by Neal Gabler
“too heavy,…” Memo, Roy to Walt, Mar. 27, 1944, T Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1944, S-Z, A1533, WDA.
Cary Grant. Memo, Jack Lavin to Walt, Re: Cary Grant, Jul. 22, 1946, L Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1945-1952, A-L, A1635, WDA.
Don Quixote. Memo, Roy to Walt, Nov. 3, 1950, Walt Disney, 1941-1954 Folder, Roy O. Disney, Inter-Office Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Trips to Disneyland (1954-61), A3002, WDA.
“Y’know, I’ve been thinking of Cinderella.” Jack Kinney, Walt Disney and Other Animated Characters: An Unauthorized Account of the Early Years at Disney’s (New York: Harmony Books, 1988).
Peter Pan live action. Jim Korkis, “Disney’s Pre-Production Peter Pan,” POV 1, no. 2 (Winter 1992).
“Some of these Peter Pans look like hell.” Milt Kahl, interview by Mica Prods., Nov. 3, 1983, into A, WDA.
Bill Peet’s analysis. Quoted in Solomon, Enchanted Drawings.
“I think you’re beginning to get him.” Quoted in Michael Barrier, Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999).
“frankly and boldly created…” NYT, Feb. 12, 1953.
“I might say that Roy is wearing…” Walt to Kathryn Gordon, Mar. 17, 1953, Gr Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1953-1954, G-K, A1552, WDA.
Ken Peterson memo. Memo, Ken Peterson to Walt, Dec. 2, 1953, Ken Peterson Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, M-P, A1639, WDA.
Roy’s suggestion about rights to Walt’s name. Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Your Personal Situation, Sept. 14, 1951, Disney, Roy, Folder, Walt Disney, Inter-Office Corr., 1945-1952, A-L, A1635, WDA; Bill Cottrell, interview by Jay Horan, Aug.-Oct. 1983, WDA.
WED-Walt Disney Productions deal. Variety, Jun. 17, 1953; Minutes of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Feb. 3, 1953; Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Board of Directors, Mar. 24, 1953, Walt Disney Productions Board Meetings Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638, WDA.
One angry stockholder. NYT, Jun. 18, 1953; LAT, Aug. 28, 1953.
“I want you to work on Disneyland…” Quoted in Steven Watts, The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997).
“When he actually got into Disneyland,…” Cottrell interview by Horan.
“hook, line and sinker.” W. L. Pereira (Pereira and Luckman) to Walt, Apr. 10, 1952, Pereira and Luckman Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, M-P, A1639, WDA.
Dr. Chales Straub. [Marty Sklar,] The WED Story, first draft, Mar. 2, 1964, WED Enterprises Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1960-1964, Tryon-Z, A1652, WDA.
“very much like doing a set…” Wade Rubottom quoted in Disneyland News, Jul. 1955.
Goff in Europe. Walt to Harper Goff, Mar. 20, 1951, Ho Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1951-1952, H-L, A1546, WDA.
Roy investigating rides. Memo, Cyril James, London Office, to Roy, Re: “Rotor” Carnival Concession, Oct. 5, 1951, London Office Folder, ibid.
Harper Goff’s excursions. Memo, Harper Goff to Walt, Re: Georgia Trip, Jan. 28, 1952, O Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1951-1952, N-P, A1547; Memo, Harper Goff to Walt, Apr. 16, 1953, G Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Miniatures, 1948-1956, A-Z, A1667; Memo, Bill Hyland to Walt/Roy, Re: Tour re “Disneyland,” Jan. 8, 1953, Property: Prospects, Etc.—Disneyland Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1956-1957, Disneyland J, A1642, WDA.
Walt’s whirlwind. Richard W. Fewel (Fewel & Co. Investment Securities) to Walt, May 19, 1953, F Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Miniatures, 1948-1956, A-Z, A1667; Walt to Ivan L. Colins, May 1, 1953, ibid.; Memo, WED Enterprises to Walt, RE: Disneyland Meeting with John Gostovich (general manager of A.F. Gilmore Co. & Farmers Market), Nov. 6, 1953, Disneyland General, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638, WDA.
“[W]e’d measure the width…” Quoted in Green and Green, Remembering Walt.
“The dream’s wide open…” Quoted in Randy Bright, Disneyland: The Inside Story (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1987).
“We would write our ideas…” Quoted in Hubler, Disney,
Exhausted from days of planning. Broggie, Railroad Story.
“as a hobby.” Robert DeRoos, “The Magic Worlds of Walt Disney,” National Geographic, Aug. 1963.
“The first scheme you had…” Quoted in Katherine Greene and Richard Greene, The Man Behind the Magic: The Story of Walt Disney (New York: Viking, 1991).
Walt redrawing layout. Hubler, Disney.
