Moose: Chapters From My Life by Robert B. Sherman

Yes, I have been away for awhile.  Some might say that I lost my muse, but, more appropriately… My focus and activity has been necessarily elsewhere.  More about that in another future post…  For now, I am fulfilling a promise made a while back:

Anyone who knows me, know of my interest in and love for all things Disney.  That love and interest lead to a membership in the Walt Disney Family Museum, and a rare opportunity to meet and hear from many Disney Legends and Luminaries.  One such Legend was in the person of Richard Sherman:  One half of the Sherman Brothers team of Disney lore.  Think “It’s A Small World” or maybe you remember a little movie they wrote the music for: “Mary Poppins.” Richard has been most kind and generous with his time and stories to members of the Museum, and served to remind me just how much he and his brother Robert B. Sherman had really influenced my life from a very early age.  Actually, if you have visited a Disney theme park, viewed any number of films or stage plays, you have been influenced in some way by the Sherman Brothers’ magic.    Meeting Richard left me with a great desire to one day meet his brother, Robert.

In the 2002 Robert, with his youngest son Robbie, moved to London after losing his beloved wife Joyce the year earlier.  In March of 2012 we lost Robert and the age of 86, and thus dashed my chances of ever having the privilege of meeting Robert, in this life.  However, shortly after learning of Robert’s passing, I was fortunate to be accepted in to a group on Facebook dedicated as a tribute site to the Sherman Brothers, run by Robert’s youngest son Robbie.  I have been able to learn much more about the Sherman Brothers, and in particular Robert through this site and my interactions, and somewhat to my surprise, I have been able to provide some of my own insights that have been found of value to some.  I am most thankful that Robbie, in particular, has found value in some of my input.  The relationships that I have had the great and rare fortunate chance to grow out of my association what that site are amazing, and would fill a post all by themselves.  All I can say right now is a deep and personal Thank You to Gregg, Jeff and Wendy, Laurie, and very especially to Robbie for the kindness, generosity, and friendship you have all shown me over the last couple of years.  It has meant more than any of you might realize.  Tracy, you are still on my “Still to Meet” list.

Anyway, to the book, it was through my association with the Sherman Brothers page that I learned that Robert had written and autobiography – Moose: Chapters From My Life, and the Robbie, as editor, was working toward getting it published for his Dad, posthumously.  I have two copies of this book in my collection, a working copy that I use for research, and a 2^nd hard bound copy which is part of my treasured signed collection of Disney related books.  As I said earlier, I was never able to meet Bob in person, so his book is most fittingly signed by the person, whose tireless efforts got it published, the editor… Robbie Sherman – Thank You again!

I am not going to reveal many, if any, details from the book, you should read and discover for yourself the truly amazing history of this man and to some degree his Brother and the team we know today as the Sherman Brothers.  This is not what many would consider a traditional biography, auto or otherwise.  It is a personal story, told by a master storyteller; about a life lived in both private and public, sometimes even very publicly, one of the challenges of being a publicly known figure.  This is the story of a man of many lives and many talents, some that not many know much about.  This is the story about a man who was often more charitable of his assessments of others than he was his own person experiences.  Yet, even so, he exposed what he felt were his own flaws with an honesty that is both charitable and understanding tone.  If you want to learn about a man, from the man himself, and more about what made him the incredible individual he was than just all that he did, this is the book for you.  And to the editor ;-), I disagree; I think the last chapter is as important a read as the first.  This is more than just a story about a man we should all want to know more about, it is a story about a man who all man should aspire to emulate.

As you might gather, I highly recommend this book for any Disney fan, or Sherman Brothers fan, and remember, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” 

Finally, for those of you who what to know even more about The Sherman Brothers, you can check out a copy of The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story a documentary about this legendary team, or Walt's Time - From Before to Beyond, a book done in 1998 by Richard and Robert with editorial help another legend – Bruce Gordon.

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

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Prologue: Destination D: 75 Years of Feature Animation

On August 11 and 12, The Walt Disney Company and D23 celebrated 75 years of Feature Animation with their 2^nd Destination D at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

On Friday August 10^th, after dropping my lovely wife off at work and quick stop to top off the gas tank, (No, you don’t have to worry; Pam got picked up from work Friday evening by our youngest.  J)  With a full tank and the trays loaded with a Book on CD in place, I hit the freeway and started motoring south.  About 8 hours later, after hitting a couple of choke points along the route, and the requisite traffic jams inherent to the L.A. driving experience, I was pulling up in front of the Disneyland Hotel.  A half hour later, after checking into the hotel and a very nice room overlooking Downtown Disney, I was in the check-in line for Destination D.  One of these days I will learn to read all the signs behind the check-in desk.  After giving with the gal in line for A-to whatever my name and not finding it on the list, she ask if I was a Diamond level guest?  With my yes, she point me the nice young lady (Karen) sitting in front of a sign with a great big diamond on it.  Doh!!!  Checked in for the next day’s event, and sufficiently merchandised, it was off to the room to drop off my booty and on to DCA.

