Here is something interesting I found on LaughingPlace.com: http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID509740.asp. It's about classic Disney villains and how they compare to the Seven Deadly Sins of old, perfect for Halloween. Of course, many villains have been added since the article was originally made up (in 2005), so the list has changed and improved since then. So without further ado, I give you...
POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS: Disney's Most Wanted Villains
A great actor once said that it was always more fun to play the bad guy. After all, what better character than the villain to really be able to let loose and, if not to chew the scenery, at least burn it down?
The villains in Disney films have always had an almost cult following, a special fondness in the hearts of movie fans, even if they were threatening to skin a puppy, devour our hero or even destroy a city. Villain merchandise can be found in the theme parks, where they are the "stars" of the popular "Fantasmic!" show. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston even devoted a whole book to the subject.
So why all this fascination with the dark side of Disney magic? Perhaps we are unable to fully care for the protagonist without a suitably hissable antagonist, a carry-over from other forms of entertainment, from literature to drama to mainstream motion pictures. After all, what would David be without his Goliath, or Sherlock Holmes without his Professor Moriarty, or Bugs Bunny without his Elmer Fudd, or Luke Skywalker without his Darth Vader? Or perhaps we see in these villains sides of ourselves that we keep hidden, letting these outrageous characters do what we would never dream of, a vicarious trip into the shadows of our own souls. Or maybe it's just what that great actor felt: they are more fun.
But whatever the fascination with heavies, from Lady Macbeth, Hannibal Lecter and Goldfinger to the Wicked Witch of the West, the Joker and Bill the Butcher, the bad guy (and gal) has always been big -- bigger than life, in fact -- and Disney's stable of bad guys are no exception.
So in celebration of All Hallow's Eve, I'd liked now to "honor" these thieves, fiends and evil monarchs, and compare them to the Seven Deadly Sins they so readily embrace... and we so eagerly relish. This is Part One. We'll begin with the least deadly sins and work our way up the ladder to the most deadly sin of all.
Sin #1:
? In a Disney film? Sure, when the bad boy (or girl) can't have what he (or she) wants (i.e., the good girl (or boy)).
MORTIMER MOUSE
DONALD'S DOUBLE
VICKY ROBINSON
BARNABY
GASTON
CLAUDE FROLLO
---
Sin #2: GLUTTONY
Whether it's for supremacy or, more likely, just for a taste of the protagonist, these antagonists are all starving to death. Bloodthirsty? You have no idea.
THE BIG BAD WOLF
THE WOLF
BRER FOX AND BRER BEAR
MASTER CONTROL PROGRAM
BIG BOY CAPRICE
There you have it, the first two sins up and running. More will be added later, and with more villains than last time. Until then, what do you think so far?
POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS: Disney's Most Wanted Villains
A great actor once said that it was always more fun to play the bad guy. After all, what better character than the villain to really be able to let loose and, if not to chew the scenery, at least burn it down?
The villains in Disney films have always had an almost cult following, a special fondness in the hearts of movie fans, even if they were threatening to skin a puppy, devour our hero or even destroy a city. Villain merchandise can be found in the theme parks, where they are the "stars" of the popular "Fantasmic!" show. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston even devoted a whole book to the subject.
So why all this fascination with the dark side of Disney magic? Perhaps we are unable to fully care for the protagonist without a suitably hissable antagonist, a carry-over from other forms of entertainment, from literature to drama to mainstream motion pictures. After all, what would David be without his Goliath, or Sherlock Holmes without his Professor Moriarty, or Bugs Bunny without his Elmer Fudd, or Luke Skywalker without his Darth Vader? Or perhaps we see in these villains sides of ourselves that we keep hidden, letting these outrageous characters do what we would never dream of, a vicarious trip into the shadows of our own souls. Or maybe it's just what that great actor felt: they are more fun.
But whatever the fascination with heavies, from Lady Macbeth, Hannibal Lecter and Goldfinger to the Wicked Witch of the West, the Joker and Bill the Butcher, the bad guy (and gal) has always been big -- bigger than life, in fact -- and Disney's stable of bad guys are no exception.
So in celebration of All Hallow's Eve, I'd liked now to "honor" these thieves, fiends and evil monarchs, and compare them to the Seven Deadly Sins they so readily embrace... and we so eagerly relish. This is Part One. We'll begin with the least deadly sins and work our way up the ladder to the most deadly sin of all.
Sin #1:
? In a Disney film? Sure, when the bad boy (or girl) can't have what he (or she) wants (i.e., the good girl (or boy)).
MORTIMER MOUSE
- FILM: "Mickey's Rival" (1936)
- DVD: Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse In Living Color
- In all their long years of courtship, Mickey has had only one true rival for the affections of his Minnie: namely, Mortimer Mouse. Smug, egotistical and just plain obnoxious, Mortimer is the polar opposite of our main mouse, and his cowardly nature is exposed when Minnie is threatened. Mickey, of course, comes to the rescue.
