This just in from Jim Korkis:

[My newest book was just released today at Amazon. Who's The Leader of the Club?  Walt Disney's Leadership Lessons.  The print edition is available now and the Kindle edition will be paired with the print edition in a few days.  That's just Amazon's way.

 

My new book is different than any other book I have written.  It is a workbook on Walt Disney's approach to leadership.   There is a Walt quote (sometimes several) and a Walt story on every single page so it should satisfy the casual Disney fan.   However, you can tell this was written for a different demographic...the coach of a Little League team, the head of a P.T.A., the owner of a small business, the person in charge at a hospital, etc...with useful information.  I have purposely avoided technical jargon whenever possible so it is accessible to all.

  

Here's the Table of Contents

 

SECTION ONE:  DISNEY AND LEADERSHIP

Who Was Walt Disney?

What Type of Leader was Walt?

Leaders and Managers:  Walt and Roy

Roy O. Disney and Manager Skills

Walt Disney and Leadership Skills

 

SECTION TWO:  LEADERSHIP LESSONS

Lesson One:  Know The Story

Lesson Two:  Share The Story

Lesson Three:  Take a (Calculated) Risk

Lesson Four:  Make ‘Em Laugh

Lesson Five:  Eager To Learn

Lesson Six:  Understand People

Lesson Seven:  Live The Story (Integrity)

 

SECTION THREE: ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE

Walt’s Bad Leadership Traits

Walt’s Advice to Leaders

Create Leaders

Letting People Go

Walt and Money

Do You Know Your Story?

Remembering Walt’s Leadership  (Quotes from those who worked for Walt)

Final Words from Walt  (Quotes from Walt not previously used in the book)

Recommended Reading

Quotation Sources (which runs ten pages of teeny type so I had no room for a planned index)

 

Each of the lesson chapters ends with a one page checklist called “What Would Walt Do?” summarizing the key points in the lesson and a space to write notes.

 

This was one of the hardest books I have ever written but it is also one that I am proudest to say I have written.

 

Here are some comments from business oriented folks who also happen to be Disney fans. 

Mark David Jones, President of Small World Alliance, Inc. and co-author of Lead With Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand into World-Class Excellence.   www.SmallWorldAlliance.com

"As a former Disney leader whose career there spanned 26 years, I am very fortunate to have worked with Jim Korkis.  His unrivaled knowledge of Disney history was a consistent highlight of our projects with Fortune 500 companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers.  Jim’s transformational insights of Disney history and leadership are brilliantly captured within the pages of this intriguing book.  I’m buying copies for everyone on my team.  And if you want to optimize your leadership potential, I highly recommend you doing the same."

Henry Hardt, Professor of Business Law and Professor of Finance,

Harold Walter Siebens School of Business, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa

“Jim weaves an entertaining story of Walt’s leadership principles into seven lessons. Although each lesson merits the attention of any serious business or organizational leader, I would highlight Lesson Seven, ‘Live the Story’.  In this lesson, Jim reaches deep into his seemingly never-ending bag of Disney information to set forth Walt’s approach to ethics and integrity.

 

“Until you have the great pleasure to hear Jim speak in person (Jim’s passion about Disney and his oratorical skills spellbind all audiences including our students at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa as well as business and organizational leaders.), I am confident the readers of Jim’s book will likewise be entertained by the story narrative that only Jim can tell. At the same time, they will be able to immediately apply Walt’s ‘best practices’ to their businesses or organizations to help achieve their goals—with integrity.”

 

Lou J. Repassy,  Former Senior Sales Manager, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts

"Our department called on the services of Jim Korkis for specialized client seminars.  With his vast knowledge of Disney heritage and tradition, Jim was always able to effectively include those elements to complement the business needs of the programs.  In the pages of this book are the same passion, insight and good humor that made Jim a very valuable internal business partner."

 

Kaye Bundey, Disney Institute Manager of Disney Adult Discoveries programs and Convention Workshops

“Jim's knowledge and insight of Walt and all things Disney enhanced and enriched all our offerings at the Disney Institute including introducing elements of Disney history into the business programs.  This book captures Jim's skill on how to make something both entertaining and informative and should be on your bookshelf.”

 

David Zanolla, Senior Associate Faculty, Western Illinois University

“Jim Korkis' expertise in the field of Disney studies is beyond compare and I am thrilled that he continues to share his knowledge in books like Who’s the Leader of the Club?  My students thoroughly enjoyed their time with him and it greatly enhanced their understanding of both Walt himself and the Disney Company.”

 

William Dixon, Adjunct Professor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management 

"Over the years that Jim Korkis lectured to my classes at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, he was always an engaging and informative speaker.  He understood not only Disney history but the Disney business.  My students always rated his presentations as one of the highpoints of the class." I hope that this book will prove to be an informative workbook of Walt’s leadership philosophy as well as an entertaining glimpse into a different perspective of his life.  