For those of you who may not know, Disney California Adventure has been undergoing a major retrofit for the last couple of years.  I won’t go into my deeper thoughts on the subject, but, suffice to say that, to me, DCA has never really felt that much like a Disney Park.  Yeah, there were a few things in there that I liked, but we never spent a lot of time in that park.  Well, this is the first trip ever, mostly because of the short time I was there and my commitments elsewhere, which I actually did not make it into Disneyland.  A real bummer, but, I will survive; I wanted to see the new additions to DCA, and my beloved Corn Dog Castle was back in operations.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the Red Wagon at Disneyland too, but, a stop at the Corn Dog Castle has been a tradition since DCA opened.  It was one of the things that drew us to DCA in the early day.  So, after renewing my annual pass at the ticket booth, it was off to the DCA turnstile.

Approaching the entrance to DCA, you’ll immediately notice the absence of the C*A*L*I*F*O*R*N*I*A letters.  Next, one see the new turnstiles which have a similar design to those of Disney Hollywood Studio in Florida, and a more 30’s feel to them.  Also now missing is the Golden Gate Bridge which I’d always felt looked a little out of place.  As I walked into the park, I was fortunate to have one the new Red Car Trolleys stopped at the end of its run near the gates adding to the ambience of walking onto a 1930’s styled Los Angeles street, with its stucco storefronts.  As I came around the corner, gone was Sunshine Plaza with its brass disaster of a sun, replaced by a beautiful recreation of the Carthay Circle Theater – home to Walt Disney’s 1937 world premier of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  This rendition of the Theater houses a new Disney Dining experience called Club 1901 on the second floor with a Lounge on the first.  On what is now know as Buena Vista Street, in front of the entrance to the Hollywood Backlot, sits the newest sculptural addition to the Parks, the Storytellers statue.  This is another statue of the Walt and Mickey, with Walt appearing to the dress in an attire of his 1920’s arrival to Los Angeles and Hollywood.  But, unlike the Partners Statue, raised and fenced in, in the hub over at Disneyland, the Storytellers Statue is at ground level and accessible for guests to have their pictures taken with it.  All in all, my impressions of Buena Vista Street are wonderful, with the shops along the street well themed to that of the 1930’s.  A future trip will be need to give review to the new restaurant in the Carthay Circle Theater, but, the reviews I have read are very good and give my experiences with Disney’s other fine dining offering, I would expect nothing less than excellence in 1901.  Since it was still well before dusk, and I was hungry, I bypassed Cars Land and headed off to the Corn Dog Castle to satisfy that craving that had be building for the entire drive down.  I’ve had corndogs at many places around the country and we have a Dog On A Stix here locally, but, nothing is quite the same as a Disneyland corndog – dark, crunchy, and about 10 inches in length.  Fresh and hot, dipped in mustard, it is pure nirvana.

Corn dog fix satisfied and dusk rapidly approaching, it was off to Cars Land.  Standing at the entrance, I was immediately reminded of the many trips we took from San Jose to Camarillo when I was a kid.  How many of you remember that the 101 we know today was but a future notion.  The highway ran through every little town between here and Los Angeles – Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Salinas, King City… billboards advertising all the great little roadside attractions and cafes along the route.  But, looking down this Main Street, I was immediately transport into the Radiator Springs of Cars.  There’s Fillmore’s and Sarge’s, Flo’s and Luigi’s, and at the end of the street, the Cadillac Range looms in the distance… the tailfins of several years of 50’s caddies jutting out.  And then as the darkness of night began to envelop us, what I was really there the experience this evening.  The speakers came alive with “Live Would Be A Dream”, and slowly as the music played the lights and neon of Radiator Springs sprung to life from one attraction to the next.  Again, I remembered with great fondness, those many trips south, most often in the evening hours, and all the neon signs as we transited one small town to the next.  Remembering the movie and being a child how came of age in the 60’s, I had been anxiously awaiting this moment since I first learned of the building of Cars Land – I was not disappointed.  After the 400+ miles on the road, and the fatigue that often accompanies elation, it was time to turn in and prepare for the early morning events of Destination D.  Arriving back at my room, I was in time for the nightly fireworks display at Disneyland.  With the music piped into the room through the TV and a room on the 8^th floor of the Disneyland Hotel Adventure Tower – Downtown Disney side, the only place better to watch the fireworks would be in front of Sleepy Beauty’s Castle.  It was an interesting perspective to watch the show from a side angle.  If you’ve experienced the fireworks in front of the Castle, or even from the Esplanade between the parks, you would probably think that the colorful bursts in the sky were coming from directly behind the castle.  Not So… the smaller bursts do launch from the castle, but the large starbursts come from a backstage building behind ToonTown. Just an interesting side note.

So, Cars Land, done… corn dog, done… fireworks, done… time to head off to Neverland and a nights rest for a busy day to come.  One last surprise for the evening, the lights on the nightstands have two switches, one for the light and the other...  well, flip the switch and you hear “When You Wish Upon a Star,” I could be wrong on the music but, as you listen to the music, especially if the other lights are out, you notice the headboard begin to light up with fiber optic firework bursts.  There’s that special Disney touch, and a really wonderful way to slip off to Neverland for the evening.  Nighty Night Tink.