- OCCUPATION(S): Lover boy
- CRIMES COMMITTED: None
- QUOTE: "Well, if it ain't my ol' sweetie, Minnie Mouse!"
- FINAL VERDICT: He leaves Minnie to fend for herself against an enraged bull. But he would eventually show up again more then 60 years later on the "Mickey Mouse Works" and "House of Mouse" serieses.
DONALD'S DOUBLE
- FILM: "Donald's Double Trouble" (1946)
- VOICE ACTOR: Leslie Denison
- DVD: Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume 2
- After yet another one of their arguments between them, Daisy doesn't ever want to see Donald again, leaving Donald devastated. So our main duck hires a debonair look-alike Lothario to try and win her back for him. Unfortunately, it all backfires when the duck's doppelganger falls in love with Daisy for real and takes her on a date to the amusement park. Donald, of course, is not happy...
- OCCUPATION(S): Lothario
- CRIMES COMMITTED: None
- QUOTE: (to Daisy) "Darling, we'll paint the town vermilion."
- FINAL VERDICT: When Donald tries to ruin his twin's trip with Daisy through the amusement park's tunnel of love, both Donalds end up beating it out of the park to escape the wrath of a humiliated Daisy.
VICKY ROBINSON
- FILM: "The Parent Trap" (1961)
- ACTOR: Joanna Barnes
- DVD: Available
- What's a glamorous socialite/gold-digger to do? She's hooked a handsome and (more importantly) rich ranch owner. But no sooner does she start to reel him in to the altar than not one, but two bratty daughters arrive to derail this loathsome deal. On top of that, the ex-wife shows up, too, and she is not exactly the spinster that the hubby-to-be made her out to be. And now what, camping???
- OCCUPATION(S): Society gal
- PARTNER(S) IN CRIME: Her mother, a very different kind of Mrs. Robinson
- CRIMES COMMITTED: Terrorism, abuse
- QUOTE: "First change I make in that household, off she goes to a boarding school in Switzerland."
- FINAL VERDICT: Doused with honey and licked by bear cubs, an outraged Vicky angrily calls off the engagement and storms off in a huff.
BARNABY
- FILM: "Babes In Toyland" (1961)
- ACTOR: Ray Bolger
- DVD: Available
- The leering would-be Lothario Barnaby wants Mary Contrary all for himself. There's just one problem: she is to marry Tom Piper, a problem easy enough to resolve: he simply dispatches his dim-witted lackeys to dispose of the boy. Naturally, the plan fails, and Barnaby must face off with a shrunken Tom and an army of toy soldiers in Toyland.
- OCCUPATION(S): Lothario
- PARTNER(S) IN CRIME: Gonzorgo, Roderigo
- CRIMES COMMITTED: Kidnapping, attempted murder, trespassing, assault and battery
- GOTTA SING-SING: "Castle In Spain"
- QUOTE: (trying to woo Mary through aforementioned song) "You'll eat nothing but cake/You'll drink naught but champagne/You'll be in on the take/In our castle in Spain."
- FINAL VERDICT: After being shrunk as well, Barnaby is defeated by Tom in a sword duel.
GASTON
- FILM: "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)
- VOICE ACTOR: Richard White
- SUPERVISING ANIMATOR: Andreas Deja
- DVD: Available
- He's the golden boy of his provincial town, an ace hunter whom all the girls go ga-ga for and, oh yes, every last inch of him is covered with hair. So why can't Gaston nab the beautiful Belle for his bride? Must be all that reading she does. No matter, with an ego the size of his pecs, he is certain he'll win her over... or else.
- OCCUPATION(S): Pub proprietor, town bully, hunter
- PARTNER(S) IN CRIME: LeFou, Monsieur d'Arque, local yokels
- CRIMES COMMITTED: Attempted murder, kidnapping, breaking and entering, wrongful imprisonment, assault and battery, arson, inciting a riot, trespassing
- GOTTA SING-SING: "Gaston"
- QUOTE: "Were you in love with her, Beast? Did you honestly think she would want you when she could have someone like me?"
- FINAL VERDICT: While battling it out with the Beast over Belle atop the Beast's castle, Gaston loses his footing and falls to his doom.
CLAUDE FROLLO
- FILM: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996)
- VOICE ACTOR: Tony Jay
- SUPERVISING ANIMATOR: Kathy Zielinski
- DVD: Available
- The poster boy for "Disney ", Frollo has his beady eyes set on the voluptuous Esmeralda, a "burning desire" that haunts his very soul. He finally finds a use for his abused "foster son" Quasimodo, manipulating him into finding the gypsy for him, so he can burn her at the stake. What better way to show a girl you love her?
- OCCUPATION(S): Judge
- PARTNER(S) IN CRIME: Phoebus (temporarily), an army of soldiers
- CRIMES COMMITTED: Attempted genocide, manslaughter, attempted murder, attempted infanticide, abuse of power, kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment, assault and battery
- GOTTA SING-SING: "Hellfire"
- QUOTE: "The gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts. And they must be stopped."
