FACTS ABOUT WALT DISNEY
G'day folks,
Here is a man most of us grew up with. But did you know that ...
For
almost 100 years, the name Walt Disney has
been so synonymous with animated films, television channels, and child-friendly
theme parks that it’s easy to forget that, at one time, the moniker referred to
an actual person. Born in 1901, Walter Elias “Walt” Disney grew to be one of
America’s most preeminent business tycoons by the time he died in 1966. Within
this short time, he also became a beloved animator, producer, director, screenwriter,
and voice actor (who just happens to have more Academy Awards and nominations
than anyone else in history). Not too bad for a cartoonist from Chicago.
Although Walt Disney died almost 40 years ago, the mass media stronghold of his
eponymous company remains as strong as ever. The voluminous canon of Walt
Disney Studios, not to mention the work of all of its subsidiaries, often
overshadows the life of its founder.
Soon,
however, the voice of Walt Disney himself will be pumped into movie theaters
throughout the country. On November 27th, the Walt Disney Animation Studios
will release Get a Horse!,
a 7-minute animated film featuring the studio’s quintessential stars, Mickey
Mouse and his favorite lady friend Minnie Mouse, who embark on a jubilant musical
wagon ride (that is, until Peg-Leg Pete arrives and tries to ruin all the fun).
Get a Horse! will
accompany the studio’s new feature film, Frozen,
and will include archival recordings of Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey
Mouse. In honor of the short film’s release and the resurgent voice of the
company’s creator, here are seven facts you may not have known about both the
man and the studio named Walt Disney.
1.
Mickey was almost Mortimer.
On a train ride following a less than fruitful
business meeting in 1928, Walt Disney, then only 27 years old, sketched a
mouse. This mouse would eventually become the official mascot of a
multinational corporation worth tens of billions of dollars, but Walt, of
course, didn’t know this at the time. He called the sketch “Mortimer Mouse” and
showed it to his wife, Lily. After deeming the name Mortimer much too pompous,
Lily suggested giving the mouse a cuter name, such as Mickey. Thankfully, Walt
agreed with her, and a star was born.
2.
Walt was anti facial hair…with one exception.
It took almost 60 years, but, as of this year,
employees at Walt Disney’s two U.S. theme parks can finally show up at work
with a stylish beard or goatee (but only if they are “neat, polished, and
professional,” according to the official memo). However, at Disneyland in the
50s and 60s, even guests with facial hair, not to mention longhaired hippies,
were turned away, as they were told they unfortunately failed to meet the
standards of Disneyland’s dress code. Even Jim McGuinn, the future frontman of
The Byrds, was once denied admittance for sporting a provocative Beatle cut.
The company eventually relented on this policy, though, and allowed all hirsute
patrons to enjoy “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Now, the peculiar double
standard: Think of any picture of Walt Disney that you have ever seen. What
exists in almost all of them? A mustache.
3.
The final words ever written by Walt Disney were “Kurt Russell.”
Really, no joke. In 1966, as Disney was
suffering from lung cancer and nearing the end of his life, he scrawled the
name “Kurt Russell” on a piece of paper and died soon after. At the time, Kurt
Russell was a child actor for the studio and had just signed a lengthy
contract. To this day, no one knows what Disney meant or intended, including Russell
himself.
4.
Walt still has a
home at Disneyland.
During the construction
of Disneyland in the 1950s, Walt moved into a one-bedroom apartment above the
theme park’s Fire Station on Main Street in order to work and watch his dream
come to life. The apartment still exists and has been left largely untouched.
During his stay there, Walt lit a lamp in the window to alert the staff of his
presence. This lamp is now permanently ablaze in his honor.
5.
Don’t be surprised if you experience Disney déjà vu.
When you first watched Disney’s Robin Hood, did you wonder
if you had seen it all before? If so, there’s no need to worry. In 1915, an
animation technique called rotoscoping was invented. This technique involves
drawing over film footage of live actors, which allows animators to capture
realistic human movement. It also lets animators recycle animated movements for
use on characters in different films. So, the next time you watch Disney’s Robin Hood, just remember
that large parts of it were, thanks to the studio’s use of rotoscoping,
gathered from Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs, The
Jungle Book, and The
Aristocats.
6.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse actually got married.
Wayne
Allwine and Russi Taylor are not well-known names, even among Disney
aficionados, but their animated personas are seared into most people’s minds.
In 1991, Allwine, who was the voice of Mickey Mouse for 32 years, married
Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse, and the couple remained happily married
until Allwine’s death in 2009.
7.
Nobody, including
Walt Disney, is perfect.
While Walt Disney was
an innovative and successful man, he was also the subject of many
controversies, most of which involved rumors that he was anti-Semitic and
racist. These rumors were, and still are, hard to dispel. In the 1930s, Disney
attended meetings of a pro-Nazi organization, the German American Bund. He also
hosted a known Nazi propagandist and filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, and gave her
a tour of Disney Studios. To make matters worse, Disney was also accused of
perpetuating black stereotypes in his films. But, for all of his critics,
Disney also had scores of supporters who claimed he was far from being either
anti-Semitic or racist. The debate on Disney’s alleged discrimination and
racism continues to this day.
Clancy's comment: There ya go. Did you know all that?
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