“Who’s the leader of the club
That’s made for you and me?”

It turns out Mickey Mouse was the vaunted leader of the club that held kids rooted in front of the TV during the late 1950s. The daily variety show featured songs, dancing, impressive guest stars, cartoons, newsreels, comedy skits, and a group of talented teenagers who performed their little hearts out—the Mouseketeers.

All the Mouseketeers had charm and a certain non-threatening bubbly allure but none more so than Annette Funicello, a cute 12-year old hand-picked by Walt Disney for The Mickey Mouse Club. Annette could sing, dance and act and grew up on TV right before America’s eyes. She was easily the most popular Mouseketeer, receiving thousands of letters from fans every week. Before long, she had her own serial on the show and then graduated to a successful film and music career.

The serials were very popular with the kids at home and included the Hardy Boys with Disney heartthrob Tommy Kirk, Spin and Marty, and Adventures in Dairyland. The serials and other segments of the show reflected the day’s theme, such as Fun with Music, Circus or Talent Round Up.

ABC network canceled the show prematurely after financial disputes with Disney but The Mickey Mouse Club had already won a place in the hearts of the first TV generation. There were revivals of the show in the 70s and 90s, the latter one introducing several young stars that would go on to become big names in the entertainment world.