[CROWD CHEERING]
Dick Van Dyke: IN 1964,
ON OPENING NIGHT OFMARY POPPINS,
WALTER ELIAS DISNEY HAD REACHED
THE PINNACLE OF HIS CAREER.
THE MAN WHO ARRIVED IN HOLLYWOOD
SOME 40 YEARS EARLIER
WITH A HALF-FINISHED CARTOON IN HIS SUITCASE
HAD BECOME ONE OF THE LEADING FIGURES
OF FILMED ENTERTAINMENT.
I TRIED TO CONVINCE HER I WAS CAPABLE
OF MAKING A PICTURE WITH LIVE ACTORS
AS WELL AS CARTOONS.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE THOUGHT ABOUT...
Van Dyke: WHO WAS WALT DISNEY?
EVEN THOSE WHO WORKED WITH HIM FOR YEARS
OFTEN STRUGGLED TO DEFINE THE MAN.
FOR MANY, HE REMAINS AN ENIGMA.
2 YEARS AFTER THEMARY POPPINSPREMIERE,
WALT WAS DEAD,
AND THE ENIGMA BEGAN TO PASS INTO MYTH.
WALT WAS BORN IN CHICAGO IN 1901
TO FLORA AND ELIAS DISNEY,
IN A HOUSE HIS FATHER HAD CONSTRUCTED
WITH HIS OWN HANDS.
ELIAS WAS A CONTRACTOR WHO BUILT A NUMBER OF HOMES
AS WELL AS THE CHURCH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHEN WALT WAS 4, THE DISNEY FAMILY MOVED
TO MARCELINE, MISSOURI.
WALT WOULD ALWAYS HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF MARCELINE,
BUT FOR THE REST OF THE FAMILY,
FARM LIFE WAS HARD.
HIS MOTHER WAS A WARM, LOVING, WONDERFUL WOMAN.
I WISH I'D KNOWN HER BETTER.
MY FATHER ADORED HER.
THEY WERE A GOOD FAMILY.
Roy E. Disney: WELL, FLORA WAS
SORT OF MY FAVORITE GRANDMOTHER ALL ALONG.
SHE WAS, UH, MORE FUN THAN A BARREL OF MONKEYS
AND SHE LOVED KIDS, KIND OF NOT UNLIKE
THE WAY WALT DID, I THINK.
UM, ELIAS, WAS A LITTLE MORE--
A LOT MORE ALOOF.
Van Dyke: WALT HAD 3 OLDER BROTHERS--
HERBERT, RAYMOND, AND ROY,
WHO WAS 8 YEARS OLDER THAN WALT.
WHEN HE WAS 2 YEARS OLD,
HIS MOTHER GAVE BIRTH TO A LITTLE GIRL.
HER NAME WAS RUTH.
ELIAS CAME DOWN WITH TYPHOID.
HE RECOVERED,
BUT FARMING WAS NO LONGER POSSIBLE FOR HIM.
IN 1911, THE DISNEY HOUSE WAS SOLD,
AND THE FAMILY LEFT FOR KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
IN KANSAS CITY, WALT WAS PUT TO WORK
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE.
IT WAS A TOUGH JOB, TOO.
ELIAS HAD PURCHASED A NEWSPAPER ROUTE,
AND COUNTED ON HIS 2 BOYS WALT AND ROY
TO SERVICE IT.
I WAS ABOUT 9 OR 10 WHEN I STARTED THAT,
BUT THEY'D DELIVER OUR PAPERS AT 4:30,
THEN WE HAD TO GET UP AND BE THERE
AT 4:30 IN THE MORNING.
THE NEWSPAPER ROUTE
TOOK A LOT OF WALT DISNEY'S TIME,
AND HE DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF TIME
FOR SCHOOL, AND DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME
TO PREPARE FOR SCHOOL,
AND SO, UM, HE WASN'T A GREAT STUDENT.
Van Dyke: AT ABOUT THIS TIME,
THE DISNEY'S MOVED TO A BIGGER HOUSE
AT 3028 BELLEFONTAINE IN KANSAS CITY.
HERE WALT BECAME FRIENDS WITH A BOY
NAMED WALT PFEIFFER.
THE PFEIFFERS WERE A JOLLY CROWD
WHO TOOK THEIR CHILDREN TO VAUDEVILLE SHOWS
AND THE LOCAL CINEMA.
WALT STUDIED THE VAUDEVILLE ACTS
AND MEMORIZED THE GAGS.
THE 2 BOYS LIKED CHARLIE CHAPLIN ABOVE ALL,
AND DEVELOPED A SERIES OF SKITS
INSPIRED BY "THE TRAMP."
Walt Pfeiffer: TOGETHER WE HAD A LITTLE ACT.
HE WAS THE STRAIGHT MAN WITH ME AS CHAPLIN...
Van Dyke: ELIAS DIDN'T QUITE KNOW
WHAT TO MAKE OF IT.
Diane Miller: ELIAS WAS PROBABLY
NOT TOO MUCH OUT OF STYLE FOR PATRIARCHS OF HIS DAY.
HE SOUNDS A LITTLE TOUGH TO US NOW,
BUT HE DID IT ALL FOR LOVE OF HIS FAMILY.
HE JUST WANTED TO KEEP THAT FAMILY TOGETHER,
KEEP 'EM GOOD, KEEP THE BOYS OUT OF TROUBLE,
YOU KNOW, GET 'EM TO GOIN' DOWN THE RIGHT ROAD,
AND TO HIS CREDIT,
WHEN DAD WANTED TO TAKE ART LESSONS,
WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST, ELIAS ARRANGED FOR HIM
TO HAVE SOME ART LESSONS, MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR HIM.
Van Dyke: IN JUNE OF 1917, WALT GRADUATED
FROM THE SEVENTH GRADE AT BENTON SCHOOL.
THE INCOME FROM THE NEWSPAPER ROUTE
HAD ENABLED ELIAS TO INVEST
IN A JELLY FIRM IN CHICAGO,
THE O-ZELL COMPANY,
AND SO, WHILE FLORA, ELIAS, AND RUTH
WENT OFF TO CHICAGO,
15-YEAR-OLD WALT STAYED WITH HIS BROTHER HERB
FOR THE SUMMER.
HE GOT A JOB AS A NEWS BUTCH,
SELLING SODA POP AND NEWSPAPERS
TO PASSENGERS ON THE RAILROAD.
WHEN SUMMER ENDED,
WALT JOINED HIS PARENTS AND SISTER IN CHICAGO.
I THINK HE WAS PRETTY THOROUGHLY DECIDED
THAT HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING WITH HIS DRAWING,
AND HE DREW SOME CARTOONS
FOR THE SCHOOL PAPER.
Dave Smith: PEOPLE SAY THAT WALT
WASN'T A GREAT ARTIST, HE DIDN'T DRAW A LOT.
WELL, THAT WAS TRUE IN LATER YEARS.
BUT HE HAD AN ART TALENT.
WE HAVE DRAWING'S OF WALT'S THAT HE DID
WHEN HE WAS 15 YEARS OLD,
AND THESE ARE VERY GOOD DRAWINGS
FOR A 15-YEAR-OLD.
Van Dyke: WALT'S CARTOONS NOW SHOWED
HIS GROWING INTEREST IN THE GREAT WAR
THAT WAS BEING FOUGHT IN EUROPE.
Roy: IT WAS REALLY THE THING TO BE PATRIOTIC
AND TO WANT TO HELP OUT YOUR COUNTRY.
Dave Smith: WALT WAS ONLY
16 YEARS OLD, THOUGH.
THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THEY WERE GONNA
LET HIM INTO THE ARMY OR THE NAVY.
WELL, FINALLY HE HEARD OF A--
OF A RED CROSS UNIT FORMING
THAT WOULD TAKE 17-YEAR-OLDS,
AND HE FIGURED HE COULD MANAGE THAT,
'CAUSE THAT WAS ONLY A YEAR OFF. [LAUGHS]
SO AFTER HIS MOTHER HAD SIGNED
HIS PASSPORT APPLICATION,
HE DID A LITTLE FORGERY ON IT
AND CHANGED THE BIRTH YEAR.
SO, UH, HE BECAME A 17-YEAR-OLD
AND WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE RED CROSS
WITH A FRIEND OF HIS FROM SCHOOL.
Van Dyke: IN 1918, GERMANY SIGNED AN ARMISTICE.
HOWEVER, THE RED CROSS AMBULANCE CORPS
STILL NEEDED MORE DRIVERS TO HELP
WITH POST-WAR OPERATIONS IN FRANCE.
WALT ARRIVED IN FRANCE AND WAS PUT TO WORK
MAKING DELIVERIES, DRIVING AMBULANCES,
OR CHAUFFEURING IMPORTANT OFFICERS.
HE TOOK UP SMOKING.
IT DEVELOPED INTO A LIFELONG ADDICTION.
WALT PAINTED HIS TRUCK
AND SENT DRAWINGS HOME TO MAGAZINES.
THEY WERE ALL REJECTED.
BY SEPTEMBER OF 1919,
THE AMBULANCE CORPS HAD FINISHED ITS WORK,
AND WALT RETURNED HOME.
HE NO LONGER THOUGHT OF HIMSELF
AS A KID FROM MISSOURI,
BUT A GROWN MAN WHO HAD SEEN THE WORLD.
WALT MADE UP HIS MIND TO GO BACK TO KANSAS CITY.
HE SAID, "I WANNA BE AN ARTIST."
AND, OF COURSE, ELIAS WAS SHOCKED.
HE SAID, "YOU CAN'T MAKE A LIVING AS AN ARTIST."
WALT SAID, "I'M GONNA TRY."
Van Dyke: ELIAS AND FLORA MOVED BACK TO KANSAS CITY.
ROY, WHO HAD BEEN DISCHARGED FROM THE NAVY,
AND OLDER BROTHER HERBERT AND HIS WIFE LOUISE
LIVED WITH THEM IN THE OLD DISNEY HOUSE
ON BELLEFONTAINE STREET.
WALT DECIDED TO JOIN THEM.
SO THERE WERE QUITE A LOT OF US THERE.
THERE WERE 5 CHILDREN
AND, UH, THEY WERE ALL LIVING AT HOME.
I HAD LOTS OF, UH, WONDERFUL UNCLES
WHO JUST THOUGHT I WAS THE CUTEST,
AND SO I'M AFRAID I MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BIT SPOILED.
Van Dyke: SHORTLY THEREAFTER,
WALT GOT A JOB AT THE PESMAN-RUBIN ART STUDIO.
WHILE AT PESMAN-RUBIN,
HE MET A QUIET, BUT HIGHLY TALENTED YOUNG MAN
NAMED UB IWERKS.
THE 2 YOUNG MEN STARTED A LITTLE COMPANY OF THEIR OWN.
Dave Smith: THEY WEREN'T ABLE
TO MAKE MUCH OF A LIVING WITH THIS.
I MEAN, THEY WERE JUST BARELY MAKING ENOUGH
TO GET BY,
AND THEN THEY SAW AN AD IN THE PAPER
FOR THE KANSAS CITY SLIDE COMPANY,
AND SO WALT LEFT UB
TO RUN THE PARTNERSHIP,
AND, UH, HE WAS HIRED,
AND EVENTUALLY UB JOINED HIM THERE.
Van Dyke: IT WAS AT KANSAS CITY FILM AD
THAT WALT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED
TO ANIMATED FILMS, CARTOONS.
OF COURSE, THEY WERE VERY CRUDE THINGS THEN,
AND I USED, UH,
OH, SORT OF LITTLE PUPPET THINGS.
WE DIDN'T DRAW THEM LIKE WE DO TODAY.
I USED TO MAKE LITTLE CUT-OUT THINGS,
AND JOINTS WERE PINNED,
AND WE'D PUT 'EM UNDER THE CAMERA
AND WE'D MANEUVER THEM AND MAKE 'EM DO THINGS.
Van Dyke: WALT SPENT HOURS AT THE KANSAS CITY LIBRARY
LEARNING ABOUT ANIMATION.
IT WAS HERE THAT HE CAME ACROSS A 19th-CENTURY BOOK
BY A BRITISH ARTIST NAMED EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE
ON ANIMAL AND HUMAN LOCOMOTION.
PEOPLE DON'T NOTICE THAT,
THAT THE TERM "ANIMATION"
WAS FIRST NOTICED BY A MAN NAMED, UH--
NAMED NOAH WEBSTER
WHO WAS WRITING A DICTIONARY IN 1837,
AND HE RAN ACROSS THIS WORD "ANIMATION,"
AND HE WROTE UNDER IT, "TO EVOKE LIFE."
WELL, IN AMERICA DURING THE TWENTIES,
THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY WAS REALLY CENTERED
ON NEW YORK CITY.
THAT'S WHERE THE FIRST STUDIOS
HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND THAT'S WHERE
THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THEM STILL WERE.
AT THAT TIME,
THERE WERE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF SILENT ONE-REEL COMEDIES
BEING PUT OUT TO SHOW IN THE MOVIE THEATERS.
Van Dyke: WALT TOOK A BORROWED CAMERA
TO THE SHED BEHIND HIS HOUSE
AND BEGAN MAKING CARTOONS OF HIS OWN.
HE CALLED THEM LAUGH-O-GRAMS
AND SOLD THE FIRST ONE TO THE NEWMAN THEATER
IN KANSAS CITY.
J.B. Kaufman: AND ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS
ABOUT IT, I THINK, IS THAT IT OPENS
WITH THAT WONDERFUL SHOT OF WALT SITTING
AT HIS DRAWING BOARD. THIS IS WALT DISNEY
AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS JOURNEY,
AND WE HAVE A PRIVILEGED GLIMPSE OF IT.
IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE MOVED OUT OF ANIMATION
AND HAD OTHER PEOPLE WORKING WITH HIM
IN THE ACTUAL DRAWING OF THE PICTURES.
BUT THIS IS ONE SEGMENT THAT WE CAN SAY
IS FULLY ANIMATED BY WALT DISNEY HIMSELF.
I THINK HE REALLY WANTED TO GET INTO FULL ANIMATION,
AND HE REALIZED JUST FROM THE LABORIOUS NATURE
OF LITTLE SHORT SCENES LIKE THE POLICE STATION SCENE
THAT THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING
THAT ONE PERSON WANTED TO DO ALONE.
SO THAT'S WHEN HE RE--
HE WENT AROUND AND RECRUITED PEOPLE
TO START THE LAUGH-O-GRAMS COMPANY,
AND THEY MADE FILMS WHICH ARE REFERRED TO TODAY
AS MODERNIZED FAIRY TALES.
BASICALLY, WHAT THEY DID WAS TAKE A FAIRY TALE,
BUT THEN DO A CONTEMPORARY SPIN ON IT.
SO WHEN HE DOES HIS VERSION
OFPUSS IN BOOTS, FOR EXAMPLE,
THIS IS THE CAT WITH HIS MASTER
GOING TO THE MOVIES AND SEEING A PARODY
OF THE LATEST RUDOLPH VALENTINO PICTURE.
THESE ARE JUST A BUNCH OF KIDS.
THEY DON'T HAVE A WORLDWIDE ORGANIZATION BEHIND THEM.
THESE ARE A BUNCH OF BOYHOOD FRIENDS
WHO HAVE DEVELOPED A COMMON INTEREST
IN ANIMATED CARTOONS AND WANT TO GIVE IT A WHIRL.
SO THEY'RE DOING THINGS BY TRIAL AND ERROR,
THEY ARE LEARNING TECHNIQUES AS THEY GO ALONG,
AND YOU GET TO SEE THEM DOING THAT
AS YOU WATCH THE FILMS. IT'S VERY IMPROMPTU
AND IT'S--IT'S, WELL, JUST A LOT OF FUN.
Dorothy Puder: AND I WAS CARRYING A FULL MILK BOTTLE,
AND THEN HE REVERSED THE FILM
SO THAT I BACKED UP,
THE MILK ALL CAME UP IN THE BOTTLE.
THAT WAS ONE LITTLE FILM THAT WE DID.
Van Dyke: ROY DEVELOPED TUBERCULOSIS
AND WAS SENT TO A SANITARIUM.
HERBERT AND HIS FAMILY WERE TRANSFERRED
BY THE POSTAL SERVICE TO A NEW JOB
IN PORTLAND, OREGON.
ELIAS AND FLORA DECIDED
TO JOIN THEM IN PORTLAND AS WELL.
THE CROWDED HOUSE ON BELLEFONTAINE FELL EMPTY.
ONE MORNING, WALT ACCOMPANIED HIS PARENTS
AND HIS SISTER RUTH
TO THE KANSAS CITY UNION STATION
FOR A TEARFUL FAREWELL.
"WHEN WALT TOOK US TO THE TRAIN,
"I NEVER KNEW WALT'S EMOTIONS MUCH,
"BUT HE COULDN'T KEEP HIS FACE STRAIGHT.
"HE SUDDENLY TURNED AND LEFT.
"HE WAS UPSET, VERY UPSET.
HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE ALONE THEN."
Van Dyke: ON MAY 23, 1922,
WALT OFFICIALLY INCORPORATED
LAUGH-O-GRAM FILMS IN A 2-ROOM SUITE
IN THE McCONAHAY BUILDING.
HE WAS 20 YEARS OLD.
J.B.: WHEN PICTORIAL CLUBS SIGNED THE CONTRACT
FOR THE LAUGH-O-GRAMS, THE CONTRACT SPECIFIED
THAT DISNEY AND HIS COWORKERS
WERE TO GET $11,100.
WHAT THEY GOT WAS THE $100.
THAT WAS IT. THE CONTRACT WAS SET UP
SO THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GET THE REST OF THE MONEY
A LONG WAY DOWN THE ROAD,
BUT, UH, CONVENIENTLY ENOUGH,
PICTORIAL CLUBS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS BEFORE THAT.
UH, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD BE TEMPTED TO BECOME VERY CONSERVATIVE
AND DO SOMETHING EASY AND SAFE.
WHAT DISNEY DOES IS GO OUT AND BLOW IT ALL
ON THE MOST LAVISH FILM HE CAN POSSIBLY MAKE,
AND IT WAS CALLED ALICE'S WONDERLAND.
