Jim MacDonald

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Jim MacDonald (1906 - 1991) (A.K.A. James or Jimmy) was the original head of the Disney sound effects department. In addition to directing sounds for films as audially complicated at "Mickey's Trailer" (1938), he developed many original inventions to achieve expressive sounds for characters like the train Casey Jr. from "Dumbo" (1941), Evinrude from "The Rescuers" (1977), and "Buzz-buzz", the bee that gets the best of Donald Duck during the 1950's. He also added voice effects, like on-screen humming for Kirk Douglas in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954), as well as Dopey's gasps and hiccups in "Snow White" (1937), and chipmunk chatter from various Chip & Dale cartoons, starting with 1943's "Private Pluto". In 1946, Walt Disney was getting too busy and too hoarse from smoking to continue voicing Mickey Mouse, so he passed the torch to MacDonald, starting with the film "Fun and Fancy Free". MacDonald voiced the mouse until 1983, passing the torch to young Disney sound effects man Wayne Allwine for "Mickey's Christmas Carol".

[edit] References

The Disney Channel's "Disney Family Album: James MacDonald", circa 1985