Next, Day 1 of Destination D…

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

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Yes – Yet Another Walt Disney Studio Tour

Weekend before last was a busy one.  First, nothing would have it, but we had to see Brave on Friday night’s opening.  Excellent movie, but have we come to expect anything less from PIXAR?  You can see my review posted just before this one, but, it’s a great movie and I’m looking forward to seeing it again… and again… and again…  J

Saturday was a bit less busy than originally planned, as my buddy Libby let me off the hook for a ride to SJO early in the morning, but, the wife and I spent the afternoon at the Walt Disney Family Museum, listening to Author and former manager of the Walt Disney Archives Robert Tieman talk about “Selling Walt: The Business (and Fun) of Movie Promotion.”  We spent the hour and a half talking about what the Studio did to help theater owners promote Disney movies coming to their establishments.  I’ll try to having another piece on this after I get a chance to go over my notes.

Finally the weekend’s main event was on Sunday.  A third trip to the Walt Disney Studio in Burbank for a tour of the Studio, this time with my youngest daughter.  Someone asked me, “don’t you get bored, see the same stuff?”  Simple answer, NO!!!  It kind of the same with the Walt Disney Family Museum; no matter how many times I visit, I always manage to learn something new each time.  This is helped on the Studio tour by the fact that in three visits, We’ve had three different tour guides.  While there is a defined tour guideline for what we get to see, there is no set script.  So, each guide can add their own special stories that they relate to the Studio and Walt. 

More on the tour in a moment, but first, back to beginning…  Since this was a one day trip, departure time set for 5:00 AM.  Tee must have been anxious because we were on the road at 4:58, and the trip progressed nicely until we were about an hour and a half into it.  For some reason I tapped the right front pocket of my jean, and gasped…  DAMN!!!  Actually, I think my word choice might have been and little different, but…  Tee’s eyes slammed open with a WHAT???  I had remembered everything for the trip except one critical component… one of my wallets, the one that has all my credit cards and my D23 membership card in it.  No credit cards, no gas…  No D23 card, no entrance to the Studio tour.  As we turn back north, thinking the trip and event may well be over, Tee calls her Mom to see if she can meet us about have way back with said wallet?  Fortunately, was up to the task, and hopped into the other vehicle with our oldest as navigator, and headed south, as we were headed back north.  We met up in Gilroy, I got my wallet and a quick Mickey D’s breakfast, we exchanged goodbyes and thanks, and were headed back south again…  hoping that I could make up enough time not to miss the tour.  Again, fortunate with Pam bringing me my wallet, we didn’t lose the full hour and a half’s driving time.  I pedaled it a little harder than I normally would have, and the quick breakfast stop in Gilroy, so, just a single gas stop in Buellton (of Anderson’s Split Pea fame), and we made Burbank with a half and hour to spare…  cutting it close, by my travel standards.  A quick stop to let Tee change clothes, a quick tour around the studio lot, and we were driving into the Buena Vista Gate at the Walt Disney Studios at the prescribed no more than 30 minutes before our scheduled tours.  WHEW!!!  J

As we are checking in for the tour - D23 card required – in front of the Hyperion Bungalow, who should come around the corner but Jeffrey Epstein.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Jeff on several occasions, including most recently at the Walt Disney Family Museum’s presentation of the D23 Fanniversary.  Jeff is one of those many truly friendly Disney Cast-members who is just a joy to be around.  Well, guess who turned out to be the guide for our 1:30 tour, none other than Jeffrey.  J  While waiting for our tour to start, Tee and I got a chance to look through the D23 Merchandise Store in one of the rooms of the Hyperion Bungalow, where I pick up a few items, and then a quick troll through the Employee’s store across the walkway.  Jeffrey gathered his tourists together at the prescribed time, and ushered us to shady spot – it was, of course, and normal warm and sunny afternoon in Burbank.   From our nicely shaded location in front of the Employee Store, Jeffrey began to explain some of the sites around us:

·         The Hyperion Bungalow behind us, one of several buildings that were moved from them original Hyperion Avenue studio in the Silver Lake district.  The bungalow now has two rooms, fittingly called the Hyperion and Silver Lake rooms, and is used for meetings, and as the check-in point for the tours.

·         Next to us was the Employee Store, which had been redone since my last visit, and the Employee credit union behind it.

Next, a look across the street was the Mickey Mouse topiary.  The Mickey topiary was a anniversary gift to the Studio from Walt Disney World, and Michael Eisner declared that the Walt Disney Studio should become the West Coast capital for topiaries.  Until…  The plant started to die and the studio landscaping staff had to spend a bundle of cash to develop an internal watering system so this Mickey could flourish.  Today, the Mickey topiary is the singular nod on the Studio lot to what seems so natural in Florida.  A few yards to the right of the topiary stands one of two flagpoles from the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, where Walt Disney was the Chairman of Pageantry and responsible of Opening and Closing ceremonies.  This first flagpole was acquired by Walt after the games, its sister flagpole, a few more yard down, was donated by another company so that the Studio could have the pair.  Behind the topiary and the flagpoles sit the Studio Commissary.  In 1940, when the studio first opened, there weren’t a lot of eatery options in the area, so Walt made sure that his people were taken care of for meals with the commissary.  To this day, the commissary still serves Walt’s favorite meal… Chili.  I couple of years ago, I was fortunate to attend an event at the Studio which included dinner at the commissary.  I had the chili, and it was – while not my Texas Red – a very good bowl of chili.  Actually, if you want the recipe, it’s on the D23 website – Walt’s Own Chili recipe.

