Los
Angeles
(Reuters):
Squealing
fans
lined
up
ten
deep
on
Hollywood's
Walk
of
Fame,
a
few
hurling
themselves
through
a
phalanx
of
minders
to
get
close
to
their
idol
--
who
wore
only
a
red
T-shirt
over
his
yellow
fur.
''Nobody
went
this
crazy
over
Britney
Spears,''
a
photographer
marveled
yesterday,
as
he
and
others
snapped
off
shot
after
shot
of
the
star.
''Winnie
--
to
your
right!''
another
yelled.
The
scene
was
the
unveiling
of
the
Hollywood
Walk
of
Fame
star
for
Winnie
the
Pooh,
who
is
marking
the
80th
anniversary
of
the
publication
of
his
story
in
the
London
Evening
News
with
an
18-month-long
celebration
hosted
by
the
Walt
Disney
Co
.Pooh
is
among
about
a
dozen
animated
stars,
including
Mickey
Mouse,
Donald
Duck
and
Snow
White,
to
merit
a
star
on
the
famous
sidewalk,
where
it
joins
nearby
markers
for
Tim
Allen,
Rod
Serling
and
Jane
Russell.
''They're
an
important
part
of
the
industry
now,''
Hollywood's
Honorary
Mayor
Johnny
Grant
said
of
cartoon
characters
like
Pooh.
''Some
of
the
movies
(the
studios)
are
putting
out
don't
do
so
well,
but
animated
characters
are
doing
great
business.''
As
a
brass
band
played
the
''Winnie
the
Pooh''
theme
song
and
confetti
fluttered
down
around
Pooh
and
his
pint-sized
fans,
Disney
Chief
Executive
Bob
Iger
assured
the
shy
pot-bellied
star
that
''you
really
are
worth
all
the
bother.''
Pooh
generated
6
billion
dollars
in
retail
sales
for
Disney
in
2005
--
topped
only
by
Mickey
Mouse.
Longtime
pals
and
castmates
Rabbit,
Eeyore
and
Tigger
flew
in
from
the
Hundred
Acre
Wood
to
attend
the
star
ceremony
and
a
screening
of
the
1997
video
''Pooh's
Grand
Adventure:
The
Search
for
Christopher
Robin,''
was
held
at
the
nearby
El
Capitan
Theater.
A
digitally
remastered
DVD
of
that
video
was
also
released
yesterday.
But
there
were
a
couple
of
no-shows
--
Piglet
and
Christopher
Robin.
Presumably
they
had
''other
commitments.