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:

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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.   

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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.

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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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Walt Disney – The Thought Continues

Back in January, after finishing Sam Gennawey’s book WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City and what I consider some revelatory information, I started a series of essays on my thoughts on Walt Disney.  This is my next submission for that series.

I have discussed before the attempted deification of Walt Disney by some writers and many fans.  While I have not had the opportunity to discuss it directly with Walt’s surviving daughter Diane [Disney Miller], I do know these endeavors to deify her father are of serious concern to her.  It was one of the motivating factors for the establishment of the Walt Disney Family Museum to show Walt more as the man (albeit a very talented and influential man), and less of the myth that surrounds him today.  As example, we all see Walt Disney’s Animated Features as hugely successful, and in most cases, over time they have become so.   But, how many of you know that of Walt’s first five features, only two were financially successful.  Snow White was, of course, a huge success at the box office, and allowed Walt to build the studio that exists to this day in Burbank.  Though primarily due to WWII, Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi lost money for Walt’s fledgling studio.  Only Dumbo returned a very modest profit for the studio.  How many know that had the 1950 release of Cinderella was a make or break moment for Walt and the Studio?  A failure there and we may have never known the joy of Disneyland.  To this day, you will find people adamant in their belief that Walt Disney was a god-like individual whose every touch turned to gold.  There have been many other failures or marginal events in Walt’s History where every potential existed for him to go another direction and what we know today would be entirely different, but he persisted.  The company that bears his name today has indeed and continues to profit from Walt’s early endeavors.  But, many refuse to see that in Walt’s day, many of these products were failures or only marginally successful.  Many also profess Walt Disney to be master business administrator.  Few know that the real business genius, who provided Walt with the resources and business leadership to allow the Disney Brothers Studio, and later Walt Disney Productions, was really his brother Roy.  Instead, more than a few people choose to believe and as proselytize Walt Disney as almost god-like in his art and business skills, and with a Midas touch.

It has been my experience that we tend to deify or demonize people or events we don’t understand with mysticism. Interestingly, Walt Disney, while having a huge group of people who just enjoy what he has created, has been both deified and demonized by small fringe group, because they believe, good or bad, that Walt had to have something supernatural or clandestine helping him to achieve thing no normal human would be capable of accomplishing.  The problem is that as these fringe groups (probably more accurately described as fringe individuals) long ago invaded the public perception of Walt Disney, the man, I think somewhat fuel by his initial storytelling medium, fantasy and fairy tales.  I think looking back throughout the history of the human race you can find many examples of fantasy, fairy tales, and mysticism invade and eventually dominating the public views on these many examples.  I have written this before, but I know, personally, the public perception of Walt Disney has been invaded by this tendency toward mysticism;  I can frequently be found in public sporting my WDFM regalia, and it is not uncommon that I am approached by individual with questions about Walt, rarely are they questions not involving the myth or urban legend that surround him.  My goal, and that of many other amateur or professional Walt Disney Historians to whom I’ve spoken, is to dispel these mystical claims and urban legends, with accurate information and details and thoughtful reasonable analysis based on the data.

So now on to Sam Gennawey’s book WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City and what I found to be revelatory.  Sam wrote of a concept in architecture of “a quality without a name.”  You can’t explain it, you just know it’s right when you see it.  Well, I think we can expand the concept of that ‘quality without a name’ well beyond architecture, to life or human existence overall.  Every day, often without even realizing it, we see, hear, or in some way experience that ‘quality without a name’ in so many different aspects of our lives.  We have some experience, and without understanding why, it just feels right.

Without trying to invoke any canonical theories, I think Walt Disney, consciously or instinctively, understood this quality better than many, if not most, people of his era.  He expressed that vision, not only in the projects he chose, but the people he chose to work on those projects, and the final product.  He just knew when his vision was right, and being presented the way he saw it.  I have heard many of the people, who worked with Walt, claim that he would ask them to do things they had never done before.  Not just things within their respective discipline, but things that were complete outside their area of expertise.  I’ve heard a couple of time from Disney Legend X Atencio, a Disney Animator and later WED Imagineer, of Walt tapping him to write the music and lyrics for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.  X has been quoted as saying, “I didn't even know I could write music, but somehow Walt did. He tapped my hidden talents."  Do you think Walt was just guessing, or did he see something no one else saw?  Given all that I have learned, I don’t think Walt was guessing.  Additionally, to the best of what I’ve heard…  Walt never showed any disappointment to those who tried and failed to bring his visions to life, only those who said they couldn’t do it, without at least trying.  And…  He always understood that his visions were limited by available technologies, and always had his people pushing the envelope of what they thought was possible.

