Francis Xavier Atencio | |
|---|---|
 X Atencio at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion in 2008 with Carrie Vines of the Haunted Mansion Collectibles blog | |
| Born | (1919-09-04)September 4, 1919 Walsenburg, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 2017(2017-09-10) (aged 98) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Imagineer, writer, lyricist, animator, voice actor |
| Notable work | Pirates of the Caribbean The Haunted Mansion Country Bear Jamboree |
Francis Xavier Atencio, also known asX Atencio (September 4, 1919 – September 10, 2017)[1][2][3][4] was an American animator andImagineer forThe Walt Disney Company. He is perhaps best known for writing the scripts and song lyrics of the Disney theme park attractionsPirates of the Caribbean,The Haunted Mansion, and theCountry Bear Jamboree.
Atencio was born inWalsenburg, Colorado in 1919. He was a Disney artist from 1938 to 1965, when he became an Imagineer to help design theDisneyland Railroad's Primeval World diorama segment. He then contributed to various Disney attractions. He wrote the scripts forAdventure Thru Inner Space andPirates of the Caribbean. For the latter, he also penned the lyrics of "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" and provided the voices of various characters, including the talking skull that appears before the waterfall that carries riders into the main body of the attraction and the drunken pirate on the bridge who heckles the auctioneer.[5]
He also wrote the script for theHaunted Mansion, and the lyrics of its theme song, "Grim Grinning Ghosts (The Screaming Song)." His voice can also be heard emanating from the coffin in the Mansion'sconservatory scene. In theDisneyland Mansion, it is Atencio who reads the emergency spiel when the ride comes to a halt.[6]
Another briefvoice-over Atencio provided was for theSubmarine Voyage Thru Liquid Space, where he is addressed as "Bridge." He also wrote the lyrics toBuddy Baker's music for the retiredMagic Kingdom attractionIf You Had Wings.
Atencio served as a photo interpreter in theU.S. Army Air Forces from 1941 to 1945 duringWorld War II, reaching the rank of captain in the2nd Photo Tech Squadron. Stationed in England, he was part of a team that analyzed aerial surveillance.[7][8][9][10]
He retired fromThe Walt Disney Company in 1984 and was named aDisney Legend in 1996. He died inLos Angeles, California on September 10, 2017, six days after his 98th birthday. His great-nephew is television and film directorPeter Atencio.[11]
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