Affleck, Hanks Mark Mouse's 75th
In his spare time, Ben Affleck helps make statues of Mickey Mouse.
So as to not vex Jennifer Lopez, we should point out that Tom Hanks, John Travolta and Jennifer Garner also have taken up the fine art of Mouse carving.
The actors are among the 75 celebrities, organizations and others that lent their name, if not chisels and claw tools, to statues commemorating the diamond anniversary of Walt Disney's signature cartoon creation.
The so-called "InspEARations," each a 700-pound, 6-foot-tall tribute to the tiny toon, were unveiled at Florida's Walt Disney World Resort on Tuesday, precisely 75 years to the day that Mickey debuted in the 1928 animated short, "Steamboat Willie."
The statues are part of Disney's planned 18-month-long celebration for the small gnawing mammal that chewed his way into the homes, and hearts, of millions. (For the record, Disney CEO Michael Eisner prefers Mickey be referred to as "a special friend.")
By Magic Kingdom standards, the Mousekacelebration sounds rather tame--an ice show here, a postage stamp there--but then how many septuagenarians have the constitution for non-stop partying?
The Mickey statues will remain on display at Walt Disney World through April. After, they'll tour the country, with stops in New York City, Dallas, and Southern California's Disneyland, among other destinations.
While the likes of Affleck and Hanks contributed ideas, themes and even clothes to the collection--Red Sox fan Ben's statue is called "Home Run Hero"; Apollo 13 Tom's "Space Mouse"--the figures themselves were produced by a Minnesota-based design house.
Disney said some celebs, such as Rosie O'Donnell and former Cosby Kid Raven Simone (late of the Disney Channel's That's So Raven), personally put brush in hand and painted their statues. O'Donnell dubbed hers "Mickey: In Yellow"; Raven opted for "Clouded Conscience."
All 75 statues will be auctioned off in 2005, with the proceeds going to the celebs' charity of choice.
How merry Mickey Mouse's ongoing birthday party gets may depend on what happens Thursday. That's when Disney is due to report its fourth-quarter earnings (or losses). It's expected that the Mouse House will report tidy profits.
The media empire that Walt's mouse built is enjoying a big year at the box office. Disney is the studio behind the year's two unequivocal blockbusters, Finding Nemo ($340 million) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ($304 million). Nemo is also helping Disney establish new sales marks in home video, with a record 15 million DVDs sold in its first two weeks.
The Disney-owned ABC, meanwhile, has stopped the ratings freefall precipitated by the turning over of its schedule to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 1999. But in stabilizing, it has settled into fourth place, and has yet to grow a genuine hit comedy or drama. 8 Simple Rules is the network's only scripted series in the top 30 this fall, and even that show's stay among the upper echelon likely will end once curious and/or grieving viewers move past star John Ritter's death.
The less said about the theme-park business, the better as far as Disney is concerned. Profits were down in that already hard-hit division 22 percent through June, according to the BBC.com, with losses mounting at the Euro Disney. (That Paris-based park is only partly owned by Disney.)
Overall, the Mouse, 75 or no, isn't looking too gray yet. He'll even make his CGI-animated debut in the straight-to-video film Twice Upon a Christmas, due next fall.
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