Dear readers, I’m pleased to introduce a new limited series I’m creating called Remembering Walt Disney.
Most people think of Walt Disney as a creative juggernaut and an American Icon, but he was also just a man. He was a friend, son, a brother, a husband and a father. He laughed when things were funny, and cherished his family life. Like most of us, he occasionally became upset or angry when circumstances were frustrating. Overall, I think he was a happy person who enjoyed being creative and love his family very deeply.
In this series, I am going to share a few anecdotes from the people who knew him, both his family and the people who worked with Walt over the years. As a fellow Disney enthusiast, you may have heard some of these stories before, but hopefully you will discover some stories which are new to you as a reader.
Regardless, I hope they will make you laugh and help add layers of depth to your view of Walt Disney as a person.
There is a famous anecdote from one of the animators working on Bambi (1942), during the early years of Walt Disney Studios. Walt could be a demanding boss. Producing full length animated features was very expensive, and would insist on perfection when it came to producing his films. The animators would use the code, “Man is in the forest”, whenever Walt would come down the hall, so they could appear busy and avoid the appearance of standing idle.
In case the reference is lost on you, Man is the villain in Bambi. I didn’t notice this until I was older, but the character of Man is particularly frightening because he is the only Disney villain (I can think of) who never appears on camera.
“Man was in the forest”, Bambi’s Mother
Walt wasn’t known for handing out a great deal of praise, but he did his best to cultivate the people who worked for him.
“(Walt)…said one time, he was ‘The bee who pollinated the flowers.’ He’d talk about the project (you were working on) rather than how good or bad you were doing. He inspired you to create what he wanted”. Peter Ellenshaw - artist
Walt was also on an endless quest for perfection when it came to his films, and later on, in his theme parks. In 1939, John Hench began his Disney career working as a story artist, working on background art and art direction. Hench was pulled to work on Walt’s latest animated feature, Fantasia (1940), and he was assigned The Nutcracker Suite portion of the film. John shares the following
“I was working on an assignment I didn’t like, the Nutcracker Suite in Fantasia. I told Walt and he asked me, ‘Why don’t you want to work on that?’ I said it’s because I don’t know anything about the ballet.
“He made (booked) a plane, and arranged for me to sit backstage with a ballet company for a whole season. One hundred fifty drawings later, I learned a lot about the ballet.” John Hench - artist and Imagineer
In 1954, John Hench would leave the animation department to join WED Enterprises as an Imagineer to help develop and build Disneyland (1955). Hench was also Disney's official portrait artist of Mickey Mouse, painting the company's portraits for Mickey's 25th, 50th, 60th, 70th, and 75th birthdays.
If you would like to learn more about the history and production of Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940). This article was very fun to write, and I hope you enjoy reading it.
I hope you enjoyed the Introduction to Remembering Walt Disney. Join us for the first essay in the series in which we discuss Walt’s friendship with Shirley Temple Black, and hear some Shirley’s personal stories of Walt.
Stay optimistic, and see you real soon!
Sincerely,
Harper