WELL, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN EXPERIMENTING
DURING THE TWENTIES
WITH LIVE ACTION/ANIMATION COMBINATIONS.
BUT THE STANDARD WAY OF DOING THAT,
WHICH THE FLEISCHERS HAD REALLY PIONEERED,
WAS TO PUT AN ANIMATED CHARACTER
INTO A LIVE ACTION WORLD.
WALT REVERSED IT TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW
AND SOMETHING DIFFERENT VERY TYPICALLY,
AND PUT THE LIVE ACTION CHARACTER
INTO THE ANIMATED WORLD,
WHICH REALLY HADN'T BEEN BEFORE,
OR DONE VERY LITTLE.
Kaufman: IN THE FIRST PART OF THE FILM, OF COURSE,
SHE GOES INTO THE CARTOON STUDIO,
SO YOU GET THIS KIND OF WONDERFUL, WHIMSICAL LOOK
AT A CARTOON STUDIO THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES.
Virginia Davis: THE NAME OF THE FIRST FILM,
WHICH WAS THE TEST FILM THAT HE USED,
WAS CALLED ALICE'S WONDERLAND,
AND IT WAS SHOT IN MY MOTHER'S HOUSE,
AT LEAST THE LIVE ACTION PART OF IT,
AND THAT IS WHERE
HE INTRODUCED THE IDEA OF THE CARTOONS.
AND WHEN I CAME HOME,
I WAS TO BE PUT TO BED,
AND THEN I DREAMT THE WHOLE SEQUENCE
OF THEALICECARTOONS,
AND HE'D SAY, YOU KNOW, "RUN. MOVE YOUR ARMS.
MOVE YOUR ARMS LIKE YOU'RE RUNNING."
Van Dyke: HALFWAY THROUGH THE PRODUCTION,
WALT WAS BROKE.
LAUGH-O-GRAMS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.
IN JULY OF 1923, WALT SOLD HIS MOVIE CAMERA.
HE WOULD GO WHERE ALL THE MOVIEMAKERS GO--
HE WOULD HEAD FOR HOLLYWOOD.
Walt: IT WAS A BIG DAY,
THE DAY I GOT ON THE SANTE FE RAILROAD--
THE CALIFORNIA RAILROAD.
3 1/2 DAYS, YOU KNOW?
BUT I'D FAILED,
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
TO HAVE A GOOD FAILURE WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG.
I CAME TO HOLLYWOOD.
THERE WAS JUST ONE THING I WANTED TO DO.
I WANTED TO GET INTO THE MOTION PICTURE BUSINESS.
I WANTED TO BE A DIRECTOR.
THAT WAS MY AMBITION AND GOAL, BE A DIRECTOR.
Van Dyke: WALT MOVED IN
WITH HIS UNCLE ROBERT DISNEY.
HE THEN SET OUT TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR
OF EVERY STUDIO IN TOWN.
BUT THEY ALL TURNED HIM DOWN.
Walt: THAT WAS MY ONLY MARKETING, GET IN.
NOT CHOOSE, BUT GET IN.
BE A PART OF IT, AND THEN MOVE UP.
WHAT THE HELL, SWEEP THE FLOOR.
I DON'T CARE. GET A--
Van Dyke: AT FIRST, WALT AVOIDED ANIMATION.
HE BELIEVED HE WAS TOO LATE TO COMPETE
WITH THE BIG STUDIOS IN NEW YORK.
BUT WHEN NO OPPORTUNITIES OPENED UP,
HE RETURNED TO ANIMATION.
UNCLE ROBERT DISNEY
WAS A GRUFF, CIGAR-CHOMPING FELLOW
WHO COULD BE PERSUADED TO HELP
WHEN WALT NEEDED HIM.
HE HAD A PLEASANT HOUSE ON KINGSWELL AVENUE,
AND ALLOWED WALT TO TURN HIS GARAGE INTO A STUDIO.
WALT THEN SENT THE UNFINISHED PRINT
OFALICE'S WONDERLAND TO A CARTOON DISTRIBUTOR
NAMED MARGARET WINKLER.
ON OCTOBER 15, WINKLER SENT A TELEGRAM BACK.
Bob: SO WALT CAME OUT
TO ROY'S BARRACKS AND SAID, UH,
"ROY, I'VE GOT A DEAL WITH A NEW YORK DISTRIBUTOR,
"AND I WANT YOU TO COME IN WITH ME.
I NEED YOUR HELP."
AND, UH, ROY LEFT THE HOSPITAL,
NEVER WENT BACK,
NEVER HAD A RECURRENCE OF T.B., AND THAT'S HOW
THE DISNEY BROTHERS STUDIO WAS FORMED.
DAD WOULD'VE BEEN PRESIDENT OF THE BANK IN KANSAS CITY,
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID.
DAD, BEING OLDER,
AND HAVING BEEN HIS BABYSITTER
FOR A LONG TIME WHEN HE WAS A KID,
I THINK, ALWAYS CARRIED AROUND
A BIT OF THAT WITH HIM.
Van Dyke: WALT SENT FOR VIRGINIA DAVIS,
THE STAR OF THE SERIES.
HER FAMILY MOVED TO CALIFORNIA.
WALT BOUGHT A SECOND-HAND CAMERA FOR $200
AND SET UP SHOP IN A SMALL STORE
ON KINGSWELL AVENUE.
A FEW MONTHS LATER, HE ASKED UB IWERKS
TO JOIN HIM.
WALT AND ROY TOOK AN UPSTAIRS ROOM
IN A HOUSE OPPOSITE UNCLE ROBERT'S.
BUT THE PLACE WAS SMALL,
AND THE 2 MEN GOT ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES.
WITH A STEADY INCOME NOW SECURE, ROY DECIDED
TO PROPOSE TO HIS CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART, EDNA.
SHE ACCEPTED.
WALT, MEANWHILE, WAS SMITTEN
WITH A YOUNG WOMAN HE'D HIRED
TO INK AND PAINT THE CELLULOIDS.
HER NAME WAS LILLIAN BOUNDS.
Diane: MY MOTHER WAS BORN IN SPALDING, IDAHO,
A TOWN THAT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE,
IN 1899.
THE FAMILY MOVED VERY NEARBY TO LAPWAI.
IT WAS THE NEZ PERCE INDIAN RESERVATION
IN LAPWAI, AND SHE WENT TO SCHOOL
AT THE-- ON THE RESERVATION,
AND AFTER A CERTAIN BIT OF TIME HAD LAPSED
AFTER HER FATHER'S DEATH,
MY AUNT HAZEL, HER NEAREST SISTER,
WAS IN LOS ANGELES
AND URGED HER TO COME DOWN,
SO SHE LEFT HER MOTHER WITH HER BROTHER SID
AND WENT DOWN TO LOS ANGELES,
AND A YOUNG WOMAN SHE MET, A FRIEND OF HAZEL'S,
SAID, "YOU KNOW, I CAN GET YOU A JOB.
"THERE'S A YOUNG GUY DOWN THE STREET
WHO'S MAKING CARTOONS."
HE HAD A LITTLE CAR,
AND HE WOULD DRIVE MOTHER
AND ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN THAT WORKED FOR HIM THEN
HOME EVERY EVENING,
AND MOTHER TOOK GREAT DELIGHT IN THE FACT
THAT EVEN THOUGH MOTHER WAS THE NEAREST,
HE WOULD TAKE THE OTHER GIRL HOME FIRST
AND THEN DROP MOTHER OFF ON THE WAY BACK.
IN SOME WAYS,
THE FAMILY WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM HIS OWN.
IT WAS A LARGE FAMILY, YOU KNOW,
DOUBLE THE SIZE OF HIS.
MY MOTHER'S FATHER WAS--
SHE DESCRIBED HIM "A GOOD-TIME CHARLIE."
THEY NEVER HAD MUCH MONEY,
AND WHEN HE MADE A LITTLE MONEY, HE WENT OUT
AND BOUGHT THEM ALL PRESENTS.
Van Dyke: ON APRIL 11, 1925,
ROY AND EDNA WERE MARRIED AT UNCLE ROBERT'S HOUSE.
Diane: AND DAD IS OBVIOUSLY
SO DELIGHTED WITH MOTHER, YOU KNOW.
ANY EXCUSE TO HUG HER.
AND SHE LOOKS VERY PLEASED
TO BE THE OBJECT OF HIS AFFECTION.
AND NOT LONG AFTER THAT,
THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD GET MARRIED, TOO.
THEY WENT UP TO LEWISTON, IDAHO,
WHERE HER MOTHER WAS.
THE DRESS SHE MADE HERSELF.
MY COUSIN MARJORIE REMEMBERS THAT MOTHER GIGGLED
THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE-- THE CEREMONY.
AND THEN THEY WENT ON A HONEYMOON
TO MT. RAINIER.
Van Dyke: JUST ONE WEEK BEFORE,
THE 2 BROTHERS MADE THE DOWN PAYMENT
ON A NEW LOT ON HYPERION AVENUE.
THEY PLANNED TO BUILD A BRAND NEW STUDIO
TO CONTINUE PRODUCING THEALICESERIES.
MARGARET WINKLER WAS ONE OF
THE VERY FEW WOMEN
TO BE A DISTRIBUTION EXECUTIVE
IN THE FILM WORLD.
SHE SUBSEQUENTLY MARRIED CHARLES MINTZ,
WHO KIND OF TOOK OVER THE BUSINESS,
AND WHO DROVE A MUCH HARDER BARGAIN
THAN SHE HAD.
Van Dyke: MINTZ WAS NOT THRILLED
WITH THEALICECOMEDIES,
AND BY THE END OF 1926,
EVEN WALT HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT THEY HAD RUN THEIR COURSE.
Charles Solomon: NOW, MINTZ WANTED A SERIES
THAT WOULD BE PURELY ANIMATED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE KNOWS
WHO ACTUALLY SUGGESTED A RABBIT,
AND WHO THOUGHT
THAT OSWALD SHOULD BE HIS NAME,
BUT OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT
WAS THE CHARACTER THEY CAME UP WITH.
AND OSWALD WAS PRETTY LUCKY.
THEY--THEY DID VERY WELL.
THE FILMS WERE DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL,
AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT A MAJOR COMPANY
HAD DISTRIBUTED DISNEY'S CARTOONS.
SO THEY WERE BEING SHOWN IN MAJOR THEATERS
WITH FIRST-RUN FILMS.
Diane: AND THEN THE 2 BROTHERS
DECIDED IT WAS-- YOU KNOW,
THAT THEY WERE BOTH MARRIED,
IT WAS TIME TO BUILD A REAL HOME.
THEY BOUGHT LOTS-- ADJOINING LOTS--
NOT FAR FROM THE HYPERION STUDIO
ON A LITTLE HILLSIDE STREET.
IT WAS PROBABLY THE FINEST HOME
THAT ANYBODY IN THEIR FAMILY
HAD EVER HAD AT THAT POINT.
Van Dyke: LILLY'S MOTHER,
WHO WALT TREATED LIKE A QUEEN,
LIVED WITH THEM FOR A WHILE.
HAZEL DID, TOO, WITH HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER MARJORIE.
Diane: ONE CHRISTMAS,
MY FATHER PRESENTED MY MOTHER WITH A HATBOX,
AND WHEN SHE OPENED IT,
THERE WAS A LITTLE CHOW PUPPY INSIDE.
Van Dyke: IN FEBRUARY OF 1928,
THE CONTRACT FOROSWALD THE RABBIT
WAS UP FOR RENEWAL.
TOGETHER WITH LILLY, WALT BOARDED A TRAIN
TO NEW YORK TO STRIKE A NEW DEAL.
BUT MINTZ HAD AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE.
Kaufman: I THINK HE FIGURED
THAT HE COULD PRODUCE THEOSWALDCARTOONS
JUST AS WELL AS DISNEY,
AND DO AWAY WITH THE MIDDLEMAN.
AND MINTZ TOLD HIM,
"NO, YOU WILL NOT GET MORE MONEY.
IN FACT, YOU WILL TAKE LESS,"
AND REVEALED THAT HE HAD HIRED AWAY
VIRTUALLY WALT'S ENTIRE STAFF
EXCEPT FOR UB IWERKS,
AND THAT THEY WERE TAKING
THE OSWALD CHARACTER TO SOMEONE ELSE.
MINTZ HAD IN EFFECT
STOLEN THE CHARACTER FROM DISNEY.
NOW, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MADE CLEAR
THAT THIS WAS STANDARD PRACTICE AT THE TIME.
THE DISTRIBUTOR OWNED THE RIGHTS TO THE CHARACTER.
Diane: HE WIRED ROY.
"EVERYTHING OK,
I'LL EXPLAIN WHEN I GET HOME,"
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND ON THE WAY HOME ON THE TRAIN
HE WAS BRAINSTORMING, AND MOTHER WAS THERE.
HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, I THINK I'LL--
"I NEED A NEW CHARACTER.
"I THINK IT WILL BE A MOUSE,
AND I THINK I'LL CALL HIM MORTIMER."
AND MOTHER SAID--
AND SHE IS SO PROUD OF THIS MOMENT--
"MORTIMER? I DON'T LIKE MORTIMER.
WHAT ABOUT MICKEY?"
Van Dyke: WALT PRESENTED HIS IDEAS TO UB IWERKS,
WHO REFINED AND ANIMATED THE CHARACTER.
THEY BEGAN THE FIRST CARTOON WITH MICKEY MOUSE,
PLANE CRAZY, IN TOTAL SECRECY.
WALT DIDN'T HAVE ANY INITIAL SUCCESS
FINDING A DISTRIBUTOR FOR HIS NEW CHARACTER.
HE KNEW THAT HE NEEDED SOMETHING REVOLUTIONARY.
THE ANSWER WAS SOUND,
WHICH HAD RECENTLY BEEN ADDED
TO SILENT PICTURES.
THE IDEA OF BLENDING SOUND AND ANIMATION
WASN'T NEW,
BUT WHAT WAS TYPICAL OF DISNEY
WAS THAT HE WENT AHEAD AND MADE SURE
THAT HE COULD DO IT BETTER
AND MORE EFFECTIVELY
THAN ANYONE ELSE HAD UP UNTIL THEN.
Van Dyke: HE STRUCK A DEAL
WITH A FELLOW NAMED PAT POWERS,
WHO WOULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SOUND EQUIPMENT
TO THEATERS, AS WELL AS DISTRIBUTE THE CARTOON.
THEN WE USED TO PUT THE SOUND ON AFTERWARDS
AND, UH, IN THOSE DAYS YOU COULDN'T DO
WHAT WE CALL DUBBING TODAY,
WHERE YOU COULD MIX A LOT OF TRACKS.
IT WASN'T YET A SCIENCE THAT, UH,
THAT YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH,
SO WE USED TO HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING AT ONE TIME,
AND WE USED TO HAVE TO RUN THE CARTOON,
WE'D HAVE THE FELLAS WITH THE SOUND EFFECTS,
WE HAD THE PEOPLE WITH THE VOICES,
WE HAD THE ORCHESTRA GOING,
AND EVERYBODY HAD TO SYNCHRONIZE.
[TOOT]
[TOOT TOOT TOOT]
[TWEET TWEET]
[WHISTLING]
Charles: WHEN YOU LOOK
ATSTEAMBOAT WILLIE TODAY,
IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE
HOW FRESH AND HOW DIFFERENT
IT MUST HAVE BEEN
THAN THE OTHER ANIMATED FILMS OF THAT ERA.
BUT IF YOU WERE IN THE AUDIENCE
IN THE COLONY THEATER IN NEW YORK
IN NOVEMBER OF 1928, YOU HAD NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
HERE WAS A CHARACTER LAUGHING AND DANCING
AND WHISTLING AND SINGING,
COORDINATED TO THE MUSIC MORE PERFECTLY
THAN ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN BEFORE.
[MICKEY MOUSE VOICE] HURRY UP, PLUTO!
Charles: WALT WAS MICKEY'S ORIGINAL VOICE
BECAUSE HE COULDN'T FIND AN ACTOR
WHO DID IT THE WAY HE LIKED IT.
HE WOULD SAY, "IT'S HIGH,
IT'S NOT FALSETTO, IT'S LIKE THIS."
AND THEY FINALLY SAID, "WALT, YOU DO IT."
[MICKEY MOUSE VOICE] SHH! HE'LL HEAR YOU.
Charles: AND MANY OF THE ARTISTS
MAINTAIN THAT MICKEY WAS REALLY
KIND OF AN ALTER EGO FOR WALT,
THAT WHEN THEY SEE HIM MOVING AND ACTING,
PARTICULARLY IN THE LATER SOUND FILMS
WHEN THE CHARACTER HAS DEVELOPED MORE FULLY
IN THE THIRTIES,
THAT HE REALLY IS KIND OF WALT
UP ON THE SCREEN.
Van Dyke: MICKEY MOUSE HAD MADE WALT FAMOUS.
BUT WALT WANTED TO EXPLORE
NEW IDEAS FOR ANIMATED FILMS.
Walt: AND PLAYING WITH MUSIC
AND DOING THINGS WITH MUSIC
WAS INTRIGUING AND EVERYTHING.
SO I STARTED THE SILLY SYMPHONY.
AND I MADE THE FIRST ONE
AND CALLED IT THE SKELETON DANCE.
Charles: AND ONCE AGAIN,
THIS IS A FILM THAT MUST HAVE BEEN
A REAL EYE-OPENER FOR AUDIENCES
WHEN IT CAME OUT BECAUSE NO ONE HAD SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE IT.
IT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE MUCH OF A PLOT.
IT'S BASICALLY SOME SKELETONS EMERGE
FROM THEIR TOMB AT NIGHT
AND DANCE SOME RATHER JAUNTY DANCES
AND SMASH EACH OTHER AND PLAY EACH OTHER
AND BOUNCE UP AND DOWN AND HAVE A GOOD TIME,
AND IT'S VERY RUBBERY ANIMATION
ALL SET TO EDVARD GRIEG'S
MARCH OF THE DWARVES.
