Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore Sterling Holloway elected not to continue the role of Pooh and Sebastian Cabot, the original narrator, died shortly after the release of the feature film "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh". The deaths of Junius Matthews in 1978 and Barbara Luddy in 1979 also necessitated changes in Rabbit's and Kanga's portrayers; Will Ryan began a three-year stint as Rabbit's voice in this featurette while Julie McWhirter portrayed Kanga only once. Additionally, Laurie Main, Hal Smith, Will Ryan, and Kim Christianson later appear in the live-action series "Welcome to Pooh Corner" as the Narrator, Winnie the Pooh, Owl, Rabbit, and
Winnie the Pooh (Disney character) Pooh" (1977). Hal Smith (1980–1987) took over for the 1981 short "Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons", and would maintain the role until Jim Cummings (1988–present) began voicing Pooh in the animated series "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1988–1991). Cummings continues to voice Pooh (as well as Tigger) to this day. In 1961, Walt Disney Productions licensed certain film and other rights to the characters, stories and trademarks from Stephen Slesinger, Inc. and the estate of A. A. Milne. and made a series of cartoon films about him. The early cartoons were based on several of the original