Here’s a link to a video (from Mark Eades/the OC Register online) of John Lasseter’s September 13, 2009 press conference at the D23 Expo.
It really gets going about five minutes in (not coincidentally, after a question from Leo Holzer) when john starts to discuss Walt Disney’s influence on story, the value of hand-drawn animation, the way Pixar does their films, etc. Great stuff as always from John.
FYI…that’s me as the disembodied host voice (see photo HERE). I may look better on audio.
Since I’ve been a day late with both of my previous D23 Expo posts, I’ve chosen to combine my thoughts of Day 3 and Day 4 in one to catch up. Fortunately, I should stay caught up, since today was the fourth and final day of the Expo. Phew!
Me and John Lasseter in the D23 press room. I'm wearing the Hawaiian shirt in his honor.
Although it was an incredible (and exhausting) four days, I’d have to say that–all fascinating presentations, surprising special guests and wonderful show, ride and movie announcements aside–my favorite moments of the D23 Expo came when I hosted Sunday’s press conference with Disney/Pixar’s John Lasseter. More press turned out for him than for any other presenter, and understandably so. John has helped revitalize Disney’s animated films division since he and his Pixar team joined forces with the Mouse, and his ability to speak into everything from theme park attractions to consumer products is already paying big dividends, financially and “corporate” culturally.
Some of the intrepid D23 Expo press contingent. The bigger video cameras were in the back row, just out of sight.
In fact, just in case you’re wondering if any press turned out to hear John, here’s a photo (on the right) I snapped of some of them (with my “host-cam” iPhone) while we waited for John to arrive.
In true Disney fashion, I asked them all to smile for the camera, since we had been smiling for theirs all week…
But before getting too far into the Sunday program, let’s cover Day 3…
The press docket for Saturday, September 12 started off with Jay Rasulo, Disney’s President of Parks and Resorts, who was joined by Imagineers Eric Jacobson, Jon Georges and Chris Beatty. Among the future plans discussed by Jay and the team from Imagineering were the upcoming re-vamp of Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World and the just-announced (at the prior presentation) re-do of Star Tours…in 3-D!
From left: Eric Jacobson, Chris Beatty and Jon Georges listen as Jay Rasulo responds to the press
My “M.O.” for all of the conferences was to moderate questions, and ask my own in case of a lull. There were no issues with the latter at any of the Parks sessions, as the press fired question after question at our panels. I must add that both corporate executives I hosted (Bob Iger and Jay Rasulo) did a wonderful job with the queries thrown their way. If a question arose that they couldn’t answer (at least “on the record”), such as a common one about company earnings, they demurred with humor and grace.
I’m the sort of guy who can listen to Imagineers discuss projects all day, so I was sorry that the allotted half hour had seemed to pass so quickly. I really enjoyed everything Chris, Eric and Jon had to say about their work on the new Fantasyland.
Me with Roy Patrick Disney
The second event of the day was quite a departure from our usual slate of company project announcements. Roy Patrick Disney–son of former Vice Chairman of the Board Roy E. Disney and grandson of company co-founder Roy O. Disney–stopped by the press conference room to discuss his presentation of “Growing Up Disney,” one which had been so popular that a second session was hastily added to the D23 Expo schedule.
I really appreciated Roy’s candor regarding the sometimes difficult (and always complicated) relationship between his grandfather and Walt, as well as the challenges he sometimes faced when he was working for the company that bore his surname (Roy hasn’t worked for the Walt Disney Company for more than a decade).
Our third panel featured Imagineers Kim Irvine and Tom Morris, who weighed in on the recent remaking of Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” attraction. Both Kim and Tom are Imagineering veterans (I wonder how many combined years of experience our WDI panels had?), and told of how they painstakingly returned to the original work of Mary Blair, Rolly Crump, and Alice Davis (among others) to inspire their re-do of the iconic attraction which dates back to the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. Again, I was impressed (but not surprised) by the level of detail and care these artists take when undertaking any new or revitalized show.
We ended the day with the always fun Tony Baxter discussing the reworking of another World’s Fair (and Disneyland) audio-animatronic resident: Abraham Lincoln. Tony lovingly discussed the re-editing of Royal Dano’s voice recordings that brought our 16th president to life, and which soon will again in the U.S. Presidents show.
Which brings us to Sunday…
Me addressing the press
Among the topics John Lasseter discussed were Toy Story 3, his teachers at Cal Arts, how he learned to make “timeless” and story-driven films from Walt (“Walt was always trying to push the technology of the films…but it was always in the service of story.”), and the mantra of Pixar, which is “tell a compelling story, populate it with appealing characters, and put those characters in a believeable world.”
That’s just a taste…it was more like a symposium than a press conference.
Our final conference of the day was our largest, as 5 Imagineers and 2 members of the Pixar team joined us for a discussion of “Imagineering Pixar for the Disney Parks.” This group included WDI’s Bruce Vaughn, Kathy Mangum, Eric Jacobson, Bob Weis and Kevin Rafferty as well as Pixar’s Roger Gould and Liz Gazzano.
Among the many items discussed was the new 12-acre Cars Land area, set to open at Disney’s California Adventure in (I believe) 2012. Kathy did an especially wonderful job of narrating us through a new cars ride. It was also cool to hear the panel tell–from both the Pixar and Imagineering vantage points–of how excited each team was when the Pixar/Disney deal went through. Roger Gould said that when they heard the news, he and Liz both shouted a loud “Yes.” When he related the story, he accented the word “Yes” with a first pump worthy of Tiger Woods.
Erin, Diane and Emily hang with the original Herbie from "The Love Bug"
I had a couple hours of R&R between the two Sunday press conferences, so I was able to show my wife and two daughters around the showroom floor downstairs, and escort them through the Disney Archives exhibit.
And, since my younger daughter wanted to see the big Wizards of Waverly Place stage show (nearly the entire cast sat on stage and talked about the Emmy Award-wining cable series), we did that as well. It had been quite a while since I was in a huge theater with that many screaming teens and tweens. Yikes!
But all good things must come to and end, and so it was with the inaugural D23 Expo. I don’t think I’ll have a vote in the process, but based on the attendance at the Anaheim Convention Center, I’m pretty sure there will be a second iteration of the D23 Expo.
John Singh joins me at the conference tables
I’d like to thank Disneyland’s Director of Publicity Mike Hyland and D23’s publicity consultant John Singh for allowing me to spend four wonderful days chatting about the Mouse and hob-nobbing with several of my old Disney pals (such as Richard and Elizabeth Sherman, Mary Costa, Howard Green, George Savvas, Tim O’Day, Michael Young…), and giving me the opportunity to meet so many new ones. I’d also like to thank the Orange County Register’s Joshua Sudock for letting me use his photo of John Lasseter (and me).
We’ll see you next year!
For links to posts about past Disney events, click HERE.
Day 2 of the D23 Expo continued right where Day 1 had left off, with some even bigger surprises. During Studio President Dick Cook’s presentation, special guests John Travolta and Johnny Depp wowed the crowd, as did his sneak peak at several future studio releases. You’ve all seen the photos…no need to repeat them here. Well…OK…here’s a link to Access Hollywood’s footage of the two visits (A short commercial precedes the footage).
Although Miley Cyrus, Nicholas Cage and Tim Burton were also wandering the property at various times, I was busy off in the press conference room, hosting no fewer than five post-presentation soirees throughout the afternoon and evening with animators, Imagineers, producers, preservationists and songwriters. Quite the docket, to be sure.
Imagineers Steven Davison and Sayre Wiseman
First up was the Imagineering tandem of Steven Davison and Sayre Wiseman, leaders of the team designing and executing the upcoming (Summer of 2010) “water-and-fire spectacular” at Disney’s California Adventure. Really can’t wait to see it out at DCA. It sounds amazing.
Following Steven and Sayre was noted animation preservationist Ron Stark of S/R Laboratories, who has been studying and practicing the art and science of the restoration of animation art for decades. Ron was a great interview. His business card says that nobody knows more about animation art, and I can believe it!
Animator Andreas Deja and Master Artist David Pacheco with D23 Expo host Craig Hodgkins
Later in the afternoon, it was my pleasure to welcome long time Disney artists and friends Andreas Deja and David Pacheco to our little corner of the D23 Expo. Their presentation, “The Evolution of Mickey,” filled the Stage 23 auditorium. Andreas and David joined Walt Disney Animation a few weeks apart in 1980, and have each gone on to great careers with the company. Andreas most recently lent his talents to next year’s The Princess and the Frog, and David is currently a master artist, responsible for mentoring and advising the hundreds of artists in the Disney Consumer Products division.