“Dammit, I love it here.” Quoted in Bob Thomas, Walt Disney: An American Original (New York: Hyperion, 1994).
“I thought that was why he enjoyed…” Cottrell interview by Horan.
“sandbox.” Katherine Greene and Richard Greene, Inside the Dream: The Personal Story of Walt Disney (New York: Roundtable Press, 2001).
“Here you see mixturesque beauty…” Quoted in Neil Harris, “Expository Expositions” in Marling, Theme Parks.
“child of Hollywood out of Kansas.” Anonymous quoted in ibid.
“This is scene one…” Anonymous quoted in Marling, Theme Parks.
“One could take every feature…” Christopher Finch, The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms (New York: Henry Abrams, 1975).
Western town. Marling, Theme Parks.
Jungle cruise. Bright, Inside Story.
“We want everyone to feel…” The Disneyland Story, Sept. 3, 1954, Disneyland, 1954-1961 Folder, Roy O. Disney, Inter-Office Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Trips to Disneyland (1954-61), A3002, WDA.
“We enter the land of Disney…” Leo E. Litwak, “A Fantasy That Paid Off,” NYT Magazine, Jun. 27, 1965.
“[W]hen you enter DISNEYLAND…” Disneyland Story.
John Hench’s analysis of Disneyland’s appeal. Bright, Inside Story.
“architecture of reassurance.” Marling, Theme Parks.
“the road map…” Quoted in Van Arsdale France, Window on Main Street: 35 Years of Creating Happiness at Disneyland Park (Nashua, N.H.: Laughter Publications, 1991).
“The symbolism is almost too perfect…” Richard Schickel. The Disney Version: The Life, Times, Art and Commerce of Walt Disney, 3rd ed. (1968; repr., Chicago: Elephant Paperbacks, 1997).
“There’s an American theme…” LAT, Jul. 9, 1957.
“So the Disney parks…” Margaret J. King, “Disneyland and Walt Disney World: Traditional Values in Futuristic Form,” Journal of Popular Culture 15, no. 1 (Summer 1981).
“found themselves completely submerged…” Watts, Magic Kingdom.
“looking into the advisability…” Walt to Terry Turner (RKO), May 15, 1952, Property: Prospects, Etc., Disneyland Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1956-1957, Disneyland J, A1642, WDA.
“Burbank city did not want…” Cowles interview.
Hunting for properties. Card Walker quoted in Hubler, Disney; Walt to Kathryn Gordon, Mar. 17, 1953, Gr Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1953-1954, G-K, A1552, WDA; Memo, Roy to Walt, Oct. 29, 1952, Disney, Roy, Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638; Memo, Nat Winecoff and Dick Irvine to Walt, Re: Disneyland Sight [sic] Survey, May 23, 1953, Disneyland Property: Prospects, Etc., Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1956, A1642, WDA.
Price and Disney. Marling, Theme Parks; Hubler, Disney; Greene and Greene, Inside the Dream; Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Board of Dirs., Jun. 8, 1953, Walt Disney Productions—Board Meetings Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638, WDA.
SRI survey. Harrison Price, Stewart and Rollins, Final Report, “An Analysis of Location Factors for Disneyland,” Aug. 28, 1953, Stanford Research Institute, History Room, Anaheim Public Library.
“My wife kept complaining…” “The World of Walt Disney,” Newsweek, Dec. 31, 1962.
“limit of my personal borrowing ability.” Walt to Dr. William C. Bowers, Jan. 31, 1951, Bi Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1951-1952, A-Ch, A1544, WDA.
Smoke Tree. Walt to Jessie [Perkins], Apr. 2, 1952, Perkins, Mrs. Jessie, Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1951
-1952, N-P, A1547; Will Dean to Walt, Mar. 3, 1953, Si folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1955, S-Z, A1560; Walt to John J. Mitchell, Feb. 10, 1954, Me Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1953-1954, L-O, A1553, WDA.
Disneyland Boosters and Backers. Bright, Inside Story.
“he’d always suddenly…” Walt Disney interview by Martin, Reels 9 & 10.
“wondered where the money was coming from,…” Don Eddy, “The Amazing Secret of Walt Disney,” American Magazine, Aug. 1955.
“thinking considerable.” Roy (in New York) to Walt, Mar. 21, 1952, Roy Disney Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1945-1952, A-L, A1635, WDA.
Camden television demonstration. Ralph Austrian to Walt, Aug. 7, 1956, A Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1956, A-B, A1561, WDA.
FCC license. A. H. Weiler, “By Way of Report,” NYT, Oct. 14, 1945, sec. 2; Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Television, Mar. 5, 1946, Roy Disney Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1945-1952, A-L, A1635, WDA.
