Friday, September 24, 2010

What Year did the Characters Start Appearing in the Park?


Q: I have some old A-E tickets from Disneyland. Is there a way to tell what year they are from? Also what year did the characters start appearing in the park? I love your column and have learned so much about Disney from it.
Paula, The Colony, Texas


[Dave Smith]: The old ticket books usually had coded dates on them, but the tickets did not. Sometimes you can narrow down the years because of the attractions listed on the tickets. There were characters in the park since Opening Day.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Large-Format Disneyland Park Maps

Q: You just answered a question from Dennis of Minden, Nevada, about large-format Disneyland Park maps. I have a large- format (30" X 45") map, dated 1961, hanging on my wall. My question is, how long were large-format maps produced as I don't recall seeing any being sold on recent trips to the park.
Gary, San Francisco, California


A [Dave Smith]: The most recent map was produced in 2005.


[Marcio Disney]



Monday, September 20, 2010

Walt Trips to London

Q: I recently learned that Walt Disney eventually convinced writer Pamela Travers to let him adapt Mary Poppins on screen when he visited her in person in London in 1959. I was wondering if, by any chance, this happened on the same trip he made to visit the Mills family (to convince them to allow Hayley play in Pollyanna)?
Vincent, Ottignies, Belgium

A [Dave Smith]: Walt made two trips to London in 1959 — in June/July and in October — but we do not have details as to what he did while in London.



U.S. cartoonist Walt Disney and his wife Lillian arrive at London Airport June. 23, 1959, from New York.

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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Walt Disney's home at Lake Tahoe

Q: I used to live in Northern Nevada and would visit Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe often. A friend showed me a home there and said it was Walt Disney's home during the Olympic Games. It is an adorable home, it looks like Snow White could walk out the door at any moment. Is this story true?
Debby, Windermere, Florida 

A [by Dave Smith]: Walt Disney did have a vacation home he used at Squaw Valley at the time he produced the pageantry for the 1960 Winter Olympic Games, but I do not know its location.


[More to See by Marcio Disney] 
 
Walt Disney's home during the Olympic Games
 
Walt was named the Chairman of Pageantry for the Games, and went to work crafting plans for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
 
 “Dr. Charles Hirt (second from far right) was among the team Walt assembled to create the opening ceremonies for the VIII Winter Olympics in 1960.” 
from
http://progresscityusa.com/2010/02/13/walt-disney-and-the-winter-olympics/

"Walt and his team were heavily involved in the planning of the Squaw Valley Olympics; the site for the Games was so remote that it was the first Olympics ever to lodge athletes in an Olympic Village. Disney and his friends like Art Linkletter made sure there was a constant stream of entertainment and entertainers on hand to stage nightly productions for the athletes. Disney’s artists also contributed, with John Hench designing a series of snow sculptures for the venue and even the Olympic torch itself."

1993 Disney News article:


Dr. Charles Hirt: The Miracle at Squaw Valley by Scott Richter

February 18, 1960, is a day that renowned choir director Dr. Charles Hirt will never forget. The opening day ceremonies of the VIII Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, were to be held that day. Nearly two years earlier, Walt Disney had accepted the post of Pageantry Committee Chairman and had named Dr. Hirt as the program’s choir director.

On the morning of the 18th, Dr. Hirt was sleeping soundly at Walt Disney’s private chalet in Squaw Valley when he was awakened by Walt and his other houseguest, Art Linkletter.

Hirt recalls that “Walt and Art told me that it had started to snow even though it had been predicted that it would not. There was a real blizzard out there.”‘

In fact, Mother Nature seemed intent on cancelling the opening day ceremonies, wasting months of meticulous preparation in the process. Between 6 a.m. and 1:45 p.m., Squaw Valley was pounded by freezing winds and buried under 10 inches of snow.

Later that day at rehearsal, Dr. Hirt says that “I stood up there (at the podium) facing what I thought was the choir – and I hoped and prayed it was, because I couldn’t see them, the snow was falling so hard. Clarence Sawhill (the band director) relayed my beat to the band because he couldn’t see the choir either.

“Walt Disney and the rest of us got together,” he continues, “and we all said ‘What in the world are we going to do if we can’t see the choir and the choir can’t see us?’ The alternative was to assemble on a skating rink where we would only be able to select a few choirs and a few bands which would fit in there.

“Walt turned to me and said, ‘What do you think we should do?’ I told him that I couldn’t stand the thought of saying to these people who had worked so hard for so many months that only some of them could be among the bands and choruses in the skating rink.”
Some 3,700 high school musicians and choir members had spent many tireless hours rehearsing for the program, and had then traveled from 52 California and Nevada schools to brave the arctic-like conditions. All for the privilege of performing at the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics.

On the other hand, the eyes of the world were on Squaw Valley, and network television officials were concerned that they would have no opening ceremonies at all for their worldwide broadcast.

Hirt recalls that “the TV people said ‘We’ve got to play it safe. We can’t take a chance on this.’”

Nevertheless, Hirt remembers that “they turned to Walt and said, ‘It’s up to you.’ And he turned to me and said, ‘Charles, I’ll go with whatever you say.’ I told him, ‘Walt, I can’t say to select a few and play it safe. Let’s dare to have everybody in this.’ That’s all Walt needed to hear. Over the loudspeaker we told everyone to go into formation.

“The clock ticked down to showtime,” Hirt recalls, “and at that moment, the sky parted and the sun shone. It was a miracle. My choir was in front of me. I could see them. Clarence could see his band, and he could see me. And the program went off without a hitch.

“Then, just at the very close of the final Olympic hymn, the sky covered up again and the blizzard resumed.”

Dr. Hirt says that “to be a part of that ‘Miracle of Squaw Valley’ with Walt was a very special honor,” and one of the highlights of his career.

