Walt Disney and his youngest daughter, Sharon, left Los Angeles on August 10, 1947 for a three week trip to Candle, Alaska. What was supposed to be a relaxing flight turned out to be quite an adventure…as well as a wonderful father-and-daughter bonding experience.
With excitement abuzz over Disneyland’s latest planned expansion, we pay tribute to its first major park expansion as proof of Walt’s oft-proclaimed pronouncement that “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
Walt shared a series of personal connections with America’s southern neighbor. One such connection occurred twenty years prior to this event, when Disneyland was not yet a point on a map, and the United States was dealing with—but had not yet entered—the turmoil of the Second World War.
“This is not the cartoon medium…we have worlds to conquer here.” So Walt Disney described his unique masterwork from 1940, Fantasia. The museum’s collection is comprised of more than 30,000 objects and our collections staff has been busy swapping in other items, including a recent rotation of objects in the Fantasia case in gallery 5.
Walt Disney’s fourth feature film, and perhaps one of his least known, The Reluctant Dragon was released in June of 1941, now 75 years ago. The film follows famed writer and humorist Robert Benchley (playing himself) as he ventures throughout the then brand-new Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, anxious to share a story with Walt that he thinks might make a good cartoon picture. Along the way he has many silly encounters with artists, animators, voice talents, and other employees, experiencing little stories at each new meeting.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
Veteran Disney producer and Walt Disney Family Museum Advisory Board member Don Hahn has recently completed work as Curator of our newest special exhibition, Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men: Masters of Animation.
Arguably, one of the most legendary (and possibly the most infamous) of Walt's Nine Old Men was the master draftsman, Milt Kahl. With the exciting presentation of The Walt Disney Family Museum’s special exhibition of Wish Upon a Star: The Art of Pinocchio, we turn our attention to Kahl, the sometimes irascible yet always supremely talented artist behind the design of the lovable little puppet.
The Walt Disney Family Museum has made some exciting new additions to gallery 3. All new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs artifacts are now on view to showcase various characters, animation art, and merchandise.
Walt was in the midst of creating live action films and hosting television shows that put him right in America’s living room. Soon Walt would chart new waters with his first ever live-action musical, Babes in Toyland.
The same passion that drove Walt Disney and others to pursue their love of model railroading remains strong today. Tom Nance has hand built his own working 1/8th scale steam engine, almost an exact replica of Walt’s own Lilly Belle.
In a Walt Disney Family Museum original production directed by Don Hahn, guests can view Disney family home movies and holiday segments from Walt’s shorts and feature films as Walt’s daughter, Diane, shares her Christmas memories.
It is with a heavy heart we heard of the passing of Disney Legend, Tyrus Wong. Tyrus Wong was 106 years old.
Walt’s varied experience with outside distribution companies, would take to heart owning his own characters, stories, and means of production; a lesson The Walt Disney Company embodies to this day.