In his lifetime, he was as recognized as – well, as Mickey Mouse.

With his wild hair, dove-like hands, and faux middle-European accent, Leopold Stokowski was familiar to anyone who went to the movies.

In the latter decades of the 20th century, kids were still emulating Looney Tunes’ cries of “LEOPOLD!,” thanks to television reruns of Bugs Bunny.

Once upon a time, before classical music became marginalized…

I’ll pass on asking the rhetorical question of what the hell happened to my country, and instead channel my energy into projecting happy birthday wishes to the beyond for Leopold Stokowski!

Conducting Tchaikovsky in the film “Carnegie Hall” (1947)

Shaking hands with Mickey Mouse in “Fantasia” (1940)

Parodied in “Long-Haired Hair” (1949)

Introduced by Burns & Allen in “The Big Broadcast of 1937”

Introduced in a snood around the 3:30 mark in “Hollywood Steps Out” (1941)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOFG_qmoH8I&t=0m16s

Charging his fingers at around 1:35 in Walter Lantz’s “Hollywood Bowl” (1938)

https://vimeo.com/126713908?fbclid=IwAR07EsgTjeN70QIfVpM1HoWyJ66k-oc5T4hs2WRPl7XGDp530eLMuWyF8Xk

With Deanna Durbin in “One Hundred Men and a Girl” (1937)