20 Surprising Facts You Never Knew About Your Favorite Disney Movies
‘Peter Pan’ has ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to thank for one of its more popular tunes
Alice in Wonderland originally had another song, entitled “Beyond the Laughing Sky,” but it was later cut from the movie for reasons unknown (probably pacing). However, Sammy Fain, the film’s composer, recycled the song, rewriting the lyrics to fit his next Disney animated film, Peter Pan. Which Peter Pan song has the same tune as the one cut from Alice in Wonderland? “Second Star to the Right”! (The song still even includes the phrase “beyond the laughing sky”!)
Before Meeko, Pocahontas had another animal friend
Originally, Pocahontas had a talking turkey as an ally and he was a pretty animated fellow (pun intended). His name was Redfeather and was going to be voiced by the late John Candy. However, the whole character was scrapped when Candy passed away and was replaced by Meeko, the playful and scene-stealing raccoon.
Cruella De Vil almost double-dipped
Before the days of sequels (if you can remember such a time or believe that such a time existed), the creators of The Rescuers had seriously considered making Cruella De Vil the movie’s villain. She would’ve been dressed in alligator skins and all about making deals on the bayou. But, the idea was eventually scrapped due to the studio’s policy against sequels. So, Medusa was created instead. If you go back and watch the film, you’ll notice that she has quite a bit in common with Cruella, including a predisposition to obsession and reckless driving skills.