Another Hatchet Job

Every morning there is an email in my inbox that provides me with a list of links to the most recent information to hit the web about anything Disney.  Most mornings it just the last news and rumors about the goings on in the house that Mickey built, but yesterday morning there was something different, and online article at the UK’s Daily Mail site:  Revealed: How the CIA helped Disney conquer Florida and buy super-cheap land that is 'above the law' The article is about a new book “Finding  Florida: The True History Of The Sunshine State” by  investigative journalist Timothy T.D. Allman.  The article provides extract attribution about the book to an article on the Daily Beast.  You can get a feel for the leaning of the article simply by its title, and that of course piqued my interest.  As some will know, at least any of my frequent readers will, I have written about what I called the “Darker side of Walt,” though it should more accurately be call an effort to create a darker side to Walt Disney.  Was Walt a Mason?  Nothing but unsubstantiated claims and innuendo, coupled with a DeMolay membership card from his young adulthood, and a claim in one book that Brother Roy might have been one.  Now know a few Mason in my time, and while they don’t talk about their craft, they also do not hide away the symbolic trappings of their brotherhood.  Illuminati?  Don’t think so!  I don’t think anyone, but the fertile minds of many conspiracy theorists, believes that this group existed, other than a brief period in the late 18^th century.  There’s more, but…

So now we have these new claims from Mr. Allman (my personal opinion withheld) that Walt Disney was in league with, or received help from the CIA in the acquisition of the Disneyworld land in Florida.  The CIA apparently assisted Walt Disney and Company to establish an unconstitutional (Florida and United States) government for the development of the property.  Let’s look at these claims:

Copied from the article:

In Finding Florida he claims that Walt Disney conspired with William 'Wild Bill' Donovan - the so-called 'Father of the CIA' - to establish a state-within-a-state where he could 'control the overall development' of Disney World.

Donovan, founding partner of New York law firm Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine, whose attorneys included future CIA director William Casey, provided lawyers to help Disney distract attention from its plans, says Allman.

These attorneys, it is claimed, provided fake identities for Disney agents, set up a secret communications centre and organised a disinformation campaign to make sure sellers had no idea who was buying their property.

In this way, Disney was from the mid-Sixties able to snap up 40 square miles of land in the Sunshine State for a knockdown price of less than $200 an acre.

This very first claim, that Walt Disney conspired with William “Wild Bill” Donovan to create or establish his own government within the Disney World project would seem to be a dubious claim at best.  You see, William Donovan died in February of 1959, and 1959 was the year the Walt Disney started looking for an east of the Mississippi home for Mickey and his friends.  It seems rather unlikely that Walt and “Wild Bill” would be wasting valuable time conspiring to build this clandestine governmental unit when the location of the site was unknown.  Yes, Walt’s company used several law firms, Donovan’s included, to pursue acquisition of the Florida site very quietly, and yes you could say in a clandestine manner.  This would make perfect sense given Walt’s experience with the development of Disneyland.  Anyone, with more than a casual interest in Disney history, knows that Walt Disney became rather disturbed with how the land around Disneyland was snapped up at highly inflated values, and developed rather haphazardly, to take advantage of the current rendition of “Walt’s Folly” because of its rapid success.  The claim at the end of this except is that Disney got the Florida property at a “knockdown price” of less than $200 an acre, when in reality Disney acquired the property for what I think would be considered a “fair market” value, instead of an overly inflated prices which would have accompanied the knowledge that Disney was the buyer.   Coincidentally, a price which also would have almost assuredly dealt a death knell to the project.   

Copied from the article:

Disney and his advisers then sought a way to 'limit the voting power of the private residents' of the area, to control the impact that local democracy might have on the company's plans.

They employed a scheme devised by senior CIA operative Paul Helliwell to establish two phantom cities populated by hand-picked Disney loyalists around which Disney World would be based.

The cities were based around Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, two artificial reservoirs Disney engineers created by obstructing the area's natural water flow.

The company could then 'use these fake governments to control land use and make sure the public monies the theme park generated stayed in Disney's private hands,' Allman writes.

Teams of Disney lawyers working out of Donovan's New York law firm drafted the legislation to establish the two pseudo-cities, which was passed by the Florida legislature in 1967.

