Ilene Woods

Jacqueline Ruth Woods (May 5, 1929 – July 1, 2010),[1] better known as Ilene Woods, was an American actress and singer. Woods was the original voice of the title character of the Walt Disney animated feature Cinderella, for which she was named a Disney Legend in 2003.

Ilene Woods
Woods performing for ABC in the 1940s
Born
Jacqueline Ruth Woods

(1929-05-05)May 5, 1929
DiedJuly 1, 2010(2010-07-01) (aged 81)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1940–2008
Spouses
Stephen Steck Jr.
​
​
(m. 1946; div. 1954)​
    ​
    (m. 1963)​
    Children3
    AwardsDisney Legend (2003)

    Early life

    Her mother worked behind the scenes of films, taking Woods with her. As a little girl, Woods dreamed about becoming a schoolteacher, but her mother wanted her to become a singer. By 1944, she gained her own radio program.[2][3] During World War II, she toured with Paul Whiteman and the Army Air Forces Orchestra.[3]

    Career

    In 1948, two of her songwriter friends, Mack David and Jerry Livingston, called Woods to record "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and "So This is Love".[4] Soon, the songs were presented to Walt Disney so that they could be used in the English version of Cinderella. Walt Disney heard the demo recordings, and two days later asked Ilene to voice the star role of Cinderella. She gladly accepted the role, surprised that she had won against more than 300 others who had auditioned. She said in an interview for Classic Film, "Seeing it [the film] in its new form was breathtaking for me. It's so beautiful. The color is magnificent, it just took my breath away, it was so wonderful. I sort of forget when I'm watching the movie that I had anything to do with it. Yet, it brings back so many beautiful memories of working with the wonderful artists and working with Walt mostly. It brings back wonderful, wonderful memories."[4] To promote Cinderella, Woods voiced Snow White in the 1949 Disney audiobook release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.[5] Woods sang for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at his home in Hyde Park. She also sang at the White House for President Truman, after singing for soldiers and sailors.[1] Woods retired from show business in 1972, but she continued to appear at occasional autograph shows.

    Personal life

    She married the first time at the age of 17 to Stephen Steck, Jr. and had a daughter, Stephanie.[6] After a divorce, she married The Tonight Show drummer Ed Shaughnessy in 1963. Woods and Shaughnessy had two sons, James and Daniel.[1][6]

    Later years

    When Disney began releasing video cassette versions of its animated films, Woods was one of at least three actresses to file lawsuits over royalties for their performances; at the time of Woods' December 1990 filing, Peggy Lee of Lady and the Tramp (1955) had won her lawsuit the previous April and a 1989 suit by Mary Costa of Sleeping Beauty (1959) was still pending.[7] Voice actress Jennifer Hale replaced Woods as the voice of Cinderella in the 2002 film Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. In 2003, Woods was awarded a Disney Legend award for her voice work on Cinderella. In an interview with Starlog in 2006 Woods said, "I love the idea that after I’m gone, children will still be hearing my voice [as Cinderella]."[8]

    Illness and death

    Woods died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at a care facility in Canoga Park, Los Angeles on July 1, 2010, at the age of 81.[3] No service was held; Woods was cremated.[9]

    Discography
    • Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Snow White (1949, RCA/Camden)
    • It's Late (1957, Jubilee Records JGM 1046, LP, mono)

    Filmography

    Television
    Year Title Role Notes
    1951The Alan Young ShowSinging NeighborUncredited
    1980Spring & FallSocialiteEpisode: "Out of Line"

    Television shows
    Year Title Role Notes
    1950We, the PeopleHerselfEpisode: "Gene Stanlee, Ilene Woods"
    1951The Garry Moore ShowHerself19 episodes
    1956Of All ThingsHerselfRegular Performer

    Film
    Year Title Role Notes
    1945On Stage EverybodyTalent Show Winner No. 3
    1950CinderellaCinderellaVoice

    Radio
    Year Title Role Notes
    1944The Philco Hall of FameSingerRegular member
    1944The Ilene Woods ShowHerself / Host

    Awards and recognition
    YearAwardCategoryResultNominated workRef.
    2003Disney LegendsMusic—VoiceWonCinderella[10]

    References
    1. "Disney Legends – Ilene Woods". D23.com. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
    2. "Ilene Woods, voice of Disney's Cinderella, dead at 81". CNN.com. July 2, 2010. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
    3. McLellan, Dennis (July 3, 2010). "Ilene Woods dies at 81; voice of Disney's Cinderella". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
    4. "Ilene Woods, the Voice of Cinderella, Passes Away at 81". Disneyorama.com. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
    5. 45 Discography for RCA Records – 47-0000 series Global Dog Productions, Retrieved June 21, 2017
    6. Sibley, Brian (July 19, 2010). "Ilene Woods obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
    7. Los Angeles Times News Service. "'Cinderella' files lawsuit against Disney," The New Mexican (Santa Fe, New Mexico), December 28, 1990, page A-3.
    8. Weaver, Tom (March 2006). "The Cinderella Waltz/Cinderella Story". Starlog (343): 18–21. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
    9. Wilson, Scott (September 16, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved August 18, 2017 – via Google Books.
    10. "Ilene Woods". D23. Disney. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.