Where Walt Disney express the belief that when a movie was finished and in the can, he considered himself done with it and ready to move on to the next project, his theme park ideas were living and breathing… evolving things.  I do wonder if he’d have felt the same way today, as we seen some of the early 90s animated features being released in the 3D format?  I’ve seen a number of movies from other producers re-released in 3D, and I have been generally disappointed.  These many of these movies have had scenes redone, and storylines changed even a little to exploit the advantages of 3D, and throw images at the audience.  Disney has been doing type of 3D for years at the theme parks.  Muppets 3D, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, and Mickey Philharmagic come to mind, with Honey and Philharmagic throwing in a 4^th D with scents and water added for interesting effective.  Because of this, and my experience with other 3D movies, many of which I find be produced just for the 3D effective and having weak a story at best.  Even Disney’s A Christmas Carol was a bit of a disappointment because of what I considered to be the use of 3D for 3D alone, adding little if anything to the story.  The only saving grace there was a very good story.  But, as I reported in an early post, I recently had the opportunity to see the re-release of Beauty and the Beast in 3D, and was very pleasantly surprised to find the Walt Disney principle of plussing an attraction was at play.  The 3D effects enhancing the story and not taking it over.  I think I will have to look to watch more of these re-releases.

I have to wonder if Walt Disney wouldn’t have chosen to re-release some of his now classic films, if he could have plussed them with newly available technologies.  Most people, who know Walt’s story, know that he temporarily shelved Mickey’s first cartoon, “Steamboat Willie” while he and his guys figured out how to apply the new sound technology becoming available.  But, many are unaware that “Plane Crazy”, Mickey’s second talkie, was in the can before “Steamboat Willie” as a silent cartoon.  “Plane Crazy” had fared poorly in an early test viewing, and failed to pick up a distributor, so Steamboat Willie became the first Mickey cartoon.  Or was it? J  After the success of Steamboat Willie, and following the releases of “The Gallopin’ Gaucho” and “The Barn Dance”, “Plane Crazy” resurfaced as a talkie and Mickey’s fourth appearance.  So, at least in my opinion, I think that Walt would have considered re-releasing his canned features, if he thought he could honestly plus the story and experience.

Since I’m having such a wonderful time focusing more on Walt Disney himself, and I’ve learn so much about Walt during the last year or so, when next we meet, I’m going to be looking at this ‘Quality without a Name’ in Walt’s visions for Disneyland and beyond.

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

Mineral King: Walt’s Last Lost Project

In the summer of 1958, Walt Disney Productions shot a movie, touted by some and the best adventure movie you’ve never seen – Third Man on the Mountain.  I have to admit, it is one that I have not seen.  But then, with well over 600 films to their credit, there are quite a few Disney films on my yet to see list, but, this one has moved up considerably on the must see list.  The film was shot on location in the Swiss village of Zermatt.  This quaint little town in Swiss Alps is only accessible by a Cog or Rack Railway.  That will become obviously important later in our discussion.  As will the other important development that occurred as a result of Walt’s location visit during shooting.

On Saturday January 21, we gathered at the Walt Disney Family Museum for a discussion of Walt Disney’s last project, and one that not many, but the more serious Walt Disney fans, know anything about.  Most Disney aficionados are pretty knowledgeable about Project Future, which you know better as Walt Disney World.  But…  Did you know that, during the same period that Walt was developing his ideas for Florida, he was also working on developing a ski resort in the California Sierras?  Well, yes he was…  But first, let’s head back to 1958 and the other well development that came out of Walt’s visit to Zermatt.

How many of you remember Holiday Hill at Disneyland?  The mount of dirt was excavated from in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle to create the moat, and atop of that mound was one of the towers that supported the Skyway gondola ride.  Since Walt had always felt that the tower detracted from the picture he wanted painted for the Castle, he was always looking for a way to plus the area.  While in Zermatt, Walt sent a postcard by to one of his favorite designers – Harriet Burns.  Harriet’s daughter, Pam Burns-Clair, was also at the Museum for this day’s events.  The postcard simply said this, “Build this.”  You know that build today as the Matterhorn, the first tubular steel rollercoaster, and built inside a mountain.  The added bonus or probably more accurate reason for building it…  It disguised the Skyway tower next to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.