Ray Bradbury: WHEN I WAS 7, I WENT TO THE MOVIES
AND SAWTHE SKELETON DANCE, A MATINEE,
AND I STAYED THROUGH THE FILM,
A DREADFUL FILM,
BUT I STAYED THROUGH TO SEETHE SKELETON DANCE
SO MANY TIMES THAT MY FATHER HAD TO COME
AND DRAG ME OUT OF THE THEATER.
THE GUY THOUGHT IN TERMS
OF ENTERTAINMENT, AND THAT WAS
THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT HIM.
AND THAT'S WHAT, I GUESS,
MADE US ALL SO LOYAL TO HIM.
HE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
THAT WAS DIFFERENT.
HE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS
WAY OUT IN FRONT OF WHAT ANYBODY ELSE WAS DOING
IN THE BUSINESS OF ANIMATION.
HE CARED ENOUGH TO WANT TO MAKE IT ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.
HE'D DO IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN
UNTIL IT WORKED, TILL IT WAS RIGHT.
Van Dyke: IN LATE 1930, ROY BEGAN TO SUSPECT
THAT POWERS HAD WITHHELD LARGE SUMS OF ROYALTIES.
HE SURMISED THAT POWERS WANTED
TO TAKE OVER THE DISNEY STUDIO.
BELIEVING UB IWERKS TO BE THE KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS,
HE LURED IWERKS AWAY.
THE DISNEY BROTHERS HAD GIVEN IWERKS
A 20% INTEREST IN THEIR STUDIO,
WHICH HE SOLD BACK FOR A MERE $2,000.
UB WOULD RETURN TO THE STUDIO SOME YEARS LATER
AND BECOME AN EXPERT IN SPECIAL EFFECTS.
WHEN UB LEFT, WALT WAS HURT.
BUT AT LEAST, THIS TIME,
HE OWNED THE MICKEY CHARACTER.
THERE WAS TIMES WHEN WE WEREN'T PROCEEDING.
I THINK HE HAD A SENSE OF DESTINY,
AND HE KNEW WHERE HE WANTED TO GO,
AND HE WANTED TO GET ON WITH IT ALWAYS.
Van Dyke: ON JANUARY 10, 1930,
EDNA GAVE BIRTH TO A BABY BOY NAMED ROY EDWARD.
FOR SOME TIME, WALT HAD BEEN READY
TO START A FAMILY, BUT LILLY WANTED TO WAIT.
AS THE YOUNGEST OF 10 CHILDREN
IN A FAMILY OF HUMBLE MEANS,
LILLY HAD SEEN HOW HARD HER MOTHER
AND OLDER SISTER WERE FORCED TO WORK.
HER LIFE WITH WALT WAS ROMANTIC AND EXCITING,
AND THEY WERE ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
AFTER A FEW YEARS, WHEN LILLY DECIDED
THE TIME HAD COME FOR CHILDREN,
IT WASN'T TO BE THAT EASY.
LILLY SUFFERED 2 MISCARRIAGES.
COMBINED WITH THE PRESSURES OF THE STUDIO,
WALT FELT PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINED.
Walt: I DID. IN 1931, I HAD A HELL OF A BREAKDOWN.
I WENT ALL TO PIECES.
IT WAS A FACT THAT I CRACKED UP.
I JUST GOT VERY IRRITABLE.
I GOT TO THE POINT THAT I COULDN'T TALK
ON THE TELEPHONE. I'D BEGIN TO CRY.
I HAD TO GO AWAY.
Diane: AND EVERYBODY WENT
TO THE TRAIN STATION TO SEE THEM OFF.
SO THEY WENT ON, THEY WENT
TO WASHINGTON D.C., I BELIEVE,
AND THEN ON TO, UH, CUBA ON A STEAMSHIP,
AND THEN I THINK THEY CAME ON
THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL, IT WAS.
AND I THINK IT WAS A VERY LANGUOROUS,
VERY RELAXING, AND MAYBE ROMANTIC--
VERY ROMANTIC TRIP FOR THEM.
Van Dyke: WALT DECIDED HE NEEDED TO EXERCISE
TO WORK OUT THE TENSION IN HIS LIFE.
GOLF, WRESTLING, AND BOXING
DIDN'T QUITE WORK OUT.
AND THIS, YOU MUST REMEMBER,
WAS THE MACHO TIME OF FILMS.
THIS IS WHEN THE MEN TRIED TO SIMULATE,
IN A SENSE, THE CHARACTERS THEY PLAYED ON FILM,
AND THEY WERE ATHLETES, AND THEY JUMPED INTO THINGS
THEY WEREN'T REALLY EQUIPPED TO DO--LIKE POLO,
WHICH IS A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT GAME.
Robert: GABLE AND SPENCE TRACY
AND BOB MONTGOMERY AND...
THEY WOULD HAVE THESE TAILGATE PARTIES
WITH THE WICKER BASKETS AND THE CHAMPAGNE
AND THE CAVIAR AND THE WHOLE SONG AND DANCE,
WHICH WAS NOT REALLY TYPICAL
OF THE WAY HOLLYWOOD WAS AT ALL.
Mel Shaw: WHILE HE WAS, UH, RIDING AROUND
SCRIMMAGING WITH THE ARGENTINE TEAM,
ONE OF THE ARGENTINE PLAYERS BACKED A BALL
AND WALT TURNED AROUND JUST ABOUT THE TIME
THAT THE BALL CAME AND, YOU KNOW,
THESE BALLS ARE HARD WOODEN OBJECTS,
AND IT HIT WALT, AND, UH, IT REALLY HURT HIM BADLY.
AND AT THAT POINT THE INSURANCE COMPANY
TOLD WALT THAT HE HAD TO QUIT PLAYING POLO.
Van Dyke: IN 1932, WALT BEGAN WORK
ON A PARTICULARLY RISKY SILLY SYMPHONY PROJECT.
Charles: FLOWERS AND TREESBEGAN
AS A BLACK AND WHITE SILLY SYMPHONY,
AND DISNEY SOMEHOW LEARNED
ABOUT THE TECHNICOLOR PROCESS,
SIGNED A DEAL FOR ITS EXCLUSIVE USE
IN ANIMATION FOR, I BELIEVE, 3 YEARS,
AND THEN ANNOUNCED TO HIS BROTHER ROY
THAT THEY WERE GOING TO RESHOOT THIS FILM
THAT WAS HALF DONE ALL IN COLOR,
UM, WHICH PROBABLY TREBLED THE COST
AND SENT ROY'S BLOOD PRESSURE UP
A NUMBER OF DEGREES.
I THINK PROBABLY 9 TIMES OUT OF 10
DAD'S QUESTION WOULD ALWAYS BE, UM,
"WHERE AM I GONNA GET THE MONEY TO--TO DO IT?"
NOT, UH, "IS THAT A GOOD IDEA OR NOT?"
I THINK HE REALLY WANTED HIS LITTLE BROTHER
TO DO ANYTHING HE WANTED TO DO
BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED THE POWER OF THOSE IDEAS.
Van Dyke:FLOWERS AND TREES WAS REPAINTED
AND SHOT FROM SCRATCH.
[TWITTERS]
COLOR CATAPULTED THE SILLY SYMPHONIES
TO NEW HEIGHTS OF POPULARITY.
THE ACADEMY CROWNED FLOWERS AND TREES
WITH AN OSCAR, THE FIRST EVER GIVEN TO A CARTOON.
THE SILLY SYMPHONIES, ESPECIALLYTHREE LITTLE PIGS,
HAD HONED A NEW CLASS OF ANIMATORS,
ABLE TO PRODUCE FLUID MOVEMENTS IN CHARACTERS
IN HIGHLY REALISTIC SETTINGS.
IN MAY OF 1933,
LILLY TOLD WALT SHE WAS PREGNANT AGAIN.
IN DECEMBER, DIANE MARIE DISNEY WAS BORN.
Diane: THE MORNING OF MY BIRTH,
UH, SHE SAID HER-- THAT HER WATER BROKE,
AND MY DAD CRIED, HE WAS SO EXCITED.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL HOME, THIS SECOND HOME,
THE HOME THAT I WAS--CAME INTO,
IN THE LOS FELIZ HILLS,
AND MANY WONDERFUL SUNDAYS WITH A LOT OF THE ANIMATORS,
AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT WORKED WITH HIM
WOULD COME WITH THEIR FAMILIES,
AND A LOT OF FUN AND GAMES IN THE SWIMMING POOL.
[BABBLING]
HMM?
[QUACKING]
HOW'S THE OLD KITTY GO? HOW'S THE OLD KITTY CAT GO?
MEOW.
HUH?
Van Dyke: WALT HAD LONG SINCE
STOPPED DOING ANIMATION HIMSELF.
HE GUIDED HIS CREATIVE STAFF,
FOCUSING ON STORY DEVELOPMENT.
WALT HAD MANY FACES...
AND THE FACE HE SHOWED HIS FAMILY
WAS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM THE FACE
HE SHOWED HIS ANIMATORS AND HIS ARTISTS.
THERE HE WAS A TASKMASTER, AND A VERY STERN ONE.
HE COULD BE VERY TOUGH AND HE WOULD NEVER PRAISE.
Don Peri: ONE OF HIS NON-TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES
WAS TO PUT 2 ANTAGONISTS TOGETHER.
HE LIKED THE FRICTION THAT CAME WITH THAT.
HE THOUGHT SOMETHING CREATIVE WOULD COME OUT OF THAT.
HE ALSO, IF HE HAD A TEAM WORKING TOGETHER
THAT LIKED EACH OTHER TOO MUCH, HE WOULD BREAK THEM UP.
WALT HAD A STRANGE HABIT.
HE FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY TO YOU,
"HEY, MARK, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL JOB."
HE WOULD--HE WOULD TALK
TO OLLIE JOHNSTON OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
HE TURNS TO FRANK AND HE SAYS,
"I HEAR YOU GOT THE BEST SCENE
IN THE PICTURE."
HE WOULD TELL OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT YOU.
YOU NEVER HEARD IT FIRST-HAND.
IT WAS ALWAYS SECOND-HAND.
HE SAID, "I HEAR YOU'VE GOT
THE BEST SCENE IN THE PICTURE."
NOW, THAT'S PRETTY EVASIVE.
THAT'S THE CLOSEST YOU'LL COME
TO GETTING A COMPLIMENT.
HE WAS NOT DENYING ANYBODY PRAISE.
IT WAS JUST HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
HE WOULD TEST YOU SOMETIMES.
I MEAN, HE WOULD TEST PEOPLE
TO SEE IF THEY COULD DEFEND WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN.
HE HAD-- HE HAD A MARVELOUS WAY
OF MAKING YOU WANT TO PLEASE HIM.
AND WHEN YOU PLEASED HIM,
YOU DIDN'T TOUCH GROUND FOR A DAY OR TWO.
AND YOU'D JUST FEEL YOURSELF RISE UP OUT OF THE CHAIR.
HE WAS QUITE OUTSPOKEN ABOUT ANYTHING HE DIDN'T LIKE.
PARTICULARLY WHEN WE WERE IN WHAT WE CALLED "SWEATBOX,"
WHERE WE WOULD RUN OFF THE DAY'S ANIMATION,
THE ROUGHS.
AND THEY CALLED THEM "SWEATBOXES,"
BECAUSE LITERALLY YOU WENT IN
AND YOU SWEAT BLOOD. HEH HEH.
AND THIS IS THE GREAT STORY
OF WALT'S EYEBROW COMING DOWN
AND TAPPING HIS FINGERS ON THE TABLE,
AND I THOUGHT, "OH, GOD, I'M IN TROUBLE NOW."
HE'D HUNCH FORWARD IN HIS SEAT,
HIS EYEBROW-- VERY ANIMATED EYEBROW--
WOULD GO UP AND START LOOKING--HE'D SCOWL
BECAUSE HE WAS CONCENTRATING SO HARD.
THIS WAS TERRIBLY UNNERVING.
Van Dyke: WALT SENT ARTISTS TO CLASSES
AT THE CHOUINARD ART INSTITUTE.
THE FIRST THING I DID
WHEN I GOT A LITTLE MONEY TO EXPERIMENT,
I PUT ALL MY ARTISTS BACK IN SCHOOL.
ART SCHOOLS THAT EXISTED THEN
DIDN'T QUITE HAVE ENOUGH FOR WHAT WE NEEDED,
SO WE SET UP OUR OWN ART SCHOOL.
WE WERE DEALING IN MOTION, MOVEMENT,
THE FLOW OF MOVEMENT, THE FLOW OF THINGS.
ACTION, REACTION, ALL OF THAT.
Van Dyke: WITH HIS NEWLY-TRAINED ANIMATORS,
WALT THOUGHT THE STUDIO WAS READY AT LAST
TO BREAK OUT OF CARTOON SHORTS.
Walt: I DON'T KNOW WHY I PICKEDSNOW WHITE.
IT WAS A THING I REMEMBERED AS A KID.
I SAW MARGUERITE CLARK IN IT IN KANSAS CITY
WHEN I WAS A NEWSBOY. THEY HAD A BIG SHOWING
FOR ALL THE NEWSBOYS, AND I WENT AND SAWSNOW WHITE.
IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FIRST BIG FEATURE PICTURES
I'D EVER SEEN.
TO ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS A PERFECT STORY.
I HAD THE SYMPATHETIC DWARFS AND THINGS,
I HAD THE HEAVY.
I HAD THE PRINCE AND THE GIRL, THE ROMANCE.
I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A PERFECT STORY.
I REMEMBER THAT HE CALLED A MEETING
AND HAD A LARGE GROUP
OVER ON THE SOUNDSTAGE ONE EVENING,
AND HE WENT THROUGH AND TOLD THE STORY.
AND SO WE WERE ALL A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT IT,
BUT WE SAT AROUND IN A HALF CIRCLE AS I RECALL,
AND HE STARTED TELLING THE STORY.
OF COURSE, TYPICAL WALT,
HE WAS A TERRIFIC ACTOR,
BUT HE COULDN'T DO IT BY MEMORIZING LINES
OR DOING ANYTHING REHEARSED.
HE WAS A NATURAL ACTOR, AS IT WERE,
HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE HIS ANIMATORS AND HIS DIRECTORS
AND SCRIPT PEOPLE SORT OF AN ESSENCE
OF WHAT THESE CHARACTERS SHOULD BE DOING
AND HOW THE STORY SHOULD FLOW.
HE WOULD JUST SAY, "THE QUEEN GETS UP HERE AND DOES THIS,
"AND SNOW WHITE'S DOWN HERE AND SHE'S SCRUBBING AWAY ON THIS,
"AND SHE SINGSSOME DAY,
AND HERE COMES THE PRINCE ON HIS HORSE,"
HE JUST ACTS OUT EVERY PART OF IT SPONTANEOUSLY.
Van Dyke: BACK AT HOME,
WALT WAS HAPPY WITH HIS LITTLE FAMILY.
IN FACT, HE WANTED MORE CHILDREN.
LILLY'S DOCTORS DIDN'T AGREE.
MY MOTHER HAD BEEN TOLD
THAT SHE SHOULD NOT TRY TO HAVE ANOTHER CHILD
BECAUSE SHE HAD HAD ANOTHER PREGNANCY AFTER MY BIRTH
THAT ENDED IN A MISCARRIAGE.
SO MY FATHER HAD PURSUED THE IDEA OF ADOPTION,
AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF SECRECY
AROUND ADOPTION AT THAT TIME.
I'D BEEN TOLD I WAS GETTING A SISTER
AND I WAS VERY EXCITED.
LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW, I SAW THE CAR DOOR OPEN
AND MY SISTER WAS THERE.
Van Dyke: SHARON MAE DISNEY HAD JOINED THE FAMILY.
WALT'S HOME WAS HIS SANCTUARY,
BUT HIS FAMILY KNEW THEY HAD TO SHARE WALT WITH THE STUDIO
AND THE ONE PROJECT THAT COULD SPELL SUCCESS OR FAILURE--
SNOW WHITE.
MEETINGS FOCUSED ON EVERY DETAIL.
WHEN, FOR EXAMPLE, SHOULD SNOW WHITE NOTICE
THE PRESENCE OF THE HUNTSMAN BEHIND HER?
[MUSIC SWELLS]
GOOD-BYE!
AAH!
Van Dyke: GAGS AND IDEAS WERE CONSTANTLY BEING ADDED OR CUT,
A PROCESS THAT WALT CALLED "PLUSSING."
I DID A SOUP SEQUENCE FOR SNOW WHITE
THAT WAS VERY FUNNY AND EVERYBODY LAUGHED.
AND SO DID WALT.
SHE CALLS THEM IN, DANG, DANG, DANG,
AND SHE SERVES SOUP TO THEM.
ALL THE FUNNY WAYS THAT THEY SLURP THE SOUP,
ESPECIALLY DOPEY.
[SLURPING RHYTHMICALLY]
?? WITH A SPOON ??
Ward: AND HE CALLED ME UP TO HIS OFFICE,
AND HE SAYS, "I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE FILM,
AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE OUT THE SOUP SEQUENCE."
NOW, I'D SPENT 8 MONTHS ON IT.
AND HE GAVE ME THE REASON WAS, HE SAYS,
"I'VE GOT TO GET BACK TO THE WITCH."
AND IT KIND OF HURT.
Van Dyke: COSTS SOARED FROM AN ESTIMATED $500,000
TO 3 TIMES THAT.
CYNICS SNEERED AT THE IDEA THAT AUDIENCES
WOULD SIT THROUGH A FEATURE-LENGTH CARTOON.
WE'RE MAKING
A FEATURE-LENGTH CARTOON.
A FEATURE-LENGTH CARTOON?
YES, WE...
Walt: I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I HAD,
OR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN OR ANYTHING.
WE HAD THE FAMILY FORTUNE,
WE HAD EVERYTHING WRAPPED UP INSNOW WHITE.
IN FACT, THE BANKER, I THINK,
WAS LOSING MORE SLEEP THAN I WAS.
IFSTEAMBOAT WILLIE WAS THE FIRST TIME
WALT RISKED EVERYTHING HE HAD ON A FILM,
SNOW WHITE WAS THE SECOND.
HE WAS LITERALLY MORTGAGED TO THE HILT.
EVERY NICKEL HE COULD RAISE, BORROW, BEG,
HE PUT INTO THAT FILM.
