OPENING PAGE 
MY SCRAPBOOK
BEFORE & 
AFTER MMC
MY LIFE AS 
A MOUSE
SPECIAL OFFERS AND 
CONTACT INFO
ROLL CALL

 

 

 WINTER 2007-2008


The Anything Can Happen 
(and did)

Page

 

 

 

The Latest

  • LONNIE is now on YOUTUBE!!!   There are three segments of an interview I taped in 2006 with Jodie Carn for her talk show "Jodie LA" seen in California www.youtube.com/jodiecarn - take a gander! 


  • Over 20 MMC items of mine are up for holiday shopping online at SATURDAY'S TOYS - my Ears, costumes, Disneyland entry cards, Tommy Kirk and me in Paris 1961, etc.  Dave Mason has lots of other swell Disney, Disneyland and WDW items there too!  www.SaturdaysToys.com.  Take a second gander !!

  • LONNIE'S NEW BOOK - Just signed a publisher's contract for a new tome covering my 60 years (in '08) of funny, racy, unknown situations at work and socially with Woody Allen, Ginger Rogers, Elvis, Bob Hope, Hank Fonda, Carol Channing, Steven Spielberg, Bob Fosse, John Williams, Cecil B. de Mille, Robin Williams and the Lone Ranger! The manuscript deadline is June, 2008 and my book will be out in Oct/Nov 2008.  No more ganders for this item until Aug/Sept next year.  I'll let you know when we get a release date.

 

 
And now . . . MOUSEKA-NEWS
 

 

BIRTHDAYS. . .
JOE NAMATH, SHARON GLESS and LONNIE BURR turned 64 [ Sssh!  In showbiz I am 58, ssshhh, so I avoid any mouseka-age discrimination].

 

RECIPES. . .

FESS PARKER and I have known each other for some time. Back in the late 1980s Diane and I were his guests at his Santa Barbara hotel and for dinner at his Santa Ynez Valley winery -- followed the next day by breakfast at what was then the Grand Hotel in Los Olivos and has now become Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn & Spa. Fess and I are donating to a recipe book for charity in Kentucky -- my home state and the home of one the two characters for whom Fess is most widely known -- Daniel Boone. (Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee...on a mountaintop!)

I donated two recipes, the first of which is Gramma Burr's Vegetarian Chowder.  My gram lived in three centuries, 1896-2001, in her 105 years.  She was raised on a farm and the first time she saw a chicken killed she hated it so much that she vowed to be a vegetarian her entire life, which she accomplished.  Maybe that is why she hit 105!  My own recipe is Chilled Avocado Soup (with a little caviar), rich but delicioso, as an opener or in a small portion for a nosh at parties.

 

PHANTOM MOUSEKETEERS. . . 

Go to George's comprehensive but still growing site, www.originalmmc.com  for news of the almost MOUSEKETEER DALLAS Johann, replaced the first day of 1955 by his brother John Lee, MOUSEKETEER LEE the first season, for we already had a MOUSEKETEER JOHNNY (Crawford, "The Rifleman's" son and now a jazz and swing band leader).  The first time I saw Dallas after the first season mouseka-snafu was in 1975 while Diane and I were still living in NYC.  I spotted him dancing in the chorus of "The Rothschilds" starring "Barney Miller" on Broadway.  I worked with Hal ("Barney") Linden on his short lived TV series "Blacke's Magic."  MOUSEKETEER JAY-JAY (second season) did not make our "25 Years of Mouseketeers" 25th TV Reunion in 1980 but has been plugging away at his PC publishing and writing stories.  George's site also has a new breakdown on the second season of "Spin & Marty."

 

And More. . .

Annie lost her mother, Virginia Funicello, to pneumonia on September 2, 2007.  Virginia was 86.