Two more fun conferences rounded out the day. First, the team behind the recent Disney Cruise Line stage success, “Toy Story–The Musical,” told of the creation, gestation and production of this fun on-board show, currently exclusive to the Disney Magic. This energetic team includes Michael Jung, Matt Almos, Brendan Miburn and Valerie Vigoda.
Don Hahn and Dave Bossert discuss Disney Rarities
Our conference day concluded with a personal favorite of mine, producer and author Don Hahn, who appeared with Dave Bossert, the Creative Director for Walt Disney Animation. The two had combined for a presentation called “Disney Rarities,” which featured a collection of short films which had not seen theatrical distribution in decades.
Dave is the man who convinced the company to re-release several of the cartoons produced during and for WWII, including Victory Through Airpower and many other shorts, which came out on the Walt Disney Treasures DVD set On the Front Lines. Don’s is the author of the recently published “The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age.” He is also the author of one of my favorite books on creativity, titled “Dancing Corndogs in the Night.” He is currently producing a documentary in the late 1980s renaissance in Disney animation.
For links to posts about past Disney events, click HERE.
The D23 Expo press conference set-up, sans guests
Much has already been written about Day 1 of the inaugural D23 Expo, but I’ll weigh in with a little personal perspective, since I spent a good deal of the day hosting and moderating multiple press conferences, which were not open to the general public.
Fortunately, I’d already checked out many of the exhibits and displays during set-up on Wednesday evening (including the wonderful “Treasures of the Disney Archives” exhibit), and let me say this…if you are a Disney fan, and haven’t come to the D23 Expo, you are really missing out on some unique stuff.
Disney executives Steven Clark and Bob Iger at the first D23 Expo press conference. Taken with my official "host-cam."
My personal adventure began shortly before the first press conference. It was scheduled to start at 1:30, and was to feature Steven Clark, Vice President of Corporate Communications and the man behind D23 and the Expo. But at 1:25, we all received a surprise: Disney CEO Bob Iger, who hadn’t been scheduled to do a press conference, would join Steven. Suddenly, press and video cameras came out of the woodwork. It was as if the Beatles had reunited and landed to announce their recently remastered CD box set.
Bob fielded questions regarding the creation of D23 and the Expo, future theme park plans, and the recent acquisition of Marvel. Regarding the latter topic, he talked at length of the similarities of the two businesses, and shared how–after some initial meetings–he had put current Disney Feature Animation head John Lassiter in direct contact with Marvel executives, since John and his PIXAR team had recently gone through a Disney acquisition experience of their own. Bob’s enthusiasm for the future of all things Disney was contageous, as it was during his speech to open the Expo earlier in the day. He not only said the right things, but had a genuine passion for what he was saying.
The second conference featured Imagineer Tony Baxter and Media Preservationist Ed Hobelman, who discussed the rare footage the pair had shared during their “Wonderful World of Vintage Disneyland” presentation (one so popular with the Expo crowd that more than 100 people had to be turned away). Building on the bonus footage currently available on the “Secrets, Stories & Magic” Walt Disney Treasures DVD set, Tony and Ed told of discovery after discovery in a warehouse full of un- or mis-marked film cans, many scheduled to be destroyed. Several hundred hours of footage remains, and the pair are hoping for just the right projects to come along so they can share more of it.
Imagineer Emeritus Bob Gurr answers a question while the Legendary panel looks on. From Left: Don Iwerks, Bob Gurr, Marty Sklar, X Atencio and Alice Davis
The final Thursday conference featured a group of Imagineers with more than 300 combined years of creative service to the world of Disney: Bob Gurr, Marty Sklar, Don Iwerks, X Atencio, and Alice Davis. The five, along with sculptor Blaine Gibson (who had to return home prior to the press conference), were fresh from their “An Afternoon with Imagineering Legends” presentation, which Marty had moderated.
It was a treat for me to see them all of these Legends again, but especially Alice, since I had hosted several events with her and her late husband, Marc.
One of the more interesting questions was how being an Imagineer today differed from those in the past. Marty was quick to point out that most of the original Imagineers had come with a good deal of experience from other creative disciplines from within the Disney studios (since there was no way to be trained specifically to work for WED, as WDI was then known).
When asked if any of the panel had worked on any favorite shows or attractions that were never built, Bob Gurr pointed out that no good idea ever died. If an idea or method of executing a good story wasn’t used in one show, it would probably resurface in a future attraction. Marty added that some great stories and ideas simply had to wait until the technology to best communicate them had been developed.