Now we move on down the street to the corner of Mickey Avenue and Dopey Drive, or have we?  If you have seen “The Reluctant Dragon,” then you know the street sign right next to the old Animation Building.  If not and you are a Disney fan, you’ve probably seen a picture or two of the street sign for Mickey Avenue and Dopey Drive.  This sign was installed as a prop for the 1941 short film “The Reluctant Dragon,” where Robert Benchley (yes, that is Peter Benchley’s… of JAWS fame… father) dashes around the studio in search of Walt Disney to pitch him a story.  As travels the Disney lot, we learn different aspects of the animation process.  An interesting note about the street sign… if you follow the sign to the several department, you’ll find yourself even more lost… as they point the wrong direction.  Right next to the street sign is a fire hydrant with a sign painted on the curb “Pluto’s Corner.”  In the cement next to the hydrant are three distinct paw prints… wonder where that fourth paw is???  J

Standing on the steps of the Animation Building, we look across the walkway to the studio theater.  This theater has been used over the years as a screening theater and a sound mixing studio for putting the finishing touches on films.  A few years ago, the company finished a complete retrofit and remodel to the theater.  Today, it is used to screen new film for employees and to hold special screening for the public.  I had the good fortune to event a couple of those special screenings, and the inside is as beautiful as the outside.  The walkway outside was where they once place the cement encased handprints of recent inducted Disney Legends, much like they do outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.  Years ago it was discovered that these cement tributes were slowly degrading with all the foot traffic, so the Archive team preserved them, move them to the Archive and install replicas in the new Legends’ Plaza.  The Plaza was close for this a special “Brave” reception, so we didn’t get to go in.  Moving on, we entered the Animation Building, and tour the first floor main hallway, looking at many examples of the animation and storytelling process.  The Animation Building was specifically built for Walt’s Animators.  It is a three story building running north and south, with eight wings, four on either side east and west.  When Walt was build this new studio after the success of ‘Snow White’, he ask is artists what the needed most… the clear answer was LIGHT!!!  With the eight wings, the Animation Building has lots of light.  On the third floor in the north east corner is where Walt’s offices were located.  In that wing Walt had his formal and working offices, and a reception area.  On second floor, one wing south was where Roy had his offices.  The running joke for Walt was that, “this was so that he could look down on Roy and keep and eye on him, but Roy couldn’t look up and see what he was doing.”  Unfortunately, the D23 Studio tours don’t make a trip to the 2^nd or 3^rd floors, but, if you keep your eyes open, there are a few events that do.  J

Moving on to Disney’s first utilidor… Utilidor, you say…  What the heck is a Utilidor?  Well, it is a utility corridor, and how many of you know that there is a whole subterranean world under Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom?  Well, actually it isn’t subterranean, because of Florida’s high water table; Walt Disney World is really built one story above sea level, with much of the Parks unseen operations conducted in the first floor utilidors.  I’ve been told that there are a couple of small utilidors at Disneyland, but nothing like the complex at Walt Disney World.  Maybe I’ll do an essay on the Magic Kingdom Utilidors and why they came to be, but, the Walt Disney Studios had the first Utilidor.  The Animation Building has a basement that was used primarily for storage, with a utilidor that accesses the Ink and Paint building next door.  While this passage has been used as a prop in several Disney productions (think Alias for one), it had a real function meant for its design.  This was the path that animators’ cells took in route to be painted and finished, before moving on to the Camera department, keep the cells protected from potential weather or dust from being outdoors.

After and quick tour through the Short building, the third and final building (well in reality, its two buildings that were combined into one on the new lot) moved over from the from the Hyperion lot, we made our way through the sound stages.  Not really much to say are or seeing but, the outside of these huge buildings where much of the Disney magic is produced.  During the development of Disneyland, several of these stages were used to build mock-ups.  One interesting note for fans of Mary Poppins, all of the live actions scenes for the movie were done on a sound stage, nothing was done outdoors or on location.  Out of the sound stages as walk by the iconic water tower (built with 6 legs, instead 4 or 5, because it was more esthetically appealing to Walt’s Brother Roy), we emerged onto what was once the studio’s backlot… the Zorro parking structure, over by the Riverside Gate, stands where the sets for the Zorro T.V. show once stood, along with other western sets.  As we walk along the street, we see the only remaining backlot structures at the Studio today, a row of store fronts. Within a short walk we come upon the backside of water (sorry for the Disneyland reference) err… of the Ink & Paint, and Camera Departments.  The most important building here was the machine shop where Roger Broggie took on an interesting apprentice… his boss, Walt Disney.  It was in this machine shop that many of Walt’s innovation were brought to life, and where Walt with Roger’s help created the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, a miniature train which he operated around his Holmby Hills home in the earlier 50s.

