The Ultimate Walt Disney Company Performances Bracket -- Round One, Day Eighteen

Man, this is really livin'.

It’s so nice when I can find a photo at the top of the newsletter featuring two different actors from the same film, when both of those actors (in said film) are up for two different votes today! I love it when a plan comes together.

And I love it when you vote in and share these polls, so let’s dive right in!

(8) Charles Grodin, The Great Muppet Caper vs. (57) Pinto Colvig, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: I’m not going to ever join the “Muppet Caper over Muppet Movie” fan club. (I know, I’m history’s greatest monster.) And yet, I will not deny that Charles Grodin is exceedingly funny as a sly jewel thief who falls for the pig who sets everyone’s heart aflame. Pinto Colvig did a lot of foundational voice work for Disney, both in the original Snow White and elsewhere, but we all know it’s Grodin.

(25) Emilio Estevez, The Mighty Ducks vs. (40) Steve Martin, Father of the Bride: Two leading performances from two beloved early-90s comedies. I will go with Steve Martin here, even though I think that Father of the Bride is far from his best film (and I do think Emilio Estevez gets a slightly more interesting character arc in the first Mighty Ducks than in the sequels). Why Martin? Well, the hot-dog-bun rant alone is enough, even if that too feels a bit leftover from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

(9) Phil Harris, The Jungle Book vs. (56) Martin Short, Father of the Bride: On one hand, I am partial to the idea that we can eventually have a face-off between Steve Martin and Martin Short. (If the matchups here lead to certain results, which lead to certain results, it could happen.) On the other hand, Phil Harris’ work in The Jungle Book as Baloo is pretty unimpeachable. I know it’s cruel to bid adieu to Franck so soon, but I gotta go with Harris here.

(24) Madonna, Evita vs. (41) Dean Jones, The Love Bug: Here’s a fun fact you may have forgotten — Dean Jones was the original Robert (Bobby! Robbo! Robby!) in Stephen Sondheim’s incredible musical Company. You can watch him belting out the excellent “Being Alive” right here. It was a couple years after The Love Bug! Dean Jones! Family-friendly Dean Jones in a Stephen Sondheim musical about identity and sex and modern relationships. It’s wild.

Anyway, as much as Jones absolutely typifies a certain type of Disney leading man, I gotta go with Madonna here in Evita, much to the delight of my old friend and podcast co-host Gabe. (I know you’re reading this, Gabe.) I can tell you with certainty that should Madonna move onto the next round, I won’t vote for her over either of the men in the matchup directly above this one. But for now, her voice is enough to trump Jones. He shoulda sung to Herbie.