NOW, IT WASN'T THE FIRST ANIMATED FEATURE.
THERE HAD BEEN A COUPLE MADE IN ARGENTINA IN THE TEENS.
IN EUROPE, THERE HAD BEEN LOTTE REINIGER'S
ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED,
BUT THE IDEA THAT THIS KIND OF FULLY-ANIMATED,
TECHNICOLOR, SPECTACULAR FILM
COULD BE MADE IN ANIMATION
WAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY BOLD STROKE
AND YET A VERY LOGICAL ONE.
[DOOR SLAMS]
Van Dyke: ON DECEMBER 21, 1937,
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
HAD ITS PREMIERE AT THE CARTHAY CIRCLE THEATER.
Walt: A BIG, GRAND, HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE--
IT WAS QUITE A CLIMAX TO SOMETHING,
BECAUSE IT WENT WAY BACK.
ALL OF HOLLYWOOD'S BRASS TURNED OUT FOR A CARTOON.
SO IT WAS AN EXCITING THING TO HAVE THAT PREMIERE.
THE DARN THING WENT OUT
AND GROSSED $8 MILLION AROUND THE WORLD.
Van Dyke: MONEY POURED IN.
WITHIN 6 MONTHS,
ROY WAS ABLE TO PAY OFF THE ENTIRE STUDIO DEBT.
WALT RECEIVED A SPECIAL ACADEMY AWARD
MADE UP OF ONE TALL AND 7 SMALL FIGURINES.
OH, ISN'T IT BRIGHT AND SHINY?
Walt: OH, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
AREN'T YOU PROUD OF IT, MR. DISNEY?
WHY, I'M SO PROUD, I THINK I'LL BUST.
[GIGGLES]
Van Dyke: FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS WERE THE FUTURE.
WALT REFUSED TO MAKE A SEQUEL TOSNOW WHITE
AND OPTED FOR 3 VERY DIFFERENT STORIES--
PINOCCHIO, FANTASIA, ANDBAMBI.
ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, 1938,
THE WHOLE FAMILY CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE
FLORA AND ELIAS'S 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.
HERE WAS A FAMILY THAT HAD JUST
WORKED THEMSELVES TO THE BONE.
AND THEN-- AND THIS BEAUTIFUL TALENT
OF THE GIFT THAT WALT HAD BEEN GIVEN
WAS JUST LIKE A RAY OF LIGHT COMING INTO OUR LIVES.
Van Dyke: FOR SOME TIME NOW, FLORA, ELIAS, AND RUTH
HAD BEEN LIVING IN PORTLAND, AWAY FROM THEIR SONS,
WHO WERE ALL LIVING IN CALIFORNIA.
Man: ROY AND WALT SAID,
"NO, WE WANT THE FOLKS TO COME DOWN HERE
"WHERE THE WEATHER IS BETTER
"AND WE CAN KEEP AN EYE ON THEM
AND THEY CAN WATCH THEIR GRANDCHILDREN GROW UP."
AND SO THEY BROUGHT THEM DOWN TO LOS ANGELES
AND THEY BOUGHT THEM
A VERY NICE LITTLE HOUSE IN THE VALLEY
CLOSE TO WHERE ROY LIVED.
AND FOR A TIME, THEY WERE VERY HAPPY.
Van Dyke: BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HOUSE.
THE GAS FURNACE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
WALT SENT STUDIO REPAIRMEN TO FIX THE FURNACE,
BUT IT CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION.
EARLY ONE MORNING IN NOVEMBER OF 1938,
ELIAS FOUND HIS WIFE ON THE FLOOR,
OVERCOME BY GAS FUMES.
ELIAS SURVIVED, BUT FLORA DIED.
AND THIS WAS A DEVASTATING EVENT FOR WALT AND ROY.
THEY HAD BOUGHT THE HOUSE,
THEY HAD BROUGHT THEIR PARENTS DOWN HERE,
AND NOW THEIR FATHER WAS ALONE,
AND I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE GREAT TRAGEDIES
IN BOTH THEIR LIVES.
Van Dyke: WALT BEGAN BUILDING A NEW STUDIO IN BURBANK.
BUDGETED AT $3 MILLION,
HE RELISHED THE OPPORTUNITY
TO CREATE A STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDIO
FULL OF NEW IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGY,
INCLUDING THE MULTI-PLANE CAMERA.
Broughton: THE MULTI-PLANE CAMERA HAD LEVELS,
AND ON EACH OF THESE LEVELS WE'D PUT A BIG GLASS ON IT.
WE COULD PAINT THE FOREGROUND TREE ON THE TOP ONE,
THE BACKGROUND--THE HOUSE THAT YOU'RE PHOTOGRAPHING
THAT THE CHARACTERS COME OUT,
AND THE FOURTH LEVEL WOULD BE THE SUN AND THE SKY.
AND THEN THE CAMERA,
IF IT PANNED DOWN THROUGH THESE LEVELS,
YOU GOT A THIRD-DIMENSION EFFECT.
[BELL RINGING]
Charles: I THINK YOU COULD FIND
AMONG ANIMATORS AND ANIMATION HISTORIANS
THATPINOCCHIO IS AS PERFECT
AS AN ANIMATED FEATURE HAS EVER GOTTEN
IN TERMS OF ITS ART DIRECTION,
ITS ANIMATION, ITS LAYOUT, ITS SPECIAL EFFECTS.
IT'S A GORGEOUS FILM
AND WITH A FRACTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY
THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ARTISTS TODAY.
HE WAS GREAT FOR SPONTANEOUS IDEAS.
FOR INSTANCE, WHEN PINOCCHIO AND GEPPETTO
WERE LOCKED INSIDE OF THE WHALE,
AND THEY DID SOMETHING IN THERE TO TICKLE HIM
AND THE WHALE SNEEZES...
AND SNEEZES BOTH OF THEM IN THEIR BOAT OUT INTO THE WATER.
WALT LOOKED AT IT AND SAID,
"WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING. IT'S NOT BAD."
BUT HE SAID, "HOW ABOUT THEM SAYING GESUNDHEIT?"
GESUNDHEIT!
WHICH IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST LAUGHS THAT PICTURE EVER GOT.
AN EVEN BOLDER EXPERIMENT WASFANTASIA.
IN FACT,FANTASIAMAY HAVE BEEN THE MOST ORIGINAL
AND THE MOST UNUSUAL PROJECT DISNEY EVER UNDERTOOK.
DOING THISSORCERER'S APPRENTICE WITH MICKEY MOUSE,
AND I HAPPENED TO HAVE DINNER ONE NIGHT WITH STOKOWSKI.
STOKOWSKI SAID, "OH, I WOULD LOVE TO CONDUCT THAT FOR YOU."
WELL, THAT LED TO NOT ONLY DOING THIS ONE LITTLE SHORT SUBJECT,
BUT IT GOT US INVOLVED-- WELL, I DID ALL OFFANTASIA,
AND BEFORE I KNEW IT, I ENDED UP SPENDING
400 AND SOME ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS
GETTING MUSIC WITH STOKOWSKI.
[LAUGHS]
IT--COLOR SETS A MOOD.
IT TELLS THEM THE STORY.
IT TELLS THEM...
A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION
JUST FROM COLOR.
YOU CAN'T MAKE GOOD MUSIC OUT OF ONE NOTE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SEVERAL NOTES.
AND COLOR'S THE SAME WAY.
IT'S STILL ASTONISHING TO SEE THAT FILM.
IN FACT, WHEN HE WAS DOING STORYBOARDS
FOR THEAVE MARIA SECTION OFFANTASIA,
ONE OF THE STORY PEOPLE SAID,
"I DON'T THINK WE'RE USING THE CARTOON MEDIUM
AS WE SHOULD BE WITH THIS KIND OF THING."
AND HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE GUY AND SAID,
"THIS IS NOT THE CARTOON MEDIUM.
"WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING OF THIS AS A CARTOON.
WE HAVE WORLDS TO CONQUER HERE."
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Van Dyke: WALT WANTED TO REPRODUCE THE SENSATION
OF HEARING MUSIC IN A CONCERT HALL.
THE RESULT WAS AN EARLY VERSION OF STEREOPHONIC SOUND.
THE TOTAL BUDGET OFFANTASIA
NOW CAME TO WELL OVER $2 MILLION.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BURBANK STUDIO WAS GOING WELL,
BUT IN SEPTEMBER OF 1939,
GERMAN DICTATOR ADOLF HITLER INVADED POLAND,
PLUNGING EUROPE INTO THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
THE STUDIO'S INCOME FROM OVERSEAS DISTRIBUTION CEASED.
UNFORTUNATELY NEITHER PINOCCHIONORFANTASIA
DUPLICATED THE SUCCESS OF SNOW WHITEAT THE BOX OFFICE.
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, THE BIG ONE BEING
THAT THE WAR HAD CUT OFF ABOUT 40% OF HIS REVENUES
FROM OVERSEAS MARKETS.
AND IF HE COULD HAVE KEPT DOING FILMS
THAT WERE AS EXPERIMENTAL ASFANTASIA,
THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT WE WOULD BE SEEING NOW
IN ANIMATED FEATURES.
Van Dyke: CASH FLOWED OUT FOR THE NEXT FEATURE--BAMBI.
IT WAS A DIFFICULT PICTURE
BECAUSE WE'D NEVER DONE ANY CHARACTER WITH ANATOMY,
ANY ANIMAL WITH ANATOMY,
AND WALT WANTED THE DEER TO BE VERY BELIEVABLE.
WALT'S IDEA WAS TO GET ALL OF HIS ARTISTS
TO DRAW IN THE WAY OF THE OLD MASTERS
AND THEN PUT THEM TO ANIMATION.
THEY STARTED BRINGING IN REAL ANIMALS
AND HAVING THEM ON THE SOUNDSTAGES.
THEY WOULD HAVE CAGES WITH ANIMALS AROUND THE PLACE.
IT BECAME A ZOO IN ITSELF.
WE WERE JUST GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS,
AND WE WERE ABLE TO ANIMATE SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS
WHICH WERE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.
WHAT DID YOUR FATHER TELL YOU THIS MORNING?
IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE...
DON'T SAY NOTHIN' AT ALL.
OF COURSE, THE GREAT THING IN THAT PICTURE
WAS HOW HE PRESENTED THE DEATH OF THE MOTHER.
AND THAT WENT THROUGH STORY GUYS SAYING,
"WALT, WE GOTTA SHOW THE MOTHER LYING THERE
"AFTER SHE'S SHOT.
"AND BAMBI COMES BACK
AND SEES THIS BLOODY MESS THERE."
AND WALT SAYS, "GEE, I DON'T KNOW, GUYS.
THAT JUST DOESN'T SOUND QUITE RIGHT."
THE WAY HE FELT IT SHOULD BE
WAS THAT BAMBI COMES BACK AND SEARCHES...
MOTHER! [SOBBING]
BUT HE NEVER SEES HER.
[GASPS]
Stag: YOUR MOTHER CAN'T BE WITH YOU ANYMORE.
COME...MY SON.
AND THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT.
BAMBI LOOKS BACK IN THE SNOW
AND HE FOLLOWS HIS FATHER.
HE WAS THE BEST STORY MAN IN THE STUDIO,
THE BEST STORY MAN IN HOLLYWOOD, REALLY.
Van Dyke: BY 1941, THE STUDIO WAS $4.5 MILLION IN DEBT.
WALT AND ROY ISSUED STOCK TO SHORE UP THEIR FINANCES,
BUT THAT WAS JUST A STOP-GAP MEASURE.
A CRISIS WAS LOOMING.
Anderson: WHEN THEY MOVED TO THE BURBANK STUDIO,
A LOT OF THE ARTISTS HAD COMPLAINED
THAT IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS VERY COMPARTMENTALIZED,
AND THAT THERE WAS A REAL CLASS SYSTEM
AMONGST THE VARIOUS ECHELONS AND LEVELS OF THE ARTISTS.
AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST FACTORS
WAS THE SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN REVENUES
THAT THE DISNEY STUDIOS
FROM THE LOSS OF THE EUROPEAN MARKET
DUE TO THE WAR.
MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU FIND THAT
THERE WERE EXCESSIVE RUMORS
RAMPANT AT THE DISNEY STUDIO
TALKING ABOUT THE MASSIVE LAYOFFS
THAT MOST ASSUREDLY WERE COMING
AND THE MAJOR SALARY CUTS THAT WERE ON THE WAY.
SO THE DISNEY STUDIO WAS VERY RIPE
FOR UNIONIZATION.
Van Dyke: PAY LEVELS WERE GENERALLY SET
BY HOW MUCH WALT OR HIS TOP EXECUTIVES
THOUGHT YOU WERE WORTH.
SENIORITY AND ITEMS LIKE THAT
WHICH ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO EMPLOYEES
WERE KIND OF NOT HONORED
AND CREATED A FESTERING SITUATION.
THIS LATTER UNION WAS LED BY A FELLOW NAMED HERBERT SORRELL,
WHO WAS A VERY TOUGH, HARD-FISTED,
LEFT-WING, UNION ORGANIZER
THAT WAS WELL-KNOWN THROUGHOUT HOLLYWOOD CIRCLES.
IN FACT, THE MERE MENTION OF HIS NAME
WOULD BRING MANY A STUDIO BOSS TO THEIR KNEES.
AND I TOLD MR. SORRELL
THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY FOR ME TO GO
AND THAT'S AN ELECTION AND THAT'S WHAT THE LAW HAD SET UP,
AND HE LAUGHED AT ME AND TOLD ME THAT I WAS NAIVE,
I WAS FOOLISH.
HE SAID, "YOU CAN'T STAND A STRIKE.
"I'LL SMEAR YOU AND I'LL MAKE A DUSTBOWL
OUT OF YOUR PLACE IF I CHOOSE TO."
Van Dyke: BOTH SIDES MADE MISTAKES.
WALT TURNED OVER NEGOTIATIONS
TO A HARD-LINE STUDIO LAWYER--GUNTHER LESSING.
GUNTHER LESSING AND, I GUESS, ROY DISNEY
TOOK OVER THE HANDLING OF THE SITUATION.
THEY WERE ALL MY FRIENDS. I COULDN'T GO PAST THEM.
AND A LOT OF THE GUYS THAT WENT THROUGH
THE PICKET LINE WERE MY FRIENDS ALSO,
AND I TRIED TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME OUT AND JOIN US.
I THINK UNTIL THAT MOMENT
THAT WALT REALLY THOUGHT OF EVERYBODY
AS FRIENDS WORKING TOGETHER.
AND HE WAS ASTONISHED TO SEE THE INGRATITUDE
OF THESE PEOPLE OUT THERE ON THE PICKET LINE,
YELLING NAMES AT HIM AS HE PASSED THROUGH
WITH HIS DAUGHTERS.
I GUESS MAYBE HE WAS SPOILED BY THE FACT
HE'D HAD SO MUCH ADULATION AND SO MUCH SUCCESS.
CLEARLY, THE SUDDEN REALIZATION
THAT THIS WAS A DIVISION
BETWEEN BOSSES AND THE WORKERS.
HE THOUGHT HE WAS A FATHER FOR THESE PEOPLE
AND THE CHILDREN WERE TURNING AGAINST HIM.
HE WAS APPARENTLY, I GUESS, DEEPLY DISTURBED.
HE WAS BETRAYED, AND HE HATED IT.
AND I TOLD HIM IT WAS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE WITH ME
THAT I COULDN'T GO ON WORKING WITH MY BOYS
FEELING I HAD SOLD THEM DOWN THE RIVER
TO HIM ON HIS SAY-SO.
[AIRPLANE ENGINE REVVING]
Van Dyke: IN PART TO ESCAPE
FROM THE STRAINS OF UNION NEGOTIATIONS,
WALT ACCEPTED AN INVITATION FROM THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
TO TAKE A GOODWILL TOUR OF LATIN AMERICA.
AND THEY FIRST WANTED ME TO GO ON A HANDSHAKING GOODWILL TOUR,
AND I SAID I DON'T GO FOR IT. I'M NOT A GOOD HANDSHAKER.
THEN THEY CAME BACK AND SAID,
"WILL YOU GO DOWN AND MAKE SOME FILMS ABOUT THESE COUNTRIES?"
I SAID, "THAT'S MY BUSINESS. I CAN DO THAT."
Anderson: THE TIMING WAS GREAT.
IT WAS A BREAK FROM SOME OF THE TENSIONS
THAT WERE GOING ON AT THE STUDIO.
BUT MY SENSE ALSO IS THAT
HE WELCOMED A CHANCE TO JUMP INTO SOMETHING NEW.
HE KIND OF DOUBTED HIS ABILITY
AS A PUBLIC-RELATIONS MAN,
BUT IF HE HAD ANY DOUBTS AT ALL,
THEY WOULD'VE BEEN ERASED
WHEN HE FIRST ARRIVED IN THE MAJOR CITIES THERE,
BECAUSE HE WAS MOBBED EVERYWHERE HE WENT.
AND WHILE WALT WAS IN SOUTH AMERICA,
THE STRIKE WAS SOLVED.
IT WAS SOLVED PRETTY POORLY
AS FAR AS THE STUDIOS WERE CONCERNED.
WALT LATER COMMENTED,
AND IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE TRUTH,
THAT THE ARBITRATOR HAD GIVEN SORRELL
PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING THAT THEY'D ASKED FOR.
Van Dyke: WHILE WALT WAS IN SOUTH AMERICA,
HE RECEIVED A CABLE FROM ROY
THAT THEIR FATHER ELIAS HAD DIED.
AT THE STUDIO,
WORK CONTINUED ON ANOTHER PRODUCTION--DUMBO.
LOOK! HOT DIGGETY! YOU'RE FLYIN'!
DUMBOWAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO APPEAR
ON THE COVER OFTIMEMAGAZINE IN EARLY DECEMBER OF 1941,
BUT WAS OVERTAKEN BY AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY.
[BOMBS EXPLODING]
Roosevelt: A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY...
Walt: I WAS AT HOME
WHEN WE GOT THE WORD THAT THEY BOMBED PEARL HARBOR.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I GOT A CALL FROM THE STUDIO MANAGER,
AND HE HAD BEEN CALLED IN TURN BY THE POLICE.