Now for one of the special treats of these tours, a trip to the Main Office of the Walt Disney Archive, and some face time with the one and only Dave Smith.  As we were told on a couple of occasions during the tour, Roy O. asked Dave to create the Archive in 1970.  One of Dave’s first tasks was to catalog and document Walt’s offices in the Animation building which had been shuddered since his death in 1966.  An exhibit of Walt’s Office has been on display at One Man's Dream - Walt's Office in Disney Hollywood Studio at Walt Disney World.  Also as I understand it, Walt’s formal office has been recreated for the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archive exhibit which opens July 6 at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley.  Well, we got to spend about a half an hour with Dave, as he showed us some of the artifacts he has discovered over the last forty years.  Items such as, the ticket and parking pass for the Disneyland opening day media event, the first year ticket book for the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and one of Walt Disney many Oscars.  I’ve seen some of the exhibits from the Archive at events like the D23 Expo, but, there is nothing like being in the same room listening to the man who started the Archive.

From the Archive, we moved past the Legends Plaza (no visit there today) to the Rotunda of the Team Disney building that sits on the corner of the lot at Buena Vista Street and Alameda Avenue, and houses Disney’s executive management team.  In the rotunda lobby are two large tiled pictures of the company founders… Walt and Roy.  As we leave the rotunda, we pass by the Roy Oliver Disney Building.  Built the 80s, on our last visit to the Studio, this building was an ivy covered box which looked a little out of place between the new Team Disney and the old Animation Buildings.  On this trip, the building has been completely remodeled and refurbished.  Gone is the ivy, and the old ugly cross beam support structure has been pleasantly disguised by clean concrete, smoked glass windows, and a lattice of natural woods covering the lower half of each floor.  This building now looks like it belong on the lot, and is a much more fitting tribute to the man it is named after.  And a few minutes later, we are back at the Hyperion Bungalow, and with some sadness, an end to our tour.  A hearty thank you to Jeffrey, and a quick trip into the Employees’ Store, and we were on our way home with our trinkets and memories.

As it turns out, the trip home turned out to be as eventful as our travels down.  First, yours truly flubbed again and took the wrong freeway exit and to turn around.  Wound up heading back to the Studio.  After getting my direction squared away, and heading north, we made our way to Camarillo and a stop for fuel, for both auto and human. Finished with dinner, we were again headed north, only to be slowed to a crawl a few miles north of Santa Barbara.  It took us 2 hours to make it three miles, because (as I discovered later) a drunk took out another vehicle and completely blocked both lanes northbound.  After getting passed the accident, Tee and I decided the meal stop was a good decision, had we decided to just drive through, we’d have been at that spot at right about the time the accident happened and could have been involved, instead of gripping about the slow crawl, and arriving home after 12:30 AM

All and all, another great trip with one of my girls, but, stay tuned... I have a run south planned for August and event at Disneyland.  J

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

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Disney/Pixar’s Brave

After a little last minute family turmoil, we got to see Brave last night.  This is one of those long anticipated movie events for my family.  I first learned of Brave when it was announced that Pixar would be doing their first real fairytale and princess story, the Scottish legend of, “The Bear and The Bow” and have been following its production all the way to last night.  I am going to try to write this review without spoilers, as I don’t like it when others do that to me.

Brave, as “The Bear and The Bow” came to be known, is set in the 10^th century Scottish highlands, and is a coming of age story of a young Princess being groomed to become the Queen and leader of her kingdom.  Merida (I love this name) has grown into a strong young woman happier with breaking rather than embracing tradition.  As she continues to rebel against the expectations of her Mother - the Queen, of course, trouble ensues and is ultimately resolved.  That is all of this story you going to get here, because that is pretty much what you’ve gotten from the trailers.

If you are expecting the anything like what you’ve seen from Pixar before, more what might be considered the traditional Disney Princess story…  Leave those expectations at the door, or you may be disappointed.  But…  the history of great storytelling we’ve come to expect from Pixar is there is abundance, and the artistry and attention to animation detail for which Pixar is well known, is ever present.  Things like the individual random movement of blades of grass as a gentle wind breezing over them.  Unlike the more traditional Disney Princess story, Brave has characters and integral story element that will appeal to most young boy as well.  For us older kids, there are the more risqué elements that will fly gentle over the heads of the younger audience, and even some lessons to be learned while being thoroughly entertained by the action on screen and the story developing in front of us, if we pay close enough attention.  Finally, since much of my ancestry hails from that part of the world, I found myself getting lost in the accents.  Something I enjoyed much more than I expected I would… 

Pixar and Disney have another winner on their hand, at least in my opinion, and look forward to seeing Brave time and time again.  This will become a welcome addition to my collection of Disney Movies.  But, I still strongly recommend seeing it on the big screen, there is a magnificence in the larger movie theater screen that just cannot be captured on the home TV.

I hope you enjoy the movie as much as we did; it is a very touching story, told only like Pixar can tell it.  I even caught my oldest “tough as nails” daughter with a tear in her eye at the end.  That’s saying something.  ;-)

If you have a different opinion, I’d certainly like to hear it.

