Toon Talk Special: Disney's 50 Most Wanted Villains - Part 2 - Oct 31, 2005

Toon Talk Special: Disney's 50 Most Wanted Villains - Part 2
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by Kirby Holt (archives)
October 31, 2005
Kirby looks at Disney's Poor Unfortunate Souls - the best Disney villains of all time. (Part 2 of 2)
 
A Toon Talk Special:
POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS:
DISNEY’S 50 MOST WANTED VILLAINS

Part 2 of 2

Happy Halloween and welcome back to the second half of our countdown of the top tricksters-and-treaters. (Click here for Part 1.)

VANITY

Foolish pride and the vane quest for perfection can easily escalate to megalomania. Got an itch to conquer the world? Apply here.

THE QUEEN and THE WITCH

Film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Voice Actor: Lucille La Verne
Animators: Art Babbitt (Queen) and Norman Ferguson (Witch)
DVD: Available

She doesn’t have a name, but if she did, it would fittingly complete the phrase “Vanity, thy name is …�? Obsessed with her own beauty (and threatened by Snow White’s), she destroys it via a dark spell that transforms her into a haggard crone with a special gift for the fair maiden in the form of a luscious red apple.

Partners in Crime: The Slave in the Magic Mirror, the Huntsman.
Quote: Queen: “Magic Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?�?
Witch: “Now, make a wish and take a bite.�?
Final Verdict: Chased by the dwarfs to the top of a high peak, lightning strikes and the Witch falls to her doom.

THE TREMAINE FAMILY

Film: Cinderella (1950)
Voice Actors: Eleanor Audley as Lady Tremaine, Lucille Bliss as Anastasia, Rhoda Williams as Drizella and June Foray as Lucifer
Animators: Frank Thomas (Lady Tremaine), Ollie Johnston (the Stepsisters) and Ward Kimball (Lucifer)
DVD: Now available

Lady Tremaine, the mother of all stepmothers, coddles and spoils her two homely daughters Anastasia and Drizella (not to mention that brat of a cat Lucifer) at the expense of stepdaughter Cinderella, who she has brow-beaten into submission as their scullery maid. What more proof could there be of her inherent wickedness?

Quote: Lady Tremaine, regarding Cinderella: “Oh. Pay no attention to her.�?
Drizella: (scoffing at the thought of Cinderella attending the ball): “Hah! Her, dancing with the Prince!�?
Anastasia: “I’d be honored Your Highness. Would you mind holding my broom?�? (both sisters laugh viciously).
Final Verdict: Although Lucifer apparently falls to his doom out the tower window, the fate of the Tremaine trio is left unsaid in the film. That may have been for the best; in the original story, they had their eyes pecked out by angry birds.

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS

Film: Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Voice Actor: Verna Felton
Animator: Frank Thomas
DVD: Available

This loudmouth is practically bursting with rage, and pity any underling who crosses her. It is ironic that she’s the queen of hearts, as she doesn’t seem to posses much of one of her own; witness the revelry in her eyes when she whacks that poor hedgehog in the bizarre croquet game - or has some unfortunate whacked for the most miniscule of offenses.

Partners in Crime: The King of Hearts, a whole deck of card soldiers.
Quote: “Off with their heads!�?
Final Verdict: She, along with all of Wonderland it seems, chases that foolish Alice out of their dreamlike realm.

CAPTAIN NEMO

Film: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Actor: James Mason
DVD: Available

The infamous captain of the Nautilus yearns to crate his own undersea utopia, and he’s not above a little terrorism to make his plans succeed. All that time underwater has driven Nemo a little mad - mad at the world, that is. He plans to unleash his discoveries (such as a little thing called atomic power) upon all of mankind, his idea of payment for all of its injustices.

Partners in Crime: The crew of the Nautilus.
Quote: “What you fail to understand is the power of hate. It can fill the heart as surely as love can.�?
Final Verdict: Wounded, Nemo blows up his island fortress of Vulcania and orders the Nautilus to the ocean floor one last time.

MALEFICENT

Film: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Voice Actor: Eleanor Audley
Animator: Marc Davis
DVD: Available

Just think - it all could have been avoided if she had just been invited to the ceremony. But the devilishly delightful Maleficent is too proud to let this royal snub go by without due recourse, which she provides courtesy of a cursed spinning wheel. And if that doesn’t work, well, she can always turn herself into a dragon …

Partners in Crime: Diablo, a mess of goons.
Quote: “Now shall you deal with me, o Prince - and all the powers of hell!�?
Final Verdict: Prince Phillip, who can’t do anything without those three meddling fairies, hurtles an enchanted sword into the breast of Maleficent-as-dragon. All that remains of the grand sorceress is a black stain on the ground.
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