HE SAID, "WALT, THE ARMY'S MOVING IN ON US.
"THEY CAME UP AND SAID THEY WANTED TO MOVE IN.
"AND I SAID I HAD TO CALL YOU,
AND THEY SAID,'CALL HIM, BUT WE'RE MOVING IN ANYWAY.'"
SO 500 TROOPS MOVED IN THE STUDIO.
Van Dyke: THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO PROTECT
THE NEARBY LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT PLANT.
MEANWHILE, THE STUDIO RETOOLED
TO PRODUCE TRAINING AND PROPAGANDA FILMS.
IT CAME TO A POINT TO WHERE WALT JUST COULDN'T MAINTAIN
THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HE WAS TAKING ON AND TRAINING
FOR ALL OF THE FILMS THAT HE WAS HOPING TO MAKE,
AND HE HAD TO START LETTING THEM GO.
WALT, I ALWAYS FELT, MORE OR LESS
LOST CONTROL IN A SENSE,
BECAUSE WE HAD-- SO MANY OF THE ARMY BRASS
WAS THERE AT THE STUDIO,
AND ALL OF THEM HAD ASPIRATIONS
OF BEING A PRODUCER AND WHATNOT,
SO IT BECAME KIND OF A PUZZLING TIME FOR HIM.
Van Dyke: WALT CONTINUED TO PROWL THE STUDIO ON WEEKENDS.
Diane: ON WEEKENDS, THE NEW BURBANK STUDIO
BECAME OUR PLAYGROUND-- MY SISTER'S AND MINE.
AND WE ROLLER-SKATED THERE, LEARNED TO RIDE BIKES THERE,
RODE BIKES ALL OVER THAT LOT.
SOMETIMES DAD WOULD JOIN US.
DAD, WITH US, DID EVERYTHING
A NORMAL FATHER WOULD DO FOR HIS CHILDREN
AND THEN SOME.
HE DROVE US TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES
UNTIL I HAD A DRIVER'S LICENSE AND COULD DRIVE,
AND THEN HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE SHARON
FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
Van Dyke: WALT DID NOT WANT TO SPOIL HIS DAUGHTERS,
BUT ON OCCASION HE DID HAVE A SPECIAL SURPRISE FOR THEM.
Diane: THE MOST EXCITING CHRISTMAS FOR US
WAS THE PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS.
HE WAS DIRECTING US AND HE SAID,
"NOW GO OVER TO THE MAILBOX."
"NOW GO TO THE GATE. OPEN THE GATE.
"NOW GO INSIDE.
"NOW OPEN THE TOP OF THE DOOR
AND LOOK OUT. DIANE, LEAN OUT FARTHER."
AND I FELL ON MY FACE.
I'M RELIEVED TO SEE HE DROPPED THE CAMERA IMMEDIATELY,
BECAUSE ALL I REMEMBER IS WHEN I CAME UP CRYING
WITH MY BLOODY LIP, HE WAS STILL FILMING ME.
Van Dyke: WALT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED
AS POLITICALLY CONSERVATIVE,
BUT THROUGH 1940 HE PRIMARILY VOTED FOR DEMOCRATS.
IN FACT, PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM WELL
THOUGHT THAT IN POLITICS HE WAS SOMEWHAT NAIVE.
IN ANY CASE, WALT FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT THE 1941 STRIKE
WAS INSPIRED BY COMMUNISTS.
...EVIDENTLY HEARD
THAT I HAD CALLED THEM ALL A BUNCH OF COMMUNISTS,
AND I BELIEVE THEY ARE.
HOLLYWOOD WAS A NATURAL TARGET FOR THE POLITICIANS.
THAT'S THE WAY THEY COULD MAKE HEADLINES.
AND SO THEY WOULD BRING PEOPLE BEFORE
THE HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE.
[BANGING]
Van Dyke: ON OCTOBER 24, 1947,
WALT FOLLOWED GARY COOPER AND RONALD REAGAN
IN TESTIFYING FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS.
AND I FEEL THAT THEY REALLY OUGHT TO BE SMOKED OUT
AND SHOWN UP FOR WHAT THEY ARE
SO THAT ALL THE GOOD FREE CAUSES IN THIS COUNTRY,
ALL THE LIBERALISMS THAT REALLY ARE AMERICAN
CAN GO OUT WITHOUT THIS TAINT OF COMMUNISM.
Van Dyke: ONE OF THE MYTHS THAT GREW OUT OF THE STRIKE ERA
WAS THAT WALT WAS ANTI-SEMITIC.
WHEN THE 1955 B'NAI BRITH WANTED TO GIVE WALT
ITS "MAN OF THE YEAR" AWARD,
IT RESEARCHED THE ISSUE
AND FOUND IT TO BE QUITE UNTRUE.
IT WAS PURE NONSENSE.
I THINK THAT WHOLE IDEA SHOULD BE PUT TO REST
AND BURIED DEEP, BECAUSE THERE'S NO VALIDITY THERE.
IT'S SLANDER.
WALT WAS THE MOST EVEN-DISPOSITIONED,
EVEN-MINDED HUMAN BEING I EVER MET.
IF A PERSON IS A NICE PERSON, HE LOVED YOU.
I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR COLOR, YOUR RACE, YOUR CREED.
THAT'S THE WAY HE WAS. HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PREJUDICE.
OVER THE YEARS, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME
THAT SAME QUESTION ABOUT WALT BEING ANTI-SEMITIC
OR ANTI-BLACK.
I WOULD RESPECTFULLY HAVE TO DISAGREE.
THAT WAS NOT THE MAN I KNEW.
SPIKE LEE, WHO I RESPECT A GREAT DEAL AS A FILMMAKER,
MADE A COMMENT ONCE ABOUT WALT BEING A RACIST,
AND I'D HAVE TO SAY,
"SPIKE, YOU NEVER MET WALT. I DID."
Van Dyke: WHEN THE WAR ENDED, THE STUDIO HAD LOST ITS WAY.
ROY WANTED TO BE FINANCIALLY CONSERVATIVE.
WALT YEARNED FOR NEW ADVENTURES.
THEY ARGUED OFTEN.
FINALLY, THE BROTHERS AGREED TO DIVERSIFY
AND TURNED TO LIVE-ACTION FILMS.
ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS
ABOUT WALT'S GRADUAL INVOLVEMENT IN LIVE ACTION,
WAS THAT HE--
WITHOUT HAVING A LOT OF FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE--
DID KNOW ONE THING-- HE WANTED HIS FILMS
TO HAVE THE SAME QUALITY THAT HIS ANIMATED FILMS DID.
FORSONG OF THE SOUTH,
HE HIRED GREGG TOLAND TO DO THE CINEMATOGRAPHY.
THIS WAS THE LEGENDARY CINEMATOGRAPHER
WHO SHOTCITIZEN KANE WITH ORSON WELLES
AND SCORES OF OTHER INCREDIBLE-LOOKING MOVIES.
Van Dyke: WALT DISPATCHED A COUPLE, THE MILOTTES,
TO ALASKA TO FILM WILDLIFE.
FROM MILES OF MATERIAL,
HE PERSONALLY CRAFTED A STORY LINE.
THE RESULT WAS A HALF-HOUR FEATURE CALLEDSEAL ISLAND.
RKO, DISNEY'S FILM DISTRIBUTOR,
THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD IDEA.
WALT THEN RAN THE FILM IN A LOCAL THEATER
TO QUALIFY IT FOR THE ACADEMY AWARDS.
SEAL ISLANDWON THE OSCAR FOR THE BEST DOCUMENTARY.
SOON, TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURES
BECAME ONE OF THE MAINSTAYS OF THE DISNEY STUDIO.
Maltin: AFTER WORLD WAR II,
GREAT BRITAIN AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES, TOO,
DECIDED THAT THEY COULD NOT AFFORD TO ALLOW
AMERICAN MOVIE COMPANIES TO MAKE MONEY IN THEIR COUNTRIES
AND THEN TAKE THAT MONEY OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
WALT DISNEY MOVIES MADE A LOT OF MONEY
IN ENGLAND AND THE U.K.,
BUT THAT MONEY WOULD HAVE TO REMAIN IN THE U.K.
AND BE SPENT THERE.
I GUESS THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS,
"WELL, WE HAVE TO MAKE A FILM IN ENGLAND.
WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE THERE?"
THAT LED THEM TO A CLASSIC-- TREASURE ISLAND
WHAT'S COME OVER YE, LAD? CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?
Maltin: ONE THING HE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED
TO THE LIVE-ACTION FILM SCENE
THAT ISN'T WIDELY RECOGNIZED
IS THE USE OF STORYBOARDS.
DISNEY, OF COURSE,
HAD PERFECTED THE STORYBOARD PROCESS
FIRST IN HIS SHORT SUBJECTS
AND THEN HIS ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS,
BUT NO ONE HAD REALLY LEANED ON THAT TECHNIQUE
FOR PLANNING OUT A LIVE-ACTION FILM
UNTIL HE DID.
Van Dyke: WALT TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BRING HIS DAUGHTERS ALONG ON THEIR FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE.
TREASURE ISLAND
AND SEVERAL BRITISH FILMS THAT FOLLOWED
GAVE WALT HIS START IN LIVE-ACTION
AND ALSO BROUGHT HIM IN CONTACT WITH A NEW GROUP
OF TALENTED MEN AND WOMEN.
AMONG THEM WERE DIRECTOR KEN ANNAKIN
AND THE MASTER MATTE ARTIST PETER ELLENSHAW.
THE LESSON I HAD FROM WALT
ON MY SECOND PICTURE WITH HIM,
ONSWORD AND THE ROSE, WHERE HE SAID,
"DID I EVER QUESTION THE BUDGET WITH YOU
AND QUESTION WHAT YOU WERE SPENDING?"
AND I SAID, "NO," AND HE SAYS, "WELL,
LET'S GET THE SEQUENCE."
THAT BECAME THE GUIDING FACTOR WITH ME
FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH WALT.
HE'D BE VERY ANNOYED IF YOU WENT OVER AND SAID,
"HELLO, MR. DISNEY."
"WHAT SO-- WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
AND HE WOULD ALSO VERY ANNOYED
IF YOU SAID "MR. DISNEY,"
BECAUSE AS SOON AS I CAME TO AMERICA,
HE TOLD ME, "I'M WALT.
YOU'RE PETER, I'M WALT."
[RUMBLING, WHISTLING]
WALT AND HIS SISTER
AND ROY, TOO, SOMETIMES
WOULD RACE DOWN THE STREET
WHEN THEY HEARD THE TRAIN WHISTLE
IN THE DISTANCE
AND STAND BY THE TRAIN TRACKS AND WAVE
AS UNCLE MIKE MARTIN CAME BY
IN HIS HUGE LOCOMOTIVE.
Van Dyke: WHEN WALT WAS LITTLE,
HE HAD FEW TOYS.
NOW HOBBIES BECAME IMPORTANT,
AND NONE MORE SO THAN HIS LOVE FOR MODEL TRAINS.
THERE WERE OTHER TRAIN BUFFS AT THE STUDIO,
INCLUDING OLLIE JOHNSTON AND WARD KIMBALL.
WARD KIMBALL, WHO WORKED WITH WALT
FOR MANY, MANY YEARS--
HE WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL NINE OLD MEN
AND ALSO A GREAT RAILROADER.
HE AND HIS WIFE BETTY
WERE THE FIRST PRIVATE CITIZENS
IN THE UNITED STATES
TO OWN THEIR OWN STEAM LOCOMOTIVE.
OUT IN SAN GABRIEL,
AND WARD REALIZED THAT HE HAD NEVER INVITED THE BOSS
TO COME OUT AND SEE THE RAILROAD IN THE BACKYARD.
AT A PARTY ONE NIGHT,
AND HE CAME TO IT.
I ASKED HIM IF HE'D LIKE TO RUN THE LOCOMOTIVE,
AND I-- SO, OH, HE REFUSED THAT.
"YOU RUN IT. YOU KNOW."
I SAID, "WELL, IT'S SIMPLE, WALT.
"YOU TAKE THE JOHNSON BAR AND SHOVE IT FORWARD.
THAT MEANS IT'S GOING FORWARD."
AND HE RAN IT, AND I CAN REMEMBER
HOW HIS MOUTH DROPPED OPEN...
AND WHAT HE WAS DOING.
SO HE CALLS ME EARLY IN THE MORNING.
I SAID, "WALT WHO?"
AND HE SAYS, "WALT DISNEY, FOR GOSH SAKES!"
"ANYWAY, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO BACK
TO THE CHICAGO RAILROAD FAIR?"
WE RODE IN THE CAB, AND I TOOK MOVIES OF THAT.
AND WALT WAS OVER THE ENGINEER.
IT WAS A DIESEL.
THE ENGINEER SAID WHEN YOU SEE A SIGN OUT THE SIDE
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BLOW THE WHISTLE.
AND SO HE GOT A KICK OUT OF BLOWING THE WHISTLE.
[WHISTLE BLOWING]
Maltin: WALT DECIDED HE HAD TO HAVE
A LIVE STEAM LAYOUT FOR HIMSELF.
Van Dyke: LILLY'S IDEA OF A NICELY-LANDSCAPED HOME
DIDN'T INCLUDE A RAILROAD,
SO WALT LAID THE TRACK IN SUCH A WAY
THAT IT WOULDN'T INTERFERE WITH HER FLOWER BEDS.
SO HE VISITED MY FATHER
AT THE MACHINE SHOP IN THE STUDIO.
AND HE SAID, "ROGER, CAN YOU BUILD
"A MINIATURE LIVE STEAM TRAIN
FOR OUR NEW HOME?"
AND MY FATHER HAD LEARNED EARLY ON WORKING FOR WALT,
IF WALT SAID, "CAN YOU DO IT,"
YOU SAY, "YES,"
AND THEN YOU FIGURE OUT LATER HOW YOU'RE GONNA.
Van Dyke: BEFORE LONG, WALT HAD HIS TRAIN.
IT WAS 1/8 SCALE.
WALT CALLED IT THE CAROLWOOD PACIFIC RAILROAD.
Maltin: AND TO RIDE ON THE CAROLWOOD PACIFIC RAILROAD
WAS A TREASURED EXPERIENCE.
NO ONE HAD A BACKYARD LIKE THIS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
Van Dyke: WALT BUILT A BARN ON HIS PROPERTY
WHICH CLOSELY RESEMBLED THE DISNEY BARN
IN MARCELINE AS HE REMEMBERED IT.
IT BECAME HIS MACHINE SHOP WHERE HE WORKED ON TRAINS
AND MINIATURES UNTIL LATE IN THE NIGHT.
NO MATTER HOW FAMOUS OR SUCCESSFUL WALT BECAME,
HIS TASTES STAYED PLAIN AND SIMPLE
AT HOME AND WHEN HE TRAVELED.
Walker: WALT WOULD ALWAYS TAKE WITH HIM CHILI AND BEANS
IN CANS BECAUSE HE LOVED THAT,
AND HE COULDN'T GET GOOD CHILI AND BEANS IN LONDON.
HE COULD GET GOURMET FOOD, BUT THAT ALWAYS TICKLED ME.
HE'D HAVE DINNER IN HIS SUITE IN THE HOTEL
AND HE'D HAVE THE WAITER GET THE CANS OF CHILI AND BEANS
AND WE'D HAVE THE CRACKERS AND THE WHOLE BIT.
Van Dyke: DIANE AND SHARON WERE TEENAGERS NOW,
BUT WALT HAD ANOTHER BIG IDEA THAT HAD BEEN GROWING
SINCE HIS DAUGHTERS WERE SMALL.
WELL, IT CAME ABOUT WHEN MY DAUGHTERS WERE VERY YOUNG.
SATURDAY WAS ALWAYS DADDY'S DAY WITH THE TWO DAUGHTERS.
Walt: SO WE'D START OUT AND TRY TO GO SOMEPLACE.
Diane: AND THEN WE'D GO TO GRIFFITH PARK
AND THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL CAROUSEL THERE.
IT'S STILL THERE.
WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL THING.
Walt: AS I'D SIT THERE WHILE THEY RODE THE MERRY-GO-ROUND,
DID ALL THESE THINGS,
I'D SIT ON A BENCH EATING PEANUTS,
I FELT THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING BUILT,
SOME KIND OF AN AMUSEMENT ENTERPRISE BUILT
WHERE THE PARENTS AND THE CHILDREN
COULD HAVE FUN TOGETHER.
HE, AT FIRST, WAS GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE RIDE
WHERE, ACROSS RIVERSIDE DRIVE,
YOU'D GET ON HIS ONE-HALF SCALE STEAMER,
AND WOULD GO UNDER RIVERSIDE DRIVE
UP TO WHERE THE SOUNDSTAGES WERE.
AND YOU'D SET ALL THESE LITTLE CARS
AND GO FROM ONE PICTURE TO ANOTHER
TO SEE HOW HOLLYWOOD WORKED.
AT THE TIME THAT WALT WAS THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A PARK,
MOST AMUSEMENT PARKS WERE NOT SOMEPLACE
THAT YOU'D WANT TO LET YOUR KIDS GO ON THEIR OWN.
YOU PRETTY MUCH-- THEY WERE KIND OF DIRTY,
THEY WERE KIND OF SEEDY.
THERE WAS A PARK IN COPENHAGEN CALLED TIVOLI
AND IT STRUCK WALT
BY BEING VERY, VERY CLEAN, WELL RUN, FESTIVE.
LITTLE POPCORN LIGHTS ON ALL THE BUILDINGS EVERYWHERE.
A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT SORT OF CAME BACK INTO DISNEYLAND
I THINK ALSO CAME FROM TIVOLI.
Linkletter: AND WHEN WE WENT THROUGH
THE TIVOLI GARDENS,
HE WAS MAKING NOTES ALL THE TIME,
AND I SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
AND HE SAYS, "I'M JUST MAKING NOTES
"ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED ABOUT,
"AND THAT IS SOMEDAY
"HAVING A GREAT, GREAT CENTER PLAYGROUNDS
FOR THE CHILDREN AND THE FAMILIES OF AMERICA."
