Harry Potter was totally off my radar until the first film hit theaters. Even then I wasn't particularly interested until in the midst of the promotion of the films the Today Show featured a reading of the tale by Jim Dale. I tuned in. Not because of Harry Potter or the developing phenomenon but because I was interested to see what Jim Dale would look like after all these years.
As a Disney fan I loved Jim Dale. He portrayed the wily Doc Terminus who wanted to capture Pete's dragon friend Elliott in hopes of turning him into various healing potions. In Disney's Hot Lead and Cold Feet he played several roles including Eli Bloodshy — a peace loving, preacher and his longlost gunslinging twin Wild Billy Bloodshy — who must compete over their inheritance and in The Unidentified Flying Oddball he played another comedic villain, Sir Mordred. I enjoyed these films as a youngster with my family and was particularly fond of Dale's way of being villainous but in that slight wacky, twisting the mustache style — evil with a certain something in his eye that indicates a possibility of redemption.
So over 10 years later I was interested to see him again. As he read the story of the young wizard, I was so taken in by his performance of the characters, presented live on that broadcast. His natural flow between the voices and his timing brought the words to life. His voice was like a warm blanket. I suspect that since I listened to my Pete's Dragon record over and over absolutely loving Passamaquoddy, his voice connected with me in a nostalgic way. In his reading of JK Rowlings' books, Jim Dale is now credited with a Guiness World Record for the number of character voices he created in the performance. I haven't read Rowlings' books but have listened to them. I spent most of this past weekend laughing, crying, sighing and gasping during the 20 plus hours it took to hear volume 7. I was saddened by the realization that this particular journey was over. But then this evening, I learned Jim Dale will narrate ABC's Pushing Daisies which premieres this Fall. I must admit that this has increased my interest in this unusual tv project. Too bad DCA doesn't host ABC Primetime Weekend's anymore I'd have been there with pen in hand to meet him. What a crowd that would've generated!
So now you know how this Disney fan found Harry Potter.