I hope that Walt’s words and actions will inspire a new generation just as he inspired so many others in the past.   I hope you will consider adding this new, but very different, Disney book to your collection and letting others know that it exists.]

Great piece of art by Fred Spencer being sold at the moment on Animation Art Gallery (Thanks to Dan Cunningham for the heads up).

Great photo of Walt sold recently on ebay.

If I had to make a list of the Disney historians I look up to, John Canemaker would be at the very top of the list, along with just a handful of others.

I never thought he could top books like Before the Animation Begins or Paper Dreams, but I was wrong: The Lost Notebook: Herman Schultheis & the Secrets of Walt Disney's Movie Magic is John's best book to date, a true masterpiece. The text, as always, is meticulously researched and written with absolute clarity and depth. But what stunned me is that in the first half of the book, about 80% of the illustrations used (and probably even more) have never been seen before. The book is very heavily illustrated and the second half showcases what I believe is the complete notebook.

The key message is a very simple one: If you only buy one Disney history book this year, this is the one you should get!

The blog will be updated again around May 26.

This just in from Gunnar Andreassen:

[Here's another magazine cover with WD - this time a Swedish one from 1953, Teknikens Värld (The World of Technics).]

 

This just in, from Garry Apgar.

Great article unearthed by Joe Campana recently. The last paragraph is of special interest. 

This extremely rare magazine from September 1935 was sold on ebay this weekend. It was way too expensive for me, unfortunately. If you are a reader of this blog and picked it up, could you please email me at: didier.ghez@gmail.com?

I just heard from my co-author Alain Littaye who mentions that he has a few copies of the book Disneyland Paris - From Sketch To Reality for sale during the month of May at the special price of 60 Euros + 15 Euros postage.

You can pay via Paypal and you can contact Alain at neverlandeditions@gmail.com

For more info about the book, check: http://neverlandeditions.blogspot.com/

It is a real pleasure to announce the release of the long-awaited Walt's People - Volume 14! This is an extremely strong volume. Probably the strongest to date.

Here is the table of contents:

Foreword: Todd James Pierce

Bob Thomas: Carman Maxwell
Mark Mayerson: Dick Lundy
Leonard Maltin: Dick Lundy
Leonard Maltin: Phil Klein
Leonard Maltin: Zack Schwartz
John Culhane: Ray Patterson
Didier Ghez: Marge Champion
John Canemaker: Joe Grant
Dave Smith: Bob Jones
Jim Korkis & Didier Ghez: Bob Baker
Vincent Randle: A Life Rendering: The Unrealized Art of Richmond “Dick” Kelsey
David Culbert: Eric Knight at Disney
The Holling C. Holling letters
John Culhane: Bill Justice
John Culhane: Irvin Graham
Michael Broggie: Lillian Disney
Alberto Becattini: Carson Van Osten
George Sherman: Bruce Bushman
George Sherman: Bob Mattey
Dave Smith: Chris Mueller
John G. West: Arthur Vitarelli
Charles Solomon: Alice Davis
Didier Ghez: Lucile Bosché
Harry Wessel: Joe Fowler
Didier Ghez: Eddie Sotto

Here is a new book released by Theme Park Press which might interest some of us. I will review it when I get a copy. In the meantime, here is what the publisher had to say about it:

[LIGHTS! CAMERA! TAKE ACTION!

Guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios become the stars in a theme park experience like no other. In this behind-the-camera book, you’ll find out how Disney does it, and how you can use the same techniques to bring some show biz into your biz, with your customers the stars.

_Stories from the Studios_

Former Disney University executive J. Jeff Kober shares little-known stories behind dozens of park attractions, restaurants, and shops, and teaches you how to use Disney's peerless storytelling and customer service secrets to take your life and your business to new heights.

From the "ugly ducklings" of Min and Bill's Dockside Diner (and how to turn your own weaknesses into strengths) to Toy Story Midway Mania (and how to prevent "mania" from undermining your success), Kober takes you on a tour of Disney's Hollywood Studios that will change how you view the park - and how you view your own life, both personal and professional.

_Putting on the Show_

"Disney's Hollywood Studios: From Show Biz to Your Biz" is the only book devoted entirely to the Hollywood Studios theme park, with over forty chapters of park history, Disney trivia, and business best practices, including:

- How the experience starts in the parking lot

- A tale of two movie moguls: Walt Disney vs Louis B. Mayer

- The valuable lessons of "merchantainment"

- Adventures in partnership with George Lucas, Jim Henson, and Aerosmith

- How Disney turns mundane minutes into Magical Moments

- Hidden secrets of the Tower of Terror, and how Disney exceeded even its own standards

Get your business ready for *its* close-up!]

