Korkis Korner: Letters to Ruth Disney

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Letters to Ruth Disney by Jim Korkis

Jim shares some little-known stories about Walt's only sister.

Read it here!

[jcruise86]

Jim, thanks for that excellent & interesting article about Walt & his sister!

So were you and your brothers gonged?

And which one of you three was picked on the Dating Game?

[Jim Korkis]

Jim, thanks for that excellent & interesting article about Walt & his sister!

So were you and your brothers gonged?

And which one of you three was picked on the Dating Game?

On the Gong Show, we were the Quasimodo Belairs, singing/dancing hunchbacks. "Quasimodo, do you know who is going to win the third race?" "No, but I've got a hunch!" It was a different time. We were not gonged. We did not win either BUT the judges loved us so much that we got a special award....something I don't think they ever did before.

On the Dating Game, I did my imitation of Mickey Mouse's voice for one answer and was not picked. My brother Mike was picked. The date was a stuntwoman from Universal Studios Hollywood.

On Family Feud, we went on to the second day.

Just by my lonesome, I was on a short lived game show called CAMOFLAGUE where I won a cherry red Cadillac.

I was also on a pilot filmed at Filmation Studios called ORIGINS about the origins of words and phrases like ham actor. (Actors used to use ham fat or bacon grease to remove the oily face makeup....something I knew being an actor with an interest in theater history....and that was the question that helped me win the game. $10,000 which I never got because it was a pilot and only if the game sold and then ran would I get the money.)

I could tell lots of stories about doing game shows from the auditions to trying to listen to what is really wanted by the producers to all sorts of backstage stories. By the way, I LIKED Chuck Barris. He treated the contestants very well and with a lot of respect....no matter how outlandish.

However, this has nothing to do with Disney history. I do have all of these segments (except ORIGINS) on videotape so I should transfer those to some other format before they flake away.

[Pammer]

Thanks Jim...I LOVED reading these letters from Walt; as busy as he was, he still found the time to send personal letters to his sister. I'm so glad she kept them so we all can learn a bit more about "the Man behind the Myth" (can you tell that I recently saw that documentary?).

[jcruise86]

On the Gong Show, we were the Quasimodo Belairs, singing/dancing hunchbacks. "Quasimodo, do you know who is going to win the third race?" "No, but I've got a hunch!" It was a different time. We were not gonged. We did not win either BUT the judges loved us so much that we got a special award....something I don't think they ever did before.

On the Dating Game, I did my imitation of Mickey Mouse's voice for one answer and was not picked. My brother Mike was picked. The date was a stuntwoman from Universal Studios Hollywood.

Thanks, Jim! I'm glad I asked.

[Lovethemouse]

Thanks for another great article, Jim. I would love to read more if you've got enough for a second article.

[Pineapplewhip]

Loved this! So neat to be able to get a glimpse of Walt's personal life. Thank you!