Barbara Perry Babbitt.

Barbara Perry is known in the world of show biz as a star of Broadway and the West End, where she appeared opposite such legends as Eddie Foy Jr. and England's George Formby. She has also graced stages throughout the world as an actress, dancer and singer. On television she has co-starred with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Danny Thomas and other luminaries. But Ms. Perry also has, as Mrs. Art Babbitt, a long involvement with the corner of show biz called animation.

I talked with Barbara on a patio outside a bookstore in Beverly Hills.

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William Z. Ryan: Did you notice how we both gravitated to the same section in the bookstore?

Barbara Perry Babbitt: Well, I always look for new books on animation to see if Bones gets his proper credit.

WZR: "Bones," of course, being the name Bill Tytla gave your late husband, the great animator Art Babbitt. Any luck on the shelves?

BPB: Disney's has three new books out and he's mentioned in two of them. Quoted in one.

WZR: What was the quote?

BPB: It's something they say he told a reporter once. Actually it was first said in response to a telephone call from [artist] Paul Julian's daughter, who was teaching animation in Berkeley at the time. Her students were very impressed with Fantasia. Times being what they were -- the early Seventies -- her students wanted her to ask Bones if he was on drugs when he worked on Fantasia.

WZR: And of course Art's famous response was -- ?

BPB: "Yes! I was on drugs: Pepto-Bismol and Ex-Lax!"

WZR: Yet despite that revelation, Art managed to marry three beautiful and talented women over the course of his life. Did you find him to be particularly fascinated by Terpsichore?

BPB: Yes, he loved dance. That's why two of his wives, Marge and myself, were dancers.

WZR: Of course you're both still dancing. I seem to recall you stopping the show a year or so ago at the International Tap Dance Festival in Vienna.

BPB: Yes. Then I came home and did a pratfall while tap dancing in Keds. I ended up on crutches for months.

WZR: And I was honored to be present at one of those performances. I won't say which.

BPB: That's awfully discreet of you.

WZR: Discretion is my middle name. But I spell it with a zed.

BPB: This might be a boring interview if you're too discreet.