Another added bonus of the day…  Since there was an event in the morning, Sam Gennawey, and Jeff Kurtti were at the Museum for a Meet & Greet and book signing, I had time between the two events to go through the galleries.  The galleries in a minute, but, the meet and greet was great.  Jeff is one of my favorite presenters (well, they are all my favorites, but, Jeff is at the top of the list) at the Museum, and I always look forward to seeing him.  Since I wrote a review of Sam’s book on my blog, I’ve had the opportunity to strike up an online friendship.  So getting the opportunity to meet him – in person – was special, and I’ve got to say, he is every bit as friendly in person as he is online.  Also in the meet and greet was Werner Weiss of Yesterland.  Werner wrote the Foreword for Sam’s book.  But what followed was a completely unexpected pleasure.

As I mentioned, I got the chance to once again go through the galleries, amazingly, a different experience each time.  This visit will be one of those very special times in my memory.  As I was making the transition from gallery 6 to 7, I notice another individual I now recognize from the earlier meet and greet event.  As I was stopped to talk to a couple of Museum Staffers, I didn’t have a chance, then, to approach this person.  But, I did manage to eventually catch up with him toward the end of gallery 8.  This person was and is David Price, one of the panelists for the afternoon’s event.  I got to introduce myself, and confirm that he was indeed “Buzz” Price’s son, as I had suspected.  And, I got to telling him how much I had enjoyed seeing his dad at an event about a year and half earlier.  And… as it turned out, “Buzz’s” last public appearance, another of my special moments at the Museum.  Not being a person who wants to intrude on others experience in the galleries, I was preparing to move on, and leave David to his viewing and thoughts.  Imagine my joy as he walked along side of me, conversing about the exhibits before us, Walt, and his Dad.  We strolled and talked all the way to the Disneyland of Walt’s Imagination exhibit, where after several minutes we parted company.  It was a most pleasurable 30 minutes which I will always remember fondly.  I was left with one overwhelming thought; I wish I had a Dad that I cherished as much as David so obviously cherishes his Dad.  Thank you David, for spending that time with me.

Now for the reason we came together at the Museum…  We were joined in the Walt Disney Family Museum Theater by Sam Gennawey, David Price, and Ron Miller to talk about the Walt Disney efforts to develop Mineral King Valley, which is now part of the Sequoia National Forest, as a ski resort, and summertime mountain destinations.   You might recognize Sam’s name as I wrote a recent review of his new book, WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City.  I have found Sam’s book thought provoking and inspiring.  David Price is an architect in Southern California, and for the Disney fan, you may recognize a familiarity with his last name.  Yes, David is Harrison “Buzz” Price, the man responsible for the economic study which led to Disneyland’s location in Anaheim, along with dozens of other studies for Walt and the Disney Company.  Finally, we have Ron Miller.  Rom is a former CEO of Walt Disney Productions, husband of Diane Disney Miller, and a co-founder of the Walt Disney Family Museum.  As Sam described, Ron was “in the room” as plans for the development of Mineral King were pursued, and it is always wonderful to see one or more of the Museum’s co-founders participate in a presentations.  And…  As an added bonus, I got to sit next to Diane.  Okay, yes there was the 6, or so, feet of wheelchair space between us, but no wheelchairs today.  So, leave me alone…  I was sitting next to Diane!!!  J

Now on to Mineral King… 

We now know that Walt was very taken with Zermatt, Switzerland from his visit during the filming of Third Man on the Mountain.  But, did you know that he and his family were avid skiers.  Well, as we learned during this session, Diane… not so much early in her life.  While we were treated to a picture of Lillian, Walt, Diane (about age 8 or 9) and Hannes Schroll (more on him later) all posing on skis.  Diane did confess that she really did not really learn to ski until years later.  Hannes Schroll was a Alpine ski racer and the creator of the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort.  Hannes and Walt became good friends and Walt was an early investor in Sugar Bowl, but, you may not know his other Disney connection…  Hannes was known to many as the yodeling skier, and could often be heard skiing done the slopes.  It is Hannes doing Goofy’s holler in The Art of Skiing, and Sugar Bowl, even today, has a few Disney references, such as Mt. Disney, Disney Meadows, and the Donald Duck run.

