Talks

Walt Disney fell in love with the timeless classic Mary Poppins when he witnessed how entranced his young daughter Diane was with the story, so much so that he would go on to make a hugely successful film in 1964 adapted from P.L. Travers’ series of novels. For this family-friendly event, join everyone’s favorite magical nanny on her many adventures in this newly-released picture book based on the original story by P.L. Travers. Read by its illustrator, Genevieve Godbout, this event includes a book signing with the illustrator as well as an opportunity for a kid-friendly Q&A session. Mary Poppins will be available for purchase at the museum store.

Follow Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, as he hatches an elaborate plot to steal Christmas from Santa Claus and bring holiday joy to the children of the world—with a spooky twist. Read aloud by pop-up book creator Matthew Reinhart, these unique 3-D illustrations will take you and your children on a journey to Halloween Town with a new, interactive perspective. This reading will be followed by a Q&A and book signing with Reinhart. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: A Petrifying Pop-Up for the Holidays book published by Disney Editions will be available for sale in the museum store.

Brad Bird knew he wanted to be an animator when he first toured The Walt Disney Studios at just eleven years old. In his teens, he developed an animated version of “The Tortoise and the Hare” and sent it to Disney, where it caught the attention of several of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men. He was offered the rare opportunity to be educated in the art of animation by a key few of the Nine Old Men—an opportunity which would change the course of his life and help rocket his career into animation superstardom. Hear from Bird as he relives stories of working with the Nine Old Men as a young protégé, how their tutelage influenced his successful career in animation, writing, and directing, and their lessons he still heeds to this day.

Walt Disney sent lights, cameras, and actors—both human and animal—to a faraway tropic island in 1959 to film one of the most beloved live-action adventure movies ever made. Swiss Family Robinson (1960) was shot entirely on the island of Tobago in the West Indies. With its palm-fringed beaches, dense jungles, and dark swamps, Tobago provided the ideal backdrop for the tale of a shipwrecked family facing an unfamiliar and perilous new life. But, as we all know, the true star of the picture was a spectacular tree house built high in the branches of a giant, real-life tree. 

Walt Disney went to great lengths to capture the magic of P.L. Travers’s classic children’s novel Mary Poppins when crafting the memorable 1964 film. Children’s book illustrator Genevieve Godbout was given a similar challenge when she was asked to illustrate a picture book version of the classic tale, bringing Mary’s indomitable personality to life on the page. Hear from Godbout as she discusses the research that went into recreating Mary’s story, the artistic process behind her unique designs, and the many ways in which she drew inspiration. Look for Mary Poppins, written by P.L. Travers, adapted by Amy Novesky, and illustrated by Godbout this Fall 2018.

Disney Legend and Academy Award®-winner Glen Keane is one of the most revered animators of Disney’s renaissance. But he didn’t get where he is today without a little help from the artists who came before him. When he was hired at Disney in 1974 as a fledgling animator, he was taken under the wings of Eric Larson, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston, whose teachings helped him to become a master animator. Join Glen for a special talk about how several of the Nine Old Men influenced him in his quest to becoming an animator, lessons he gained from their mentorship, and examples of how their unique influences make appearances in his legendary work.