TV sets for executives. Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Television Receivers, Mar. 19, 1947, ibid.
“day and night.” John Crosby, “Radio and Television,” New York Herald Tribune, Dec. 13, 1954.
“Television is the coming thing.” Paul Smith and Hazel George, interview by David Tietyen, Aug. 29, 1978, WDA.
“take full advantage…” Thomas M. Pryor, “Disney Will Spend Millions on Films,” NYT, Jun. 20, 1952.
“We wouldn’t have the pressure…” Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Television Show, Sept. 4, 1951, Roy Disney Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1945-1952, A-L, A1635, WDA.
As early as March 1950. Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Television Show, Mar. 17, 1950, Walt Disney, 1941-1954 Folder, Roy O. Disney, Inter-Office Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Trips to Disneyland (1954-61), A3002, WDA; Tytle, One of “Walt’s Boys.”
“tremendous send-off.” Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Television, Aug. 30, 1950, Roy Disney Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1945-1952, A-L, A1635, WDA.
“you think in terms of pouring…” Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Proposed Television Show with Coca-Cola, Sept. 15, 1950, ibid.
“Walt Disney can take over television…” NYT, Dec. 26, 1950.
A Gallup poll. Cited in Watts, Magic Kingdom.
Discussing a series. Tytle, One of “Walt’s Boys.” Tytle dates the first meeting Mar. 30, 1951.
Meeting with Stein. Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: Jules Stein, May 4, 1951, Walt Disney, 1941-1954 Folder, Roy O. Disney, Inter-Office Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Trips to Disneyland (1954-61), A3002.
“octopus.” Ward Kimball, interview by Richard Hubler, May 21, 1968, WDA.
Television sponsorship discussions. Memo, Roy to Walt, Jul. 10, 1952; Memo, Roy to Walt, Jul. 17, 1952, Walt Disney, 1941-1954 Folder, Roy O. Disney, Inter-Office Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Trips to Disneyland (1954-1961), A3002, WDA.
“my own private venture…” Walt to Kathryn Gordon, Mar. 17, 1953, Gr Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1953-1954, G-K, A1552, WDA.
Asked to make a pilot. Ray Stark (Famous Artists Corp.) to Walt, Jan. 6, 1953, Foster, Norman, Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1955, E-L, A1558; Cottrell interview by Horan.
Roy’s discussions. Memo, Roy to Walt, Re: TELEVISION, Jul. 31, 1953, Walt Disney, 1941-1954 Folder, Roy O. Disney, Inter-Office Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Trips to Disneyland (1954-1961), A3002, WDA.
Cottrell’s suggestions. Walt Disney, 4TV Shows, First Draft Outline, Sept. 30, 1953, Bill Cottrell Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, A-C, A1637, WDA.
“Walt was very ‘hot’…” Tytle, One of “Walt’s Boys.”
Ryman’s session. Horan, Video Interview; Lucille Ryman Carroll quoted in Paul F. Anderson, “A Brush With Disney…Herb Ryman,” POV 1, no. 2 (Winter 1992). In this version Walt added, “This is my dream.”
Goldenson’s recollection. Leonard H. Goldenson, Beating the Odds, with Marvin J. Wolf (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1991).
ABC’s situation. See Christopher Anderson, Hollywood TV: The Studio System in the Fifties (Austin, Tex: University of Texas Press, 1994).
Paley stood them up. Harry Ackerman (vice-president in charge of network programs, CBS) to Walt, Feb. 24, 1954, C Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1953-1954, C-F, A1551, WDA.
“They see tremendous tie-in value…” Memo, Nat [Winecoff] and Dick [Irvine] to Walt, Re: Report on Trip, Dec. 30, 1953, Disneyland General, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638, WDA.
Goldenson’s deal for financing. Goldenson, Beating.
Fierce negotiations. Walter Ames, “Disney Signs Agreement for TV,” LAT, Apr. 3, 1954. Ames said that the Disneys broke off negotiations when an ABC executive prematurely leaked the agreement to a trade paper and negotiations resumed by phone later that week. See also Paul Hollister, Man or Mouse: The Story of Walt Disney, So Far, unpub. ms., 1955, chap. 22, WDA. Hollister says that Roy negotiated with ABC executives Robert Kintner and Sid Markley for two days.
“ABC needed the television show…” Speech at Tenth Anniversary of Disneyland, Jul. 17, 1965, quoted in France, Window.
Paid by Walt himself, Walt Disney interview by Martin, Reels 9 & 10.
SRI report on financing. C.V. Wood (Stanford Research Institute), “Disneyland Financial Planning Analysis,” Jan. 25, 1954, St Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1953-1954, P-S, A1554, WDA.
Increasing credit line. Minutes of Special Meeting of the Board of Directors, Mar. 29, 1954, Walt Disney Productions—Board Meeting Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638, WDA.