Out of Walt’s interest in winter sports, he was approach to do the pageantry portion of the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley.  Walt’s staff planned the opening and closing ceremonies, it was at Walt’s insistence that these ceremonies be televised for the first time.  Much, if not all, of today’s televised sports pageantry can trace its root back to those televised ceremonies of the 1960 Winter Olympics.  As we learned from Ron, on Saturday, it turns out the much of the operational aspect of those games were handled or managed by Disney staff.  Seems the operational skills needed for running a theme park, are much the same as running the Olympic Games… who knew?  J  As result of all of this, Walt was looking to develop a winter sports destination with all the natural Disney flair.  Several locations were explored, but for many reasons these projects went nowhere.  So when the U.S. Forest Service put out an RFP to develop the Mineral King Valley, the Disney organization jumped on the opportunity.  The Mineral King Valley is bordered on three sides by the Sequoia National Forest, established in 1908.  The Mineral King area was originally excluded from the Sequoia Nat’l Forest primarily because of the earlier mining and commercial development activities in that area.  While it was made part of the Sequoia Game Refuge, it was still available for development.  While the Forest Service’s RFP was for a modest ski resort, Walt Disney saw a greater potential for a resort that could be used and enjoyed year round, and submitted grander plans for the valley’s development.  Using what he had learned in his development of Disneyland, the plans, underway at the time, for his visions of EPCOT, and what he saw as an ideal Alpine village in Zermatt, Switzerland, Walt designed what he thought would be an ideal resort in Mineral King.  Walt even put his best number guy, Harrison “Buzz” Price, on the task.  Remember, it was Buzz who had successfully identified the optimal location for Disneyland, and had recently identified Orlando as the future home of Disney World.  Even the Sierra Club was originally on board for the development.  Unfortunately, before the project could really get off the ground and actually building started, we lost Walt.  With Walt gone, there was no one to illuminate his vision well enough to keep the project going.  The team Walt left behind tried gallantly, but eventually the Disney organization was left with no alternative but to walk away.  It truly saddens me that this project never came to fruition.  From all the pictures Sam showed us and the comments for Ron and David, it would have been a place I’d visit often.

I particularly enjoyed this session, as we treated to some very loving banter and comments back and forth between Ron and Diane.  And David recalled some poignant memories of his young life in the Mineral King Valley.  You see, David’s family shared ownership of a cabin in valley, and he recalled often being at the cabin to make repairs.  Sam Gennawey is and exuberant presenter and moderator and greatly enhanced the presentation.  I’ve already started a campaign to have him back.  With this year being the 30^th anniversary of Epcot, I thought a session discussing what we see today at the theme park, and the EPCOT of Walt’s vision.  It would be a very interesting program.

Finally, I don’t say it here enough, but…  I would like to thank all of the Walt Disney Family Museum staff for all their efforts.  I enjoy each of my visits to the Museum as much for the exhibits and programs, as for the staff interaction.  Each and every one of you has every reason to be proud of what you have helped to create.  You all make each visit better, so to all of you…  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

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

Walt Disney – Continuing the Thought

Rarely am I this excited to delve into a topic, as I am with this one.  But, as Smee tells Capt Hook in the film Hook, “Captain, I’ve just had an apostrophe!”

As I said in my last post on this subject, ask any Disney fan what he or she finds so interesting about Walt Disney, and you probably find almost as many reasons as the individuals you ask.  To press further, what is it that you like about what it is you like about your reason for interest?  If you were to continue to press, I think you’d find that, what the initial reasoning, it would boil down to…  Whatever Walt does, even though you might not quite be able to put your finger on it, there is just something so right about him.  I too, in my interest, could never quite put my finger on it, until now.

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned what I thought was the apotheosis of Walt Disney.  For those unfamiliar with the term “Apotheosis”, Dictionary.com defines it as follows:

1.  the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.

2.  the ideal example; epitome; quintessence: This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.

