Fifteen Fascinating Facts About Fantasia

Walt listens to the Fantasia score being recorded at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music in 1939, where nine “sound cameras” captured Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra’s magnificent performanes for Disney’s award-winning Fantasound sound syste

With “music you can see and pictures you can hear,” Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940) has been fascinating audiences for many years. As one of the most elaborate and lavishly produced animated features ever created, Fantasia has a symphony of behind-the-scenes stories swirling around it. So join in D23’s celebration of Fantasia by conducting yourself through these fascinating facts about phenomenal Fantasia.

1. Dopey Might Have Been the Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Once again it all started with a Mouse. Walt wanted to star Mickey in an animated version of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Fantasia evolved from that miniature musical. However, as Walt began developing an animated film based on Dukas’s symphonic piece with Leopold Stokowski in 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was on the verge of becoming a blockbuster, and it was suggested Dopey play the Apprentice instead of Mickey. Stokowski proposed another route: “What would you think of creating an entirely new personality for this film instead of using Mickey? A personality that could represent you and me You may have strong reasons for wishing Mickey to be the hero…. [But] I feel that if you create a new personality which represents every one of us, it might be a valuable factor in the years to come, and enlarge the scope. This is merely a suggestion… discard immediately if it does not interest you.” Walt in fact did have strong reasons to star Mickey, not the least of which was that Mickey does represent “you and me” as a kind of “everyman” (or “everymouse”). Of course Mickey does portray the Apprentice (wearing a costume similar to Dopey’s) in what has been acclaimed as one of his most brilliant animated performances. As veteran Disney director Ben Sharpsteen simply said decades later, “Mickey Mouse was, when you come right down to it… a good choice.”

2. Stokowski Was a Superstar
The original 1940 theatrical poster reads “Walt Disney’s Fantasia with Stokowski.” Aside from distributors and the like, other people rarely shared billing with Walt on a Disney production’s poster. Even more interesting is that the great conductor’s billing is not “Leopold Stokowski” — instead, it’s simply that one mighty name. In the history of art and entertainment, few have reached the point where one name says it all. Stokowski, you see, was more than a famous conductor — he was a superstar. The Maestro was famed for his masterful recordings and radio appearances from the late 1910s onward, but even those who seldom listened to classical music knew the name “Stokowski.” His fame was such that he was featured on the April 28, 1930 cover of Time magazine. (Stokowski’s second Time cover appearance was on the November 18, 1940 issue, as the conductor of Fantasia.) With his intense countenance, commanding stature and wild mane of hair (“He looks like Harpo Marx,” commented Walt as he watched Stokowski conduct the Fantasia score), Stokowski was the very image of what many people envisioned when they thought of a “longhair” conductor. The charismatic orchestra leader was a natural for the silver screen, and the Maestro starred in the 1937 hits The Big Broadcast of 1937 (in which he conducts Bach’s “Toccata & Fugue in D,” also used in Fantasia) and One Hundred Men and a Girl (the “one hundred men” being Stokowski’s Philadelphia Orchestra). So when Walt and Stokowski bumped into each other at a Hollywood hangout — Chasen’s in Beverly Hills — a meeting of Maestro and Mouse-tro, filmmaking history would soon be made.

Designed by famed illustrator Gyo Fujikawa, the Fantasia theatre brochure was given to audiences attending the roadshow engagements. Since the film itself had only a title card, the names of the Disney artists who made the film were printed in this program. — Designed by famed illustrator Gyo Fujikawa, the *Fantasia* theatre brochure was given to audiences attending the roadshow engagements. Since the film itself had only a title card, the names of the Disney artists who made the film were printed in this program.

3. Dinosaurs Ruled the Screen
The animation for Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” — considered a truly avant-garde work at the time of production — audaciously portrays Earth’s formation and some of our planet’s early inhabitants. Upon hearing the piece on September 13, 1938, Walt enthusiastically responded, “This is marvelous! It would be perfect for prehistoric animals.” Paleontologists Barnum Brown of Manhattan’s American Museum of Natural History and Chester Stock of California Institute of Technology were consultants, and pet iguanas and a baby alligator were brought to the Studio for the animator’s inspiration. Woolie Reitherman, one of Walt’s “Nine Old Men” and known for his vigorous action-oriented animation, animated the ferocious battle between the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Stegosaurus. A similar scene was to be created for Walt’s Magic Skyway attraction at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, the dinosaurs of which continue to thrill Disneyland Park guests at Primeval World along the Disneyland Railroad. Perhaps Walt gave the designers of the World’s Fair dinosaurs the same direction he gave Woolie: “Don’t make them cute animal personalities. They’ve got small brains, y’know; make them real!” For millions of Fantasia fans — including renowned Harvard paleontologist Stephen J. Gould — the “Rite of Spring” dinosaurs seem very real indeed.

4. Bela Lugosi Posed for “Night on Bald Mountain”
To inspire their animation, the Disney animators would sometimes enlist an actor to perform the characters, and for Fantasia‘s “Night on Bald Mountain,” sequence, director Wilfred “Jaxon” Jackson brought in horror movie great Bela Lugosi to act out the evil actions of Chernabog, the god of evil for animator Bill Tytla. Most famous for his chilling performance as Dracula, Lugosi gave it his all, but Bill wasn’t satisfied — so he had skinny Jaxon take off his shirt and perform as the muscular demon. Live-action was also used as inspiration for other Fantasia segments, such as for “Dance of the Hours.” World-famous dancer Irina Baronova of the Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre) danced for the Disney artists, who created the ostrich ballerina they called Mlle. Upanova. (Incidentally, Bela Lugosi was portrayed by Martin Landau in his Oscar®-winning turn for Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, released under Disney’s Touchstone banner in 1994.)