Financing. Status Report—Disneyland—5-10-54, Disneyland General, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638; Memo, Paul Pease, Roy Disney, Sidney Markley, E. H. Waldewitz, C. V. Wood, Dick Leonard to Members of the Board of Directors of Disneyland, Re: Projection of Disposition of Disneyland, Inc., First Mortgage Bonds, Jun. 23, 1954, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, P Folder, M-P, A1639; Minutes of Special Meeting of Board of Directors, May 13, 1955; Minutes of Special Meeting of Board of Directors, Apr. 30, 1954, Walt Disney Productions Board of Directors Meetings Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638; Schickel, Disney Version.
“rotund little man…” Jimmy Johnson, Inside the Whimsy Works: My Thirty-seven Years with Walt Disney Productions, unpub. ms., 1975, chap. 3, WDA.
“first move by a leading film studio…” Thomas M. Pryor, “Hollywood Double Entente,” NYT, Apr. 11, 1954, sec. 2.
“an entirely new concept…” Quoted in Thomas M. Pryor, “Disney and A.B.C. Sign TV Contract,” NYT, Apr. 3, 1954.
TV meeting. Notes on TV Meeting—Mar. 19, 1954, TV Notes and Meeting Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, R-Z, A1640.
Meeting with Kintner and ABC executives. Notes on TV Meeting—Mar. 22, 1954, ibid.
“You—you be the producer…” Quoted in Lorraine Santoli, The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book (New York: Hyperion, 1995).
“delighted.” Tel. Kintner to Walt, Apr. 19, 1954, ABC—Robert E. Kintner Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1955, A-B, A1556, WDA.
Kintner watching premiere. Hollister, Man or Mouse, chap. 22.
“[I]f the evening’s promise…” NYT, Oct. 29, 1954.
“will prove a dominant figure…” Variety, Nov. 3, 1954.
Disneyland ratings. Memo, Card Walker to Those Listed, Re: Nielsen Report, Nov. 11, 1956, Walker, Card, Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1956-1957, Sunderland-Z, A1644; Press Release, ABC, Jun. 23, 1955, Sandy Cummings, ABC, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, A-C, A1637, WDA.
One-half of ABC’s billings. Anderson, Hollywood TV.
“an American institution.” “A Wonderful World,” Newsweek, Apr. 18, 1955.
Agreement to appear not more than three times. Memo, Roy to Walt, RE: ABC Contract Television, May 11, 1954, Disney, Roy, Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, D-L, A1638, WDA.
Walt’s self-assessment. Meeting of May 26, 1954, TV Notes & Meetings Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, R-Z, A1640, WDA.
Time cover story. “Fa
ther Goose,” Time, Dec. 27, 1954.
“the change in his life.” Ward Kimball, interview by Richard Hubler, May 21, 1968, WDA.
“I smoke and I drink…” Marty Sklar, http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/index.htm.
“You could see how he grew…” Quoted in Green and Green, Remembering Walt.
“letting people know…” Quoted in ibid..
“played the role…” Quoted in Bright, Inside Story.
“most flagrant example…” Lears, “Mouse that Roared.”
“In the last analysis,…” Schickel, Disney Version.
“Walt Disney’s stuff is good enough…” Thomas Hart Benton to Walt, Mar. 19, 1946, D Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1945-1946, A-K, A1534, WDA.
“And the first one we pulled out…” Quoted in Paul F. Anderson, “Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett,” POV, no. 5.
“Yeah, but what does he do?” Bill Walsh, interview by Leonard Shannon, Apr. 9, 1974, WDA.
Auditioning Fess Parker. Greene and Greene, Inside the Dream.
Parker gave himself thirty-six months. Mark Hawthorne, “Fess Parker,” Disney News, Winter 1989.
Writing the “Ballad of Davy Crockett.” Bill Walsh quoted in Christopher Finch, The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1975).
Bill Walsh and the song. Quoted in Hubler, Disney.
Disneyland’s audience. Sandy Cummings to Walt, Dec. 28, 1954, Sandy Cummings Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, A-C, A1637, WDA. The actual rating was 44.4, which made Disneyland the fifth-highest-rated program on television at the time.
“ABC couldn’t believe it….” Quoted in Anderson, “Disney’s Davy Crockett.”
Compared it to Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney interview by Martin, Disc 10, WDA.
Even in political circles. Watts, Magic Kingdom.
Parker in Washington. Quoted in ibid..
“And wherever he goes…” Memo, Card Walker to Walt, Re: Davy Crockett—Fess Parker Tour, Jun. 4, 1955, Card Walker Folder, Walt Disney Corr., Inter-Office, 1953-1955, R-Z, A1640, WDA.