Other highlights of the day:
All in all, a great first day! I’ll be back with more tomorrow…
For links to posts about past Disney events, click HERE.
The New York Tribune, December 27, 1908
If a picture is worth a thousand words, than the Library of Congress Photostream project is more valuable than Fort Knox. From its cavernous collection of famous faces and everyday people to the far, exotic places and the farmer’s field just down the road, this online repository is truly a national treasure.
I’ve long been fascinated by photographic images of the past. I first came across a bound collection of historical shots as a twelve year-old volunteer at my local library. But it wasn’t until a few years later, while reading Jack Finney’s novel Time and Again, that it finally struck me: the characters in those often stiff and colorless images had been actual living, breathing human beings, just like me, my family and my friends. The photographs had merely frozen a moment of their lives in time.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lyman, Polish tobacco farmers near Windsor Locks, Connecticut
As Finney pointed out, each had been doing something immediately before the photo was taken (even if it was only posing or grooming), and their full-color lives went on after the bulb popped, or the smoke from the flashpowder had dissipated. For example, can’t you “hear” Mrs. Lyman’s laugh in the photograph at left, and don’t you wonder what made her laugh so heartily?
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The Library of Congress collection features a wealth of images, broken into categories, but sortable in multiple ways, and not all in black & white.
For example, one category, “the 1930s-1940s in Color,” contains rich color images from a era most of us have only seen in shades of gray, and features everything from female factory workers in wartime, rural landscapes, carnival entertainers, and the hearty homesteaders of Pietown, New Mexico. Other segments of the collection feature actual newsprint images, Abraham Lincoln, and thousands of news photos from 1910 alone.
The images are fascinating, and comments added by visitors (often with links to Wikipedia entries or other informative websites) shed more light on the subjects, rendering the images more lifelike by adding a virtual third dimension of detail.
Dorothea Lange's "Toward Los Angeles"
Some date before the turn of the century, and give us glimpses into a class-divided society. Others focus on heroes of the sporting or show business worlds. Many are from the great depression, and are associated with the massive programs of the arts and cultural arm of the WPA.
I’ve collected a complete first edition set of the WPA guides to the United States (often referred to as the “American Guides”), and I consider these photographs to be a perfect compliment to the hardcover and softcover volumes and pamphlets published on the 48 states (plus the territories of Alaska and Puerto Rico…no WPA guide on Hawaii was published) and several major US cities.
A few “famous” photographers, such as Dorothea Lange, are represented in the collection, but most of the images were created by hard-working and little known craftspeople who often toiled for news or government agencies.
If you’re like me, and are drawn into the stories (and mysteries) of historical images, you’ll love clicking through the Library of Congress Photostream project. But don’t blame me if you get lost for a couple of days.
The Stars and Stripes at the Smithsonian
Each fourth of July holiday, we in the United States celebrate our Independence Day. In addition to being an excuse for many to detonate large quantities of explosives, it’s also a day when American flags of all sizes hang from houses and line parade routes and yards. But the flag we display today has evolved quite a bit from the ones which were around when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
The Smithsonian Institution currently has a marvelous and detailed online exhibit on the history and development of the official flag of the United States of America…what we often refer to as the “Stars and Stripes.” Contrary to popular belief, the flag — even the earlier versions of it — didn’t play a key role in the Revolutionary Era. Much of the tale begins with Francis Scott Key, the little-understood Battle of 1812, Fort McHenry, Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead, and a widow named Mary Pickersgill.
There is also a section of the site dedicated to a song you may have heard at a ballgame or two: Key’s own “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Check it out HERE.
Sixties folk music legend Travis Edmonson has passed away following a long illness. He was 79 years old.
Best known as one half of the popular duo Bud & Travis with partner Bud Dashiell, Edmonson had been in ill health for some time. In addition to his concert and recording work with Dashiell, he was a member of The Gateway Singers as well as a gifted and successful solo artist in his native Arizona. Dashiell passed away in 1989.
Here’s a link to a rare television appearance of the duo, featuring an introduction from a very young Hugh Hefner. (Travis is on the left):
- craig hodgkins
Dick Jones as Buffalo Bill, Jr.
Dickie Jones didn’t see it coming. Neither did I, and as a result, we nearly ended up in Gary, Indiana.