Van Dyke: ROY FELT THE COMPANY'S STOCKHOLDERS
WOULDN'T THINK IT MADE SENSE FOR A FILM COMPANY
TO GO INTO THE AMUSEMENT-PARK BUSINESS.
CINDERELLA,THE FIRST FEATURE-LENGTH CARTOON
SINCE THE WAR, HAD BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS IN 1950.
HELLO, FRIEND. WELL, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
WE'RE ALL STEAMED UP OUT HERE
OVERALICE IN WONDERLAND.
Van Dyke:ALICE IN WONDERLAND ANDPETER PANWERE TO FOLLOW.
WHEN WALT WOULD BE COMING DOWN THE HALL
TO THE MEETING,
WHY, THE DIRECTOR WOULD SAY,
"HEY, EVERYBODY. MAN'S IN THE FOREST."
THAT MEANT THAT WALT WAS COMING.
AND GENERALLY YOU COULD HEAR...
[COUGHING]
IF WALT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN A BAD HUMOR,
THE GUARD WOULD SAY, "BEAR SUIT,"
AND WE ALL KNEW THAT THIS WAS NOT A GOOD DAY.
ONE DAY HE WOULD COME IN
AND APPARENTLY BE LIKE A WOUNDED BEAR,
GROWLING AND SCOWLING,
AND YET IF HE SAW SOMETHING
ON THE STORYBOARD THAT CAUGHT HIS FANCY,
HE WOULD JUMP UP AND BECOME THE CHARACTER
AND MAKE EVERYBODY LAUGH.
Van Dyke: OVER THE YEARS,
THE STUDIO HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY BUREAUCRATIC,
LESS OPEN TO SPONTANEOUS IDEAS.
IN RESPONSE, WALT CREATED WED ENTERPRISES
FOR WALTER ELIAS DISNEY.
WED WAS ORGANIZED OR DEVELOPED
SO THAT WALT COULD INCORPORATE HIS NAME.
AND THEN, HE IN TURN, THEN, NEGOTIATED
A CONTRACT WITH WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS
TO LICENSE THE NAME
AND TO DERIVE ROYALTIES FROM THE SALE
OF CHARACTER MERCHANDISE AND INCOME.
Van Dyke: WED WOULD BECOME THE DESIGN CENTER
BEHIND ALL THE EARLY PLANS AND ATTRACTIONS
FOR DISNEYLAND.
WELL, IT WAS HIS SANDBOX.
HE SAID IT WAS HIS SANDBOX.
HE SAID, "THIS IS WHERE I COME TO HAVE FUN."
AND WE HAD NOTHING BUT FUN WITH WALT.
I MEAN, HE WAS A RIOT.
AND WHEN WE'D BE WORKING ON SOMETHING,
HE COULD HARDLY STAND IT.
IF I'D BE SOLDERING SOMETHING,
HE WOULD ALMOST WANT TO SOLDER IT HIMSELF, YOU KNOW?
AT THE BEGINNING, IT WAS ALL SALT MONEY.
IN FACT, HE HAWKED HIS LIFE INSURANCE
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS TO GET THE MONEY
TO BEGIN TO DO THE THINGS HE WANTED TO DO
TO GET THE DISNEYLAND PROJECT STARTED.
Van Dyke: BUT WHERE WOULD THE NEW PARK GO?
"Buzz" Price: WE HAD 10 SITES THAT WE'D LOOKED AT.
THE FIRST SITE WAS HARBOR AT THE 5,
AT THE SANTA ANA FREEWAY.
AND HE WENT FOR THE FIRST SITE.
AND ALL HE DID WAS
HE MOVED IT DOWN A QUARTER OF A SECTION
TO GET IT AWAY FROM THE FREEWAY.
Van Dyke: WHILE WALT WAS ABLE
TO GET THE PARK STARTED WITH HIS OWN MONEY,
HE COULDN'T AFFORD TO ACTUALLY BUILD IT.
HE SAW THE SOLUTION IN TELEVISION.
Bill Cotter: OTHER PRODUCERS,
THE REST OF THE HOLLYWOOD COMMUNITY,
WAS SCARED TO DEATH OF TELEVISION.
THEY SAW THAT IF PEOPLE SAT HOME
AND WATCHED TV FOR FREE,
THAT WOULD BE AN ADMISSION TICKET
NOT SOLD AT THE MOVIE THEATER.
SO WALT REALLY STOOD OUT.
SO, YOU SEE, THIS IS THE RESULT
OF BEING A GOOD BOY FOR 30 YEARS.
SANTA FINALLY CAME ACROSS.
SEE THAT LITTLE THROTTLE IN THERE?
SEE THAT THING THERE?
Van Dyke: IN DECEMBER OF 1950,
WALT HAD PRODUCED HIS FIRST TELEVISION SHOW
SCHEDULED FOR CHRISTMAS.
Bill:ONE HOUR IN WONDERLANDWAS BASICALLY
A ONE-HOUR COMMERCIAL FORALICE IN WONDERLAND.
THERE WAS A LOT OF FOOTAGE OF OTHER THINGS
THAT THE STUDIO WAS DOING,
CLIPS OF DIFFERENT CARTOONS.
IT WAS BASICALLY A WELL-PLANNED INFOMERCIAL--
ANOTHER WAY THAT WALT WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME.
WILL IT REALLY DO MAGIC, MR. DISNEY?
OH, SURE.
I'M A LITTLE RUSTY, THOUGH.
WE'LL TRY IT.
Van Dyke: WALT PRODUCED ONE MORE SPECIAL,
BUT HE WOULD NOT RE-ENTER TELEVISION
FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
STILL, THE POSSIBILITIES NEVER LEFT HIS MIND.
DID YOU GIRLS KNOW THIS CHARACTER DISNEY?
YES. HE'S OUR FATHER.
UH...OH.
HEH HEH HEH HEH.
[GROANS]
Van Dyke: ROY WAS FINALLY CONVINCED
THAT DISNEYLAND WAS A VIABLE VENTURE.
HE PREPARED TO TRAVEL TO NEW YORK
TO SUBMIT THE IDEA TO POTENTIAL FINANCIERS.
HE NEEDED SOMETHING TO SHOW THEM,
SO WALT TURNED TO HIS FRIEND HERB RYMAN,
AN ARTIST WHO HAD WORKED FOR THE STUDIO IN THE 1940s.
ROY COMPLETED A DEAL WITH ABC
WHICH GRANTED THE TELEVISION NETWORK
A 35% STAKE IN DISNEYLAND
IN RETURN FOR AN INVESTMENT
OF A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
IN THE BEGINNING OF 1954,
ABC PRESIDENT ROBERT KINTNER AND WALT WENT ON THE AIR
TO ANNOUNCE THEIR PARTNERSHIP--
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WEEKLY SHOW
CALLEDDISNEYLAND.
THIS IS A NEW MEDIUM,
AND, WELL...
I JUST WANT TO ASSURE YOU
THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING IT LIGHTLY,
THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE
JUST A LITTLE STEPCHILD OF THE DISNEY ORGANIZATION.
IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF OUR MAJOR ENTERPRISES.
Bill: WALT DEFINITELY
DID NOT WANT TO HOST A TV SERIES.
THEY HAD A LOT OF STUDIES THAT WENT ON
LOOKING AT OTHER PEOPLE.
FINALLY, AS EACH STUDY WENT BACK AND SHOWED,
THAT IT WAS WALT WHO HAD
THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF ENTHUSIASM.
NOW WE WANT YOU TO SHARE WITH US
OUR LATEST AND GREATEST DREAM.
THAT'S IT, RIGHT HERE--
DISNEYLAND.
Van Dyke: SHOOTING WALT'S LEAD-INS
WAS QUITE THE CHALLENGE.
YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT AS NERVOUS AS YOU CAN GET
IS WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH
DIRECTING WALT ON HIS LEAD-INS.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOW, AND INCIDENTALLY...
Ron: EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
HE WOULD GET HUNG UP ON CERTAIN WORDS.
THE WORD "ALUMINUM," I GUESS,
WAS PARTICULARLY TOUGH FOR WALT.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO THINK--
"I'LL DO MANY," AND MA-MM-MA, YOU KNOW?
AND HE COULDN'T SAY IT.
Van Dyke: FOR 3 YEARS,
DISNEYLANDWAS THE ONLY ABC SHOW
IN THE TOP 15 RATED PROGRAMS.
WHEN WALT STARTED SHOOTING EPISODES FORDISNEYLAND,
HE DECIDED TO TAKE ON THE ADDED EXPENSE
TO SHOOT THEM IN COLOR.
WELL, COLOR TELEVISION DIDN'T EXIST THEN,
BUT HE WAS SMART ENOUGH
TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS A GOOD INVESTMENT.
Bill: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
MADEDAVY CROCKETT REALLY SUCCESSFUL
AND REALLY MADE
THEDISNEYLANDSERIES STAND OUT
WAS THAT IT WAS DONE ON LOCATION.
WE BETTER SPLIT UP IF WE'RE GONNA COVER THE TOWN.
Van Dyke: ABOUT $300 MILLION
IN CROCKETT MERCHANDISE WAS SOLD.
AROUND $2 BILLION ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION.
THAT ONE'S ABOUT THE RIGHT SIZE.
Buddy Ebsen: WALT ENTERTAINED
GOVERNOR CLEMENT AND HIS WIFE,
AND THEN SUDDENLY HE OPENED UP
IN THIS LITTLE COMMISSARY THAT WE HAD THERE.
HE SAID, "TELL ME, MR. DISNEY,
"HAD YOU ANY IDEA
"WHEN THIS MAGNIFICENT SHOWDAVY CROCKETT
"OPENED ALL OVER THE WORLD,
"THAT IT WOULD BE THE SENSATIONAL SUCCESS
THAT IT IS TODAY?"
AND EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WAS LOOKING AT US FUNNY,
AND WALT SAYS-- HE WINKED AT ME AND HE SAID,
"NO. WE'RE KIND OF DISAPPOINTED.
WE THOUGHT IT'D BE REALLY BIG."
[LAUGHS]
Van Dyke: WALT HAD A MAGIC TOUCH WITH TELEVISION.
THERE'S OUR BOAT RIDE.
GET A MOVE ON, MAHALIA. IT AIN'T MUCH FURTHER.
Van Dyke: HE THEN SET OUT TO SKETCH
ANOTHER ORIGINAL IDEA-- A SHOW JUST FOR KIDS
PRESENTED BY KIDS.
THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB WAS A GROUNDBREAKING EFFORT,
PROGRAMMING THAT RESPECTED CHILDREN'S INTELLIGENCE.
I'D SAY ABOUT 80% OF WHAT HE HAD FLESHED OUT
IN HIS OWN HANDWRITING FOR THIS SHOW
WAS WHAT WE SAW ON THE AIR.
HE WANTED US TO CALL HIM AND REFER TO HIM
AS UNCLE WALT,
AND OF COURSE, WE ALL ADMIRED HIM
AND RESPECTED HIM SO MUCH
THAT WE CALLED HIM MR. DISNEY.
Bobby Burgess: I UNDERSTAND THAT HE WOULD
TAKE HIS PRODUCERS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND HE WOULD GO TO THE PLAYGROUNDS
AND THE SCHOOL AREAS AND SAY,
"SEE THOSE KIDS OVER THERE?
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BE A MOUSEKETEER."
WELL, WHAT HE MEANT WAS THE KIDS NEXT DOOR.
HE DIDN'T WANT ANY SLICK PROFESSIONALS.
AS A CHILD, HE WAS VERY MUCH INTERESTED
IN MAKING SURE THAT I WASN'T BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF
AND THAT I ALWAYS FELT THAT HE WAS CONCERNED
THAT I WAS HAVING A GOOD TIME, YOU KNOW?
WALT HAD AN UNCANNY ABILITY
TO ANALYZE PEOPLE AND TO SEE TALENTS
THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY HAD.
WALT CALLED OVER, AND HE SAYS,
I WANT YOU TO DO THE SCRIPT FOR THE PIRATES' RIDE,
AND I HAD NEVER DONE ANY SCRIPTING BEFORE.
I HAD DONE STORYBOARDING IN THE ANIMATION END OF IT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE METHOD HE USED
TO PICK PEOPLE, PUT 'EM ALL TOGETHER,
AND ONLY HE KNEW WHAT THE OUTCOME
WAS GENERALLY GONNA BE.
AND YOU THINK, "WHAT IS IT
THAT MAKES THIS MAN SPECIAL?"
I MEAN, HE'S JUST AN ORDINARY MAN.
AND THEN SUDDENLY HE'D COME OUT
WITH THE MOST BRILLIANT SUGGESTION,
AND YOU THINK, "WHY HADN'T I THOUGHT OF THAT?"
EVEN IN THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL WORLD
THAT WE DESIGNED FOR THE MOTION PICTURES,
THERE'S THE IMPLICATION OF SPACE.
IN FACT, WE USED MANY OF THE TECHNIQUES WE HAD LEARNED
IN THE FILMS
AND APPLIED THAT TO ACTUAL THIRD DIMENSION,
AND WHEN WE SET UP A KIND OF STORY IN OUR OWN MIND
ABOUT WHAT IT WAS,
WE WOULD ESTABLISH AN IMAGINARY LONG SHOT
AS IF WE WERE TAKING IT WITH MOTION PICTURES.
ONE OF THE LANDS IN THE PARK
IS TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE LAND--
WAS ITS ORIGINAL NAME,
BASED ON THE TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE FILMS
THAT WALT WAS CREATING.
AND THE JUNGLE CRUISE WAS THE BIG ATTRACTION,
WHERE YOU WOULD ACTUALLY SEE REAL ANIMALS.
WELL, THE BIG PROBLEM
IS THAT THEY TEND TO SLEEP ALL DAY,
SO THAT DURING THE DAY, NO ONE WOULD SEE THEM.
THEY WOULD ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT
WHEN IT HAD COOLED OFF.
SO IT WAS VERY QUICK THAT THEY REALIZED
THAT THEY NEEDED TO MAKE ARTIFICIAL ANIMALS.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE WAY THAT YOU COULD HAVE
HIPPOS IN FRONT OF YOU ALL THE TIME
AND A GORILLA IN FRONT OF YOU ALL THE TIME.
I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT, BELIEVED,
THAT THE REASON WALT BUILT DISNEYLAND
WAS BECAUSE HE WANTED ONE.
HE WANTED THE BIGGEST TRAIN LAYOUT,
HE WANTED A PLACE FOR ALL HIS TOYS.
WALT WOULD GO TO THE PARK EARLY IN THE MORNING
BEFORE THE PARK OPENED,
AND HE'D GET IN THE FIRE TRUCK
AND DRIVE THE FIRE TRUCK AROUND DISNEYLAND.
AND PEOPLE WOULD THINK HE WAS CRAZY,
BUT WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS PLAYING WITH HIS TOY.
Dick Nunis: I CAN REMEMBER HIM SAYING
THAT, YOU KNOW, "DICK, THIS PICTURE BUSINESS
IS TOUGH BECAUSE WHEN YOU FINISH A MOVIE
AND YOU PUT IT IN THE CAN, IT'S FINISHED,
BUT DISNEYLAND WILL NEVER BE FINISHED.
WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE IT BETTER."
Van Dyke: THE STUDIO WITNESSED
A MASSIVE EXPANSION IN THE 1950s.
GROSS REVENUES ZOOMED FROM $6 MILLION IN 1950
TO 70 MILLION NEAR THE END OF THE DECADE.
THROUGH IT ALL, STAFFERS WERE STUNNED
THAT WALT WAS ABLE TO NURTURE IDEAS FOR YEARS,
EVEN DECADES.
A CARTOON HE HAD DRAWN IN HIGH SCHOOL
INSPIRED A SCENE INPETER PAN.
THE LITTLE CHOW DOG
THAT WALT HAD GIVEN TO LILLY IN A HATBOX
GREW INTO A SEQUENCE INLADY AND THE TRAMP.
HE NEVER FORGOT ANYTHING.
YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL WITH SOMETHING YOU SAID
3 YEARS AGO.
HE MIGHT BRING IT OUT 3 YEARS LATER.
Van Dyke: WALT'S FIRST BIG LIVE-ACTION FILM PRODUCTION
IN THE UNITED STATES
WAS20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA.
HE MADE A SURPRISING CHOICE FOR DIRECTOR--
RICHARD FLEISCHER, THE SON OF MAX FLEISCHER,
THE CREATOR OF BETTY BOOP AND POPEYE
AND AN EARLY COMPETITOR OF WALT'S.
AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT HE'D WANT ME.
I WAS A YOUNG DIRECTOR,
HAD NOT MADE A REALLY BIG, IMPORTANT PICTURE
UP TO THAT TIME.
IT WAS DONE IN CINEMASCOPE,
WHICH WAS STILL NEW AND EXCITING TO AUDIENCES THEN,
AND IN TECHNICOLOR,
AND HE HIRED A-LIST MOVIE STARS TO BE IN IT--
KIRK DOUGLAS, JAMES MASON, PETER LORRE.
THESE WERE ALL PROMINENT NAMES.
Fleischer: THE SCENE WAS WRITTEN
"AT SUNSET ON A FLAT, CALM SEA."
AND THERE WAS NO EXCITEMENT IN IT.
ONE DAY AS I WAS SHOOTING,
I FELT A TAP ON MY SHOULDER,
AND IT WAS WALT.
HE SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING HERE,
A KEYSTONE COMEDY?"
I SAID, "NO, WALT."
AND I EXPLAINED WHAT THE SITUATION WAS,
AND HE UNDERSTOOD IT IMMEDIATELY.
EARL HAD SEEN THE FOOTAGE AS WELL.
HE'D RUN IT WITH WALT.
HE SAID, "THIS SHOULD BE A STORM SEQUENCE.
AT NIGHT WITH LIGHTNING AND THUNDER
AND WIND AND WAVES.
AND LOTS OF EXCITEMENT SO YOU'RE FIGHTING
NOT ONLY THE SQUID,
BUT YOU'RE FIGHTING NATURE ITSELF.
AND BLESS HIS HEART, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID.
Van Dyke: IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,
WALT'S FILMS BECAME SYNONYMOUS
WITH FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT...
