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By Michael - December 5th, 2013 
Today we observe the 112th anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth. Interestingly, the day has brought a couple of new venues which seek to explore the life of the filmmaker.
First, the always-excellent Walt Disney Family Museum has announced a new podcast, focusing on all things Walt. Its first episode was released today, and can be streamed from the Family Museum website (iTunes support will arrive soon). This premiere podcast features what will sadly be the last interview with Diane Disney Miller, as well as a conversation with producer Don Hahn about Christmas with Walt, a film he produced and directed exclusively for the Museum.
In somewhat more surprising news, a Kickstarter campaign was announced today by the individuals who had previously purchased Walt’s birthplace in Chicago, Illinois. Long neglected, with residents who had previously sought to avoid historical landmark status, the house had even been put up for sale on eBay with no buyers. Now in the hands of Dina Benadon and Brent Young, the house is slated for a complete restoration and renovation, although plans remain vague about the residence’s future usage.
The simple two-story house was designed and built by Walt’s parents, Elias and Flora, between 1892-93. Roy, Walt, and Ruth Disney were all born there, before Elias sold the house and the Disneys moved to Marceline, Missouri, in 1906.
You can learn more and donate to the project via Kickstarter, where there is also a lengthy list of rewards for those who donate.
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By Michael - December 2nd, 2013 You know, I was thinking of what I should write about this, but… what can I say that will top just watching it?
The grand opening of the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park…
Just a note – I had to edit out three brief movie clips (from where Reagan, Fonda, and Rooney reminisce) to avoid copyright holds on the video. The entirety of the show’s original content is in there, though. I also made the call to keep the commercials in… well, just because.
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By Michael - November 30th, 2013 Recently we looked at a promotional film created to promote the upcoming economic impact of Walt Disney World after it was announced in 1965. It featured clips of the November 15, 1965, press conference at Orlando’s Cherry Plaza Hotel where Walt, Roy, and the charming Governor Hayden Burns discussed the project with the media.
Now, here’s the full press conference from that day. It brings, as the kids today say, all the feels. It’s preceded by some footage of the Disney party arriving at the hotel; don’t adjust your sets – the initial footage is silent.
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By Michael - November 28th, 2013 Lo the many years ago, the Disney Channel featured quite a bit of programming about all things Disney. Part and parcel of this was a stream of specials, interstitials, and regulars series focusing on the Disney theme parks. Fondly remembered by a certain generation of viewers was Walt Disney World Inside Out, a monthly program which ran from 1994-1997 and focused on the latest news from Disney’s largest resort.
The first episode aired in June 1994, with host Scott Herriott and his legendary couch taking a zany look at a number of Walt Disney World attractions, shows, and events with the loose theme of “getting wet”. Some of it is forgettable, but some of it features Splashtacular and Hulk Hogan eating at the Restaurant Marrakesh. So, there’s that. It’s hard to believe watching this that it’s nearly 20 years old; in fact, it’s impossible to believe. At such a distance it’s interesting to see how the resort was different back then, and how differently Disney presented itself than it does today.
Of course while we long-time visitors might focus most on beloved things from that era that we miss, it’s always good to see that there were some things better left far in the past. “Epcot ’94″…. oy!
What’s funny about this video is that while this program is fondly remembered by my generation, by this point snobby teenaged me was already irritated by the production techniques of the era. And it’d be hard to find something more aggressively 90s than this show, from pastel dancing “wacky” fonts, to pastel dancing squiggly lines, to awful pastel Video Toaster animations, to dancing pastel squiggly arrows pointing at things, to omnipresent zydeco music – always with the zydeco music. We see how video producers were so quick to abuse the new tools they were given, with the advent of truly hyperactive editing and silly tics like the “canted-angle black and white insert shots” gimmick (Ironically, when I uploaded this video to YouTube, it helpfully informed me that my video might not be “stable” and offered to fix it for me!). Not to mention the trademark wiseacre host with an endless stream of self-aware zings. I was probably sitting at home yelling “Just show the park!” at the television.
When the show does get around to showing the parks it’s amazing. There is, of course, Epcot ’94, and perhaps no better embodiment of it than the truly insane Splashtacular show. As they mention, that show was the reason they reconfigured Innoventions Plaza, adding the stage which lingers there until this day. It’s good to see the original Living Seas, and of course the splendor of Hulk Hogan and Chris Lemmon (!) filming in the Morocco Pavilion.
See you next month for the Duke Ellington festival!
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By Michael - November 26th, 2013 The true gems of being a nerd and researching anything are those moments where you find a bizarre connection that you absolutely never expected and which completely blows your mind. It happens fairly often in the Disneysphere, I think, because over the years the company has employed so many creative and technical personnel who have led long and prolific careers. Or just because life is random, like the fact that the director of Mary Poppins had a daughter who dated Elvis. Whatever the reason, sometimes we’re fortunate enough to find fascinating connections.
So what amazing connection could link this…
To this?
Well, I’ll tell you.
Continue reading Smokey And The Figment
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The Progress City Primer
 From the Progress City archives comes this collection of 33 tall tales and true from Disney history. Available in paperback, hardback, and ebook formats. |
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