Again, a claim of dubious distinction.  As a student of Disney History, I have studied the development of Disney World, later renamed Walt Disney World by Roy O. Disney to honor his decreased Brother.  Yes, there was an effort to limit the bureaucratic influence of a political agenda on the development of the Florida property, but one should be reminded of one of Walt Disney’s primary goal for the Disney World property – EPCOT (Experiment Prototype Community of Tomorrow).  Not the Epcot we know today as a theme park, but rather, Walt’s desire to build an experimental multi-use city using the latest and greatest of new technologies for the benefit of its residents.  I will try to have more on Walt’s EPCOT later, but you can get a feel for his goals in the Walt Disney's Original Plans for Disney World (1966) video on YouTube.  While the entire video is a good view, Walt’s  EPCOT plan starts at about 10:20.   So, I think, contrary to Mr. Allman’s claims, the purpose of the local government entity(s) was to support Walt’s EPCOT goals, by controlling the bureaucratic political influences we see at so many levels of government today in the planning and execution of urban planning today.

Copied from the article:

However, in violation of both the U.S. and Florida Constitutions, the carefully drafted laws specified that any elected office holder must own property within the cities.

The law, which states that each candidate for office 'must be the owner, either directly or as a trustee, of real property situated in the City', ensured any local politician would be intimately linked with Disney.

On the day of the magic kingdom's inauguration, Walt Disney, speaking from beyond the grave in a recorded presentation, boasted of creating a new kind of America.

'Of course he was right about creating a new kind of America,' Allman writes. 'By turning the State of Florida and its statutes into their enablers, Disney and his successors pioneered a business model based on public subsidy of private profit coupled with corporate immunity from the laws, regulations, and taxes imposed on actual people that now increasingly characterises the economy of the United States.'

This allegation of constitutional violation at both the state and federal level would seem to me to be false, since there is no supporting case law that I can find support Mr. Allman’s claim.  Surely there would have been some ruling against it, if it were truly unconstitutional.  Mr. Allman’s book seems to be taking some veiled “facts” to draw a direct connection between Walt Disney, the CIA, and some conspiracy.  I don’t see it, but then, I don’t possess the conspiracy theorists’ ability to make blind leaps of faith that anyone with secrets has something malicious to hide. While I have not read Mr. Allman’s book, and probably won’t, it would seem to me that with the Disney inclusion in his book, he has created something sensational in order to spur on sales.

It is unfortunate that Walt Disney did not live long enough to see his dreams for EPCOT become a reality, and yes it was a rather utopian view of the potential for city life.  I don’t even know if he could have pulled it off, but, if anyone could, it would have been Walt Disney.  And… unfortunately, after Roy O’s passing in 1971, more political forces began to take control of the company that these incredible brothers had built.  Sadly I think, at that point, the dream of Walt’s EPCOT expired, as neither brother was there to champion it.  Has the company taken the fullest advantage of the environment created to support Walt’s plans?  Most definitely, but, should Walt’s reputation and accomplished be smeared because of it, and that some people don’t like it?  I don’t think so.  One of the concerns I’ve had, since my Disney History journey began, is the discovery of all the negative content being circulated about Walt Disney.  It seems to me that there are just some people who have to find ways to tear down successful individuals that they don’t understand or dislike for their achievement.  In everything I have read or listened to, regard Walt Disney – the man, I see a man who really did not have an political or social agenda other than to entertainment and help people with the stories and technologies he enjoyed and discovered throughout his life’s journey, and his inquisitive nature.  Is he a perfect human?  No!  Were there people he irritated, for whatever reason? Yes!  But, none the less, he is a man to be admired and celebrated for effort, not berated.

I write this because I know that, neither the Company Walt built nor his family will address these new found accusations, nor should they.  It would only serve to provide more speculative claim about their agendas to hide the truth.  However, I have no such agendas, I seek the truth, and I am not claiming T.D. Allman’s claim a false.  What I am saying is that, in my experience, claim such as these need documented evidence supporting them, not claims that would not be considered even good circumstantial corroboration.  In my opinion, Mr. Allman’s little treatise is nothing more than another attempt to diminish a great human being.