I like the term, and what's more, there is a famous painting in the U.S. Capitol building called the Apotheosis of Washington, an artistic vision of elevating the man to the status of a God.

Read any number of books, articles, or essays on Walt Disney and you’ll find any number of authors attempting to deify the man.  We have seen this exaltation happen throughout history with individuals of great importance, but with those wanting to adore comes those equally intent on demonization.  Books, essays, and historical accounts are littered with myths, for both purposes, which cloud our judgments and understanding of many famous figures.  For those with the inclination, I’d suggest a simple myths search on the internet for you favorite historical luminary.  You might be surprised what you’ll learn.  Depending on a person’s perceived contribution, their real impact on society, and time, will help determine the level of deification or demonization that takes place through the legends and myths created and what sticks in the societal psyche.  It is, in my opinion, the desire and almost fixated need within the human condition to find explanation for those things we do not understand and cannot comprehend.

So, now I imagine, you are pondering, what does this have to do with Walt Disney?  In WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City, Sam Gennawey discusses the concept of a “higher degree of life” and “a quality without a name” from an architectural viewpoint.  With “a quality without a name” representing a situation where we instinctively know that something is or seems right, even when we can’t really put into words why.  Could we expand these concepts into a more universal theory in human existence?  If they can be identified in any small part of our world, would it not make sense to assume that they are indeed are embedded, no matter how deep, within the consciousness – or maybe better put, the unconsciousness of all human beings?  Might these concepts be the unifying reasoning why so many people find Walt Disney such an interesting character?   I thought about claiming, at least for me, that Walt was the embodiment or physical manifestation of a “higher degree of life” and “a quality without a name, however, I think that only leads us to extend that deification concept, and which I do not favor.  So, I think it is better put forth that Walt Disney, whether he truly understood it or not, possessed a stronger innate concentration or development of these qualities, along with a good dose of honest humility.  So there it is…  Walt Disney was, in my opinion, the best possible example to date of a “higher degree of life” and “a quality without a name.”

So, as this idea percolates, I’d be very interested in hearing your thoughts.  Have one you’d like to share?

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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A Developing Thought on Walt Disney

A child’s journey from experience to experience is without expectation, and full of wonder and amazement.  Each a new adventure to be fulfilled with learning and the yearning for more, until that disastrous moment…  His obligation to grow up realized!!!  Rare is the individual who successfully navigates through life with a true childlike inquisitiveness and wonder intact.    

Yes, I know!  I promised a piece on animation…  But, one of the joys of journeys of discovery is that you never know where the path is going to lead you.  My path has recently been enlightened in a way that I never ever expected.  Thank you Sam Gennawey!  I’ve already recommended WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City in my last post, but now I am going to recommend it as a re-read.  It has given my journey new direction.

Last September, toward the end of the Our Grandpa session at the Walt Disney Family Museum, Walt Disney’s granddaughter Joanna asked the audience a question:  “What do you all find so interesting about my Grandpa?”  I posted a response here.  At the time I thought my response was pretty complete, but, now I am not so sure.

One could single out Walt’s various achievements and awards in entertainment.  But there’s more…  One could single out his development of technologies and their practical applications.  But there is more…  One could single out his ability to take almost any subject and create a story around and about it.  Any of these and many more could be used as an easy justification for interest.  But there is, at least for me, something else that draws me to this man, as I think is the case with many Disney fans, but most particularly the true Walt Disney fan.  I consider myself one of those true Walt Disney fans, and have, until now, been frustrated with my inability to adequately articulate my feelings about him.

It was while reading Sam Gennawey's, WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City, that my understanding of my draw to Walt Disney began crystallize into a comprehensible form.  I don’t know if the thoughts to follow had occurred to Sam as he researched and wrote his book, but, I am looking forward to asking him in about a week.  As I have traveled on my journey of discovery over the last several years, I have found that the Disney interest is as vast and varied as there are people interested…  simple put… like so many things in life, the Disney experience is really an individually personal event for each person.  Like in other areas of our lives, seldom do we endeavor to truly comprehend or illuminate an experience, rather choosing to just let our life’s proceedings transpire around us without thought. 