SOMETHING MUST HAVE GONE WRONG WITH THE FUSE.
WELL, THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK...
Van Dyke: INCLUDING SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
DIRECTED BY KEN ANNAKIN.
Ken Annakin: WHEN THE DOGS ATTACK,
HE INSISTED THAT THE DOGS
ACTUALLY HIT THE TIGER.
TOUCHED HIM.
AND I JUST SAID, "WALT,
"I'VE BEEN SHOOTING IN SOUTH AFRICA,
"AND I HAD A LION,
"AND A TIGER IS MUCH LESS TRAINABLE
THAN A LION,"
AND WALT SUDDENLY SAID,
"KEN'S AFRAID OF THE TIGER."
AND THAT THING WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE TIME.
EVERY TIME WE CAME TO THE TIGER,
HE SAID, "WELL, OF COURSE,
"WE KNOW KEN'S AFRAID OF THE TIGER,
"BUT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN POSSIBLY
SHOOT IT THIS WAY?"
YOU HAD SOME MORE DIALOGUE AFTER THAT.
[LAUGHS]
Man: I BELIEVE THIS IS...
Van Dyke: BY THE MID 1950s,
WALT HAD BECOME FAMILIAR
TO MILLIONS OF TELEVISION VIEWERS.
WHILE AT USC,
DIANE MET A TALL, HANDSOME FOOTBALL PLAYER
NAMED RON MILLER.
OH, YEAH. WHENEVER I FIRST ARRIVED,
THE FIRST THING ON MY MIND
WAS GETTING DIANE AND GETTING OUT OF THERE,
BECAUSE YOU COULD TELL THAT BOTH OF THEM,
LILLY AS WELL,
THEY WERE SIZING ME UP.
Van Dyke: ON MAY 9, 1954,
DIANE AND RON WERE MARRIED IN A SMALL CEREMONY
AT THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN SANTA BARBARA.
Diane: WHEN WE WERE GOING
DOWN THE AISLE TOGETHER--
IT WAS A VERY SMALL WEDDING BY DESIGN,
AND MY SISTER WAS MY ONLY ATTENDANT--
HE BRINGS ME UP TO THE ALTAR,
AND RON IS THERE,
AND I FELT A SNIFFLE.
I HEARD A SNIFFLE, AND I TURNED,
AND HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE THAT
AND SQUEEZED MY HAND,
AND IT WAS HIS MOMENT.
IT WAS SWEET. YEAH.
Van Dyke: RON LEFT COLLEGE AND ENTERED THE ARMY.
DIANE LIVED CLOSE NEARBY IN PACIFIC GROVE.
WHEN THE FIRST BABY ARRIVED,
WALT WAS OVERJOYED TO HAVE A GRANDSON.
IN JULY OF 1955,
WALT AND LILLY CELEBRATED THEIR 30th ANNIVERSARY
AT THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE SALOON AT DISNEYLAND.
JUST DAYS BEFORE THE GRAND OPENING,
WALT WAS LIKE A KID
AT THE BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THE WORLD.
Diane: AT THAT POINT,
EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM NOTICES THAT MY DAD
SOMEHOW WAS UP IN A BALCONY
ABOVE THE STAGE,
AND THEN HE STARTED TO CLIMB
OVER THE BALCONY,
AND HE CLIMBED DOWN TO THE STAGE.
AND THEN HE'S STANDING ON THE STAGE,
JUST BEAMING AT PEOPLE.
SO, WE HEADED HOME SHORTLY AFTER THAT.
DAD WAS VERY QUIET BACK THERE,
AND I LOOKED BACK,
AND HE'S ASLEEP WITH A ROLL OF PLANS
RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW?
LIKE A LITTLE KID, A LITTLE BOY.
THE PEOPLE AND EYES AROUND THE WORLD
ARE FOCUSED ON THESE 160 ACRES
HERE IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA.
THIS AFTERNOON, DISNEYLAND,
THE WORLD'S MOST FABULOUS KINGDOM,
WILL BE UNVEILED BEFORE
AN INVITATIONAL WORLD PREMIERE
AND YOU, OUR GUESTS.
ART LINKLETTER WILL BE YOUR HOST,
AND WITH ABC CREWS AND CAMERAS ON THE SPOT,
WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS TRULY MAGIC LAND.
Art Linkletter: A GREAT MISHMASH
OF LAST MINUTE THINGS THAT HADN'T BEEN DONE--
THE CEMENT WASN'T HARDENED IN SOME PLACES,
PILES OF LUMBER WERE HERE AND THERE.
WELL, THIS JOB IN THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF'S
GONNA BE A DELIGHT. I FEEL LIKE...
Art: HE HAD ASKED ME TO EMCEE THE OPENING
AND ASKED ME TO PICK A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS
TO WORK WITH HIM,
AND I ASKED MY DEAR FRIEND RONALD REAGAN
THAT I'VE TRAVELED WITH ALL OVER THE WORLD
TO BE WITH ME AND WALT.
HA! ISN'T THIS A RIOT TODAY?
OH, IT CERTAINLY IS.
...READY FOR THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONIES.
[BAND PLAYING MUSIC]
[MUSIC STOPS]
ALL ACTIVITY ON MAIN STREET HAS CEASED.
AND NOW WALT DISNEY WILL STEP FORWARD
TO READ THE DEDICATION OF DISNEYLAND.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Diane: YOU COULD SEE THE LUMP IN HIS THROAT,
AND HE HAD A TEAR IN HIS EYE.
TO ALL WHO COME TO THIS HAPPY PLACE,
WELCOME.
DISNEYLAND IS YOUR LAND.
HERE AGE RELIVES FOND MEMORIES OF THE PAST,
AND HERE YOUTH MAY SAVOR
THE CHALLENGE AND PROMISE OF THE FUTURE.
DISNEYLAND IS DEDICATED TO THE IDEALS,
THE DREAMS, AND THE HARD FACTS
THAT HAVE CREATED AMERICA
WITH THE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE A SOURCE OF JOY
AND INSPIRATION TO ALL THE WORLD.
THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
Art: AND THEN THE SHOW OPENED
AND HISTORY WAS MADE,
ALTHOUGH THE FIRST REVIEWS WERE NOT TOO KIND
BECAUSE IT WAS A HOT DAY,
THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DISORGANIZATION.
LET'S GO INTO FANTASYLAND AND HAVE SOME FUN.
GOOD-BYE, FOLKS.
Van Dyke: TRUE TO HIS WORD,
WALT KEPT ADDING TO HIS PARK.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Van Dyke: WALT CONTINUED TO WAIT
FOR A GRANDSON TO BEAR HIS NAME.
AFTER CHRISTOPHER, DIANE HAD 3 DAUGHTERS.
FINALLY IN NOVEMBER OF 1961,
ALONG CAME ANOTHER BOY.
I REMEMBER WHEN WALT CAME INTO MY STUDIO
AND HE HAD A BOX OF CIGARS AND HE WAS PASSING THEM OUT,
AND ON THOSE CIGARS IT SAID, "WALTER ELIAS DISNEY MILLER,"
AND HE WAS BEAMING AND HE WAS VERY PROUD OF THAT.
Van Dyke: SHARON HAD BEEN DATING
AN ARCHITECT NAMED ROBERT BROWN.
THEY WERE MARRIED ON MAY 10, 1959,
IN PACIFIC PALISADES.
FOR A LONG TIME, BOB RESISTED WALT'S OFFERS
TO JOIN THE STUDIO, BUT IN 1963, HE RELENTED
AND BECAME A KEY PLANNER AT WED.
WELL, A BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW JUST A DREAM AWAY.
THAT SAYS WE'RE GOING PLACES.
THERE'S PROGRESS AHEAD.
Marty Sklar: THE WORLD'S FAIR
WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR WALT,
AND HE SAW SOMETHING
THAT NONE OF US REALIZED AT THE TIME.
HE ALREADY WAS PLANNING TO DO SOMETHING
IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY,
SO HE WAS TAKING HIS ENTERTAINMENT
DIRECTLY TO WHERE ALL THE SOPHISTICATES,
WHO SOMETIMES CRITICIZED DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT--
RIGHT IN THEIR HOMELAND, RIGHT IN NEW YORK.
THERE WERE 4 OF US IN OUR SHOP ORIGINALLY,
WHICH BECAME, LIKE, 30,
WHICH BECAME DOUBLE,
AND THEN 120, MAYBE.
I MEAN, THERE WEREN'T VERY MANY
WHEN WE DID THE WORLD'S FAIR.
Van Dyke: WALT FORESAW THAT MONEY SPENT
ON BIG CORPORATE PAVILIONS
WOULD ENABLE WED TO DEVELOP
A RANGE OF NEW IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGIES.
YOU SEE, OUR WHOLE 40-SOME ODD YEARS HERE
HAS BEEN IN THE WORLD OF MAKING THINGS MOVE,
INANIMATE THINGS MOVE.
NOW WE'RE MAKING THESE HUMAN FIGURES,
DIMENSIONAL HUMAN FIGURES MOVE,
MAKE ANIMALS MOVE, MAKE ANYTHING MOVE,
THROUGH THE USE OF ELECTRONICS.
BEING THE PERFECTIONIST HE WAS,
THE MINOR ACTIONS OF THE ANIMALS
JUST WEREN'T GOOD ENOUGH,
BUT TO DEVELOP A SKULL
TO MAKE IT AS HUMAN-LIKE AS POSSIBLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN LINCOLN
WAS FIRST IN THE SHOW,
MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS AN ACTOR.
THEY JUST SWORE IT WASN'T REALLY
AN ANIMATED PER-- YOU KNOW, THING.
Van Dyke: ROBERT MOSES, PRESIDENT OF THE FAIR,
PERSUADED THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
TO INCLUDE THE AUDIOANIMATRONICS MODEL
IN ITS EXHIBIT.
WED WAS ALSO COMMISSIONED
TO CREATE THE PAVILION AND ATTRACTIONS FOR FORD
AND GENERAL ELECTRIC.
THEN, JUST ONE YEAR BEFORE THE FAIR OPENED,
PEPSI COLA APPROACHED WED.
ABOUT AN EXHIBIT FOR UNICEF.
HE SAYS, "THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE
OF REAL ESTATE LEFT."
AND HE SAID, "AT THE WORLD'S FAIR."
AND HE SAID, "I THINK
WE'LL GET THAT PIECE OF REAL ESTATE."
AND WE ALL KIND OF LOOKED AT HIM,
AND THERE WAS ONLY 5 OF US IN THERE,
AND HE SAID,
"I WANT TO DO A LITTLE BOAT RIDE FOR CHILDREN,"
AND WE THOUGHT, "GOD,
"WHAT'S HE TALKING ABOUT?
"HERE WE'RE DOING ANIMATRONIC FIGURES,
AND HE WANTS TO DO A LITTLE BOAT RIDE?"
AND WE JUST THOUGHT, YOU KNOW,
"WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?"
NOW, THE SETS TOOK A LOT OF TIME,
BECAUSE WE HAD TO DO THE VARIOUS NATIONS--
THE RESEARCH, THE COSTUMES,
WHICH ALICE WAS DOING.
WE HAD MONTHS TO DO IT.
BUT WE--ONLY MONTHS.
WELL, THERE'S A LONG STORY OF THE EVOLUTION
OF HOW WE DID SMALL WORLD,
BUT WE OPENED IT
9 MONTHS TO THE DATE THAT WALT CAME IN,
AND THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN ATTRACTION
EVER DESIGNED AND BUILT AND INSTALLED
IN 9 MONTHS.
Van Dyke: WHEN THE FAIR CLOSED,
THE EXHIBITS WERE TRANSFERRED TO DISNEYLAND.
Marty: WALT GOT WHAT HE WANTED.
THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS
AND THE DINOSAURS FROM THE FORD PAVILION
AND IT'S A SMALL WORLD,
THAT PEPSI COLA PAID FOR,
AND THE LINCOLN SHOW
ALL CAME BACK TO DISNEYLAND,
AND WE HAD GREAT NEW ENTERTAINMENT.
AND THE COMPANIES GOT WHAT THEY WANTED,
WHICH WAS THE ASSOCIATION
AND THE GOODWILL FROM THE DISNEY NAME.
THE ENTIRE DISNEY TEAM HAS BEEN CALLED ON
TO DEVELOP ENTERTAINING AND EXCITING ATTRACTIONS.
Van Dyke: AS WALT'S ATTENTION
WAS DIVERTED BY TELEVISION,
DISNEYLAND, AND THE WORLD'S FAIR,
MOTION PICTURES WERE NO LONGER HIS PRINCIPAL CONCERN--
WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
ONE NIGHT, WHEN DIANE WAS SMALL,
SHE INTRODUCED HIM TO A BOOK CALLEDMARY POPPINS
BY THE BRITISH AUTHOR P.L. TRAVERS.
HE PAID A CALL TO HER HUMBLE HOME
NEAR KINGS ROAD IN CHELSEA,
AND THE TWO GOT ALONG VERY WELL.
HE CLEARLY WORKED HIS CHARM ON MRS. TRAVERS,
BECAUSE BY THE TIME
THE MEETING HAD COME TO AN END,
SHE WAS PREPARED TO DISCUSS HOW THE FILM MIGHT BE MADE,
BUT ONLY AS A LIVE-ACTION FILM.
Maltin: HE SAW JULIE ANDREWS,
AND HE SAID, "THAT'S EXACTLY THE RIGHT WOMAN
TO PLAY MARY POPPINS."
NOW, THAT WAS NOT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM.
SHE'D BEEN PASSED OVER BY JACK L. WARNER,
A PRETTY CANNY PRODUCER HIMSELF,
TO RECREATE HER ROLE OF ELIZA DOOLITTLE
INMY FAIR LADY FOR THE SCREEN.
DICK VAN DYKE WAS ALREADY SUCCESSFUL ON TELEVISION
AND HAD MADE A SUCCESS
IN MOVIES LIKE BYE BYE BIRDIE.
BUT THIS FILM GAVE HIM
THE GREATEST ROLE OF HIS CAREER.
HE WAS LIKE A KID.
HE WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT IT,
AND BY THE TIME I LEFT THERE,
I WAS EXCITED ABOUT IT.
HE HAD ME SOLD. I WANTED TO BE
A PART OF THAT MOVIE SO MUCH.
HE HAD ALREADY GOTTEN OUT OF THE SHERMAN BROTHERS
DELIGHTFUL SONGS FOR TV SHOWS, FOR RECORDS,
BUT HE INSPIRED THEM WITHMARY POPPINS.
HE CHALLENGED THEM TO RISE TO NEW HEIGHTS
AND GOT THE VERY BEST THEY HAD TO GIVE.
AND THEN, I THINK,
WELL, GOD MUST HAVE SAT IN THE ROOM WITH US
WHEN WE WROTE THE SONG
FEED THE BIRDS, TUPPENCE A BAG.
WE FELT VERY STRONGLY ABOUT IT,
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS
WE EVER PLAYED FOR WALT, WE SAID,
WE FEEL THAT THE THEME OF THE PICTURE
COULD BE DOING THAT LITTLE EXTRA SOMETHING.
?? FEED THE BIRDS ??
?? TUPPENCE A BAG ??
?? TUPPENCE, TUPPENCE, TUPPENCE A BAG ??
Robert Sherman: FRIDAYS AFTER WORK,
WE'D COME DOWN TO THE OFFICE
AND WE'D TALK A WHILE,
THEN HE'D LOOK THROUGH THE NORTH WINDOW
AND HE'D SAY, "PLAY IT,"
AND WE KNEW WHAT HE MEANT.
WE'VE DISCUSSED EVERYTHING,
AND WE'RE VERY SORRY
ABOUT WHAT WE DID TODAY.
Karen Dotrice: AND FOR ME, AS A CHILD,
I REMEMBER HIM WANTING ME TO STAY NATURAL AND NORMAL
AND INNOCENT,
AND I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE GIFTS
THAT HE GAVE ME, THAT IT WAS OK TO BE INNOCENT.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PRETEND YOU WERE A GROWNUP. BE A KID.
IT WAS MAGIC. ALL THE TIME, IT WAS MAGIC.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Van Dyke: TECHNICALLY,
HE WAS DOING SOME THINGS
THAT WERE WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME.
SOME OF THE--WHAT IS NOW BLUE-SCREEN EFFECTS,
I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAD EVER DONE BEFORE.
AT THAT TIME,
IT WAS AGAINST A YELLOW,
SODIUM-LIT SCREEN,
SO EVERYTHING HAD TO BE VERY, VERY PRECISE.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NEVER DID HE ALLOW A MOVIE
TO HAVE NEW TECHNOLOGY OR SOME LOOK
WITHOUT IT BEING IN THE SERVICE OF THE STORY.
THE STORY WAS EVERYTHING,
AND THOSE GREAT CHARACTERS.
YOU WANT TO BE SWEPT AWAY IN THIS WORLD OF FANTASY,
AND THAT'S WHAT WALT ALWAYS DID SO WELL.
Van Dyke:MARY POPPINS WENT ON TO GARNER
13 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS,
5 OF WHICH BECAME OSCAR WINS.
THE FILM PRODUCED A WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE
OF $44 MILLION,
AN ASTOUNDING AMOUNT IN THE MID-SIXTIES
AND MORE THAN ANY DISNEY FEATURE HAD EVER MADE.
WALT WAS NOW 62 YEARS OF AGE
AND THE WINNER OF AN UNPRECEDENTED
31 ACADEMY AWARDS,
INCLUDING THE PRESTIGIOUS IRVING THALBERG AWARD,
BUT HE GAVE NO SIGNS OF THINKING ABOUT RETIREMENT.
AS WALT REFLECTED ON HIS LIFE,
HE WAS SATISFIED WITH WHAT HE'D ACCOMPLISHED.
WELL, MY GREATEST REWARD, I THINK,
IS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE
TO BUILD THIS WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION.
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY GOOD HEALTH.
AND THE WAY I FEEL TODAY,
I FEEL LIKE I CAN STILL GO ON
BEING A PART OF THIS THING
AFTER 40-SOME ODD YEARS IN THE BUSINESS.
