Femme Fatales

Toon Talk Special: The 101 Greatest Disney Voice Artists - Part 2 of 2 Page 5 of 9

Femme Fatales They're not bad, they're just drawn that way ...

Kathleen Turner Turner.JPG (11264 bytes) Kathleen Turner from Beautiful - (c) Destination Films

"Her voice reminded me of Alaska, it was that husky ... "

That line from a forgotten bit of film noir fits Turner to a "T". As the most anatomically, ah, gifted cartoon character to ever appear in a Disney film, Turner's uncredited vocals as Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit caused everyone in the audience, both on- and off-screen, to sit up and take notice. Turner was back as J. Ra (she had back way before Jennifer "J. Lo" Lopez made the scene), this time credited, for the three subsequent Roger Rabbit shorts, Tummy Trouble, Roller Coaster Rabbit and Trail Mix-Up. Bette Midler The Divine Miss M has been called the euphemism for a female dog before, so she finally played one as Georgette, the spoiled poodle in Oliver & Company. Her show-stopper "Perfect Isn't Easy" is the over-the-top highlight of the film. Midler has also appeared in several Disney live action hits, including Down & Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Outrageous Fortune and Big Business. Peggy Lee Another multi-tasker, Lee not only co-wrote the songs for Lady & the Tramp, but also sang most of them, most notably as Peg, the former dog and pony show star who belts out a mean "He's a Tramp".

She was also heard as both Si and Am in "The Siamese Cat Song" and as Darling, Lady's owner, in the lullaby "La-La-Lu".

Susan Sarandon The other bugs along on the journey with James & the Giant Peach had to watch their backs when it came to Sarandon's Miss Spider. Her delectably shady Russian black widow could have just as easily ate her co-travelers as she did that peach ...

Sarandon may appear in the upcoming live-action/animated Disney feature Enchanted. Susan Egan Egan.jpg (12073 bytes) The author and Susan Egan at Epcot, Summer 1998

Talk about your ladies with a questionable past. Egan's delightful turn as Megara ("My friends call me Meg.") in Hercules saw her allied with the Dark Lord himself, Hades, while pining away for her "wonder boy" Herc. This dichotomy was showcased in her wonderful do-wop number, "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)".

Egan, who was nominated for a Tony Award for creating the role of Belle in Broadway's Beauty & the Beast, also provided the singing voice for Angel in Lady & the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure.