Among the many items Chief Archivist Dave Smith packed up in Walt’s office desk after his passing was a document in which Walt stated his strong interest in casting Kurt Russell — Disney’s top teen idol of the ’70s — in Disney films. After landing parts on TV westerns and Gilligan’s Island, Kurt Russell had caught Walt’s eye, and he signed him to a 10-year contract with the studio. Coincidentally, The Barefoot Executive was released on Kurt’s 20th birthday.