AND ALSO, TO HAVE THE PUBLIC
APPRECIATE AND ACCEPT
WHAT I'VE DONE ALL THESE YEARS,
THAT IS A GREAT REWARD.
WELL, PEOPLE OFTEN SAY TO ME,
AND I'M SURE THEY SAID TO WALT,
"ARE YOU AN OPTIMIST?"
I SAID, "NO, I'M NOT AN OPTIMIST.
"I'M AN OPTIMAL BEHAVIORIST,
WHICH MEANS BEHAVING AT THE TOP OF YOUR ENERGY."
AND THAT WAS WALT DISNEY.
HE BEHAVED EVERY DAY
TO THE TOP OF HIS ENERGY.
AND THAT MAKES A FEELING OF OPTIMISM.
Van Dyke: LIKE A LOT OF GRANDPARENTS,
WALT AND LILLY OFTEN BABY-SAT THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
AFTER SCHOOL, A STUDIO DRIVER
WOULD OFTEN BRING THEM TO HIS OFFICE.
I THINK HE HAD A LITTLE ANTEROOM IN HIS OFFICE,
WHICH WAS A PRETTY NEAT PLACE
TO BE DOING YOUR HOMEWORK.
HE HAD CABINETS FULL OF MINIATURES,
MODELS, AWARDS, CITATIONS.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT DISTRACTING.
WE'D TRY TO GET OUR HOMEWORK DONE,
BUT BE FIDDLING AROUND MOST OF THE TIME
WITH THE STUFF AT HAND.
[GUITAR MUSIC PLAYING]
Joanna: RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
CHRIS GOT A LITTLE RED CAR,
AND THAT WAS OUT AT THE STUDIO.
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE AUTOPIA CAR.
AND HE--WE HAD THAT
TO DRIVE AROUND THE LOT IN--
JUST HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.
Jennifer: IT WAS JUST AN ATMOSPHERE
OF LOVE AND LAUGHTER.
THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WE COULDN'T DO THERE.
I FELT THAT THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS ALWAYS OPEN TO US.
THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, NO DOORS SHUT.
Christopher Disney Miller: OCCASIONALLY WE'D SPEND
THE NIGHT DOWN IN DISNEYLAND
IN THE APARTMENT ABOVE THE FIREHOUSE THERE.
AND THAT WAS A FAIRLY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS BASICALLY LIKE WAKING UP IN THE MORNING
AND HAVING YOUR DREAM CONTINUE.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THAT LITTLE APARTMENT.
I JUST--I CAN REMEMBER SITTING THERE,
HE DOING THE THINGS HE NEEDED TO BE DOING,
WHETHER IT WAS READING
OR JUST SITTING OUT ON THE PATIO.
Van Dyke: WALT WAS THINKING OF THE WORLD
HIS GRANDCHILDREN WOULD GROW UP IN.
WHAT IF ALL THAT WED HAD LEARNED
ABOUT PEOPLE AND SPACE AND TRANSPORTATION
COULD BE PUT TO GOOD USE, NOT ONLY FOR A THEME PARK,
BUT A COMMUNITY, A REAL CITY, AS WELL?
Man: HE WANTED TO TRY
GOING BEYOND THE PARK EXPERIENCE.
HE WANTED TO TRY IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT,
THE URBAN SETTING,
AND HE WAS FULL OF IDEAS
ON WHAT THAT PLACE WOULD BE LIKE.
IT WOULD NOT BE JUST A PARK.
IT WOULD BE IN THE SETTING OF AN URBAN EXPERIMENT.
EPCOT WILL TAKE ITS CUE
FROM THE NEW IDEAS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
THAT ARE NOW EMERGING
FROM THE CREATIVE CENTERS OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY.
IT WILL BE A COMMUNITY OF TOMORROW
THAT WILL NEVER BE COMPLETED,
BUT WILL ALWAYS BE INTRODUCING
AND TESTING AND DEMONSTRATING
NEW MATERIALS AND NEW SYSTEMS.
Van Dyke: WALT'S DESIGN FOR EPCOT--
THE EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE COMMUNITY OF TOMORROW--
CALLED FOR A CENTRAL HOTEL, AN ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLEX
SURROUNDED BY A LARGE SUBURBAN AREA.
EARLY SKETCHES GIVE SOME IDEA
WHAT THE AREA WOULD LOOK LIKE.
Man: THAT WAS THE IDEA.
THIS WOULD BE THE GENESIS PLACE OF...
WHERE, TRULY, WE AS A BIG WORLD CIVILIZATION
COULD ACTUALLY MAKE A REALLY NICE PLACE
TO GO LIVE.
FLORIDA CAME TO THE FOREFRONT VERY QUICKLY
FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE--IT HAD A GOOD TOURIST POPULATION--
17 MILLION TOURISTS.
2--IT HAD GOOD TRANSPORTATION.
3--A LOT OF LAND AT A REASONABLE PRICE.
HE, REALLY, IS THE PERSON THAT SELECTED THE LOCATION.
AND I CAN REMEMBER HIM SAYING TO ME,
"DICK, JUST THINK-- THAT'LL BE OUR GREEN BELT,
AND NOBODY WILL EVER BE ABLE TO BUILD ON IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT EPCOT IS--
AN EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE COMMUNITY
THAT WILL ALWAYS BE IN A STATE OF BECOMING.
Van Dyke: ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT AT THIS TIME WAS CALARTS.
SINCE THE LATE FIFTIES,
WALT HAD BEEN SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL.
NOW HE ENVISIONED COMBINING CHOUINARD
WITH THE LOS ANGELES CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
TO CREATE A SCHOOL WHERE THE ARTS--
MUSIC, ART, FILM, DANCE, AND THEATER--
WOULD COME TOGETHER AND INSPIRE EACH OTHER--
SOMETHING WHICH WALT CALLED CROSS-POLLINATION.
IN THE SUMMER OF 1966, WALT ORGANIZED
A VACATION FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
HE RENTED A 140-FOOT YACHT COMPLETE WITH CREW
FOR A LEISURELY CRUISE FROM VANCOUVER.
Diane: AND IT WAS SO WONDERFUL,
BECAUSE IT WAS ALL MY CHILDREN
FROM CHRIS DOWN TO LITTLE 2-YEAR-OLD RONNIE,
SHARON AND BOB, MY SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW,
AND THEIR LITTLE BABY VICTORIA,
WHO WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD,
AND MOTHER AND DAD, ALL ON THIS BOAT.
WE CELEBRATED TAMMY'S BIRTHDAY,
JULY 3, ON THAT BOAT,
AND THEN MY PARENTS' WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
10 DAYS LATER.
Van Dyke: WHEN RON AND WALT FOUND A QUIET MOMENT TO TALK,
WALT TOLD HIM HE WAS GOING TO FOCUS ON EPCOT
AND CALARTS.
Ron: WALT ALWAYS LOOKED FOR NEW CHALLENGES,
AND EPCOT WAS HIS NEW AND FRESH CHALLENGE.
AND HE ONCE SAID TO ME, HE SAID,
"YOU KNOW, I THINK I NEED ABOUT 15 YEARS.
"IF I COULD HAVE 15 YEARS,
I CAN COMPLETE THIS PROJECT."
AND AT THAT TIME, HE SAID, "YOU KNOW,
"I'M JUST GONNA TURN OVER THE FILMS TO YOU PEOPLE.
"I THINK YOU CAN DO A GOOD JOB.
"I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOU,
BUT I HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON EPCOT."
Van Dyke: WED WAS ALSO BUSY DESIGNING A SKI RESORT
CALLED MINERAL KING NEAR SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK.
WALT'S INTEREST IN SUCH A RESORT
WAS SPARKED BY HIS ROLE
AS THE MASTER IN CHARGE OF PAGEANTRY
DURING THE 1960 WINTER OLYMPICS IN SQUAW VALLEY.
IN 1965,
THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE ACCEPTED DISNEY'S BID
FOR A 30-YEAR LEASE ON THE PROPERTY.
AND IN SEPTEMBER OF 1966,
WALT JOINED GOVERNOR EDMUND G. BROWN
FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE PROJECT.
WE HOPE THAT WE CAN DEVELOP IT IN SUCH A WAY
THAT THE FAMILIES CAN COME UP HERE
AND HAVE ACCESS
TO THIS GREAT, WONDERFUL WILDERNESS AREA.
Van Dyke: JOURNALISTS WHO ATTENDED THE EVENT
WERE STRUCK BY WALT'S APPEARANCE.
WALT LOOKED GAUNT AND DRAWN,
BUT NO ONE SUSPECTED
THERE WAS SOMETHING FAR MORE SERIOUS AHEAD.
I WAS DOING A STORYBOARD,
AND THE ROOM WAS FILLED WITH MY CREW AND SO FORTH,
AND HE GOT IN A COUGHING JAG,
AND HIS FACE TURNED RED.
ANYWAY, HE KIND OF BENT OVER,
AND I SAID, "FOR GOSH SAKES, WALT,
WHY DON'T YOU GIVE UP SMOKING?"
AND HE SAID, "WELL, GUYS,
A GUY'S GOTTA HAVE A FEW VICES, DON'T HE?"
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
Diane: HE WAS GOING TO HAVE SURGERY
ON THE BACK OF HIS NECK. THAT WAS SET.
THEY WERE GOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM
THAT THE OLD POLO INJURY WAS CAUSING,
AND MY MOTHER CAME TO MY DOOR ONE MORNING.
SHE SAID,
"THEY TOOK AN X-RAY OF YOUR FATHER'S LUNG,
AND THEY FOUND A LUMP THE SIZE OF A WALNUT."
Van Dyke: WALT'S DOCTORS RECOMMENDED
THAT HE IMMEDIATELY UNDERGO SURGERY.
THEN WE TURNED TO HIM AND SAID,
"ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT GOING TO THE HOSPITAL?"
AND WALT SAYS, "YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I AM."
AND WE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING IN
BECAUSE OF HIS OLD POLO INJURY,
BUT, UH, THAT WASN'T IT.
SO WE WERE ALL THERE SITTING IN THE ROOM,
AND THE SURGEON CAME IN AFTER THE SURGERY,
AND HE SAID, "WELL,
"THAT WAS JUST AS I SUSPECTED.
"UH, IT HAD--THE TUMOR HAD METASTASIZED.
I GIVE HIM 6 MONTHS TO 2 YEARS."
OF COURSE, IT WAS LIKE
DROPPING A BOMB IN THAT ROOM.
TO ME, THE MOST POIGNANT STORY
OF THIS WHOLE LAST TIME
IS HIS LAST VISIT TO THE STUDIO LOT.
JUST LOOKING AT THIS PLACE
THAT HE HAD BUILT,
THESE PEOPLE THAT HE BROUGHT ALONG,
DONE THESE AMAZING THINGS,
AND KNOWING HE HAD TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND.
AND THEN HE STOPPED ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY,
AND HE TURNED,
AND HE SAID, "GOOD-BYE, MARC."
HE NEVER SAID THAT TO ANYBODY BEFORE.
John: ROY DISNEY EXPLAINED TO ME
THAT HE, IN HIS LAST VISIT TO WALT IN THE HOSPITAL,
HE SAID, "I KNEW I WAS GONNA LOSE MY BROTHER THEN."
HE SAID, "BECAUSE HERE HE WAS,
HE WAS TALKING VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FLORIDA PROJECT."
WALT SAW THE COMPLETE MAP, EVIDENTLY,
OF THE FLORIDA PROJECT
ON THE CEILING ABOVE HIS BED.
[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING]
Diane: AND AS WE GOT OFF THE ELEVATOR ON THE FLOOR,
I SAW RON GO STRIDING INTO DAD'S ROOM
AND THEN COME OUT WITH HIS ARMS UP LIKE THAT,
AS THOUGH SOMEONE PUSHED HIM BACK,
AND, UH, WHEN WE WENT INTO THE ROOM,
I DON'T REALLY--
DAD, YOU KNOW, HIS HANDS WERE ON HIS CHEST,
AND HE WAS GONE.
AND UNCLE ROY WAS STANDING AT THE FOOT OF HIS BED,
AND HE WAS MASSAGING ONE OF DAD'S FEET,
JUST KIND OF CARESSING IT,
AND HE WAS TALKING TO HIM, YOU KNOW?
I DON'T KNOW, IT SOUNDED SOMETHING LIKE,
"WELL, KID, THIS IS THE END, I GUESS."
YOU KNOW, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND, UH, AND I SAW HIS LOVE
AS I'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.
Van Dyke: IT WAS 9:30 A.M. ON DECEMBER 15,
JUST 10 DAYS AFTER HIS 65th BIRTHDAY.
I CRIED IN MY WIFE'S LAP.
IT PUT AN END TO A MARVELOUS ERA.
I LAY AWAKE ALL NIGHT LONG.
I COULDN'T SLEEP,
TRYING TO THINK WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.
Buddy Ebsen: THEY ANNOUNCED WALT'S PASSING,
AND THEN THEY CUT IN
JULIE LONDON'S VOICE,
AND SHE'S SINGING THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB SONG.
UM...
?? M-I-C ??
?? K-E-Y ??
?? M-O-U-S-E ??
[SIGHS]
I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD...
BECAUSE MY TEARS WERE BLINDING...
MY ABILITY TO DRIVE.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Van Dyke: THE NEWS OF HIS DEATH
REVERBERATED AROUND THE WORLD.
NEWSPAPERS FROM NEW YORK TO PARIS
REFLECTED ON HIS IMMENSE ROLE
IN THE SHAPING OF 20th CENTURY ENTERTAINMENT.
JUST AN ORDINARY MAN
WITH THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY TALENT
OF MAKING YOU FEEL THAT YOU WERE IMPORTANT,
WHERE, IN ACTUAL FACT, HE WAS THE ONE.
THIS WAS A MAN THAT HAD ONE FOOT IN THE PAST,
BECAUSE HE LOVED THE NOSTALGIA
AND USED IT IN MANY MOTION PICTURES
AND TELEVISION SHOWS
TO GET THROUGH TO THE PUBLIC,
AND ONE FOOT IN THE FUTURE,
BECAUSE HE LOVED THE TECHNOLOGY.
YOU PUT HIM--YOU DROP HIM IN A GLASS OF WATER
AND LIKE A JAPANESE FLOWER,
HE EXPANDS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
SO, IT'S THE EXPANSIVE DISNEY
THAT'S MOVED OUT IN THE WORLD IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND IT'S DONE NOTHING BUT GOOD.
I MEAN, HERE WAS A MAN WHO HAD SCANT EDUCATION,
YOU KNOW? HIS PARENTS WERE NOT EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE,
EXCEPT IN THEIR CHARACTER.
HE WAS NOT MUCH OF AN ARTIST,
BUT SOMEWHERE CAME THIS AMAZING FACTOR
OF KNOWING WHAT DRAMA AND COMEDY WAS.
AND SO I'M AFRAID WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO SAY,
"WELL, WALT DISNEY-- GENIUS. PERIOD."
[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING]
Walt: THE PARK MEANS A LOT TO ME.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER BE FINISHED,
SOMETHING THAT OUGHT TO KEEP DEVELOPING,
KEEP PLUSSING AND ADDING TO.
IT'S ALIVE, A LIVE BREATHING THING
THAT WHEN WE CHANGE IT,
THE THING'LL GET MORE BEAUTIFUL EVERY YEAR.
AND WE SAID, "WALT, WE GOT THE IDEA FOR THE ENDING.
IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT. THIS IS WHAT IT IS."
AND SO WE SAT DOWN AND DESCRIBED WHAT IT WOULD BE.
WHEN WE'RE THROUGH, HE LOOKED AT US AND SAID,
"YEAH. THAT'S A GOOD ENDING OF A BROADWAY SHOW.
THAT'S A BROADWAY SHOW SONG."
I MEAN, GOSH, HE LIKED THE IDEA,
BUT HE DIDN'T LIKE STICKS, PAPER, AND STRINGS.
TSK. WELL, I SUPPOSE I SHOULD TELL HIM TO GO FLY A KITE.
HE'D SAY, "YEAH, YEAH. THAT'S IT.
LET'S GO FLY A KITE. THAT'S--THERE'S THE TITLE."
SO HE ASKED ME TO COME IN AND TALK TO HIM, WHICH I DID,
AND HE SAID...
HE SAID, "WELL, WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?
DON'T YOU ENJOY IT HERE?"
I SAID, "YES."
BUT I SAID, "ACTUALLY,
"THERE'S ONLY ONE JOB HERE WORTH HAVING,
AND THAT'S YOURS."
AND HE SAID, "THAT'S TRUE. ALL RIGHT."
HE SAID, YOU KNOW...
AND HE SAID, "WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S FILLED."
THE ROADS WERE SO FULL OF SNOW
THAT SOME OF THE CBS ANNOUNCERS
COULDN'T EVEN GET UP TO THE LOCATION IN SQUAW VALLEY,
AND I HAD TO BE PRESSED INTO SERVICE
TO DO SOME OF THE BROADCASTING
THAT THE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T SHOW UP
WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.
BUT WALT WAS UNFAZED BY IT.
HE SAYS, "WE'LL JUST GO RIGHT AHEAD,
"AND WITH ANY KIND OF LUCK,
"THE WEATHER WILL CLEAR,
AND WE'LL GET IT ON THE AIR."
I WOULD SAY THAT 5 MINUTES TO 10 MINUTES OF 10:00,
IT STOPPED SNOWING,
AND IT BEGAN TO LIGHTEN UP.
WE WENT ON THE AIR.
WE DID A 30-MINUTE BROADCAST,
AND 5 MINUTES AFTER WE WERE OVER,
IT STARTED TO SNOW AGAIN.
AND I SAID, "WALT...
YOU HAVE A CONNECTION."
HE SAYS, "NO. IT'S JUST IF YOU LIVE RIGHT,
THINGS HAPPEN RIGHT."
Man: IF YOU HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN,
WOULD YOU DO ANY PART OF IT DIFFERENTLY?
WELL, IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN,
I THINK, UH--
NO, I DON'T THINK I WOULD.
[CHUCKLES]
I DON'T KNOW.
I HOPE I DON'T HAVE TO DO IT OVER AGAIN.
[CHUCKLES]