The Kindle version of Walt's People - Volume 1 is now available. Its price is only $0.99! For those of you who have yet to check out the Walt's People book series, this is your opportunity to do so.

This just in:

[The Disneyland Resort diversity group is flying Jim Korkis out to Anaheim to do a presentation on Asian-Pacific heritage and the many connections to Disney.  The presentation is for Disney cast members and will be held 5:30pm on Wednesday May 21 at the Sequoia Ballroom of the Grand Californian Hotel.   Contact Jeff L. Chang if you are eligible to attend and are interested]

The Disney Books Network was updated over the weekend.

This just in from Disney archivist Ed Ovalle about the photo I posted on March 3, 2014.

[The group of French journalists visited the Walt Disney Studio and met Walt on February 14, 1945.

There were eight journalists in the group which Walt met:

Mme. Etiennette Benichon
Mme. D'Ardene de Tizac
Jean-Paul Sartre
Stephane Pizella
Pierre Denoyer
Louis Lombard
Robert Wischner
Joseph Antonorsi

According to an IOC from Jack Cutting to Walt, the O.W.I.'s main purpose in having the journalists tour the country was to get them to do a series of articles on "America at War".  During their visit to the studio, they were shown numerous samples of the Army and Navy training films, C.I.A.A. Health films and were very enthusiastic about them.

One of the journalists told Walt how Léon Bancal was put in jail by the Germans because of the implications in his first Mickey Mouse article. I assume they were talking about, "Au Revoir, Mickey" which appeared on Oct. 1, 1942, in Le Petit Marseillais. They asked that Walt honor Léon Bancal  by making a drawing of Mickey on a reprint of the article and Mme. Benichon asked if Walt could send a brief greeting addressed to the children of France.]

Beautiful photo of Walt seen on HowardLowery.com recently.

This just in:

[I thought you might be interested to know that Swann Auction Galleries in New York will offer a charming Disney poster at its Modernist Posters auction on April 24.

The poster is one of the few early Disney posters with a prominent cross-marketing pitch – in this case, Pepsi was an official sponsor of Disneyland from opening day, 1955, through 1990.  (Lot 142, $700 - $1,000).]

While looking for information about Ethel Kulsar and Gyo Fujikawa, I stumbled about this 1941 article from the LA Times, which I believe a few of you will enjoy.

As promised, Walt's People - Volume 1 has just been re-released by Theme Park Press. No new content, but the formatting is much nicer and the few annoying typos are gone. A very, very cheap Kindle version should be available soon.

I have just received my review copy of Charles Solomon's book about The Art of Disney Golden Books. This beautiful book is all that I expected: the text is a little bit too light for my tastes (for an in-depth history of the Golden Books, pick up Leonard Marcus' seminal volume, Golden Legacy: How Golden Books Won Children's Hearts, Changed Publishing Forever, and Became An American Icon Along the Way), but the nonetheless very well-written text is not why the book exists. Its heart is clearly the artwork, which is reproduced beautifully and which you have never seen this way before.

From my standpoint, the pieces of art by Bianca Majolie for the Surprise Package book and the illustrations by Mary Blair justify in themselves owning this beautiful volume.

Found online recently by my good friend Sebastien Durand.

Garry Apgar mentions that the likely date of the exhibition are December 1945 to January-February 1946.

Found recently on the internet: Actress Thelma Todd and Kay Kamen.

This photo was posted a few months ago on the Disney History Institute's Facebook page. Unfortunately Paul F. Anderson is unable to locate the magazine it originally came from. Would anyone happen to have seen that photo at some point? If so, would you be willing to send me a high resolution scan?

Disney-history-wise and popular-culture-wise, the release of this long-awaited book at the end of the year should be a major landmark. Can't wait.

By the way, for those of you who did not notice, Michael Barrier has started posting on his blog again.

This just in from Paul F. Anderson:

[NEWLY FOUND PERSISTENCE OF VISIONS
***FIRST COME FIRST SERVE***
PERSISTENCE OF VISION ISSUES FOR SALE

I have received so many requests the last few months on POV, that my son and I went in search of some (where they were last seen here at DHI). As luck would have it, we found about a half a case or less of each of the last four issues. These are basically straight from the printer, never removed (as mint as mint can be). So I am offering them first here to the Institute faithful (posting in the middle of the night to give everyone an equal chance--only thing I could think of). I am going to hold about four issues of each to put in the DHI Store over on our website (they will be priced higher than those being offered here). I have found a few from time to time in the past and have put them up in the DHI Store where they typically sell right away (I’ve had #9 up there for a few months at $45, but since the store has not been updated for some time, it has gone unnoticed).