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

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D23 Fanniversary – San Francisco

This year D23 – Disney’s fan club for Disney Fans – celebrated its third anniversary in March.  To celebrate this anniversary with the fans, D23 created a series of Fanniversary events to be held across the country over the next couple of months.  This weekend the celebration kicked off with events at The Walt Disney Studios, in Burbank Friday night, and at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco on Saturday.  Future events will be held in Boston and New York City next months, and Orlando and Chicago in June.  All events except Orlando are sold out.

My youngest daughter, attending her first ever D23 event, and I attended the first event session on Saturday, at the Walt Disney Family Museum.  The trip from San Jose to San Francisco was the first unknown of the day, as it turns out that this weekend was the weekend of choice for destruction of the Doyle Drive roadway.  For those unaware Doyle Drive is one of the main access routes to the Golden Gate Bridge and in need of earthquake retrofitting since the 1989 Loma Prieta quake.  As has been normal in California politics, the needs of northern California always take a backseat to Southern California.  So 20 some years later, CalTrans is finally addressing these needs.  Enough of the political…  I only bring this up because the part of the Presidio where the Museum resides is within a few hundred feet of this demolition, and my normal access route to the Museum in question.  Even though the warning signs of the impending demolition have been up for months, and the local news broadcasts have been warning all week about the coming event, I was a bit worried that human nature being what it is; I would need extra time to arrive on time, not to mention the rather unpredictable nature of San Francisco traffic on a normal day.  So, we left the house with plenty of time to make the 48 mile trip.  The trip was uneventful, with the exception of the normal nimrods w\ho have better things to do while driving other than paying attention to the road around them, Van Ness was relatively empty, and Lombard was clearer then I have ever seen it.  We were at the Museum’s front door 75 minutes later, a trip that is on average 90 minutes.

We had plenty of time to visit with our favorite volunteers and staff (actually they are all our favorites, just some we haven’t met yet,) and some of the Members who made it in for the show.  Even ran into ‘The Disney Geek” – Jeffrey Epstein in the Museum Store.  Yes, for any of you who follow the D23’s Disney Geek video podcast and don’t like the chances, I told Jeff he needs to come back to the broadcast.  Disney Geek just isn’t the same without him in front of the camera.  After some shopping, T and I got a chance to get a little bit to eat, and then it was downstairs for check-in.  A pin, a postcard, and a pennant later, and we were in the theater lobby await entrance.  From a few more member friends in line, and we stood a chatted away the waning moments before the theater doors opened.  At about 1:30 the doors opens and we were ushered in, with the Disney Geek himself greeting us as we entered.  As I have come to expect, I’ve yet to attend a D23 event that actually started on time, the 2:00PM program did not start until 2:10…  Relatively on time for a D23 event.  J  The afternoon program started out with the introduction of our live narrators – Disney Geek Jeffrey Epstein (not there’s a surprise) and Archivist Steve B.  Sorry Steve, I am not sure how to spell your last name, and don’t want to get it wrong.

Now, here is where you the reader will be a bit disappointed, because I am not going to go into much detail as to what the program entailed.  For one, the show really was primarily visual; to describe what we were shown would be tedious and rather futile.  Second, there are still 4 other events for this program to be shown, I, and would hope others as well, wouldn’t want to spoil it for those still waiting to see it.  I will say that, as an ardent Disney fan, while nothing presented was particularly revelatory, the presentation was a lot of fun.  Jeffrey and Steve both have an energy and love of their jobs that makes their presentation skills very entertaining, and we were treated to many rarely or never before seen (publicly) photos and drawing from the many anniversary events in Disney history occurring this year.  The only thing that was really missing for me, was any real tribute to the one half of the Sherman Brothers we lost early this year.  I realize that this program was in production  and probably nearing finalization when Robert Sherman passed, so again I understand it.  Hopefully we will see something more fitting in the near future.  The event culminated with an acknowledgement of probably the most significant anniversary event this year…  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which premiered on December 23, 1937 at the Cathay Circle Theatre.  T and I had a great time.  The presentation was wonderful, any trip to the Museum is fun, and to top things off…  It is a fantastic way to get some special Daddy – Daughter time.  J

Since I don’t want to spoil things for future attendees, let’s just discuss a few of the comments I’ve heard about the events so far.  I’ve heard from a couple of different sources, questioning if this event was worth the prices of admission?  In my opinion… Yes!  No, there wasn’t anything substantially revelatory to an ardent Disney Fan.  As a fervent Disney fan myself, I didn’t expect anything that big, especially for an $18 entry fee.  But, it was fun seeing some art work I’d never seen before, and gain a little more insight into the development of some of my favorite Disney projects over the years.  I think those of us you live close to the Studio or the Museum may sometimes be a bit more jaded, as we better access to more information and special events than many others around the country, so sometime I think we expect more.  Beside, I have had a chance to attend more than a few D23 events, and I regularly attend programs at the Museum.  One the thing I have come to enjoy is the sense of community that was begun to develop.  As with the Museum programs, there is always a few familiar faces in the crowd at many D23 events, and can see the groups meeting and greeting among themselves and welcoming others.  Anyway, all-in-all, yes it was worth it.