Before I begin to tie all of my sprawling thoughts into what I hope to be a articulate concept, I think we need to acknowledge a couple of facts; Walt Disney was not formally trained in any of the disciplines at which he excelled, but he was adept at applying what he had learned in one arena, to other developing interests.  An interest in art led to his involvement in animation, where he was able to create and develop processes which elevated animation to a new art form and greatly enhanced the audience experience.  Walt’s successes in animation led him into the field of live action movies, where again he create and developed processes which elevated and enhanced the audience experience.  From live action, Walt moved on to the amusement part.  Apply what he learned in art, animation, and live action films; he created an entertainment venue like none other in the world at the time.  Each endeavor enhanced, or plussed, by the accomplishments that preceded it.  Walt’s last desire, to build a prototype city of the future, while never realized, was informed by all the came before it.  The Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow – EPCOT – would have been a site to behold, if Walt had lived to see the project to completion.  Many may think that the Epcot that exists, at Walt Disney World , today is the EPCOT of Walt Disney’s dreams.  While there are components of Walt’s design in place today, Epcot is nothing of the designs that Walt had drawn up before his death.  If you are interested in learning about the EPCOT of Walt’s dream, well then Sam Gennawey's, WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City is the book to read.

Next, I think Walt had an innate appreciation for the difference between educations and learning.  As an example, his concepts for the CalArts – California Institute of the Arts was more than just an institute where a student could come to study his or her craft… it was a place where students of one discipline could have their studies positively influenced by others of different disciplines.  Even earlier in his life, Walt understood the need for continuing study.  During the productions of Bambi, Walt brought in forest animals for his artists and animators to study.  This was done to allow these artists to interject more realism into the finished product.  And before that, he teamed with Nelbert Chouinard and the Chouinard Art Institute – later to become part of CalArts – to help develop and expand his artists’ talents.  You might know that animators today as Walt’s Nine Old Men, truly legendary figures in the world of animation.  In today’s world, it is my opinion that we place to much emphasis on higher education, simply for the sake of educations.  This is pure conjecture, but I think the evidence would point to; Walt’s opinion that education comes after interests are piqued.

Regardless, I think it was the complexity of Walt Disney that led to some much of legend surrounding him.  I’ll get into how I am going to tie my ideas together from some of the content from WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City in a future post, but for my next post you can expect me to finish my animation thoughts that I have been working on for some time now.

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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Walt and the Promise of Progress City

I know I said my next post would be on animation, but I’ve just finished a new tome on Walt Disney. So…

It is a testament to the man – Walt Disney, and how many lives he truly touched, that 45 years later authors and enthusiasts can still find subject matter to write about him.  It is not uncommon that the subject matter is a rehash of events and anecdotes already known with a slightly different spin.  I can appreciate that, as it is pretty much what I do here, and still awaiting the discovery of that one tidbit no one else knows.  Maybe someday??? 

But, every now and then I find something that has an angle I never anticipated, or author with an unexpected talent… WALT AND THE PROMISE OF Progress City is just such a book, and Sam Gennawey is just such as author.  While Sam is an urban planner by profession, he demonstrate the talents on an historian, educator, and philosopher, all wrapped in the soul of an artist, poet and storyteller.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, urban planning (done right) is an art form unto itself, not all that recognized by those of us in our rush around never see what is right in front of us worlds. 

Sam weaves a true life adventure of Walt’s life through the lens of an urban designer; from his mastery of the storytelling with animation, to his unique ideas on building an amazing living environment – EPCOT.  Not the Epcot we know today as a theme park in Florida, but the EPCOT (Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow) of Walt’s dreams.  A place where people would live, work, and play together in a city environment demonstrating the very latest in technology and human ingenuity.  The pages of this journey are spun as well as any storyteller, told with a great balance of fact, anecdote, and every page imaginatively entertaining and understandable by both expert and novice.  I easily see this book easily as a text in a class on architecture or urban planning as it would fit into a writing course.

For the Disney fan just developing and interest or the Disney fan searching for a deeper understanding of the man – Walt Disney, this is a must read addition to any Disney collection.  I know I'm glad it is in mine, and I highly recommend it.

And for anyone interested, Sam will be at the Walt Disney Family Museum on January 21st for a discussion with former Disney Company CEO, and one of the Museum Founders, Ron Miller.  Also joining the discussion will be Architect, David Price.  They will be discussing one of Walt Disney's lesser projects, propably because it never got created - Mineral King.  I know I’m looking forward to this session.

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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