Publicity photo taken in 1924. x
Virginia Davis McGhee / December 31, 1918- August 15, 2009
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VIRGINIA DAVIS BECAME THE FIRST DISNEY STAR AT THE AGE OF 4, she recently passed away at the age of 90. Blond and curly haired, she beat out Mickey Mouse, often thought to be Disney's first star. The adorable Virginia was the star of a series of silent films titled ,"Alice in Cartoonland", which featured her interacting with cartoon characters.
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The young Disney, in the early 1920's, was facing bankruptcy. He received backing for the Alice series only if he would allow Virginia to play Alice. Mickey didn't show up till 1928.
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Walt Disney first spotted the tot at the age of 4 in an ad, eating a slice of bread and jelly, smiling and licking her lips, (a filmed commercial, way back then!). She then became the first person to appear with animated characters.
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The series were generally shot in a vacant lot. Virginia was asked to perform in front of a white cloth, strung up in the lot. Disney directed her to look sad, happy, or scared. Animated characters were added later. There were no rehearsals, and they filmed without a permit, left quickly if the police were spotted. Passers-by and neighborhood children usually became part of the movie.
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In an interview in 2006, Ms. Davis/ McGhee recalled Disney's favorite instruction: "Let's pretend".
