Q: In an episode of Disneyland entitled “The Fourth Anniversary Show,” Walt tells the story of a visit to the studio by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev who proceeds to play Peter and the Wolf for Walt, inspiring him to make the animated version that appeared in Make Mine Music. Is there any truth in this story, or was it just staged for television?
Templeton, Louisville, Kentucky
A: The TV show version was staged, but the meeting did actually happen. Prokofiev visited the Disney Studio on February 28, 1938, with his lawyer Randolph Polk, to play the piano score of Peter and the Wolf for Walt Disney and Disney composer Leigh Harline. Supposedly Prokofiev had written the piece with Walt in mind. It took a while, but a contract was finally signed three years later, and our Peter and the Wolf came out in Make Mine Music in 1946.
Dave Smith