Next time, as time is available, I’ll try to do a better job of exploring Walt’s EPCOT and what he was thinking about, but in the meantime, the video link is a good start, as are two books on the subject:  WALT and the Promise of Progress City by Sam Gennawey and Project Future by Chad Emerson.  Much more objective journalistic presentations in my opinion

 

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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Laying Siege to the Castle, Part II

Laying Siege to the Castle, Part II – July 18, 2011

When last we met, I am sure to some, even many Disney fan, I committed blasphemy!  To most, I laid responsibility for the attempted hostile takeover at the feet of Disney Legend Card Walker.  Even more blasphemous, I intimated that even Walt and Roy’s management style were somehow to blame, or that Ron Miller is somehow faultless in these activities.  Nothing could be further from the truth…  While all of this contributed to the ultimate come of 1984, none it is directly responsible.  It was the culmination of many factors that led to the hostile takeover attempt of Walt Disney Productions, as well as many other corporation of that time.  The following is a synoptic generalization, these are topics that can, have and will continue to fill volumes, and here it is just a primer to build a foundation it is in no way conclusive.

I am continually amazed at the number of people who believe that any corporate board is a collection of logical, unemotional, and egoless individuals with absolutely nothing more than the best interested of the company at heart.  So, so, so wrong a perception.  I have worked with executive management teams and a few corporate boards throughout my career.  I have seen as many illogical, emotional, ego-driven decisions enacted in these executive offices and board rooms, as in life in general.   Anyone with any experience will tell you that the corporate board room is nothing more than a microcosm of life in general.  Also in as a general rule, most shareholders in corporation have no real emotional attachment to the company or management.  It’s about making money.  Where in nature the motto is “Survival of the fittest,” a concept many believe applies to business, the axiom there would be “Survival of the Smartest,” or maybe “Survival of the Quickest.”

While trading in corporate securities had been going on for many decades, centuries even… it was generally an activity reserved for the wealthiest in society.  After America successfully emerge from the Great Depression and World War II, a revitalization of the American middle class began to take hold, and a relatively untapped resource for the capitalization of American business presented itself.  As this new resource began to be exploited, vehicles such as mutual funds, first popularized in the 20’s, resurfaced as an investment opportunity for the smaller, and normally less informed, investors – generally the middle class investor looking build a nest egg for the future.  These smaller investors put their faith in the mutual fund institutions to monitor and protect their nest eggs; they had no tangible attachment to the companies being held in the fund.  The Wall Street analyst, and financial performance, became the unemotional arbiter of corporate success.  Starting in the 60s, as the public’s changing desires for entertainment choices, business was undergoing a change as well.  The focus was changing from long term growth, to short term profits to judge executive management effectiveness.

So what does all this have to do with our beloved Disney?  Well, the board and management of Walt Disney Productions failed to recognize and address the changing environment in which they were operating.  Disney’s management, like so many of us – individually, being resistant to change, chose rather to hold fast to what they believed represented the value that had allowed their co-founders such success.  Instead of embracing creativity and the change it requires, they tried desperately to imitate Walt’s creativity.  A laudable idea, but, a truly impossible effort to accomplish, there is and has only been, or will ever be one Walt Disney at the The Walt Disney Company.  Success is only going to continue by understand the man and his creative process and philosophies, and find ways to embraces those philosophies and continue that creative process in the changing world we live in.  That is in fact what Roy and Walt did to build The Disney Brothers Studio, and then Walt Disney Productions.

Now let’s explore some of the more current events of the period that contributed to the Siege.

The two individuals who remain somewhat enigmatic adversaries in all this are Ron Miller and Roy E. Disney.  Since Roy is no longer with us, unless his family allows someone access to his personal archives, we will never know what he was thinking as all this was transpiring.  Likewise, unless someone can get Ron to sit down and talk about this period in Disney’s history, we are not likely to hear his thoughts on the matter.  As I have observed, in my rather limited interact with Ron, it’s going to take much encouragement to get him to open up.  While I would love to be involved in either endeavor, there are certainly more qualified individuals out there, and I hope they are successful.  I will look to seeing the results of their efforts.  But, to accomplish my efforts to understand this wonderful and sometime strange history that is The Walt Disney Company, I must delve into an examination of these gentlemen with the information I was available to me now.

I don’t know exactly how tall Ron Miller is, but from my perspective at 5’9”, he is at least 6’4”, and at first look has what can be expressed as an intimating appearance.  Not surprising he played football professionally.  But, he never completed college, so the impression by some at the studio was that he was there, because he married into the family.  Include the professional football, and a somewhat menacing presence, could easily foster the notion that he was nothing more than a “jock.”  A characterization that he acknowledged bothered him.  Having met him, I have no problem imagining a younger Ron Miller, developing into a shy and reserved person to compensate for the intimidation some would feel from his size.  I have seen more than a few of my taller friends develop similar traits.  By all reports I’ve seen, Ron is always described precisely as a I conclude, a gentle, shy, and quiet man.  I have even heard the Walt Disney himself would get frustrate when his protégé and son-in-law would fail to speak up for himself in meetings. 