For those who are not familiar, Persistence of Vision was a historical journal celebrating the creative legacy of Walt Disney. Published irregularly (to say the least) in the 1990s, it is considered by most the best Disney history publication ever. (I might be a bit biased.) I was the publisher and editor and wrote a lot of the articles.

These people had this to say about POV: Diane Disney Miller: “I am really impressed with POV. You have caught much of my dad’s spirit.” Disney Legend Ken Anderson: “I’m proud to be involved with this. It’s the best!” Lucille Ryman Carroll (Herbie’s Sister): “I do indeed enjoy POV--as soon as it arrives, I have to read it from cover to cover.” To name just a few.
I will take requests in the order they come in (determined by date and time).

 I prefer PM (message) through Facebook. it is easiest to keep track of time order. You can email me directly at povpfa [at] me [dot] com too. PLEASE be patient as I go through the requests, as some will want certain issues and not others, and I want to keep a close count on inventory, so I don’t disappoint anyone.

I prefer Paypal and will send an Invoice (I’ll need your email). Visa, MC, Amex, Check, or Money Order, too. U.S. POSTAGE is $9.95 for PRIORITY MAIL (any number of issues) or $5.00 for MEDIA MAIL (any number of issues). STRICT LIMIT OF ONE OF EACH ISSUE PER PERSON (PLEASE!! My intention to offer these below their market value is to allow folks to get them, I don’t want someone buying up all of one issue and reselling them, so no dealer orders. If you have family members, I will be happy to do that, but within reason please.) FOREIGN POSTAGE will be quoted to you. Sadly, the USPS has limited how we can send heavy materials, these all weigh over First Class International Rates, so we are left with International Priority Mail (typically around $20 or more depending on location). Sorry.

I WILL LIST ISSUES AND PRICES FIRST (Contents of each issue at the end of this post.)

***POV #6/7 THE WORLD’S FAIR ISSUE (144 Pages!) (See Full Contents Below). Famed Imagineer David Mumford called this issue “the single greatest Disney history piece ever written!” Probably the most in demand issue. There have been two issues for sale on Ebay the last three months (sold for $45 and $56). Currently on Ebay at $66.87. (Ebay issues were “used”.) COST: $35.00

***POV #8 TONY BAXTER TRIBUTE (100 Pages), Disneyland Monorail, Donald Duck, More. (See Full Contents Below). Only one issue on Ebay the last three months (sold for $20). Currently on Ebay at $66.87. COST: $30.00

***POV #9 HAUNTED MANSION ISSUE, (100 Pages) (See Full Contents Below). Only one on Ebay in the last three months, did not sell for $20 (not sure how that slipped through, bad time of year and poor description ... I would have bought it). Currently on Ebay at $66.87 COST: $30 (It is listed in the DHI store at $45, and I have sold a few.)

***POV #10 WALT DISNEY AND THE CIRCUS (100 Pages), Spin and Marty, Disneyland, more (See Full Contents Below). No recent issues on Ebay (however far back my Ebay search goes). Currently on Ebay at $66.87. COST: $25.00

***BUY ALL FOUR ($120)
AND I’LL PAY FOR MEDIA MAIL POSTAGE WITH INSURANCE AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION (or upgrade to Priority Mail for $3.00).

GOOD LUCK. Feel free to email me with any questions. Anybody who has any comments about POV and the quality of the publication, I appreciate. Thank you.