As for D23 itself…  Yes there are issues, and I have expressed those in the past, but, I inclined to be a little more lenient.  I have been able to discover that D23 is what I would call understaffed for the expectations placed upon them.  Even so, I have yet to encounter and D23 staffer, or Archivist (they fill in a lot where need in events) who is anything but friendly and very approachable.  Yes I realize D23 is part of the Disney’s marketing department, and it’s their job to be friendly, approachable and to sell the company’s message, but, I have what I consider to be a fairly well tuned BS indicator, and I honestly think these people do what they do because they love it and they enjoy interacting with us fans.  After you met them a couple of time, they even remember who you are…  but, maybe that just me and my big mouth.  J  Anyway, I’m willing give some time to see how things evolve.  In the meantime, I think what D23 is offering to the Disney fan is worth my cost of admission.

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

You can find us on Facebook at:  Discovering Disney History on FB

A Tale as Old as Time

I find my journey of discovery takes me along paths in which I find myself immersed in many of the different vehicles used to create the Disney Magic.  Recently, I’ve experienced two new vehicles for what has become a Disney Classic fairytale – Beauty and the Beast.  This classic first appeared in writing in the middle 1700’s in France, and has seen many adaptations in almost all forms of entertainment venues.

Some seventeen years ago, a three year old toddler discovered this tale as old as time in the VHS release of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” which immediately became her favorite.  Not a Saturday went by that this VHS tape was not playing in the VCR, when I awoke.  As a testament to the joy found in this story by that now young woman, three VHS tapes and 4 DVD’s have been used up by their frequent revisiting.  With the advances in 3D technologies, the original Executive Producer – Don Hahn, and his team, reformatted the story for 3D theater viewing.  Being the devotee she is, nothing would do, but a trip to the local movie house to watch this new release.  While I’ve had trepidations about the 3D viewing experience, finding the use of 3D often used to supplant an otherwise weak story and being an eyeglass wearer – the discomfort of wearing a 3D eyewear over my own, I would not be deterred from witnessing my young daughter’s joy of yet another new experience of her favorite story.  I, curiously, found myself enjoying this new rendition of the classic as much as her.  The use of 3D being employed to enhance the original animation art, and not detracting or overpowering it.  It was, in my opinion, an excellent example of what Walt Disney called “plussing.”

Through the generosity and kindness of the Walt Disney Family Museum, I was able to obtain tickets for the Broadway San Jose’s performance of Beauty and the Beast, so I should first thank the Museum for arranging with Broadway SJ to discount tickets for the Museum Friends and followers, and to Broadway San Jose for generously providing the discount.  So…  I thank you, as does my youngest daughter Theresa.  J  This was an experience neither of us will ever forget.

While Theresa was vibrating which excitement from the very moment she learned we would be attending a performance, I approached it with some trepidation.  Given the excellence with which the original animated feature, and its subsequent 3D release, where presented, I was a bit concerned that anyone could reproduce that experience on stage.  I can tell you now, without qualification, those concerns were completely unnecessary.  Through magnificence set designs, unparallel musical arrangement and additions, the incredible talents of the cast and crew and the mastery of storytelling worthy of Walt Disney himself, the magic, mystery, and illusion of Don Hahn’s original production was amazingly captured on the stage at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.  I was myself as enthralled and invested in the story unfolding on stage as my young date.  I also found myself experiencing with almost indescribable joy a chance, much as I did during her first visit to Disneyland, to watch her literally sparkle as her favorite story unfolded before her eyes.  There were almost other young Belles in attendance last night, and it was a joy to watch them enter the theater with such glee and joy in their youthful eyes.  This was again, in my opinion, an excellent example of plussing.

This was a presentation of the Disney magic every bit and wonderful as any I have had the pleasure of experiencing, and I highly recommend witnessing this magic for yourself, should the opportunity present itself.

Thank you all, to everyone who made this experience possible!  And…  Most especially to the man who truly made it all possible – Walt Disney.

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

You can find us on Facebook at:  Discovering Disney History on FB

The Latest Mouse-troversy

I’ve been away for awhile, working on other endeavors, but, there is a new Mouse-trovery in Mickey’s kingdom and I had to comment.

Seems that when the newest Muppet Movie release the opening credits just showed the Disney Castle with Disney underneath.  No Walt Disney Pictures, just Disney, in that unmistakable Disney script.  Of course, with Kermit and Monster at the bottom of the screen, there wasn’t the usual space available.  That aside…   The controversy seems to revolve around the removal of “Walt” and “Pictures” from the studio vanity card – the term I think I saw used – that flashes up on the screen at the beginning of the film. 

The root definition of fan truly applied to most Disney Fans and most particularly many Walt Disney Fans.  That root is fanatic and many are just that, fanatical.  Upon seeing this new vanity card graphic rumors immediately began circulating that that the clandestine management team at The Walt Disney Company are trying to excise all memory of Walt from the collective memories of both company and public.