In an earlier time Ron Miller might have made an excellent corporate leader, he was, after all, mentored by a creative genius.  But, in the shark infested waters of 1980’s corporate leadership and investors, his lack of business experience place him at a serious disadvantage.  This situation was further exacerbated when he was promoted to CEO.  While I am sure he felt he could do the job, it could not have helped his confidence when Card Walker, himself concerned about Ron’s experience, approached Raymond Watson about becoming an “interim” Chairman of the Board act pro forma CEO, while Ron obtained some additional experience.  The top leadership position of a major U.S. corporation is not an appropriate environment for on-the-job training.  I am sure that Card had the best of intentions, and was trying to be loyal to the family of his mentor, but his appointment of Ron to the top management positions in the manner he did it, further weaken Disney in the eyes of the stockholders and Wall Street.  Given time Ray and Ron could have very easily become as effective a management team as Walt and Roy O, but, there was already blood in the waters, and the sharks were circling.  There was no time to be had.  Even though Ron’s tenure at the helm was short, he still demonstrated an understanding of the changing movie business and the need for the studio to reassert itself.  As I said in my last article, the creation of Touchstone Pictures and the first Silver Screen Partners under Ron’s leadership demonstrated the need for the Disney Studio to change, and laid significant groundwork for his successors’ early achievement.  But it was not to be, for Ron – with only a few allies on the Board, and even fewer among the larger minority interest shareholders… including his cousin-in-law Roy E. Disney, the clock had run out almost as soon as it had started.

Sitting across the board room table from Ron and Ray was Roy E. Disney – the son of co-founder Roy O. Disney.  Roy E.  Remember the Card Walker claim of Walt’s view of his nephew?  Well, I betting Roy as well and many of the board members were aware of Card’s claim, as well.  Apparently, from the details I’ve culled, Roy, much like his cousin-in-law – Ron, had a somewhat timid personality.  While he was active on the board, and often made strategic management recommendation, his input was apparently never considered.  Where Card’s focus as Chief Executive appeared to be on the park operations and expansion, Ron seemed more focused on the studio’s live action products, and Roy’s focus on animation.  All three, laudable points, but with all vying for attention and resources, and with the Disney movie offering not doing well at the box office, the studio operations began to take a back seat to other operations.  Roy showed concerned about losing one of the company’s founding cornerstones, didn’t seem to have the pulled or personality to push his point as hard as the others.   He wound up choosing to leave the board, and pursue changes in other way.

If Ron and Roy had been able to get in a room and discuss the situation without the perception baggage they both seemed to be carrying, I think they would have found that they had more with which ally themselves then their apparently adversarial relationship would seem to allow.  Regardless of how they were family, the two as allies would have made a formidable pair, as the founders’ family.  But, that was not to be, as much as people would like to think that running a company the size of Disney would be mechanical and unemotional, it is never that easy.

In Part III of “Laying Siege to the Castle,” we’ll explore the actions and activities that led to the arrival of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells.

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 Mouse under Attack revisited

First off, thank you, thank you, thank you, to my buddy and Museum Volunteer – Joseph!!!  “Storming the Magic Kingdom” is a marvelous account of the attempted hostile takeover of Disney in 1984.  So again Joseph, THANK YOU!!! 

Side Note:

After some travails with one of Amazon’s affiliate sellers, they came through on the second attempt to acquire to the book.  For those who use Amazon’s affiliate sellers frequently, I’d be cautious buying anything from Charleston Wholesale.  While they have a good rating on Amazon, I find the seller to be unreliable, temperamental, with somewhat questionable ethics, and an extreme dislike of the Postal Service.  Buy from them at your own risk.

                                                                                                                                                          

I have been asked by a few people if studying the history of The Walt Disney Company from the management angle destroys the magic for me?  It doesn’t, in fact it actually enhances it.  At least for me, when you learn of the dysfunctional executive management throughout its history, I am in reality more impressed by the “magic” that the company manages to create.  I seem to be someone who has been able to separate the appreciation and enjoyment of fantasy with the need for, and understanding of, reality.  When I’m seeing a Disney movie, or am in one of the theme parks, I don’t give a second thought to how the companies are run, or the personalities of the individuals involved.  If they can allow me, even for a few moments, to escape the bonds of reality and experience enjoyment, I am great with that idea.  But, that doesn’t discount the amazing story of how Disney to where it is today, or how it almost didn’t…  I find that part of the magic very interesting as well.

