#18 - Angela Lansbury
Best Song: Beauty and the Beast
OK, this and the one that come after it are two oddball choices. I admit that Angela Lansbury has probably never been young enough to be considered a princess, but her two major Disney roles always carry a special place in my heart, and it's BECAUSE of her lovely voice. For that reason, I place her on the list.
Of course, I'm talking about Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast, but also Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. In both films, in my opinion, she's practically the best thing about them, and even in the latter, where she is clearly not animated, it's her voice that does all the work. Those of you who have never heard the magical "Age of Not Believing" ought to give it a listen right now: . It's a beautiful song, sung beautifully by Ms. Lansbury. I've got nothing but positive things to say about her.
Why, then, is she only at #18? Well, for one thing, putting her on the list in the first place is kind of cheating, particularly when I'm not crediting her for any one specific role. But the main reason is that...well, she's always Angela Lansbury. She's handicapped by the same thing that makes her wonderful: you can't hear that voice and NOT think "Angela Lansbury". She never disappears into Mrs. Potts, it's always her rather than the character singing "Beauty and the Beast". Although I wouldn't have it any other way.
This is a difficult one to explain because it's such an oddball choice, but I felt the need to include her and so I did. She, specifically, will always have an honorary place as a Disney princess in my heart. /sappy