5. The Fantasia Characters Have Little-Known Names
With the exception of musicologist Deems Taylor’s narration (and a brief congratulatory exchange between Mickey and “Mr. Stokowski”), there is no spoken dialog in Fantasia, and perhaps that’s why the names of its characters, such as Mlle. Upanova, are not generally known. In addition to Mlle. Upanova’s balletic co-stars Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Ali Gator, there’s little Hop Low (the film’s original general release trailer termed him “the ‘Dopey of the Mushrooms!”); Peter Pegasus, the black baby flying horse; and Bacchus’s tipsy donkey Jacchus. Last but certainly not least, is the name of the mighty Sorcerer himself, Yensid. (If you’re not sure what the name signifies, spell it backwards.)

6. Joe Grant Was a Creative Force on Both Fantasias
Disney Legend and Fantasia story director Joe Grant was part of the select group — the others were Walt, Stokowski, Deems Taylor, and co-story director Dick Huemer — who, during an intense few weeks in September 1938, selected the music to be included in what had originally been called The Concert Feature. Along with Huemer, conceptual/story artist Grant accompanied Walt to Philadelphia for the music recording, and he also guided the design of dozens of Fantasia players in his Character Model Department. For the “Ave Maria” segment, he suggested the forest resemble stained glass windows, a visual concept Joe found in his own backyard: “The trees in my yard had a Gothic form, which gave me the idea for the cathedral look.” Incredibly, this beloved artist was also a vital contributor to Fantasia/2000, the original’s long-awaited follow-up: Joe conceived the flamingo with a yo-yo storyline for the “Carnival of the Animals” sequence. As Joe said, with true Disney expertise, “There’s always a good story in a good piece of music.”

7. Walt Wanted Widescreen and More
Walt envisioned Fantasia as a sensory filmgoing experience — sight and sound to be sure, but Walt wanted more. He dreamed of producing this extraordinary film with extraordinary effects, such as 3-D for the “Toccata and Fugue” sequence and filming the entire movie in widescreen. The ever-innovative impresario even hoped to introduce olfactory effects, such as wafting perfume through the theatre as the wildflowers danced during the “Nutcracker Suite” segment, while Stokowski suggested gunpowder as a powerful scent for the Sorcerer’s spell-casting. None of these concepts came to be for Fantasia, but Walt was proved a prophetic film producer, for widescreen and even “Smell-o-Vision” came into usage in the 1950s, as did 3-D — which is enjoying a resurgence in popularity today, as with Tangled, now in release in Disney Digital 3-D.

8. Fantasound Made a Splash
Among his other accomplishments, Stokowski was a pioneer in sound recording, and he was a proponent of a special sound system for Fantasia. Always an innovator, Walt Disney was also in favor of groundbreaking sound recording/reproduction for his experimental epic, as he desired to raise the live sound sensations of a concert hall to even greater heights. As Walt said: “Fantasia, to me is a whole new opportunity. For my medium it opens up unlimited possibilities. Music has always played a very important part since sound came into the cartoon. Now, the full expression that comes from the new Fantasound opens up a whole new world for us.” The music was recorded on Stokowski’s turf, the acoustically perfect Academy of Music, home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Huge trucks hauled lineally tons of recording equipment to Philadelphia, where nine separate optical tracks were recorded, isolating various sections of the orchestra. This was mixed down to three main tracks with a special additional notched track (known as the TOGAD or tone-operated gain-adjusting device track), used to trigger relays for transferring the music to the many Fantasound speakers throughout the theater. Time reported: “The music comes not simply from the screen, but from everywhere; it is as if a hearer were in the midst of the music. As the music sweeps to a climax, it froths over the proscenium arch, boils into the rear of the theatre, all but prances up and down the aisles.” Later, beginning in 1967, Fantasound was used by Disney’s prestige record label, Buena Vista, for a sophisticated line of classical and Broadway musical score albums, as well as a “second cast” recording of Disney’s own The Happiest Millionaire, released that same year.

9. Fantasia Earned Not One But Two Academy Award® Honors
On February 26, 1942, the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences honored Fantasia at its annual Oscar® ceremony. The Board of Governors voted to present the revolutionary motion-picture-and-music meld two Special Awards, both presented by Academy president and 20th Century Fox mogul Darryl F. Zanuck. The first went to Walt and the developers of Fantasound for “outstanding contribution to the advancement for the use of sound in motion pictures through the production of Fantasia.” The second was presented to Stokowski “and his associates for their unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music in Walt Disney’s production of Fantasia, thereby widening the scope of the motion picture as an art form.” That same evening Walt became the fourth producer ever to receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, occasionally given for consistent creativity and excellence in production. The previous Thalberg honoree, David O. Selznick presented the award, and while it was for Walt’s body of work and not Fantasia specifically, he praised the groundbreaking Disney feature “in which established music was used as the complete basis for the creation of the picture” which “contributed to the musical education of the public.”

The Fantasia 3-LP album set was housed in this distinctive box with an abstract impressionistic design, complete with Fantasia characters subtly etched over the splashes of paint. Released in 1957, this version of the Fantasia soundtrack was a bestseller for many years. — The *Fantasia* 3-LP album set was housed in this distinctive box with an abstract impressionistic design, complete with *Fantasia* characters subtly etched over the splashes of paint. Released in 1957, this version of the Fantasia soundtrack was a bestseller for many years.

10. The Fantasia LP Album Set Stereos Spinning
A Fantasia soundtrack recording was not released until 1957, after the formation of Disneyland Records (now known as Walt Disney Records) in 1956. A deluxe three-LP record set with a 24 page insert book with text by Deems Taylor and illustrations adapted from the film by Disney animation artists Al Dempster, Dick Kelsey and Art Riley, all of whom worked on the film. In penning an introduction to this unique album set, Walt Disney noted that many fans had requested the Fantasia music be released as a recording. “To those who thrilled to… Fantasia, this album will recall many thrilling and delightful moments. We recommend that the volume control on your phonograph be kept at a moderate room level for the fullest enjoyment. The quality and dynamic range of the original recording has been preserved as carefully as possible so that the thunderous vigor of “Bald Mountain” and the delicate beauty of the “Nutcracker Suite” will be heard in their proper perspective. It will be immediately apparent to critical stereophonic enthusiasts that this by no means represents modern stereophonic recording, and no such claim is made. Nevertheless, we feel that this album will provide rich musical enjoyment to countless listener…” Indeed, many owners of stereophonic equipment were thrilled with the Fantasia LPs, for in emulating the Fantasound experience, the sound effectively bounced back and forth between the two speakers, thus assuring listeners their stereos actually worked. In 1991, Stokowski’s Fantasia soundtrack was released on compact disk, selling about 100,000 copies that year alone. (Classical recordings selling one-tenth that amount are considered runaway successes). That CD set was reissued in 2001, and today, in keeping with Fantasia‘s tradition of innovation and cutting-edge technology, the film’s revered soundtrack album is available on iTunes.

11. Walt Disney Showcased Fantasia on Television
Because of World War II and the impossibility to obtain the now-government rationed electronic equipment for Fantasound, Fantasia failed to recoup its high costs at the box office. “I don’t regret making it,” stated Walt in 1951. “It’s what we should have been doing with our medium at that time.” It was in the 1950s that Walt — ever aware of Fantasia‘s artistic merit — found a new showcase for the extraordinary film: television. To this day, Fantasia has never been shown on television in its entirety, but Walt used various segments of the spectacular film to good effect. In the very first episode of his weekly TV hour, The Disneyland Story (originally broadcast on October 27, 1954), Walt presented “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” as a tribute to Mickey Mouse. Other examples include “Tricks of Our Trade” (February 13, 1957) in which Walt used “Night on Bald Mountain” to demonstrate the power of great music, and “Magic and Music” (March 19, 1958), which featured the “Pastoral Symphony.” Even though these early TV episodes were telecast in black-and-white, the colorful artistry of Fantasia shone through.

Billed as "The Ultimate Experience," Fantasia was successfully promoted with this 1969 psychedelic poster to teenagers and college students who had turned on to films such as the Beatles' Yellow Submarine (1968). — Billed as “The Ultimate Experience,” Fantasia was successfully promoted with this 1969 psychedelic poster to teenagers and college students who had turned on to films such as the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine (1968).

12. Fantasia was a Psychedelic Hit in the 1960s
Long before Blu-ray and instantly streaming movies, segments of Fantasia were available to schools in the 1960s as 16mm rentals, and university students rediscovered the film, finding the animated feature’s overwhelming imagination and endless creativity mind-blowing. Catering to the hip kids who turned on to the artistry of Fantasia, Disney re-released the film for the fifth time in 1969, complete with a psychedelic ad campaign. Fantasia at long last turned a box office profit as audiences flocked to the theaters. In 1980, Disney Legend Irving Ludwig, who had managed Fantasia‘s 1940 roadshow engagements and returned to Disney to become President of Buena Vista Distribution in 1959, remarked: “Walt was at least 25 years ahead of his time and the public wasn’t ready for Fantasia just yet. In 1969, however, the 18- to 30-year-olds finally discovered it — the very audience we had been wooing all the time. Since then it has been in continuous release in selected theaters across the country. Fantasia will always be my all time favorite picture.”

13. Walt Wanted Fantasia to Continue
Walt’s dream was to turn Fantasia into an ongoing event, stating in 1941, “it is our intention to make a version of Fantasia every year.” Several months earlier in a letter to Stokowski Walt wrote: “From all the talk I hear in and around New York about Fantasia, I think if we put in one new number, almost everyone would go to hear the whole picture again. Then a few months later if we put in another new number, most of them will go again.” From January through August 1941, Walt and his team developed story material based on eight additional pieces including Wagner’s “The Ride of the Valkyries,” von Weber’s “Invitation to the Dance” and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Walt’s dream of a Fantasia with new segments was finally realized in 1999 with Fantasia/2000, a spectacular follow-up spearheaded by Walt’s nephew, Disney Legend Roy E. Disney.

14. Fantasia Played at the Carthay Circle Theatre
In 1940, Fantasia played exclusively at 13 select theaters, most of which were legitimate theaters rather than movie houses, including the Majestic in Boston and the Geary (now the American Conservatory Theater) in San Francisco. The two movie theaters were New York’s Broadway and the prestigious Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. The Carthay Circle was celebrated as the site of some of Hollywood’s most glittering premieres, not the least of which was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on December 21, 1937. A replica of the illustrious Carthay Circle will be the shining new centerpiece of the Disney California Adventure Park’s in-progress renovation, a symbol of Walt’s Hollywood triumphs, including Fantasia.

15. Fantasia Premiered in the Same Theatre as Steamboat Willie
As if to highlight the artistic peak to which Mickey had ascended, Fantasia‘s gala premiere was held at the theatre formally known as the Colony where, 12 years ago almost to the day, the Mouse had made his debut in Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928. Describing it as “the greatest thrill of [Mickey’s] acting career,” Walt explained that Fantasia‘s debut “happened on the night of November 13, 1940 at the Broadway Theatre in New York City, the same theatre where he had made his first appearance as a ragged shoeless Mouse [more than] 10 years before.” In just 12 short years, Mickey went from a primitive black-and-white steamboat to the dazzling heights of Mt. Olympus. Decades ahead of its time, Fantasia remains the art of Disney animation’s pinnacle. With typical humility, Walt summed up amazing Fantasia more simply: “Perhaps Bach and Beethoven are strange bedfellows for Mickey Mouse, but it’s all been a lot of fun.”

By D23’s Jim Fanning.

Seven Decades of Disney Comic Delights

Donald Duck turns over a new leaf of history on the first issue of Walt Disney

Disney became the proud owner of Marvel Comics in 2009, but the House that the Mouse Built has actually been a comic book powerhouse for quite some time. Witness the long-standing comic magazine that has been accurately billed as

“The Best-Selling Comic Book of All Time,” Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories.

First published in October 1940, this unbeatable cavalcade of Disney comic art has been dancing off newsstands and into the hands of eager readers for seven decades. Bursting from behind an eye-catching covers that are often works of art themselves, Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories is chockful of hilarious antics and captivating derring-do, celebrating and spotlighting the whole Disney gang — headlined by Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. In honor of its 70th anniversary, here’s a look through the artful annals of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories.

It all started with a Mouse

— Mickey Mouse Magazine, that is, Walt Disney’s enormously popular periodical of the 1930s.

Comic books, meanwhile, exploded onto the publishing scene in 1934, taking a super-powered leap in popularity with the introduction of Superman in 1938. To feed the ever-growing comic craze, Mickey Mouse Magazine increasingly featured more and more comics until it finally evolved into a full-fledged funny book in 1940. Entitled Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories — tantalizingly indicating the kaleidoscope of graphic novelettes that would fill its vibrant pages — this jaunty new journal was an anthology created in the wake of the popular Detective Comics (launched in 1937) and Action Comics (launched in 1938) and which introduced Batman and Superman respectively. A few Disney comic books had already been devoured by an insatiable public but Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories was the first modern-style Disney comics title.

Each month Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories would be, as the editors promised,

“a new, colorful, exciting magazine filled with funny, thrilling adventures of Mickey, Donald and all the rest.”

At first, its 64 pages (those were the good old days) overflowed with reprints of the Disney newspaper comic strips, but this backlog was nearly exhausted within a couple of years. Besides, the clamor then was for original comic book stories, such as those featuring super heroes. So in the December 1942 issue, #27, boasted the first all-new story, titled “The Carnival King,” which starred Joe Carioca, the freshly minted movie star of Saludos Amigos (1942).

Joe was followed by a flurry other rarely spotlighted Disney celebrities, including Clara Cluck, Gremlin Gus and Tillie Tiger. Even Friend Owl from Bambi (1942) was highlighted in his own story, and that barnyard glamour gal Clarabelle Cow made the cover! Over the years, while also showcasing such Disney stalwarts as Chip ‘n’ Dale, Jiminy Cricket, and Winnie the Pooh, the “character actors” of the Disney oeuvre, such as Brer Rabbit, Ludwig Von Drake and the marvelous Mad Madam Mim, flourished in the character-friendly pages of Walt Disney’s Comics.

Former Disney animator and future creator of the famed Pogo comic strip, Walt Kelly drew many of the Walt Disney’s Comics covers, including this rib-tickling example from issue #94, July 1948.

The Disney comic artists and writers also created characters expressly for the comics medium. Bucky Bug, who first bounded into the world of comics in the Silly Symphony Sunday newspaper page, was an early favorite, appearing in brand-new stories, often drawn by Carl Buettner, in which Bucky and his cute-as-a-bug pals June and Bo spoke in sprightly verse. While Scamp, the impish puppy of Lady and Tramp, Grandma Duck, and comic book superstar Uncle Scrooge, were all Walt Disney’s Comics luminaries, there was also Li’l Bad Wolf. Inspired by the three silly-but-sinister sons of the Big Bad Wolf, who first appeared in Three Little Wolves (1936), Li’l Bad Wolf was, in the pages of many issues of Walt Disney’s Comics, actually the very good singular offspring of the classic piggy-chasing wolf. Good-natured Li’l Wolf had his paws full trying to placate his “Pop,” who, of course, is drastically frustrated his son isn’t as big and bad as he is. To comically complicate matters even more Li’l Wolf’s best friends are the Three Little Pigs. (Let’s face it — no matter how knotty your relationship with your father might be, at least he’s not trying to eat your friends.)

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories really hit the big time with the introduction of original 10-page comic scenarios starring leading man Donald Duck, starting in the April 1943 issue with the first story written and drawn by Disney Legend Carl Barks. With Carl’s mini-masterpieces as the lead story in most every issue from 1943 through 1966, Walt Disney’s Comics became an unparalleled hit, selling at its peak more than three million copies an issue (that’s approximately two million copies per issue more than the nearest best-selling comic book). Also boosting this comic book champ’s popularity were the monthly Mickey Mouse serials. At first, as with Mickey Mouse Magazine, these spine-tingling adventures were serialized reprints of Floyd Gottfredson’s classic newspaper comic strip, but in 1953 these too became newly written-and-drawn originals, most famously illustrated by Mickey Mouse maestro Paul Murry. A former Disney animator who had worked on Pinocchio (1940) and Dumbo (1941), Paul had been trained by the Mouse’s master animator Fred Moore and he delightfully delineated Mickey and Goofy’s exploits in nearly every issue, an unsurpassed Comics and Stories run that lasted through 1983. These page-turning Mickey mysteries had a place of honor at the back-of-the-book, mirroring the leading Donald Duck story at each issue’s start.

That covers the titular “Comics,” but what of the enshrined “Stories”? This miraculous little magazine has always delivered text pieces, including for a time in the 1940s, “Hollywood Chatter.” Reported by Minnie Mouse, this feature was a light-hearted gossip column, in which Miss Mouse chronicled stories about real-life movie stars like Bette Davis, Don Ameche, Lassie (sorry, Pluto), and Mickey (Rooney, not Mouse). The comic magazine also featured playful prose — sometimes adaptations of Disney cartoons — with illustrations by such comic-book veterans as Paul Murry and Tony Strobl.

