Bob Welbaum: Disneyana Fan Club Presents Awards to the Disney Family
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Wasn�t one of the museum�s goals to help humanize Walt Disney and create a full-bodied picture of him as a man? Diane immediately spoke up, �All my life I�ve been defending my dad.� She then gave her candid opinion of some of the myths and negative literature that has been published about Walt. �You don�t ignore it. It grows!� she said passionately. The counter is �I thought the only way we can do this, is not another book, but we�ll bring him to people. And that�s what we�ve attempted to do. And in as honest a way as� you hear his voice and you see a lot of him. I thought if we bring him to people, they get to know him, and make their own decisions.�� And a bit later she made her point again, �He�s alive in this museum�. So in that way, I feel pleased with what we�ve done. I feel that the man you see in there was my dad. You see what he was to me, you see what he was to a lot of people who worked with him�but all that together was Walt Disney.�
The conversation soon moved to more about the collection itself, what portions had come from the family, and what had been acquired. This led to some personal reminiscences. For example, the Museum exhibits some family films, personally taken by Walt or some other family member. Walter related how they caught a break in this regard. �The family film was tucked in a closet at our home in Encino, and luckily it was put away into a very dark, cool room and was not opened for years and was forgotten.� So when it was rediscovered, it was in pristine condition.
By the way, there are some items the Museum is looking to acquire. Walter admitted they have purchased items like tin toys on eBay. One item they�re especially anxious to find is Walt�s letter to Ub Iwerks asking Ub to come out to Hollywood, which led Ron to quip �You shouldn�t have said anything. Now everybody�s going to bid on it.�
Walter E.D. Miller, President
of the Walt Disney Family Foundation. (Photo by Carole Mumford)
The conversation next moved to more about Walt the man. Allan had noticed in the recordings that whenever he heard Walt talk, and the topic didn�t matter, his enthusiasm came through. Since Ron had worked with him, was Walt really that enthusiastic at the Studio?
�Oh, tremendously enthusiastic,� was Ron�s reply. �His whole attitude and everything�.He had a great story mind and rich characters. He was just a treat to work with. He was incredible in almost every way. He was a very special man, and I think we�ve captured that in the Museum as well.�
So did Ron have any special stories about Walt?
�Oh, which one?� was his first reaction as the other family members exchanged knowing looks and smiles. �There was the one where he tapped his fingers behind me when he was looking at dailies (the Studio�s daily production output). We don�t want to go there. He had a habit of tapping his fingers when he was unhappy,� as Diane quickly demonstrated on her knee. �He spoke a thousand words when he raised that one eyebrow. Something was wrong.� Ron had trouble settling on a specific story. �But I don�t know. You asked me earlier what was probably my best experience, most memorable experience, working with Walt, and I didn�t really think about it until right there. I think probably Bon Voyage.� Ron then explained what it was like to co-produce that movie, starting in New York, traveling to France on the liner S.S. United States, all the while filming along the way, and the family atmosphere among the cast and crew (a recurring theme throughout the conversation).
Speaking of family, Diane talked about what it was like to live with her father. �At the dinner table, he would always have something to talk about. When he started making the train, he brought a part in off the train set: �That�s a piston! Isn�t it beautiful?�
A bit later she told how Walt �really gravitated to people who could do something, with their hands, somebody who had a skill or special knowledge or something. He admired that.�
�He had a great curiosity,� Ron interjected. �He was curious about everything. And that�s why at times he would hang out in the machine shop just to see what they were working on.�
What about the story that Diane came home from school one day and asked her father if he was Walt Disney?
Diane chuckled and said, �I don�t remember it quite like that. I really don�t. But I do know that Snow White book that you see and he signed it �To Diane, your daddy, Walt Disney�. I might have brought that book to him. I don�t remember that. I was probably about four years old or something. But he loved to tell that story.� Diane then told about how she got the idea of collecting autographs from noticing how many people were asking her dad for his, and some of the signatures she accumulated as a result.
What was it like to be Walt�s grandchild? Walter went first, �I was very young. I was five when he passed away, so I barely have memories of him.� Then it was Joanna�s turn. She collected autographs too, taking advantage of trips to places like Palm Springs and the San Diego Zoo on the private airplane to get signatures from a captive audience. But she and her sister Tam would serve as stewardesses, which made it easier. �I wish I had all those,� she laughed.