Don’t get me wrong…Northern Indiana was indeed beautiful on June 23, 2000. And all we missed was a highway off ramp. It’s just that Dick, his wife Betty and I were due back in Rosemont, Illinois to give a presentation to a convention hall full of Pinocchio fans, and, since Dick had lent his voice to the animated title character in Disney’s 1939 classic, his appearance was just the other side of compulsory.
We should have simply remained at the hotel, but the weather was sunny and warm, even by California standards, and both Dick and Betty wanted to see downtown Chicago. So see it we did…from Wrigley Field to Soldier Field and back again, as Dick told us stories of previous visits, highlighted by a huge, star-studded rodeo he participated in at the latter venue.
On the return trip, however, due to some inopportune road construction and (let’s be candid, here) a less-than-attentive rental car driver (me), we missed our turn, and found ourselves heading south instead of north on Interstate 90, with signs indicating that we would soon be in Gary, Indiana, and not Louisiana; Paris, France; New York or Rome.
Or, most importantly, Rosemont, Illinois.
But then, it wasn’t the first time that Dick Jones’ career had taken an unintentional turn.
Born February 25, 1927, in West Texas, Dick was a veteran in the saddle before he was old enough to start school. By the age of four, he was billed as the “World’s Youngest Trick Rider and Trick Roper.” Trained for a career in rodeo, he was instead personally recruited to Hollywood by none other than silent cowboy star Hoot Gibson. Convinced by the actor that he had everything it took to make it in western pictures, Dick (and his mother) soon relocated to Los Angeles, where the young man quickly found work in the plentiful horse operas of the day.
He soon graduated to roles in other film genres as well, and may have created a new niche market playing what he calls “as-a-boy” roles. In other words, he appeared in the first reel or flashback scenes of several bio-pics and fictional flicks of the day, playing the lead character as a youth. Dick is pretty certain he appeared in more of these roles than any other child actor, and he makes a compelling argument. A quick glance at his IMDb page indicates he played characters listed in the official film credits as: “David as a child,” “Donald Pecos as a boy,” “Lee Danfield, Age 11,” “Matt Howard at 12,” “Samuel Clemens – age 15,” and my favorite, “Dick Abbott – Age 8-12.” And these represent less than half of his total “as-a-boy” roles.
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By 1938, when he was cast as Pinocchio in Walt Disney’s second full-length animated film, he was a celluloid veteran, with credits in more than 40 features and serials. He would eventually appear in more than 100 films and 200 television episodes. But it was because of the long-term popularity of his one Disney project that he, Betty and I were in Chicagoland in the first place, heading the wrong way on Interstate 90.
Fortunately, a timely “U” turn was executed safely, and we arrived back at the Rosemont convention center with enough time for a shower and wardrobe change. Grace in abundance was extended to me by both of the Joneses, but it didn’t stop Betty, who handles most of the correspondence with good humor, from ribbing her directionally-challenged chauffeur annually on the Jones family Christmas card (see detail below).
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Once on the stage, Dick continued spinning his fun tales. He also continued to express surprise that anybody would be interested in his life story. I kept assuring him between questions that everyone present was there for precisely for that reason.
No video or audio exists of our show (at least officially), but Dick was a candid delight. As with many child actors, his memories of the adults he worked with were limited (Kathryn Beaumont, Disney’s Alice and Wendy, has told me she was almost always doing schoolwork in a trailer between takes, leaving little or no time to chat with the other performers). He did, however, remember one particular skill of Walt Disney’s…his ability to throw push-pins like darts.
Animators and story men used the old style push-pins (the ones shaped like little “rooks” from a chess game) to construct their storyboards, so they were always around in great numbers. If Walt was around during a lull in production, he would challenge everyone to a contest. He threw them underhand, with great accuracy. Dick remembered trying to throw them, with comical results.
In addition to his Disney memories, I asked questions about his other work, and so the audience learned of, among other things, his excellent performances in two classic James Stewart films released the same year as Pinocchio…Destry Rides Again, and Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
The next time you watch Mr. Smith, (and I suggest that you do it sooner than later) keep an eye out for the spunky U.S. Senate pageboy who gives Mr. Stewart’s title character a quick tour through the august chamber before the junior senator is sworn in. And when Mr. Smith asks the boy his name, our hero answers, “Richard Jones.”
Only in Hollywood.