- FINAL VERDICT: Notre Dame itself seemingly comes to life to squelch his evil, sending Frollo to fall to his doom.
---
Sin #2: GLUTTONY
Whether it's for supremacy or, more likely, just for a taste of the protagonist, these antagonists are all starving to death. Bloodthirsty? You have no idea.
THE BIG BAD WOLF
- FILM: "Three Little Pigs" (1933)
- VOICE ACTOR: Billy Bletcher
- ANIMATOR: Art Babbitt
- DVD: Walt Disney Treasures: Silly Symphonies
- Given the hit song about him, you'd think ol' Big Bad would get a little more respect, or at least a few pork rinds. All that huffin' and puffin' and blowin' down of one's house must take a lot out of a wolf, not to mention all those "clever" disguises (like an innocent sheep or a Fuller Brush man) that take some talent to pull off as well. And what dedication: he comes for more in not one, not two, but three follow-up shorts.
- OCCUPATION(S): Predator
- PARTNER(S) IN CRIME: His three little cubs (in subsequent shorts)
- CRIMES COMMITTED: None; wolves have every right to stalk prey
- QUOTE: "By the hair on your chinny-chin-chin, I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!"
- FINAL VERDICT: Slides down the chimney of the Practical Pig's house, right into a pot of boiling oil, sending him howling into the distance. But he would keep coming back again and again to try and get a taste of the pigs...
THE WOLF
- FILM: "Make Mine Music ("Peter and the Wolf" scene)" (1946)
- DVD: Available
- Certainly one of the most ferocious creatures in Disney lore, this wolf is also the only villain on this list to share title billing with the hero of their story. He's a hungry one, too; he wants to gobble up all of Peter's friends. But hey, that's only natural for this carnivorous predator.
- OCCUPATION(S): Predator
- CRIMES COMMITTED: None; again, wolves have every right to stalk prey
- FINAL VERDICT: Young Peter is the local hero when he successfully captures the beast by lashing him to a tree.
BRER FOX AND BRER BEAR
- FILM: "Song of the South" (1946)
- VOICE ACTORS: James Baskett and Nicodemus Stewart
- DVD: Still not available
- The Abbott and Costello of the stories by Uncle Remus, these bungling fools are actually their own worst enemies. In their persistent pursuit of the scrawny Brer Rabbit (who would hardly make much of a meal for either of them, much less both), they constantly trip each other up, putting their collective foot in the tar, so to speak.
- OCCUPATION(S): Predators
- CRIMES COMMITTED: Attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, terrorism, assault with a deadly weapon
- QUOTE: Brer Fox: "I got 'im! I got 'im this time!"
Brer Bear: "I'm gonna knock his head clean off!" - FINAL VERDICT: Bamboozled by Brer Rabbit's Laughing Place scam, they wind up on the wrong side of a hive full of bees.
MASTER CONTROL PROGRAM
- FILM: "Tron" (1982)
- VOICE ACTOR: David Warner
- DVD: Available
- The corrupt Master Control Program is planning on ruling the computer world, one computer at a time (talk about your computer viruses). Its User Ed Dillinger has stolen Kevin Flynn's video game creations and rewrote them as his own. Now Flynn and some of his pals are out to put a stop to this... even if it means getting sucked into the computer realm to play games for dear life to do so. But the MCP and its partner Sark aren't about to let some User sabotage their plans...
- OCCUPATION(S): Computer program
- PARTNER(S) IN CRIME: Ed Dillinger, Sark, Warrior Elite of the MCP
- CRIMES COMMITTED: Abuse, murder, attempted murder, theft, kidnapping, terrorism
- QUOTE: "No one User wrote me. I'm worth a couple million of their man-years."
- FINAL VERDICT: During the final showdown between Tron and Sark (who now has the MCP's powers), Flynn leaps into the core of Master Control and distracts it long enough for Tron to hurl his identity disc into the one break in the tower's barrier and destroy it (and Sark with it).
BIG BOY CAPRICE
- FILM: "Dic(k) Tracy" (1990)
- ACTOR: Al Pacino
- DVD: Available
- The Godfather of Four Color crime, "Big Boy" attained his nickname, not from his big pronouncements, but by metaphorically devouring his opponents, as in a mobster massacre to rival St. Valentine's. Now he's back in business and on top of the world, ma, "leetle friend" a-blazin'. But, oh, mother of mercy, could Dic(k) Tracy mark the end of Big Boy Caprice?
- OCCUPATION(S): Crimelord
- PARTNER(S) IN CRIME: Mumbles, Flattop and many others
- CRIMES COMMITTED: Kidnapping, terrorism, attempted murder, theft, fraud, assault and battery
- QUOTE: (to his fellow gangsters) "You get behind me, we all profit. You challenge me, we all go down! There was one Napoleon, one Washington, one me!"
- FINAL VERDICT: In his final showdown with the pesky goody-two-shoes Tracy, Big Boy falls to his doom.
There you have it, the first two sins up and running. More will be added later, and with more villains than last time. Until then, what do you think so far?