One of the longest running comic books — or any other kind of periodical ever — Walt Disney Comics and Stories is still published today. For the first 44 years of its run this storied comic book was published by Western Publishing (variously under the Dell, Gold Key and Whitman imprints). Since then, the venerable funny book has been printed by, among other publishers, Gladstone, a comics company run by comics fans and collectors, named in honor of Gladstone Gander, Donald Duck’s cousin introduced in Walt Disney’s Comics in January 1948, issue #88). In September 2009, BOOM! Comics became the new publisher of Walt Disney Comics and Stories. Taking a fresh approach, the BOOM! Version has showcased epic Mickey Mouse adventures, including “Ultraheroes” and “Mickey Mouse and the World to Come.” “Between Iron Man, Spider-Man, and all these superhero movies grade-school kids are totally taken with the genre,” notes BOOM! publisher Ross Richie. “What better way to engage those that haven’t read Mickey or Donald stories, than to publish comics featuring the superhero version of them?” After that exhilarating start, BOOM! has announced that Walt Disney’s Comics will return to its traditional anthology format with the January 2011 issue, #715: a special 70th anniversary edition featuring delectable comic tales by Carl Barks, Gil Turner and modern-day Duck master Don Rosa. This oversized album will be available with two specially created collectable covers: a Disney character mash-up by modern-day comics ace Daan Jippes; and a parody of the famous issue # 1 Donald Duck cover by comics-fan favorite William Van Horn, showcasing the Big Bad Wolf! “We’re having a blast and can’t believe that we’ve come so far in such a short amount of time,” Ross said. “Simply put, Disney has the greatest characters in the world. [Publishing Walt Disney’s Comics is] a huge honor and a monster opportunity.”

70 years on, the latest issue of Walt Disney's Comics, #711, features a cover illustrating "Mickey Mouse and the Orbiting Nightmare" drawn by European Mickey master Casty. — 70 years on, the latest issue of Walt Disney’s Comics, #711, features a cover illustrating “Mickey Mouse and the Orbiting Nightmare” drawn by European Mickey master Casty.

Now that we’ve looked ahead to a fabulous future, let’s take another peek back to celebrate the 70th anniversary of this supreme journal of Disney cartoon art in style: In the 25th anniversary issue, #300, September 1965, loyal readers were surprised with a special birthday message: “Ever since October 1940, Walt Disney Comics and Stories has been published continuously every month — an all-time record for a comic magazine. In addition, the stories have been translated into almost every language and published in nearly every country. Thus, through the years, millions upon millions of copies have brought good entertainment to young and old, all around the world.” Here’s to another 70 years of humorous escapades, adventures near and far and colorful hi-jinks that tickle both the funny bone and the thirsty noggin, all waiting within the covers of Disney’s flagship comic book, the unstoppable Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories.

Alice Davis’s Grapefruit Blueberry Delight

Alice says that for years, Marc would never eat grapefruit because he’d gotten sick from grapefruit gin during prohibition. But this simple concoction is a treat they enjoyed regularly. Alice learned to make it from Mrs. Nelbert Murphy Chouinard, founder of the prestigious Chouinard Arts Institute (where Alice met her husband).

“She invited me to her house for lunch and she served it.

I think it’s just very refreshing and healthy,” Alice says.

Preparation

Just French cut a grapefruit (take out the sections and cut off the membrane).
Pour a can of Oregon blueberries over the fruit and chill for at least an hour. “Oregon blueberries are big and juicy, as opposed to others which can be bullet-like and hard,” she says.
Serve for breakfast, over ice cream, or add fresh avocado and mixed greens for a salad.

Chef Gloria Tae’s Pan-Roasted New York Steak with Shiitake Mushroom Ragout and Gorgonzola-Spinach Bruschetta

Ingredients

New York Steak
1¹⁄₂ to 2 pounds New York steak (1 or 2 steaks), each at least 1¹⁄₂ inches thick
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
¹⁄₂ teaspoon coarse salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, slightly smashed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Gorgonzola-Spinach Bruschetta
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
5 cups baby spinach, stems removed and discarded
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
²⁄₃ cup heavy cream
¹⁄₃ cup Gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Pinch nutmeg
4 (¹⁄₂-inch-thick) slices ciabatta bread

Shiitake Mushroom Ragout
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut into thin strips
³⁄₄ cup Marsala wine
³⁄₄ cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups veal or beef stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
Coarse salt, to taste
3 teaspoons chopped thyme

Preparation

New York Steak
Let steaks stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or until they are no longer cold. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Coat the steaks lightly with 1 teaspoon olive oil each and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is almost smoking, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add steaks and sear, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a baking sheet; place thyme sprigs and garlic atop each steak. Place 2 pieces of butter on each, and sprinkle lightly with Worcestershire sauce. Roast the meat until it is cooked to your preference, about 15 to 20 minutes for medium rare (steak should register 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer for medium rare). Loosely cover steaks with foil and set aside to rest.

Shiitake Mushroom Ragout
Place oil, shallots, and garlic in a large sauté pan. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms. Sauté until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat, and add Marsala. Return pan to stove; bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the pan is nearly dry, about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, veal or beef stock, soy sauce, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes or until reduced by half. Taste, and add salt, if desired. Remove and discard bay leaves; stir in thyme. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Gorgonzola-Spinach Bruschetta
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, tossing until fragrant and lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until slightly wilted. If needed, drain any excess liquid from the pan. Add cream, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. Keep warm until ready to serve. Brush ciabatta slices with olive oil. Toast until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

To Serve
Cut the steak into ¹⁄₂-inch-thick slices on a bias. Place a piece of toasted ciabatta in the center of each serving plate. Evenly spoon spinach mixture atop bread slices. Top bruschetta with sliced steak. Spoon shiitake mushroom ragout around plate. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Serves 4.