**********CONTENTS OF ALL FOUR ISSUES***********
*****CONTENTS #6/7 (144 pages)*****
THE WORLD’S FAIR ISSUE
REGULAR COLUMNS
-WALT’S WORLD (Short anecdotes, stories, images, humor, cartoons, Walt (and other old-timers) quotes, and much more. All about Walt Disney’s creative legacy.
-SOME GREAT CARICATURES IN DISNEY HISTORY by renowned former Disney artist, Peter Emslie.
-THE BRIAR PATCH Gossip, rumors, and news about current Disney projects. (The only thing dated in this issue.)
-VINTAGE NOTES: Disney and His Competitors 1930s
-SPEAKING OF CHARACTERS: Sterling Holloway
-WDW: THE EARLY YEARS By first-year cast member, Paul Smith. “Life in the Haunted Mansion.”
-OUT OF THE INKWELL Letters and responses
FEATURES
-A CHAP CHATS WITH CAPS Disney Animation
-VICARIOUS EXPERIENCES On the Disneyland LPs (Record Albums)
-RECOLLECTIONS OF A FRIENDSHIP By Herbert Ryman (nice story!)
-A GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW (150,000 Words, the definitive piece on Walt Disney and the 1964 New York World’s Fair ... what Imagineer David Mumford called, “The single greatest Disney history piece ever written!”
INCLUDES:
-1964 NYWF
-The Ford Motor Company
-General Electric
-Illinois “Land of Lincoln” Pavilion
-It’s a Small World
-Highway in the Sky: Potential Derailed (Monorail)
-Up and Running: The Fair and Beyond
-Disney and New York: Lessons and Legacies
-Thanks and Endnotes
-HI-HO, COME TO THE FAIR Extensive history of the Disney music for the Fair and its creation. (By master musician and historian Alex Rannie!)
*****CONTENTS #8 (100 pages)*****
TONY BAXTER TRIBUTE ISSUE
REGULAR COLUMNS
-WALT’S WORLD (Short anecdotes, stories, images, humor, cartoons, Walt (and other old-timers) quotes, and much more. All about Walt Disney’s creative legacy.
-MOAT POINTS Disney Underwear Through the Ages (Seriously! VERY Funny article.)
-THE BRIAR PATCH Gossip, rumors, and news about current Disney projects. (The only thing dated in this issue.)
-WDW: THE EARLY YEARS By first-year cast member, Paul Smith. The Costumed Characters.
-OUT OF THE INKWELL Letters and responses
FEATURES
-AN ANIMATED LIFE: The Story of Jack Hannah by Jim Korkis
-Hannah and the Disney Comic Books
-Lost Donald Duck Cartoon
-Story Behind the Story of Pirate Gold (Barks)
-Lost Story Meeting Notes for Donald’s Stratosphere
-Jack Hannah: A Personal Memory
-Secrets
-Hannah in His Own Words
-Hannah Filmography
-DISNEY KING OF SELF CENSORSHIP A listing of all cartoons, their cuts and edits and information on them. Invaluable resource!
-TONY BAXTER: WORLD-WIDE IMAGINEER (Including Four Pages of color, with WED Art, and Photos of Tony during his career)
-WHO’S THE LEADER OF THE CLUB ... ? Jimmie Dodd and the Mickey Mouse Club
-THE MONORAIL REVISITED (LOTS OF PHOTOS, over 30)
*****CONTENTS #9 (100 pages)*****
HAUNTED MANSION ISSUE
REGULAR COLUMNS
-Walt’s World (Short anecdotes, stories, images, humor, cartoons, Walt (and other old-timers) quotes, and much more. All about Walt Disney’s creative legacy.
-MOAT POINTS This issue about Disney Film Exploitation.
-SOME GREAT CARICATURES IN DISNEY HISTORY by renowned former Disney artist, Peter Emslie.
-THE BRIAR PATCH Gossip, rumors, and news about current Disney projects. (The only thing dated in this issue.)
-WDW: THE EARLY YEARS By first-year cast member, Paul Smith. “Life in the Haunted Mansion.”
-OUT OF THE INKWELL Letters and responses
FEATURES
-BE SURE YOU’RE RIGHT: THEN GO AHEAD The Early Disney Westerns
-HAUNTING MELODY The Story Behind Buddy Baker’s Score for the Haunted Mansion. Includes FOUR Color Pages of Imagineering Art (three pages) and behind-the-scenes images (one page).
-WALT DISNEY’S LOST MASTERPIECE: The Strange History of Bedknobs and Broomsticks
*****CONTENTS #10 (100 pages)*****
REGULAR COLUMNS
-WALT’S WORLD (Short anecdotes, stories, images, humor, cartoons, Walt (and other old-timers) quotes, and much more. All about Walt Disney’s creative legacy.
-MOUSE TRACKS by Randy Thornton. Walt Disney Records
-THE BRIAR PATCH Gossip, rumors, and news about current Disney projects. (The only thing dated in this issue.)
-SPEAKING OF CHARACTERS
-OUT OF THE INKWELL Letters and responses
FEATURES
-A CONCEPT VISION OF THE NEW TOMORROWLAND by Disneyland CM Ray Haller (30 plus years, great artist)
-A CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF DISNEY’S MAIN STREET U.S.A.
-THE DISNEY CIRCUS WAGONS (Disneyland, Toby Tyler)
-THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB CIRCUS
-THE CIRCUS IN DISNEYLAND: A PICTORIAL
-THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB SERIALS
-SPIN AND MARTY by Dave Smith
Good luck.]

Would any of you happen to have a copy of this fanzine from 1971? It contains three pages libked to Albert Hurter but I have no idea how interesting they are.

The blog will updated again on April 14.

Two upcoming books which could be of interest to some of you (thanks to David Peake for the heads up: The Art of Big Hero 6 and The Art of Planes.

Jake Friedman just posted two fantastic videos from Art Babbitt's archives here and here.

Enjoy!