Kelly Van Meter Latini, who was married in the Vatican to attorney Andreas Latini, is also the daughter of our doctor Richard Van Meter and his wife MOUSEKETEER SHERRY (second season.) Kelly gave birth to a daughter, Roma, in 2006 and is expecting a son in April, 2008 - and still works part time in her dad's medical practice. Sherry and Rich's other daughter Casey Van Meter Cook and her husband Abe have a son, Cole Patrick Cook, who's younger than Roma.

THE 90s MOUSEKETEERS:  Except for costume malfunctions, Justin Timberlake is okay, but Christina and Britney would most likely get Jimmie Dodd's polite, soft spoken reprimand.  Keri Russell, however, was fine in "Waitress" and MOUSEKETEER RYAN Gosling is on top of the youngest  ex-Mouseketeer pack in 2007 starring in "Fractured" with Sir Tony Hopkins and did a really fine job in "Lars And The Real Girl" - my kind of actor.  Congratulations, Ryan!   

 

DANNY KAYE and me in costume for "Hans Christian Andersen."   ROY ROGERS on location when I played the title role of  "The Minister's Son" on TV in "The Roy Rogers Show".   In costume and makeup for pegleg pirate with ROBIN WILLIAMS, JULIA ROBERTS and DUSTIN HOFFMAN in "Hook".   JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME, LON the bookie & the pugilistic loser  in "Lionheart". ANNETTE and I on the cover of Playmate Magazine.

See Special Offers  for a copy of this composite available only on my site. Copyright 2008 Lonnie Burr.

 

 

             

 

 LONNIE, SPIN & MARTY & COHORTS

      It's likely that everyone in this shot from the mid-90s--  not just me -- has less hair now than we did when the photo was taken in the backyard of Tim Considine's house, where we were celebrating his birthday. From left:  Lonnie, Tim, Steve Stevens (agent), Tommy Kirk, David Stollery.

 

 

 

Asta Astaire Update

In January, 2007 a stranger scratched at our door. 

No longer a baby, Asta Astaire, a "tuxedo cat", and her whiskers have grown and she is now 14 months. She continues to cavort, jeté and dash back and forth like her tuxedoed namesake Fred, and she races up and down the steps and leaps from chair to chair, like Fred, but she has yet to dance on the ceiling, thank goodness. This year she is doing her part for the holidays by letting us use one of her kitten photos for our holiday card titled:

 

  

 

 

 

Fun for when you are snowed in!  Or any time at all!!

Order today

LONNIE'S NEW DOUBLE DVD

3+ Hours of unique viewing
Available Only from This Website including shows you won't see anywhere else

For details click on Special Offers now!

GET YOUR COPY TODAY!! 

 

 

 

Some photos from the 1980s shows at Disneyland
(We will add more as we find them!)

These were very energetic, non-stop 30 minute shows. Our original venue was the Space Stage underneath/in front of Space Mountain

  

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  No, I was not frightened by a mouse!
   It is called an over the leg jump.

Being a Hobo has its pleasures.

  

 

 

Jitterbugging with my favorite partner, Bonnie Lynn.
     
 

The goofy one is on the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonnie and I are Trying to kick our boots off.

 

 

 

  

  I am not a crooner but I am an M.C. and a song and dance man like George M. Cohan    or James Cagney or Bobby Van.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               HISTORY BYTES                                    

      I began acting, dancing and singing professionally at age 5 and at 11 became Mouseketeer Lonnie. After an M.A. in Theatre at 20, I returned to performing and added writing, directing and choreography to my career pursuits. Some of the stars and other celebrities with whom I have worked include:

 

Jimmy Stewart
Elvis Presley
Roy Rogers
Eddie Cantor
Bob Hope
Sammy Davis
Robin Williams
Dinah Shore
Danny Kaye
Jean Claude Van Damme
Clayton Moore (Lone Ranger)
Ed Wynn
Carol Channing
Robert Preston
Jack Benny
Scatman Carothers
Shirley MacLaine
 		  

