MICKEY MOUSE CLUB 1956 MOUSEKETEER EILEEN COSTUME PIECE

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MICKEY MOUSE CLUB 1956 MOUSEKETEER EILEEN COSTUME PIECE

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Sold Date: 01/01/2008
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Toys, Dolls, Games & Puzzles

Authentic, vintage 1956 apron/costume piece for Mouseketeer Eileen Diamond. Eileen appeared on the MMC for only the second season so memorabilia for her is hard to come by. The piece is in excellent condition with bright colors and no tears, holes, rips or repairs with Eileen's name tag sewn on reverse. Measures 31" across at hem and 16" across at top. 17 inches long with 31 inch ties.

This and other vintage Hollywood items that I am offering this week on eBay are from the personal collection of a friend of mine who used to work in the wardrobe department of various Hollywood Studios in the 1950's thru the '70's. Most of the items were part of the estate of her former boss from one of the studios that were willed to her when he died in 1981.

The Impresario

A second season replacement Mouseketeer, Eileen was a specialist in ballet and modern dance. After her one season with the show she left television for film and the stage, and has since taken on the roles of dancer, writer, choreographer, casting director, and producer for regional theater.

Background

Surprisingly little is available on Eileen's background. Disney press releases simply mention her skills in dancing ballet and modern, and add that she took lessons at the studio owned by Doreen Tracey's father. She also had taken lessons in piano. In later years she confided that she first appeared on television as a model for children's clothes, then danced with a ballet company in Hollywood and on television with Eleanor Powell.

Performance

The second season replacements auditioned in the Spring of 1956, were generally signed by April 1956, and had completed all filming by the end of September of the same year. This time frame allowed the producers to center their use in the summer months, when they weren't required to attend studio school. Like Judy Harriet and Doreen, Eileen was of Jewish heritage, and likely was initially a little apprehensive about working at the Disney Studio. Her dance specialty, ballet, wasn't used much in second season production numbers, and one of the few skits w it was ( Basketball vs Ballet ), Eileen was stuck in the background, tinkling the keys of a piano.

As with all second season Mouseketeers, Eileen's performances on the club are unavailable for viewing on video or DVD, and were also under-represented among the syndicated shows. She was a very good dancer, as were most of the second season kids, the producers desiring to avoid the problems with non-dancers that occurred in the first season. The show's new choreographer, Tom Mahoney , devised a more demanding repertoire that emphasized couples. Eileen fit right into this scheme, and was generally paired with one of the better male dancers, such as Lonnie Burr or Larry Larsen .

Aftermath

After leaving the show Eileen attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. She had a small uncredited part in the film Babes in Toyland (1961), then after graduating from high school, had another uncredited role in The Music Man (1962). She then spent a season with the New York City Ballet under George Balachine, before returning to film with a dance role in Harum Scarum (1965). She later danced and acted in stage productions in the Southern California area, at one of which she met conducter-composer Roy M. Rogosin. They have been married for over forty years, and have two adult children.
Eileen took part in Mouseketeer reunion activities in both 1975 and 1980, but in 1985 she and Roy decided they needed a change of venue from Southern California. They relocated their family to New England, w a year later they founded the Seacoast Repertory Theater in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Roy served as artistic director and producer, while Eileen was associate producer and casting director. Eileen also gave dancing lessons to local students and did choreography for local stage productions.
Beginning in 1999, the Rogosins split their time between Seacoast Repertory Theater and the Ogunquit Playhouse, w Roy again served as producing artistic ...