Jimmie Dodd grew up in Cincinnati where he was an outstanding amateur tennis player, even reaching the Round of 16 twice at his hometown tournament, now known as the Cincinnati Masters.
13 Facts About Jimmie Dodd
2.
Jimmie Dodd moved from Cincinnati to Florida, where he worked in radio before moving to California to become a songwriter.
3.
Jimmie Dodd had some early film roles in The Three Mesquiteers series of westerns.
4.
Jimmie Dodd appeared in many theatrical films in the 1940s and 1950s, often uncredited.
5.
Jimmie Dodd appeared with John Wayne in the war films Flying Tigers, Janie, in which he sings a bit of Keep Your Powder Dry with star Joyce Reynolds, and with Harry Carey in China's Little Devils, another film involving the Flying Tigers.
6.
Jimmie Dodd played the taxi driver in the MGM film Easter Parade, starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland.
7.
Jimmie Dodd had a small, but important part in the Mickey Rooney hit Quicksand.
8.
Jimmie Dodd came to the attention of Walt Disney after submitting a song for the show.
9.
Jimmie Dodd always wore "Mouseke-ears", played his "Mouse-guitar", and sang self-composed songs.
10.
Jimmie Dodd wrote some themes for Zorro and performed songs in several of his movies.
11.
Jimmie Dodd wrote "Lonely Guitar," a Billboard Top 50 charted hit for fellow Mouseketeer Annette Funicello in 1959.
12.
Jimmie Dodd died of cancer at age 54 on November 10,1964, in Honolulu.
13.
Jimmie Dodd is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.