Hollywood survivors do not stay bitter for long if they want to stay employed. Wickes maintained an exceptionally professional relationship with the Walt Disney Studio throughout the next three decades, becoming one of its most reliable fixtures in both live-action and animated fare.
She had already appeared as Hank McCutcheon in Walt Disney Presents: Annette in 1958. Later, Disney cast her in projects like The Castaway Cowboy (1974). Decades later, Disney animation directors came calling when they needed a performer with unimpeachable comedic timing. Wickes was cast as the raspy, dry-witted gargoyle Laverne in the 1996 animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was her final film performance; she passed away during production in October 1995 at age 85, with Jane Withers stepping in to complete her remaining dialogue lines.
Even though she missed out on the marquee credit in 1964, the Disney studio system ultimately recognized her singular worth. She could not be replaced because nobody else had her physical posture, deadpan rhythm, or indomitable presence.