“Storming the Magic Kingdom” by John Taylor is an account of the individuals who attempted and in some cases succeeded in exploiting the effects of dysfunctional executive management of a company, and management’s efforts to thwart hostile takeover.  Any account of the many hostile takeovers, that have occurred, would be the same.  Some of you may be thinking that I’m being overly negative when I assert the claim of dysfunctionality, it’s not intended to be negative, but rather matter of fact.  Whether it be family, friends, non-profit or for-profit business, any where there are parties great than one involved in control, ego and personal agenda becomes involved.  Dominant egos tend to take or try to take control of the situation.  Supported by “Storming the Magic Kingdom” and several other tomes (check the side bar links for these resources) I have read about Disney management the following is my conjecture:

So what led to this attempted siege of Magic Kingdom’s castle?

The groundwork of this siege was actually laid when the company was started.  With the co-founders being brothers there was, at its inception, a dynamic to the company operation not found in most business.  Add to that, the personalities of the two brother being so diametrically opposed.  Walt Disney, the very gregarious, effusive, and the creative part of the relationship.  Roy Disney, the quiet, reserved, behind the scene, financial mastermind of the business.  To paraphrase Walt, he was a little bee, flying from garden to meadow pollinating the flower (the company’s creative project).  What hasn’t been clearing communicated was Roy’s position of rather quietly following behind Walt, creating and managing the financial requirement needed to allow these flowers (projects) to blossom.  This worked, and worked quite well, as the company began to experience success and grow, but the company grew to the point where this relationship began to create strains on the brothers’ relationship.  Had the brothers been just friends instead of family, we can speculate that the friends would just part ways, and what we have come to know as The Walt Disney Company would have most likely ceased to exist.  But, instead, the brothers soldiered on; Walt building and mentoring his cadre of creative people, and Roy doing the same for his operations people. 

Any hard core Disney fan has heard the company classifications of Walt’s Boys and Roy’s Boys.  Unless someone produces some, as yet unknown to me, recordings or personal notes between Walt and Roy, we will only have the recollections of the people around Walt and Roy to rely on.  I’m not knocking any of these people, but ask any attorney; some of the most unreliable evidence in a court case is eyewitness testimony.  You may see or hear something, but have no idea of the context of the situation.  With that in mind, one simple little comment may have been the catalyst which ultimately became the event and theatrics of 1984.  It is well publicized that Card Walker claimed that Walt once referred to Roy E. Disney as his “idiot nephew.”  Was Walt making a little joke at his nephew’s expense, was he taking a jab at his brother during one of their squabbles, did he really believe his nephew was an idiot.  If he were still with us today, I relatively sure that Card would say he knew Walt well enough to know his intent, but did he, really?  I don’t know of any of Walt’s other boys who have made similar claims to have heard Walt make comments like this about Roy E.  What I have learned about Walt from my research is that he was not a person to filter his feeling that much.  As far as I can tell, if Walt did make reference to his nephew’s intelligence to any of his other boys, they had the discretion not to repeat it to anyone else, a short coming, in my opinion, in Card’s character.

One of the key points I took from “Storming the Magic Kingdom” was Ray Watson acknowledging that Disney had no acknowledged corporate plan in place when he became the Chairman of the Board.  Not surprising, given what I’ve address in the previous paragraph, and Walt’s Boys and Roy’s Boy trying continue management as they’d been mentored by their respective co-founder.  What I don’t think was understood was that Walt and Roy, as brothers, had (my conjecture) an unspoken and therefore un-communicated plan under which they operated.  Even as the rife open and grew between them, this unacknowledged plan allowed the company to continue to flourish.  Unfortunately for the boys, this is something that can’t really be mentored.  Once Roy passed away, after the opening of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the unique dynamic of the Disney Brothers intuitive relationship at the helm was completely lost.