Ginger Rogers
Paul Winfield
Charlie Ruggles
Bernadette Peters
Jay Silverheels
Abbott & Costello
Donald O'Connor
Cesar Romero
Dean Martin
Buddy Ebsen
Pat Boone
Jimmy Durante
Charles Coburn
Christian Slater
Billy Crystal
Jerry Lewis
Angela Lansbury
 

 


...and some of the Directors, Producers, Composers, Choreographers and Conductors
with whom I have worked are:  

Steven Spielberg
Gower Champion
Bob Fosse
Walt Disney
Cecil B. de Mille

 

 

John Williams
Mark Shaiman
Jerry Herman
Alan Menken
Jack Lee
Buddy Baker
Sherman Brothers
Leonard Slatkin

 

Twyla Tharp
Vincent Paterson
Dee Dee Wood
Larry Fuller
Kenny Ortega
Joe Layton

 

 

Several people asked me to leave the birdwatching photos, so here they are.

Gulling on the Santa Barbara Pier.

 

 

Undercover at the Louvre 2006. 

 

Penguin lineup at the san diego zoo.

 

Suspicious hummingbird near Arlington, VA

at least according to the C.I.A.

 

who is watching whom at the uffizi gallery's open air snack bar in Florence, Italy?   

 

There are quite a few
NEW  CARTOONS
for 2008

Mouseketeer Harley says...be sure to look at the Mouseketeer CARTOON Page.  

Harley also says thank you to Asst. Cartoon Page Editor Julie!
 

 

 

Note: The artist's signature reads "Hallman '89"
 

You asked for it............... Here's
THE ARCHIVE OF  OLD pages viewers have requested

 

Have a look at
 The MMC Costume Page 

 

for all the latest fashions!

 

 

To see the photos of Annette's birthday party in the 1990s that appeared in one of the updates, visit

  

ANNETTE'S PARTY AT CHERYL'S


 

Christmas 2006
Firenze and Paris

Photos from our trip to Italy and France in December at
 How we spent our Christmas vacation

  

And last but not least: Here's the link to the MMC 25TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW  

 

  • If you haven't already - check out Before & After MMC for a biography, vintage photos  and resume of the very early performing I did (1948-1955) before the MMC, including an Oscar winning film, a few TV "classics" and a commercial that many of the 50+ gang may remember. My latest acting/writing/choreographic and directing credits are here as well. Another memory lane trip is Scrapbook.  

  • Take a look at Special Offers for the new DOUBLE DVD!  3+ hours including scads of things you've never seen before! Give someone else (or yourself) a mouseka-present. All items personally signed - unless you don't want me to - but be warned that NOT signing costs extra (:--)) !  

  • The Roll Call page has room to include your e-mail address so we can stay in contact and so you can contact each other.  

  • Finally, if you want to correspond with me, but  don't want to share your e-mail address with other fans, I can be reached at Lonniemmcataoldotcom.  It's written that way to avoid spam; change the at to @ and dot to .

                                                Lonnie

    PS:  Here's the link to the YouTube page with the MMC color opening animation.  After you've finished watching it, come on back here by clicking the back arrow on your browser. See you real soon!  

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9YQggpFnPQ

     

     

     

     

           

    SOME LINKS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN TRYING  - and if there are links you recommend, please let me know:

    www.originalmmc.com - comprehensive new MMC site!!  Excellent!!

    www.solarguard.com/spannver4.htm - One of the many shows I was on before the MMC was "Space Patrol" and I briefly describe the memory. The site for fans of this golden TV classic.

    www.ancientthespians.com  - In my opinion, THE BEST One Minute Guide to Search Engines I've found. Well organized, comprehensive and friendly.

     

 OPENING PAGE  MY SCRAPBOOK BEFORE & 
AFTER MMC 		MY LIFE AS 
A MOUSE 		SPECIAL OFFERS AND 
CONTACT INFO 		ROLL CALL
 
 

© 2008 Lonnie Burr
Some photographs © Disney