I received a few weeks ago a digital review copy of the book by John Frost Dispatch from Disneyland. This is a really nice collection of rather poetic essays linked to John's visits to the park. It is well written and for those of you who are looking for an oniric reflection about the Happiest Place on Earth it is a good read.

This is not Disney history at all though.

Some News...

OK, the Walt and Space book project will have to wait for a while. I have to put it on the back burner for some time (but I won't abandon it). There is a good reason for this, though: Chronicle Books and Disney have approved last week an ambitious project of 5 art books about Disney concept art and Disney concept artists from the 1930s to the 1990s.

The first volume, on which I am currently working, will focus on the art and career of Albert Hurter, Ferdinand Horvath, Gustaf Tenggren, Kay Nielsen, Bianca Majoli and David Hall.

The challenge, of course, is to manage to build on the astounding work already done by John Canemaker in his seminal book Before the Animation Begins.

I have already reached out by email to some of you, but if I haven't and if you have rare documents linked to any of those 6 artists, could you please, please contact me ASAP at didier.ghez@gmail.com? Thanks a million in advance!

The blog will be updated again starting on Monday March 31.

This just in from Garry Apgar:

[With winter almost gone, at least in the colder North American climes, it's nice to turn our thoughts to spring and what the French call le joli mois de mai. As reported in the news squib above from May 1953 our Gallic friends were thinking big at that time, Disney-big, in terms of animation.

I could be wrong, but I believe Walt did a live-action re-make of "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep" in the mid 1960s called "The Nanny and the Chimney Sweep" ... though, if memory serves, he changed the title somewhat.

"French Cartoon Ready," New York Times, May 14, 1953, p. 33

The beautiful book about Disney's version of "The Nutcracker Suite" from Fantasia released by Little Brown in 1941 contains some fascinating drawings of an insect orchestra.

I should probably know this, but do any of you have more information on that insect orchestra? Who drew those illustrations? Is the insect orchestra an abandoned project? Etc.

[UPDATE: The art was created by the artist Walt Scott.]

This just in from Garry Apgar (slighty off-topic):

[n the March 9, 2014 issue of the New York Times Magazine is a terrific article by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind, based on Suskind's new book, Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism, to be published on April 1st by Kingswell, an imprint of Disney Book Group. 

The story is about how Ron and Cornelia Suskind's autistic son Owen was "saved" by "Disney therapy." Owen's miraculous therapeutic healing involved not just latter-day Disney classics like The Lion King but also Golden Age Disney animated features like Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Jungle Book, even "a bootleg copy of Song of the South.”

Suskind writes in the article: 

But what draws kids like Owen to these movies is something even more elemental. Walt Disney told his early animators that the characters and the scenes should be so vivid and clear that they could be understood with the sound turned off. Inadvertently, this creates a dream portal for those who struggle with auditory processing, especially, in recent decades, when the films can be rewound and replayed many times.

Ron Suskind, “Reaching MyAutistic Son Through Disney” 

New York Times Magazine, March 7, 2014

The Mary Blair exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum was inaugurated last week and from all the reports I got it is absolutely stunning and not to be missed. Definitely worth going to the Museum just to visit it.

As if this were not enough the Walt Disney Family Museum Press released a gorgeous catalog written by John Canemaker, Magic Color Flair: The World of Mary Blair. This 172-page art book is a "must have". It contains pieces of art which I had not seen before and John amazes us once again by unearthing a few photos of Mary which I believe have never appeared elsewhere.

Run to get this volume and to see the exhibition, you won't regret it.

Bob Thomas who wrote the official biographies of Walt and Roy passed away.

The second issue of The Carl Barks Fan Club Pictorial has just been released. This is a beautiful magazine which is definitely worth picking up.

This second issue contains a long article I wrote about the making of my book, Disney's Grand Tour. There is almost a whole book to be written about the research process which led to Disney's Grand Tour. This article will give you a good taste of what that process involved. The article is illustrated by various images which are related to the 1935 trip but which I was not able to release in the book for various reasons.

(For more information about Disney's Grand Tour, check out the Theme Park Press website.)

Help Needed

Would any one of you have access to the following documents:

- Hollywood Citizen News, "On the Distaff Side at Walt Disney’s" (Feb. 23, 1940).

- The Bulletin, Volume 1 number 12 and number 14 (Feb. 1939)

If so, could you please email me at didier.ghez@gmail.com? Thanks a million in advance.

 This just in from Gunnar Andreassen:

[Here's the 8th dwarf - Boxy - drawn by Riley Thom(p)son - and a caricature he made of himself.

Some years ago those two and a collection of other drawings were up for auction at Bonhams - but I don't think they were sold.