Carving Out Halloween Fun!

August 3, 2010July 2, 2018

On any given day, stroll through Disneyland and you can find Captain Jack Sparrow bumbling about New Orleans Square or a princess stopping in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle to greet her royal subjects—er, guests. Glance over your shoulder and you might catch a glimpse of the Cheshire Cat flashing that famous grin… or Ursula’s sinister smile dripping with sublime wickedness. But it’s only around Halloween Time that you’ll find familiar faces like these carved out of a pumpkin! And there’s a good chance that these spectacular seasonal creations were put there by artist and professional pumpkin carver Jennifer Hoppert.

Jennifer got her start as a commercial artist in New Mexico. After moving to Southern California, she landed a job in the Model Shop at Walt Disney Imagineering where she worked on designs for the parks in Anaheim, Orlando, and Tokyo for several years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. “As any artist will tell you, you can’t just stop making art — that’s not how it works.” Fortunately, she found other ways to express her creativity. “I would go to a party and somebody would ask for a fruit tray, so I would bring 15 different fruits all carved, decorated, and put together,” she says with a laugh. “I also found myself doing elaborate pumpkins for my kids at Halloween.”

Release your inner artist. And the more creative you get, the more fun it is.

As fate would have it, Jennifer got a call from a former Disney colleague about a job carving pumpkins. Familiar with her handiwork, the friend suggested Jennifer for the gig. It was a match made in heaven, and five years later it’s still Jennifer’s dream job. “It was so much fun, and we got such a great response from the crowd that it kind of took off,” Jennifer says about the first year they set up shop at Big Thunder Ranch, her Halloween Time home away from home. “Every year the pumpkins get more detailed, more creative, and we add more elements — wigs, hats, pipe cleaners, paint, yarn, and buttons. You name it if we can get it to stick on, we use it. It’s gone to a level I could have never imagined.”

We wanted to share for you some of their tips on how you can create your very own professional-looking jack-o’-lantern. And however you choose to carve your pumpkin, we’re sure it’s going to be boo-tiful! And if you’re apprehensive about putting carving knife to pumpkin, Jennifer says, “Don’t be! It’s so much fun. Release your inner artist. And the more creative you get, the more fun it is.”

Start by drawing your design on the pumpkin with a water-based marker. Simply erase any mistakes with a damp cloth or sponge.

Use a sharp, straight-edged knife to cut the top and any larger areas, an X-Acto knife for details, and try the tip of a potato peeler to make small circles and curves. Please be extra careful with these sharp instruments. If you don’t have the proper tools, check out a local arts-and-crafts store. Many now sell kits for pumpkin carving with everything you’ll need, including serrated metal saws, which are safer than knives and allow younger children to get in on the action.

Always carve away from yourself, and never hold the knife in a stabbing position. Keep a portion of the blade in the pumpkin and, for a smooth finish, use slow, steady strokes as you carve. And remember, kids should carve only under adult supervision!

For a better grip, try holding the pumpkin in your lap and use your legs together with your free hand while carving.

Consider peeling off the skin to add a new dimension to your design. The flesh of the pumpkin is also much softer and easier to cut through.

Think outside the box. Get your inspiration from the shape of the pumpkin. Try turning it on its side and using the stem for a crooked witch’s nose. Stack or lay them end-to-end and incorporate the design across all the pumpkins. The possibilities are endless!
Don’t limit yourself. Try white- or green-colored pumpkins. Use small gourds for the ears and nose. Incorporate paint, stickers, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, or pretty much any other supply you can think of that suits your design.

Seal in moisture by coating all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil. This will help prolong the life of your jack-o’-lantern.

Most importantly, have fun! Pumpkin carving is a great way to spend time with your friends or children and to create memories that could last a lifetime.

Epcot’s Braised Pineapple Panna Cotta with Strawberry Compote

Ingredients

Braised Pineapple Panna Cotta
1 (8-ounce) can sliced pineapple in juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
¹⁄₂ cup sugar

Strawberry Compote
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
¹⁄₄ pound fresh strawberries, diced

Preparation

Braised Pineapple Panna Cotta

Drain juice from pineapple; cut pineapple into small pieces.
Combine pineapple pieces and brown sugar in a small sauté pan over medium heat.
Sauté until sugar caramelizes and mixture is syrupy.
Divide mixture among 6 (7¹⁄₂-ounce) martini glasses.
Place pineapple juice and lemon juice in a medium bowl; sprinkle gelatin over.
Let stand 10 minutes or until gelatin is softened. Combine cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a low simmer (do not boil). Stir until sugar dissolves.
Add gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth.
Ladle mixture into prepared martini glasses. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.

