Buddy Ebsen's Theme Park Connection

Actor Buddy Ebsen just passed away at the age of 95. Although he was best known as the patriarch in the silly Beverly Hillbillies TV show, he was also an accomplished dancer. In fact, when Walt Disney and his Imagineers were developing what is now known as Audio Animatronics, they hired Ebsen to perform a soft shoe routine on camera. By having him dance in front of a backdrop of grid marks, the Disney team was able to study Ebsen's movements and interpret them for a small dancing robotic character they created as a prototype. Ebsen, then, had a small part in the technology that has made attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean possible.