In 1928, after losing the rights to a character he had helped develop, Walt Disney had to come up with a new creation. His wife, Lillian, recalled, "He was talking about different things, kittens and cats, this and that and the other. He kept talking about a mouse."Walt later said, "And then the name came. I had Mortimer first and my wife shook her head, and then I tried Mickey and she shook her head the other way, and that was it!"
Disney historian Jeff Kurtti penned this tribute to James MacArthur for us:
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—Annette Funicello, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker, Fred Mac Murray, and Dean Jones to name a few—there is one actor whose relationship with Walt Disney is frequently forgotten: James MacArthur.
We'd like to thank everyone who came out for the Anniversary Weekend (Oct 1-3), as well as all our guests who visited the Museum during the month of October! Here are photo highlights of all our celebratory activities!
Just in time for the creepiest of holidays, we asked our Preparator, Ben Peters, to give us a look at some of the more creepier artifacts in our Collection.
As a general rule, my favorite parts of Disney films are the scary scenes and of the characters, I generally prefer the villains. My coworkers always call me over when they pull out an artifact that is especially sinister looking because they know I will love it. So for this Halloween blog I’ve chosen to share just a few of the more creepy artifacts in our collection. Happy Halloween!
Retired Imagineer Marty Sklar was gracious enough to field some questions from us about one of our favorite attractions at Disneyland, those scourge of the seven seas, the Pirates of the Caribbean. Marty, as many of you know, worked at WED and Walt Disney Imagineering for over forty years.
Saturday, October 30th and Sunday, October 31st:
Costumes welcome, so come dressed in your best!
Screening Times:
10:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm
This is the last of a five-part series that looks back at the Museum's roots and its journey to opening day, Oct. 1st, 2009.
The first time that we met Bruce Gordon was on a soundstage in Hollywood, where we interviewed him for the Walt Disney Family Foundation/Pantheon Productions documentary Walt: The Man Behind the Myth. Bruce spoke eloquently and enthusiastically that day, about Walt and Disneyland. My Mom, sister Joanna, and I were a captivated audience. After the interview, we hoped to chat for a minute or two, but just as quickly as he had entered the stage in his blue button down dress shirt, khaki pants, and black tennis shoes, he was out the door, back to Walt Disney Imagineering.
This is the third of a five-part series that looks back at the Museum's roots and its journey to opening day, Oct. 1st, 2009.
The Walt Disney Family Museum is offering a special admission package exclusively to D23 Members on Saturday, October 30. The $23 ticket (more than a 20 percent savings!) will include adult admission and a showing of HallowScreen! in the Museum's state-of-the-art movie theater--we even encourage you to come in costume!