As Walt Disney was growing up, he saw and absorbed the movies of the great comedians. Learn from Disney authors and historians J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt about how great comedians of the silent screen such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd, among others, influenced Walt Disney's works. They will discuss the comedic moments in both Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies shorts, and take you on a fun-filled journey from concept to comedy! Tickets and more information can be found at the Ticket and Member Services desk at the Museum, or at www.waltdisney.org.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 3pm
Comedic Influences with J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt
J.B. Kaufman is a Disney author and film historian on the staff of the Walt Disney Family Foundation, and he has published extensively on topics including Disney animation and American silent film. He is coauthor, with Russell Merritt, of two essential reference works on Disney animation history: Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney and Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series.
Russell Merritt teaches courses at University of California Berkeley in national cinemas, animation, and film styles and genre. He specializes in topics that cross disciplinary lines, and his current research interests include silent film, Japanese film (particularly Ozu Yasajiro), D.W. Griffith, animation, film and children's lore, French Film, German Film, and Disney's 1930s work. He co-wrote and was senior historical advisor for the Emmy-nominated series D.W. Griffith: Father of Film (directed by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill).
Image: JB Kaufman and Russell Merritt, courtesy of Cartoon Brew.