Disney historian and author J.B . Kaufman will introduce six of Walt Disney’s first cartoons—including two recently discovered and restored by New York’s Museum of Modern Art—at July’s Silent Film Festival at San Francisco’s legendary Castro Theatre, July 16, 2011, courtesy of The Walt Disney Family Museum and MOMA.
Even though the characters and culture he created have become global (and in many ways a sovereign entity all their own), Walt Disney was a uniquely American creation. We have often heard about Walt’s love of country, and his sense of pride in the United States of America—and throughout his career he displayed his deeply-felt patriotism over and over again.
The 1962 film Moon Pilot has a unique place not only in Disney history, but also in the history of Radio City Music Hall. But just what made ticket sales soar for this film is a little known and fascinating story.
It was a fulfilling day for those who spent the morning of Saturday, June 25 outside The Walt Disney Family Museum, learning to draw animals from live models, and returning in the afternoon for WDFM historian JB Kaufman’s lecture, The Anatomy of an Animal: Animating a Deer. When asked if they enjoyed the live study session, the assembled crowd voiced a resounding "Yeah!"
Each month, The Walt Disney Family Museum staff takes a closer look at an artifact or exhibit within our galleries. Throughout June, the Museum has celebrated Walt Disney’s brilliant and timeless 1942 animated feature, Bambi. In this posting, Museum Interpreter Mary Beth Culler offers an appreciation of the Bambi art of Tyrus Wong.
“A funny thing happened to me on my way to the moon…girl (with seven moons all made for love) meets boy (with chimp)…and WOW!”
That was the marketing phrase that appeared on many movie advertisements for the Disney live-action “Technicolor® blast of fun and entertainment” known as Moon Pilot, first released to theaters nearly fifty years ago.
On June 11, 2011, The Walt Disney Family Museum had the great privilege of hosting not only Charles Solomon, noted author and animation historian; Paul Felix, art director at Walt Disney Animation Studios; and Ralph Eggleston, animator, storyboard artist, and production designer at Pixar Animation Studios, but also the incredibly humble and astounding inspirational artist, Tyrus Wong.
As we celebrate Walt's timeless and beautiful feature film Bambi, author and historian J.B. Kaufman will be visiting our museum to discuss the visual styles and work that went into animating the film, which includes a discussion about the anatomy of an animal and how artists would study live animal models at the studio to get their movements and mannerisms just right.
In observance of Father’s Day, Chris Crump has contributed this appreciation of his “Disney Dad,” Rolly Crump.
I was very young. Hard to say exactly—maybe six or seven years old. In school, the question was asked in class: “What does your dad do for a living?” My response—that my father worked for Disney—probably got the best reaction of all of the kids...
In observance of Father’s Day, Ted Thomas has contributed this reminiscence about his “Disney Dad,” Frank Thomas.
I remember clearly a college break when I was helping my father with brush clearing at our family’s vacation cabin in the hills near Julian, California. I was in the middle of studies, but far enough along to be thinking about, and dreading, being out in the working world.