Here I am with Betty and Dick after finishing our seminar
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In the 1940s, Dick was one of the actors who played the role of Henry Aldrich on the popular radio program, The Aldrich Family. He also book-ended a stint in the Army with several more film roles, and finished out the decade under contract with Gene Autry’s Flying “A” Productions. It was this work which led to career transition to the small screen.
In 1951, Dick was cast alongside fellow stuntman and actor (and eventual screen Tarzan) Jock Mahoney in the Gene Autry television production of Range Rider. Playing the part of the Range Rider’s sidekick Dick West, Dick was able to play both comedy and drama, and put his skills as a trick rider and roper to good use. He also did all of his own stunts.
Here’s a short clip from Range Rider, featuring Dick and star Jock Mahoney. Their obvious on-screen chemistry was one of the reasons for the show’s success.
The next couple of years, Dick appeared frequently in other Autry TV shows, including the flagship The Gene Autry Show, and Annie Oakley. In 1955, he was cast in a show of his own, the syndicated Buffalo Bill, Jr., also a Flying “A” Production.
Even though he was now the star, he still did his own stunts. Here’s the opening sequence from the show, along with a short, muddy scene.
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When he retired from the screen in 1959 (he occasionally took roles as a favor to good friends such as Alvy Moore of Green Acres fame), Dick moved on his next career in real estate. Honored as a Disney Legend in 2000, Dick is also a member of the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame and is a Golden Boot Award-winner, which honors actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies.
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These days, Dick and Betty live on their ranch in the San Fernando Valley, and spend a good deal of their time with their children and grandchildren, although Dick occasionally sneaks away for some deep sea fishing. The two also visit the occasional cowboy festival, and have been making appearances this year that coincide with Pinocchio’s 70th Anniversary and it’s release on Disney DVD and Blu-ray.
PS: For essays on my events and experiences other Disney personalities, just select the “Disney” category from the drop down menu in the right sidebar.
I only met Fred MacMurray once. I won’t say once was enough, but I’ll take it.
The brief visit was all I’d hoped…I’ll always remember his self-effacing humor. He was also, it turned out, a much better conversationalist than the Shaggy Dog.
But maybe I should explain.
October 13, 1987 was the inauguration of the Disney Legends Promenade at The Walt Disney Studios, and MacMurray was the very first Legend to be honored. Although his late-career portrayal of Professor Ned Brainard in The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) and Son of Flubber (1963) may have endeared him to Disney fans, it was his first Disney feature role that led to his “Legendary” selection.
In 1959, MacMurray was cast as Tommy Kirk’s befuddled father in The Shaggy Dog, a canine comedy caper (and surprise hit) that also showcased young Disney veterans Tim Considine, Kevin “Moochie” Corcoran, and Annette Funicello. Because The Disney Channel had scheduled the film (and a 1976 sequel, The Shaggy D.A.) on their fall 1987 line-up, a “Disney Legends” award was conceived as an additional promotional push for “Shaggy Dog Month.” So, MacMurray and his wife, actress/dancer June Haver, were invited out to Burbank for the ceremony.
When told about the award idea, then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner – to his credit – felt the concept, if given the right attention, could be much more lasting and impactful, something it has clearly become over the past 20+ years under the watchful eye of Jeff Hoffman (for an interview with Jeff about the awards, Click HERE).
But back to 1987, MacMurray, and the dog.
I was on studio property that mid-October day in a dual capacity, representing the Disneyland Resort’s weekly newsletter, The Disneyland Line, and their short-lived Cast Communications Network (“CCN: Coming to a Break Area Near You!”). With me were Jimmy McGraw, the graphic artist for the Line, and Tom Meslovich, one of Disneyland’s hardworking “AV Guys.”
In addition to writing a short Line feature on MacMurray and the Legends Award program (click on the Line page to the left to read the whole article), I’d been assigned to shoot a CCN video report as well. So, bursting with credentials, I joined the local media to the right of the Studio Theater entrance, and MacMurray arrived at the ceremony site a few minutes later. Riding in an open-top Model T roadster alongside Haver and a “next generation” pooch, he waved happily to the crowd. Both Eisner and COO Frank Wells spoke before MacMurray stepped to the podium.
“I just thought we’d come out here today,” he shared good-naturedly, clearly a little surprised by the large studio crowd, “get a few pictures taken, maybe say ‘hello’ to the dog. This is much more than I imagined.”