Strawberry Compote

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Cook until sugar dissolves.
Add strawberries, stirring to combine.
Cook until berries are slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
Cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To Serve
Spoon strawberry compote over each panna cotta. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort’s Crispy Fillet of Sole and Young Vegetables in Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients

³⁄₄ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¹⁄₄ cup plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
2¹⁄₂ teaspoons sugar
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons soy sauce, plus additional for serving
1¹⁄₂ pounds sole fillets (may substitute flounder)
Pinch coarse salt
Pinch ground white pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided, plus additional oil for frying
¹⁄₄ cup diced red bell pepper
¹⁄₄ cup diced green bell pepper
¹⁄₄ cup diced onion
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
¹⁄₂ teaspoon finely grated mandarin or orange zest
1 tablespoon black bean paste

Preparation

Combine chicken broth, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, sugar, and soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring. Set aside.
Cut sole into thin strips, approximately 2¹⁄₂ inches long by ³⁄₄ inch wide.
Season lightly with salt and white pepper; drizzle with sesame oil and toss to coat well.
Place remaining ¹⁄₄ cup cornstarch in a zip-top plastic bag; add fish and gently shake to coat completely.
Remove fish from bag, shaking off excess cornstarch.
Pour vegetable oil into a deep-sided sauté pan to a depth of ¹⁄₄ inch. Heat oil over medium-high heat until simmering.
Working in 2 batches, cook fish in hot oil, tossing frequently, about 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp and firm. (Note: fish will not turn golden or brown when cooked.)
Transfer cooked fish to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
Pour oil out of sauté pan; discard oil.
Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan; return to stove over medium-high heat.
Add peppers and onion.
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Transfer cooked vegetables to plate with fish.
Lower heat to low; add 2 teaspoons oil, ginger, garlic, mandarin zest, and black bean paste to the sauté pan.
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is combined and fragrant.
Add reserved broth-cornstarch mixture.
Increase heat to high; bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened.
Add vegetables and fish; toss gently to combine.
Taste, and add additional soy sauce, if desired.
Serve immediately over your favorite noodles and with vegetables (shown with asparagus). Serves 4.

Cook’s Notes
Black bean paste is a salty sauce made from mashed fermented beans, garlic, and other spices. It’s available in Asian markets and specialty stores.

Disneyland Resort Paris’ Prawns with Mixed Vegetables in Citrus Dressing

Since 1992, Christophe Coutanson has served as executive chef for Disneyland Paris and its sister, Walt Disney Studios Park, as well as at Disney Village, developing restaurant menus and buffets.

“Disney is all about creating magical moments for our guests throughout their stay,

. . . and my role and culinary philosophy is to bring the continuity of that magic into the dishes,” he explains. “I also believe a lot in our young apprentices and how important it is to pass on our culinary knowledge.” After sampling the recipe for the dish below, we know exactly what he means!

Ingredients

¹⁄₄ pound sugar snap peas, tough stems removed
³⁄₄ pound carrots (about 4 to 5 medium carrots)
¹⁄₂ pound zucchini
¹⁄₂ large sweet red pepper
¹⁄₂ large sweet yellow pepper
2 oranges
1 grapefruit
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon coarse salt, divided
3 tablespoons sesame oil
12 prawns or jumbo shrimp
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Thinly slice sugar snap peas lengthwise.
Slice carrots, zucchini, and peppers lengthwise using the julienne blade on a mandolin. Alternatively, very thinly slice all of the vegetables into long pieces the width of a matchstick.
Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water; set aside.
Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil.
Carefully place sliced vegetables into boiling water; boil for 1¹⁄₂ minutes. Remove, and immediately transfer to prepared ice-water bath.
Drain vegetables thoroughly in a sieve. Pat with paper towels to dry. Place in a large bowl; set aside.
Cut peel, including the white pith, from oranges and grapefruit. Working over a small saucepan, carefully cut segments free from membranes.
Cut segments into ¹⁄₂-inch pieces and place in a small bowl; set aside. Squeeze remaining juice from membranes into the saucepan.
Place saucepan over high heat. Boil until juice is reduced and mixture is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside to cool.
When cool, whisk in lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt.
Add sesame oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking to combine.
Add dressing to vegetables in bowl, tossing to combine.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.
Sprinkle prawns with remaining ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt.
Heat peanut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Sear prawns 2 minutes per side, or until firm and pink.

To Serve
Stir cilantro into vegetables. Evenly divide vegetables among 4 serving plates. Top with reserved citrus segments and 3 prawns each; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Serves 4 as a first course.

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.

A Revolutionary Story

July 1, 2010March 27, 2018

By Jim Fanning

“To the youth of the world… in whose spirit and courage rests the hope of eventual freedom for all mankind… ” With these stirring words, Walt Disney opened his rousing live-action adventure film Johnny Tremain (1957). Colorfully recreating historic events of the American Revolution from the Boston Tea Party to Paul Revere’s midnight ride, Johnny Tremain is the story of a young silversmith apprentice swept up in the excitement of the battle for independence in colonial Boston. This engrossing tale centers on the unknown players of early American history, “the nameless ones, the unsung heroes,” as Walt called them. “The fierce desire for independence burning in the hearts of these unknown patriots made the deeds of our great men possible.” According to the great storyteller, Johnny Tremain is “about the nameless, unsung patriots whose hunger for freedom made possible the independence that is enjoyed in America today. For after all, the struggle for American independence is typical of the continuing fight for human liberty everywhere in the world.” To get your Independence Day celebration started off with a bang, here’s a sparkling star-spangled display of 13 — in honor of America’s original 13 colonies — fascinating stories all about Johnny Tremain.

The Story of Liberty: The Original Book
This extraordinary Disney film started with Johnny Tremain: A Novel for Old and Young by Massachusetts historian and novelist Esther Forbes. The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Paul Revere and The World He Lived In, published in 1942, Ms. Forbes wrote Johnny Tremain based on her research for the Revere biography. Awarded the prestigious Newberry Medal for most distinguished contribution to children’s literature of 1943, the dynamic book has been in print ever since and is ranked 16th on the list of top-selling books for young people. Though Johnny is a fictional figure, the intriguing novel is historically accurate and full of the color and rich detail of that exciting era. For Walt Disney, history was indeed all about story, and he recognized a good historical story when he read one. Johnny Tremain is “a book about a boy who lived in the time of Paul Revere,” Walt noted, “and it tells a vital chapter of the liberty story. In fact, this book intrigued us so much that we… made a Technicolor® motion picture of it.” Reportedly Walt personally invited author Esther Forbes to the film’s opening in Boston, which she attended in style via limousine.