From the description:

A collection of over 100 erotic and raunchy colored pencil drawings by the Disney animator, Riley Thomson

1930s, colored pencil on animation paper, bound in a vintage book, the collection includes a drawing of Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer's apprentice who wishes for a larger penis which is granted; a drawing of a wolf man inscribed OK Nick Nichols, OK Ford, OK Bob Leunin, OK Riley, OK Ward Kimball, OK Walt; bad boy Peter with Daisy; a penis with a face looking into the magic mirror; 12 drawings of a story of Jenny the hillbilly (whose face resembles Dopey); five drawings making reference to work; 15 drawings of self-portraits all with sexual references; 29 drawings of Glover and Doc Friendly, Glover has lost all limbs except for one who is obsessed with erected penises; 11 drawings of portraits, some very finished drawings; 7 drawings making references to Burk /Anthony with large penises; 6 drawings depicting Stanford students as penises; 20 miscellaneous drawings with erotic references.

Riley Thomson began his career in 1935 as an animator of Warner Bros. Merry Melodies. He began working for the Disney Studios in 1938 and animated some of Disney's Mickey shorts such as The Little Whirlwind, The Nifty Nineties and Mickey's Birthday Party. He was most famously known for animating Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer Apprentice, for which he created a character that looked less like a rat and more like a cute mouse by exaggerating his features. In the early 1950s, he began drawing comics with Disney characters for Western Publishing. By the late 1950s, he took over the Brer Rabbit Sunday page from Dick Moores and continued doing that until 1959.]

The web site "A Lost Film" contains some astounding historical material about the first French version of Snow White and much, much more. Truly a fascinating site. (Thanks to Are Myklebust for the heads up.)

This just in from Garry Apgar:

[The Chicago Tribune published this ACME wire service photo of Walt being honored by USC in June 1938, but mistakenly promoted him to an honorary Doctor of Science:

“Disney a Doctor”

Chicago Tribune, June 6, 1938, p. 22

   Los Angeles, Cal., June 5. — [Special.] — Walter E. Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse and other cartoon cinemas, was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree by the University of Southern California in the 55th commencement exercises, held in Los Angeles Memorial coliseum. President Rufus B. von Kleinsmid conferred the honor “in recognition of distinguished achievements in cinematography.”]

The Kindle version is now available on Amazon.

 

This just in from Gunnar Andreassen:

 

[Enclosed is a great poster with Musse Pigg (Mickey Mouse), made in connection with the Childrens Days in September 1937 - and a boat race in Stockholm.  I found a small version of it on the web, but with the help of Lasse Emanuelsson - who bought the last copy of the exhibition catalog with this poster they had at the Royal Library in Stockholm, I got a high resolution version.

 

Musse is standing on top of Stadshuset (The Town Hall) in Stockholm.  See also photo of the building.]

A few days ago, Mark Sonntag posted the above photo on the Disney History Insitute Facebook page. He was trying to find out where Walt was that day.

A short while later David Lesjak and Brett Jeffries working closely together, established that the photo had been taken at the University of Southern California and that the man on Walt's right is Rufus Bernhard von KleinSmid, President of USC at the time. We know that Walt got his honorary Masters of the Arts degree at USC on June 4, 1938.

What I realized by researching that date is that he attended another important event that same day...

At 18.00, he arrived at the infamous Lake Norconian party, "Walt's Field Day", that he had organized to celebrate the completion of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Update on ongoing projects

So, now that Disney's Grand Tour, Inside the Whimsy Works, and Life in the Mouse House have been released, what am working on at the moment?

The manuscript of Walt's People - Volume 14 is complete and we should expect a release around May at the latest. (The above caricatures were created by John Musker for the cover.)

I am hard at work on Walt's People - Volume 15 and most of the chapters have already gone through the first round of edits.

Joe Campana and I are working on Eric Larson's long-thought-lost autobiography (and on Eric's notes about animation). We are putting them in shape for release later this year or early in 2015.

I am also in the very early stages of research on "Disney and Space," a book which is probably about two or three years away at least.

Finally, I am working on two other fun projects, one with Joe and one on my own. The one with Joe is focused on one of the "holy grails" of Disney history. Too early yet to reveal what it is. It will probably take us three or four years to complete. The other project, if it happens, will be a collection of five visually stunning books. More on this later this year, hopefully.

In other words, things are busy and fun at the moment.

Life in the Mouse House, the memoir of Golden Age Disney story artist Homer Brightman is now available on Amazon.

Homer Brightman was one of the members of Disney's Story Department from 1935 to 1950, right in the middle of the Golden Age of Disney animation.

During those fifteen years, he was often teamed up with other legendary story artist, Harry Reeves and was instrumental in developing dozens of storyboards for some of the most famous Disney shorts, many of them featuring Donald and Pluto. Among the classic shorts tackled by Brightman, we find Alpine Climbers, The Fox Hunt, Clock Cleaners, Beach Picnic, The Fire Chief, and Lend a Paw.  Homer also worked on several of the features, including Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, Melody Time, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Cinderella.

