Posted on 04/08/2013 7:47:52 PM PDT by xzins
Annette Funicello, the most popular Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” who matured to a successful career in records and ’60s beach party movies but struggled with illness in middle age and after, died Monday, The Walt Disney Co. said. She was 70.
She died peacefully at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, Calif., of complications from multiple sclerosis, the company said.
Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight teen image of old.
The pretty, dark-haired Funicello was just 13 when she gained fame on Walt Disney’s television kiddie “club,” an amalgam of stories, songs and dance routines that ran from 1955 to 1959.
Cast after Disney saw her at a dance recital, she soon began receiving 8,000 fan letters a month, 10 times more than any of the 23 other young performers.
Her devotion to Walt Disney remained throughout her life. “He was the dearest, kindest person, and truly was like a second father to me,” she remarked. “He was a kid at heart.”
When “The Mickey Mouse Club” ended, Annette (as she was often billed) was the only club member to remain under contract to the studio. She appeared in such Disney movies as “Johnny Tremain,” ”The Shaggy Dog,” ”The Horsemasters,” ”Babes in Toyland,” ”The Misadventures of Merlin Jones” and “The Monkey’s Uncle.”
(Excerpt) Read more at entertainment.time.com ...
Of all the kids on the show, she was the one with “it.” That indefinable thing that makes a person stand out. Soul. RIP.
I don’t know about Anka’s book, but my wi@e told me today that Anka wrote Puppy Love about her. This is humorous considering she had a hit called “Tall Paul”, and I think Anka was anything but. A good @riend o@ ours, gone @or over a decade now, toured the world with Anka as his bandleader in 1959.
I know it’s not Bush’ fault, but he certainly did not disagree with that concept.
No more Bushes please — two of them were two too many.
Jeb go home and leave the country at peace.
I’m feeling very lucky lately to have grown up when I did.
Goodbye Annette, I love you.
Bush 41 used the term “New World Order” many times.
Now we have an evil bastard who’s doing all he can to
destroy America because they can’t realize their New World
Order as long as the USA is strong and soverign.
The only problem with TV back then as a kid was being the remote control for my parents. I was real glad when they came out with those two button clicker remote controls.
Dr. Wahl’s used electric stimulation of her muscles and diet to restore her health. She was also afflicted with the relapsing remitting form of the disease.
Annette had progressive MS, which is an entirely different “brand” of the disease.
They were trying to raise money for research into CCSVI, so her husband allowed this film to be made to show the ravages MS had wrought on Annette (not for the feint of heart.)
http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/annette-funicello-her-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-1.984202
Annette was a wonderful young girl and had class to the end. God bless her and prayers for her family.
A little bit of my childhood passed away today. I and most all of my girlfriends wanted to be like Annette. RIP Annette.
Annette and I are about the same age and all the boys in school dreamed of Annete. Me? I wanted to be different so I chose Darlene as my Wanna be girl and as it turned she would be a shoplifter. securities fraudster, liar and a check kiter.
I called that one wrong.
“Johnny Tremain,” I don’t recall Annette was in that, but then I don’t write for TIME.
Back in the 90's, when my ex-wife and I worked for Disney, there was staged a "Teddy Bear Signing" at the Magic Kingdom. Annette had just endorsed a line of collectible teddy bears, and was autographing them for the buyers.
We were all queued up for the signing, and they announced that due to health concerns, Annette would not appear that day. But not five minutes later, Annette DID make the signing, greeting the crowd with a humongous smile. The applause was thunderous!
She was petite, frail and moved with assistance from a Disney escort, but that smile! It electrified the room. She greeted each person with that grin, and those huge brown eyes, posed for pics with each teddy bear owner.
Annette was one of a generation, and part of an America we shall not see again in our lifetimes. Thank you, sweetie, and Ciao, bella!
Thanks for sharing that touching story, Old Sarge.
I wish I hadn’t lost my Mouse Ears. LOL
What a nice memory for you. She seemed like a class act unlike many of the so called stars today who are so trashy.
I loved the Frankie and Annette movies they were fun!
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