Richard M. Sherman, the late songwriter who with his brother Robert B. Sherman wrote classic songs for dozens of Disney musicals and animated films, penned the final line for “It’s a Small World” before he died at age 95 in May.
On Wednesday, November 27th, The Walt Disney Company unveiled a brand new short film titled The last verse and announced that Richard shared the new verse with Disney CEO Bob Iger in 2023, writing that it was “his final gift to the studio he valued so deeply.”
The last verse of the song was commemorated in a recently released ABC News short film and documentary event on November 27th in honor of the 60th anniversary of 1964. Mary Poppinsfor which Richard and Robert won Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
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Richard Sherman and his brother Robert Sherman.
The Walt Disney Company
The last verse contains archival footage of the late Walt Disney himself talking about the contributions of the Sherman brothers, as well as other footage of children, punk bands, astronauts, characters from The lion king and people all over the world and throughout the years have sung “It’s a Small World.”
The video then shows footage of Richard’s office, including photos of him with Mickey and Minnie Mouse and his piano before sitting down to a notebook with new lyrics he’s written: “Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind / and the love we give makes us the human species / Through our vast wonderland / when we stand hand in hand / it’s still a small world.”
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“As legendary creators of some of the most revered music of the last century, the Sherman brothers will be remembered for their profound impact on our global culture,” Iger, 73, said in a statement. “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the last line of ‘It’s a Small World’ before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever. This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immeasurable musical contributions, their memory and the countless memories they helped create for generations of people around the world.”
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Richard Sherman pictured with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as seen in the Disney short The Last Verse.
The Walt Disney Company
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“It’s a Small World,” of course, was written as an accompaniment to the rides on the theme park attraction of the same name found in Disney theme parks around the world. According to a 2014 TIME article, the song is “quite possibly the most listened to song in music history.”
Richard died on May 25; Disney announced at the time that he died “of an age-related illness” at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California. His brother Robert died at the age of 86 in 2012. Richard is survived by his wife Elizabeth, to whom he was married for 66 years, as well as his son Gregory and daughters Victoria Wolf and Lynda Rothstein.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education