Don Tatum as CEO and Card Walker as COO, lacking the co-founding brothers relationship and without any real plan, where handicapped from the start.  By all accounts, Card became the dominant force in Disney leadership, and with the oft heard mantra, “What would Walt Do?”  …established himself as the protector of Walt Disney’s legacy.  Unfortunately, in my opinion, in protecting his mentor’s legacy, he lost touch with Walt’s forward looking philosophy.  While Walt had, in effect, move on from the studio, to the development of his theme park in the early 50’s, even though the studio was in capable hands he continued to monitor and inject his creative input when needed.  If you look at the movies produced by the studio in 50’s and 60’s, under Walt’s guidance, I see offering, that while rather formulaic and holding to his family entertainment values, were in fact evolving as the audiences began to change.  A look at movies produced after Walt’s death in 1966, and you find a listing of offering that, while holding true to Walt’s legacy and the Disney brand, failed to evolve with changing family entertainment demands, resulting in declining revenues and hence reductions in offerings, and ultimately the perceived importance of the studio to the overall success of the company.

As much as I don’t like to do it, and find it hard to fault the man, in the noble effort to protect and preserve Walt Disney’s legacy, Card Walker almost destroyed it.

When next we meet, I’ll be revealing how I still think Ron Miller is someone how deserves much more recognition for his contributions to The Walt Disney Company then he has received, and how two rather introverted family members played roles important roles in the outcome of the siege on the Magic Kingdom.

In-between now and then watch for a couple of trip reports for upcoming events.

Have a Disney-rific Day!!!

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

Review: In Service to the Mouse

Back in July of last year, I, along with some friends and family of the Walt Disney Family Museum, got the opportunity to spend and couple of hours on two afternoons with Disney luminaries on the occasion of Disneyland 55 anniversary.  One of those Disney luminaries was Disney Legend Jack Lindquist.  Jack was hired as Disneyland first advertising manager and spent the next 38 years developing and implementing some of the most creative and memorable marketing campaigns in the Disney Theme Parks’ history.  Activities such as Grad Night at Disneyland, and The 30^th anniversary: Gift Giver Extraordinaire were Jack’s creations.  Jack retired from the company as President of the Disneyland amusement park in 1993, received a window on Main Street, actually on the City Hall Building.  “J.B. Lindquist – Honorary Mayor of Disneyland.  Jack of all trades, Master of Fun,” and was inducted as a Disney Legend in 1994.  So on that joyful day, July 17, 2010, the 55^th anniversary of Disneyland, we got to enjoy Marty Sklar, Tony Baxter, and former Disneyland Presidents Matt Ouimet, and Jack Lindquist trade stories back and forth, and answer questions about Walt Disney and Disneyland.

So when I discovered Jack Lindquist was writing his memoires of his 38 years “In Service to the Mouse,”  it had to go on my reading list.  I've got to tell you how pleased I am that I did…  First, like most Disney or Disney related or inspired activities, the people distributing Jack’s book are top notch.  Since I wanted a signed copy, I ordered my copy from the Neverland Media LLC website (click side bar link for more information).  About a day after ordering, I got confirmation that my order shipped, and then received another very nice email the next day, informing me that there had been an error, and an unsigned copy was mistakenly shipped.  I was free to keep the unsigned copy, and that the signed edition would be on its way to me shortly.  The issue was resolved before I even knew one existed. KUDOS!!!  So now I have a signed copy to keep in pristine collector’s condition, and second working copy which I can read and re-read as often as I like…

Having just completed this tome, I have to say that “In Service to the Mouse” is a must read for any Disney Aficionado, especially those interested in the history of Disneyland and the Disney company.  Jack was there at Disneyland’s beginning.  It is a rare first hand account of what goes go behind the scenes at one of the most iconic companies operating today.  The stories are told in short little vignettes where Jack entertainingly recalls events and activities provides insights not know to very many during his tenure with the Disney Company.  I won’t reveal the stories here, if you want to know, please go pick up the book.  But, I will say that I found the unique and enterprising gin delivery system deployed during one Grad Night quite entertaining.  And, as a miniature Partners statue greets me every morning (the most prized item in my Disney collection), it warms my heart to know that Jack Lindquist played a role in bringing that amazing sculpture into reality.  The adventures and agonies of creating the Pavilions of World Showcase at Epcot are both enlightening and entertaining, and Jack provides a very honest, insightful and humanizing view of the management of a company that has becoming so iconic in today’s culture.

This may sound trite, but I laughed at parts, and cried at others.  However, foremost, I learned things I didn’t know about an organization which has become the gold standard in entertainment today.

Thank You Jack!

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