Although animator and Imagineer Marc Davis is famed for his design influence and animation performance of Maleficent in Walt Disney's 1959 animated feature Sleeping Beauty, less well-known is that the majestic and powerful dragon was the work of Ken Anderson (also remembered for another dragon, Pete's Dragon in 1977) under the direction of Woolie Reitherman. Marc said, "I had nothing to do with the dragon, but it was based on Maleficent…there was a consistentcy. This wasn't just a dragon she turned into, this was her own particular dragon."
Our Film of the Month for January has been called “the best Disney live-action feature that you’ve never seen” by film writer Karl Holzheimer. Although acclaimed as of the finest adventure dramas of its era, Third Man on the Mountain has never reached the status in the Disney legacy that it richly deserves.
In October of 1966, Walt Disney was declared “Showman of the World” by the National Association of Theatre Owners. His creative legacy was so diverse, spanning so many realms of entertainment and outdoor recreation, it’s remarkable to think that before 1955 he was “merely” a producer of motion pictures...
Hide in plain sight.
As a student of Disney history I have come to embrace that particular cliché. Simple and almost always overlooked details in Disney entertainment can often lead to very enjoyable and enlightening journeys of historical discovery. I recently embarked on such a journey after watching the Goofy cartoon The Art of Skiing...
It was a Friday. It was about week before Christmas. And it was official: The U.S. Forest Service awarded the right to develop the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Forest to Walt Disney Productions. The year was 1965...
"We won't turn into a live-action studio, but we'll get into the live-action business." —Walt Disney
The end of World War II presented a new creative opportunity for Walt. Like most war-damaged countries, Britain had frozen payments due to American film companies. Disney and RKO had millions of dollars that could only be spent in the United Kingdom...
Each month, we ask a museum staff member to answer five questions about their position at The Walt Disney Family Museum, their fondest Disney memories, and personal tidbits. We decided to shine the light on our museum... as a TEAM. This month, we talk to Alyson Fried--the manager of The Walt Disney Family Museum's first ever softball team: The Blue Sox!
One of Walt Disney’s many talents was a flair for casting, and a genius for recognizing unusual talent. Although the application of this gift within the Animation trade is well-known, as is the roster of live-action stars who came to be associated with Walt, both professionally and culturally...
For many of us, this is the one time of year when we don’t mind the daily visit to the mailbox. Amidst the junk mail and bills that still find their way to our homes are true postal gems...
According to legend, in 1842, seven years before California’s famous gold rush, a rancher named Francisco Lopez fell asleep beneath a large oak tree on his Placerita Canyon ranch and dreamed of finding gold. When Lopez awoke, he pulled up wild onions to eat that were growing underneath the oak and found gold nuggets in the roots of the onions...