“Walt was such a marvelous person … he was so highly respected and loved by the people who knew him. I got to know him well when I stayed with him at his (Squaw Valley) chalet.”

Although retired now, Dr. Hirt still enjoys visiting Disneyland where he created and led the Christmas Candlelight Procession Ceremony for 25 years.
“Disneyland is still Walt,” says Hirt. “His spirit is still there.”



Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.


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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Mr. Disney's Personal Art Work

Q: Is there anywhere to view some of Mr. Disney's personal art work? My Grandfather received a painting from Mr. Disney in the '40s which we have kept in the family; however, I have never seen any of his personal oil art work displayed. I would appreciate any guidance on this.
Jean, Lake Worth, Florida


A [Dave Smith]: Walt Disney never painted in oils. He drew in pencil or pen and ink when he was a teenager, but he stopped drawing altogether in the mid-1920s when he found he could hire animators who could animate better than he could.


[Marcio Disney]
Click Here to read Walt Disney's short biography!








Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.



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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove

Q: When I was very young in the early 1970s, I used to love to sit and watch The Wonderful World of Disney with my Dad and my younger brother on Sunday night. There was a movie that I loved and have never seen again. I do not know the title. But it involved a large, mysterious creature in a swamp. It turned out that the creature was really hollow. It was created and run by a person inside. Would you know the title? It is available anywhere?
Lisa, Waddington, New York

A [Dave Smith]: You may be thinking of The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove (1971). It starred Burgess Meredith and Agnes Moorehead. It has never been released on video or DVD.


[Marcio Disney]

Plot: Three kids think they see a sea monster in the calm waters of Strawberry Cove, and set out to find what's behind the mystery. 


Based on a story from "The Mad Scientist's Club", 14 January 2008

"This is one of the first adaptations of youth fiction done by Disney that stopped being true to the book and was changed for "improvements" that ruined the movie in the end. The book is way better. "The Mad Scientist's Club" by Bertrand R. Brinley (Also spelled Brinkley) is about a club of smart boys who figure out how to play pranks and solve mysteries in their small town by using their brains and scientific methods. "The Flying Man..." would have been a better episode but I'm guessing the author had some trouble with the liberties the company took with "The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove." Yes, the boys successfully pull a prank on their teacher, but the movie over-elaborates the monster as too cheesy where the book was less and therefore more believable. "







Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.



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Sunday, September 12, 2010

The Gas Station inside the Studio Property

Q: I'm reading the Valley Progress magazine that came with my Spring 2010 issue of Disney twenty-three, and I just read that there was a gas station on the studio property. I'm curious as to where on the lot this was? I took the studio tour last weekend and they made no mention of it.
Ryan-Philipp, North Hills, California


A [Dave Smith]: The gas station was originally located just inside the Buena Vista gate at the Studio, but in 1995 it was moved to a new location just inside the Riverside gate. It is used for refueling employee and company vehicles.



Friday, September 10, 2010

Molly Bee - Willy Clause

Q: As I child I learned a Christmas song called "Willy Clause." My wife finally found a 45 record of it by Molly Bee from the early '50s. I put it in iTunes and it popped up as a Disney record. Is it a Disney record or was it a glitch?
Stephen, San Bernardino, California


A [Dave Smith]: This was not a Disney song, though it could have been on an early Disney Christmas phonograph record. Molly Bee recorded the song in 1952 on the Capitol label. One fact that might cause confusion: It was written by Mel Leven; Leven worked for Disney on 101 Dalmatians and Babes in Toyland in the 1960s.

[Marcio Disney]


Just Push Play to hear the song





Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Walt's Private Turboprop Aircraft

Q: What was the model and make of Walt's private turboprop aircraft (the one he used regularly to fly down to Florida to meet Orlando civic leaders?) We saw it parked among the movie props two years ago while touring the Disney Hollywood Studios props lot. I believe it had Rolls-Royce engines (I remember the logos on the engine nacelles). I work in aircraft maintenance for UPS Airlines and I'm a private pilot — so I guess you could say I'm PLANE CRAZY (Mickey pun intended)!
Ray, Louisville, Kentucky

A [Dave Smith]: It is a Grumman Gulfstream I. I was privileged to fly in it to Florida a couple of times in the early 1970s.




[Marcio Disney]

This plane was used by Walt Disney while he was scouting out places to built Walt Disney World in Florida. He would bring himself and his Imagineers (designers) from California to help in the planning. 

The plane is a Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I twin engine turboprop that was built in 1963 and put in service May 1964. The tail number of N234MM was specially assigned to the plane by the FAA (MM meaning Mickey Mouse). By 1978, the plane had logged 4.3 million miles or 12,300 hours. It was retired to Disney World for display October 1992.

The only way to see the plane is to take the Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Towards the end of the tram ride you will see it on display.















Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.



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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Display for Disney's Return to Oz Characters

Q: I'm a huge fan of Disney's Return to Oz film. I saw the Tik Tok and Tin Man characters from the feature film in a 102 Dalmatians behind-the-scenes attraction at MGM studios in Walt Disney World. As both a fan of the movie and a memorabilia collector, are these characters still being preserved by your studios? Will these characters be making an appearance any time in the future?
Scott, Chicago, Illionois

A [Dave Smith]: Yes, we are very proud to have a very comprehensive representation of artifacts from Return to Oz, including Dorothy's costume, complete with her ruby slippers, and her lunch pails. We also have the Tin Woodsman, Jack Pumpkinhead and even the Gnome King's ruby slippers. Tik Tok was on display for many years at Disney's Hollywood Studios; Disney archivist Rob Klein is currently restoring him as there are plans to use him in an upcoming Archives exhibit.





Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.


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ºoº Marcio Disney Family Sites Network ºoº

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