Jim Hill has an interesting article over at Jim Hill Media talking about some of the details of this change.  I will only add…  If TWC is shortening the name, on the splash graphics on its movies, so what?  What is the first thing you think of when you see the name Disney?  For me, as I believe most people, it is Walt Disney.  In my opinion, to excise Walt’s memory from the Company, you’d have to remove more than just his first name.  I tend agree with some of the other assessment that this really has more to do with the branding of the content being delivered today’s new media environment.  With the advent of tables and smartphones, more media is being delivered to devices with smaller screen real estate.  You can make the Disney name bigger on the screen in this environment.  Besides, I might argue that just seeing that Castle on screen invokes images and memories of Walt Disney.

But there is something else to consider… We should all remember, it was not Walt’s idea or choice to rename The DisneyBrothers Studio to Walt Disney Productions…  That was Brother Roy’s choice, in recognition for the company’s creative force, his brother Walt, as was the choice to call Walt’s DisneyWorld, Walt Disney World, again in recognition of its creative founder.  Warner Brothers notwithstanding, I don’t think Walt would have cared if Roy decided to call the company Acme.  Boy would that have messed with the coyote’s mind.  J  Walt Disney, like his character – Peter Pan, was always much more interested in the next great adventure, not memories of past journeys.  Which is what I think is at the base, consciously or not, of our draw to him.  

There are people out there who have researched and/or know Walt Disney far better than I, but from everything I have learn about Walt, over the last few of years, he does not come across as a man all the believing in his own self importance.  He did what he did because he enjoyed it, and believed that others would as well.  He was right, and probably far beyond even his own wildest dreams.

It is an amazing testament to the Man – Walt Disney that his fans take such umbrage at trivial changes in the company he founded, however let us honor the Man by remembering him as a real man he was, not the icon and myth he’s become through the company he founded.  We have the Walt Disney Family Museum to continue the legacy of the man – Walt Disney.  And, even if there was the slightest chance that some, at The Walt Disney Company, were covertly planning the excise of Walt’s memory from the collective minds of all, how epic a fail would that be witness? 

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

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What do I find so interesting about Walt Disney

Toward the end of the most recent event up at the Walt Disney Family Museum, Walt’s granddaughter turned a question, asked of her and her siblings, around on the audience, “What you do find so interesting about her Grandpa?”

The question reignited a series of thoughts I have had for some time, and the real purpose of my blog.

So Joanna, here is my answer to your question.

There are, in my opinion, many the easy answers.  Walt was a master of storytelling, or he was a creative genius, or one of the true visionaries of his time.  There is the always present evidence that he was not afraid to fail.  Better put, he was always willing to try something new.  Walt always dreamed big, and had the amazing ability to continually reinvent himself.  He possessed a uniquely balanced view of nostalgia and progress…  This list could go on forever, and each and every one of these is reason enough to support anyone’s grounds for why they find Walt Disney so interesting.  I think there is a much deeper esoteric, and even more deeply psychological, reason for the huge number of people that find Walt Disney so interesting, and even the same reason some choose to admonish him.

A group of 10 year old boys was traversed stealthily into a field of mustard plants on an empty lot, quietly blazing hidden trails to a secret hideout in the center.  Once in this secret lair, the plants have been trampled to fashion a soft bed on the ground on which to lie, laughter rises into the air as these young tell stories, confess fantasies, and daydream of things not of this world.  A young man lies on a disguised platform, built onto the branches of a 100 year old oak, mesmerized by the patterns created as the afternoon light passes through the leaves.  That same young man lies under a nighttime sky, viewing all the stars in the heavens and dreams of alien worlds and the adventures to be had in that vast expanse.  These are the dreams and fantasies of a young mind as yet unfettered by the harsh truth of reality.  And… they are the memories of my youth, ones that I have had the pleasure of unburying and revisiting in recent years.  I think they are not so un-similar to the memories and dreams locked away within the psyche of many or most adults.  In 1^st Corinthians 13:11 Paul said, "When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things."  As we approach adulthood we are encouraged, and in some cases almost forced, to put away childish things.  All too often those childish things include our youthful dreams and aspirations, which we sacrificed for the practicality of what we think, is real, and we live our lives in a quiet desperation trying to discover that thing which is missing.

So Joanna, what does this all have to do with my interest in your Grandpa?

My interest in Walt Disney lies in trying to understand the man, and what I believe is his true gift to us.  One of the paths to a truly fulfilling life, it was Walt who allowed me, through his body of work, the rediscovery of my inner child and not only my acceptance of his existence, but to embrace him.  I don’t know, nor do I think we will ever know for sure, but I believe your Grandpa had an innate understanding, if not the actual consciences realization, that we all need to embrace our inner child to lead a truly fulfilling life. 

I think those who are interested in Walt Disney, and his positive contributions to our society, are searching for these answers or have already discovered them, as I have in my life.  Those who choose to excoriate him for his accomplishments and contributions fear what they do not understand and cannot embrace, and they are angered by those who have or want to achieve that enlightenment.

Your comments or questions are always welcome.  If you have a correction or something you think I should look at in my research, please feel free to contact me at mr.grumpyguy@gmail.com

You can find us on Facebook at:  Discovering Disney History on FB