Although devastated by his brother’s death in December 1966, Roy mustered the resolve to see through Walt’s plans for the Florida project, which would not be a replica of Disneyland. John Hench recalled Roy saying, “I simply had to do it. Because when I meet Walt again, if I hadn’t even tried to build that thing, I would really catch hell.”
Walt took a swing at a different kind of picture after releasing Fantasia (1941). It was a feature film not as grandiose as those that preceded it, but was perhaps even more effective in emotional impact. The film was Dumbo (1941), now celebrating 75 years since its release.
In the newest addition to our galleries at The Walt Disney Family Museum, we reintroduce the iconic work of the concept artist and designer Mary Blair. With the recent rotation of Blair’s artwork in gallery 7, guests view a selection of Mary’s unique visual development work for the memorable films Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella.
Roy had a knack for naming things. Simplicity and clarity appealed to him. The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio of 1923 became The Walt Disney Studio in 1926, at Roy’s request.
The 1964/65 New York World’s Fair represented a growth point for Walt in many different avenues of creative expression. Beyond being an opportunity to receive generous corporate sponsorships to develop new attraction technology, the Fair symbolized the pinnacle of Walt’s shared values of futurism and global cooperation.
Roy O. Disney sometimes acted as an advance man for Walt who was immersed in production details, storylines, and almost everything else at the Studios. Roy kept Walt abreast of developments in succinct, vivid letters and memos.
In celebration of the museum’s anniversary we will be screening our anniversary film, which gives a behind the scenes look at the creation of The Walt Disney Family Museum.
Roy Disney was a financial genius. But he was more than that in the same way that Walt Disney was more than a film producer. Here is a chance to learn more about him through his own words and recollections of his contemporaries. Even a small sample of his correspondence to Walt shows the caliber of person that was Roy Oliver Disney.
The Ugly Duckling was the only Silly Symphony to be remade.The second production of The Ugly Duckling, released in 1939, included all of the Studios’ innovations of the prior decade as well as lessons learned from the production process of their first feature film—Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs—released nearly a year and a half earlier. This resulted in a new subtlety and sophistication, rich Technicolor, and compelling character animation.
Jiminy Cricket, the loveable cricket who plays the role of Pinocchio’s conscience, had a very different storyline in the original story. Walt Disney had a keen eye for detail and story; he paid just as close attention to the minor characters as he did the lead. Look at Jiminy’s evolution, and how each piece of the story was equally important to ensuring the success of the characters and the film as a whole.