy Cricket shorts, etc. - were filmed in color.
Jessica Simpson (I) and Matt Damon were rejected from "The Mickey Mouse Club".
Lindsey Alley, Jennifer McGill, and Josh Ackerman were the only cast members to be in every season.
The only cast member who didn't return for the final season was Keri Russell. She left the series to film "Daddy's Girls" (1994), a show that didn't make it through its first season.
Jessica Simpson was beaten out for a spot on the show by both Britney Spears and Christina Aguileira.