Being part of the Story Department, Homer was at the very heart of the Disney Studio and worked with some of its stars, including Ted Sears, Dave Hand, Perce Pearce, Roy Williams, Carl Barks, Ham Luske, and Frenchy de Trémaudan.

After Disney, Brightman joined UPA, MGM, and Walter Lantz. He passed away in 1988.

Here is the introduction I wrote for the book:

[Most of the talented artists who knew and worked with Walt Disney are gone. Those who have never or seldom been interviewed took their precious memories to the grave.

Or did they?

Thankfully, for Disney History addicts like myself, there are still hidden autobiographies and memoirs to be unearthed: from the legendary 1938 – 1948 diaries of animator Ward Kimball, to the not-yet-released autobiography of concept artist Mel Shaw, Animator of Horseback, or the recently discovered notes of Eric Larson for his book 50 Years in the Mouse House. Needless to say, those documents are extremely rare and of uppermost value to Disney historians and Disney enthusiasts alike. So when I found traces of a memoir written by a story artist of Disney’s Golden Age, in the archives of Disney historian Michael Barrier, I knew that I had hit “pay dirt.” The story artists worked closest to Walt than any of the other artists and they were at the center of the Studio’s creative process. The ‘30s were the most exciting creative period at the Studio. And Homer Brightman despite having collaborated to dozens of shorts and quite a few features, was one of the lesser known artists of that era. I knew that the book would be fascinating and enlightening.

After tracking down Homer’s daughters, Pamela Etzler and Connie Heller-Zeiger, and after reading the book, I was glad to confirm that its contents are indeed exhilarating from a Disney history standpoint.

There are dozens and dozens of stories in this volume which are either brand new or shed new light on what we already knew: hilarious memories of fellow story artists Harry Reeves, Perce Pearce, Roy Williams, Webb Smith and many others; new information about the career of animator Frenchy de Trémaudan; new details about the events of the 1941 Studio strike; and, almost at every page, new elements that help us “connect the dots” when it comes to artists and events. In other words, I learned something exciting and fun in each chapter.

But there is also a darker side to Homer Brightman’s memoir. One can feel that his fifteen years at the Studio were not a happy time professionally and emotionally. The man we discover is one who while at the Disney Studio suffered due to internal politics, constant fear of losing his job, and artistic frustrations. This unhappiness leads to a very dark portrait of Walt. We all know that Walt was not a saint and could be a harsh taskmaster. Many of Homer's colleagues, however, had a very different point of view on Walt as a boss and as a human being. Many of those positive perspectives are shared in the pages of the book series Walt's People.

In other words, as it always is when reading an autobiography, it is important to keep in mind that Homer Brightman’s perspective is subjective. His point of view is nonetheless a very important one, his story fascinating, and his prose is so clear that his book, from day one, was a delight to read.

When he completed his book in 1986, Homer decided to hide the names of his co-workers behind pseudonyms. Homer’s daughters, Pam and Connie felt that the body of the book had to be released exactly as Homer had left it with the only addition of a few endnotes to clarify a few facts and the rare faulty memories. Thankfully both also realized that the book takes another dimension when one knows who are the artists hidden behind the pseudonyms. I am therefore enclosing below a list of the names of the individuals we believe we identified, thanks to notes left by Brightman as well as some additional research completed while working on this manuscript. I strongly encourage you to make reference to this list while reading Homer’s memoir.

Life in the Mouse House is an enlightening adventure, which for Homer ironically started on a grey morning of February 1935…]

This just in from Gunnar Andreassen:

[As you probably know Walt Disney only visited Sweden once.  A couple of days ago I found a Swedish newsreel from 1959 - that you might not have seen - about his visit to Sweden in connection with a film that was shot partly there: Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates.
He came to Stockholm, was received at the airport by a young girl with flowers and the director of the film and among others the chief of RKO there. He held a press conference at the balcony of his hotel.   He also visited the "Filmtown" and met with Ingmar Bergman - the famous Swedish director.

See 02.52 into this newsreel.

You might have read what Joakim Gunnarsson posted about this event on his blog a couple of years ago (two postings).]

 

I learned recently that in 1945, before the end of WWII, a group of French journalists visited the US. Among the places they toured, was the Walt Disney Studio where they had a chance to meet Walt. One of the journalists was none other than Jean-Paul Sartre, who would won the Nobel Price of Litterature in 1964 and, along with Albert Camus, became one if the two most famous French writers of the second half of the XXth century.

I would love to find out the exact date of this historical meeting. Sartre was not at all famous at the time, so no one at the Studio probably realized that two of the World's greats had just met.