After sharing a few memories of Walt and the studio, and accepting a commemorative plaque from Eisner (the current Disney Legends award featuring Mickey’s hand holding his Fantasia wand had yet to be designed), the guest of honor stepped over to a square of wet cement and knelt, leaving his hand prints and signature behind (Sid Grauman-style) as the first-ever “official” Disney Legend. Camera bulbs flashed. Questions were shouted by us media types.
A few minutes later, as he finished wiping the wet cement off his hands, I stepped back over to him and asked if he still played the saxophone (his musical skill was what originally brought him to Hollywood). He laughed and put his hand on my shoulder. I checked my blazer to make sure he hadn’t left any cement residue.
“Imagine a young man like you remembering that,” he said, a little surprised again.
[Authors note: This was more than 20 years ago. I WAS young]
Holding up his right hand, he indicated the ring finger with his thumb. It bent in at an unusual angle, and had made a much deeper indentation in the wet cement than the rest of his fingers.
“No, I can’t really play anymore,” he answered, smiling a little wistfully, “this [finger]’s just gotten too arthritic to work the thing the way I want to.”
We chatted for a couple more minutes, and I thanked him for his work in the Disney films and on a childhood television favorite, the long-running My Three Sons, where he appeared as widower (and erstwhile father figure) “Steve Douglas” alongside Considine (who played “Mike Douglas” from 1960-65) and former Mousekateer Don Grady (who played “Robbie Douglas”).
Soon, it was time for him to join Haver (whom I also met briefly) and the dog in the Model T for a ceremonious exit. But before he left, he was kind enough to sign his name across the top of the Disney Legends press release I had with me (detail below).
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A few minutes later, the Model T driver returned with the dog so we could shoot some bookends (an open and close) for the video piece. For those shots, I sat behind the wheel of the car with the dog at my side, saying something like, “This is Craig Hodgkins, and the Shaggy Dog, at the Disney Legends Awards at The Walt Disney Studios.”
Unfortunately, I don’t know exactly what I said, because I no longer have a copy of the video footage. I do know that we never cut a final piece for CCN, certainly through no fault of MacMurray or the dog. No, the only visual evidence I have that I was actually there (other than the article I wrote) is this photo (below) which surfaced a few years later. I never found out who took it, but I’m thankful they did.
That’s me in the blue blazer, leaning against the car, intently discussing a shot with Tom (with the video camera on his shoulder), who is mostly obscured by Jimmy (who stands with his back to the photographer). The dog, patient as ever, awaits his cue. He was thoroughly professional, but didn’t say a word to me the entire time we were together.
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In the Spring of 1988, I left Disneyland to begin a new job at the Disney Studios. One of my favorite things to do during my years there was walk around the property after eating a quick lunch in the commissary, frequently stopping by the Legends Promenade, where MacMurray’s prints were soon joined by other Disney greats.
Eventually, the Legends Awards outgrew the area in front of the Studio Theater, and were relocated to the newly-named Legends Plaza facing the Team Disney building, where hand prints and signatures are now reproduced as bronze plaques.
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Fred MacMurray's handprints...when the cement was still wet
Fred MacMurray passed away on November 5, 1991.
A few days later, I returned to the the Studio Theater to pay my respects. It must have rained the night before, for some water remained in the deep imprint left by his right ring finger.
I smiled, remembering our brief conversation, and for a moment imagined that I heard a lone saxophone off in the distance, softly playing the My Three Sons theme song.
PS: I you need or want a little fatherly Fred MacMurray in your life, My Three Sons: Season One (In two volumes) has just been released on DVD for the first time ever. Enjoy every episode from the 1960-61 season in glorious black & white!
PPS: If you want to see a more dramatic (or sinister) Mr. MacMurray, check out his work in Double Indemnity (1944), The Caine Mutiny (1954), and The Apartment (1960). For his flair for comedy in early, non-Disney roles, try Murder, He Said (1945), The Egg and I (1947), and Father Was a Fullback (1949).
Eric at our “Boys Morning Out” at IHOP. A little coloring, a lot of pancakes, a warm cup of coffee and a lot of laughs.
A youth pastor from Southern California is a big winner on “The Price Is Right.” Courtesy of Jennifer Taylor.
Dedicated to my good friend Josh Griffin. JG is also a youth pastor, but he took decidedly less than top money from Bob Barker a few years ago.
Walt and Roy Disney posing with studio star Mickey Mouse and his special Academy Award
The best known spokesmouse in the history of the entertainment business officially sprocketed to life 80 years ago today (November 18th) when Walt Disney’s first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie, premiered at the Colony Theater in New York City in 1928.
This celebrated event came a scant five years after Walt and Roy Disney launched their Disney Brothers Studios in Los Angeles, an organization which cut its teeth on two series of silent shorts featuring other leading characters: Alice (of the Cartoonland series) and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
For the record, Mickey was actually given animated life six months prior to the November date. His first two silent cartoon appearances (in unofficial screenings of Plane Crazy on May 15th and The Gallopin’ Gaucho on August 2nd) didn’t bring the Disney brothers a distribution deal, but the third cartoon (and the addition of a soundtrack) was the charm. After Mickey’s “sound” success with Willie, soundtracks were quickly added to Gaucho and Crazy, and the two were finally released on December 30, 1928 and March 17, 1929, respectively. All three shorts were largely animated by Walt’s long-time associate, the prolific and multi-talented Ub Iwerks.
After a few years of confusion on Mickey’s origins, The Walt Disney Company finally chose to recognize the November 18th date as Mickey’s official “anniversary” (The company prefers the term “anniversary” rather than “birthday,” since Mickey remains ageless).
So happy 80th anniversary, Mickey!
Nick Reynolds, a founding member of the Kingston Trio, passed away Wednesday, October 1st of complications following surgery at a Chula Vista, Calif., hospital. He was 75. His passing leaves Bob Shane as the only surviving member of the original Trio. The third founder, Dave Guard, died in 1991.
Jokingly referred to in concert as the “runt of the litter,” and usually the butt of the jokes in their early 1960s TV and radio commercials for the soft drink 7-Up, Reynolds’ voice and tenor guitar work were a big part of the success of the Trio, one of the most popular folk groups of the “Folk Era,” a time period which ran roughly from 1958-64. His on-stage energy and care-free attitude helped the group become a sell-out live act as well as a recording success.
He met Bob Shane while the two were attending Menlo Park Business College in the late 1950s. They discovered a mutual interest in music, and were soon playing at frat parties and local Bay Area hangouts. After meeting Stanford graduate Dave Guard, they got serious about the music business, and hired Frank Werber to manage their career, a move which paid off big time.
The Kingston Trio recorded three dozen albums and helped pioneer the college concert circuit, building a huge following that placed them on the cover of Life magazine in mid-1959. At one point in 1960, they had four LPs on Billboard’s Top Ten SIMULTANEOUSLY, a feat that has never been equaled.
After the trio disbanded in 1967, Reynolds retired to Oregon to spend time with family. He returned to the Trio for a period in the late 1980s, joining original member Shane and banjoist George Grove. He retired again in the 1990s following some health problems.
Here are two short scenes from RKO’s well-reviewed but rarely seen 1939 racetrack comedy, The Day the Bookies Wept, starring Joe Penner, Dick Lane, Tom Kennedy and a young Betty Grable.
In this first scene, Ernie Ambrose (Penner), a cab driver from Brooklyn, is so busy training his pigeons that he doesn’t pay much attention to his girlfriend Ina Firpo (Betty Grable), something that clearly wouldn’t happen in real life.
Later that day, Ambrose reports to work at the Colonel Cab Company, where his fellow drivers have spent the morning discussing plans to pool their money to buy a race horse in order to make a killing at the track. In other words, to “make the bookies weep.”
Because of his experience training pigeons (but mostly because this is a comedy), they select Ernie to buy the horse and train it. Knowing that Ambrose wants nothing to do with the ponies, fast-talking cabbie Ramsey Firpo (played to perfection by frequent Penner sidekick Dick Lane) and Pinky Brophy (Tom Kennedy) work had to convince him.
For more on Penner and his films, radio shows, and live performances, check out the Wanna Buy a Duck? website.
For a biographical essay on actor and announcer Richard “Dick” Lane, click HERE.
Yikes. I haven’t blogged in more than a month, but the same thing happened around this time last year.
Between the day job, the girls starting school again, fantasy football season getting underway, and me taking on a couple of big live event projects, my “free” time has been pretty limited. Besides, I don’t have any new photos of Jennette McCurdy, Mary Costa or Don Adams to share anyway.
I’ll be back as soon as I can.