Walt found the ideal actor to embody Johnny in 16-year-old Hal Stalmaster, brother of legendary casting director Lynn Stalmaster.

Tremain TV
Actually, Johnny Tremain started out as a small-screen production. Walt felt the beloved story was a natural for his Disneyland TV series. “We found ourselves facing an embarrassment of riches,” Walt said of the captivating material offered by Tremain. “Every page of research revealed fascinating material fairly shouting for picturization [sic]. If all the world is a stage, then all history is a great story storehouse and casting department rolled into one.” To dramatize the award-winning book for television, Walt turned to the talented scribe who wrote Disney’s sensationally popular “Davy Crockett” shows, screenwriter Tom Blackburn. The story was divided into two separate but interrelated episodes, the first set in 1773 and centering on the Boston Tea Party, the second taking place in 1775 and focusing on the Shot Heard ‘Round the World at Lexington. Finally, though Johnny Tremain was planned for TV, Walt made the decision to instead release the elaborately authentic film theatrically. As was often the case, the savvy showman spent far above the typically low TV budgets on his television productions. “We did shorten the schedule,” noted assistant director William Beaudine, Jr., “but it was very difficult to economize to the point of making it practical just for television release, because Walt Disney expected top quality.” To celebrate the film’s release in theatres, Walt hosted “The Liberty Story,” originally broadcast on May 29, 1957, previewing Johnny Tremain as well as screening Ben and Me (1953), a more fanciful look at the American Revolution. Eventually Walt proudly showcased Johnny Tremain on his TV show in 1958, in two episodes just as originally planned.

Johnny Tremain of Old Boston Town: Hal Stalmaster
Walt found the ideal actor to embody Johnny in 16-year-old Hal Stalmaster, brother of legendary casting director Lynn Stalmaster. “My brother didn’t help me one bit,” Hal was quick to note at the time of the film’s release. “He thought I was too young to start acting and besides, he didn’t think I could act!” Walt felt differently and awarded the talented teen the hefty role even though Hal’s only previous acting experience was as the young Olympic athlete Reverend Bob Richards on a TV show in which Hal’s prowess in track and field came in handy. Hal won the starring part as the teenaged patriot over a dozen other candidates. “People won’t believe me when I tell them this,” stated Stalmaster, not quite believing his good fortune himself, “but it’s true.” To prepare himself for the role, Hal had to re-orient himself from the atomic age to the War for Independence. “Johnny Tremain sounded like history at the outset. And it is, of course, in one sense. Unless you were there. Which I was. To really feel as Johnny felt, I found I had to get with his day and times,” explained Hal. “Then it was as uncomfortable as it was exciting, believe me, and I was happy each night to leave the embattled sound stage for the peace and quiet of 1957.” Hal made personal appearances (in full colonial regalia including his distinctive tri-corned hat), for example at the Roosevelt Theatre in Chicago, where he appeared with Annette, Doreen, Lonnie and other Mouseketeers. Hal also guest-starred with the Mouseketeers on TV’s The Mickey Mouse Club on May 1, 1957, to present a Johnny Tremain “Mousekapreview.”

Sons of Liberty
Johnny’s friend and fellow Son of Liberty Rab Sillsbee is played by Richard Beymer, who would later star as Tony in West Side Story (1961) opposite Natalie Wood. Sebastian Cabot portrayed cold-hearted tea merchant Jonathan Lyte (whose ostentatious motto is “Let There Be Lyte”) in his second Disney film (his first was Westward Ho the Wagons! in 1956). Trained in Britain’s Shakespearean theatre, Sebastian went on to be heard but not seen in his most beloved Disney roles: the narrator of the Winnie the Pooh featurettes and as the voice of Bagheera in The Jungle Book (1967).

Daughters of Liberty
Well-established in such diverse classic films as High Noon (1952) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Virginia Christine plays Mrs. Lapham, who turns her back on Johnny when he burns his hand in a silversmithing accident. (Virginia would later become most famous to audiences as Mrs. Olsen in a long-running series of TV commercials for Folgers Coffee.) Her onscreen daughter in this heroic tale, Cilla, is luminously portrayed by Luana Patten, former Disney child star who appeared opposite Bobby Driscoll in classics such as Song of the South (1946). In the mid-1950s Luana took on grown-up (or at least teenaged) roles in such films as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956), starring Sal Mineo, and of course Johnny Tremain, which marked Miss Patten’s return to the Disney lot. “During my first few days on Johnny Tremain,” said Luana, recalling the heartfelt welcome that greeted her return to the Disney Studio, “people kept coming up to me, shaking my hand and telling me about incidents that happened to me as a youngster. It really gave me a warm feeling to know that so many remembered me.” One of the most fascinating members of the cast (albeit in a small role) is Walt Disney’s younger daughter, Sharon, as Dorcas, friend to Johnny, Cilla and Rab — and who according to Luana, was a friend with Miss Patten when both girls were young children who made the Disney Studios their playground.

Leaders of Liberty
Johnny Tremain features a passel of real-life patriots, each portrayed by an experienced character actor, including Whit Bissell as Josiah Quincy, veteran character actor Rusty Lane as Samuel Adams and Walter Coy as Dr. Joseph Warren (who in the Tremain story surgically cures Johnny’s injured hand). A veteran of 500 movies, Walter Sande found his most unusual role as Paul Revere, to whom he bore a striking resemblance. Though the name of the horse from Revere’s famous nighttime ride is not known (as mentioned in the film, silversmith Revere borrowed the horse from Charlestown merchant John Larkin), Walter rode a chestnut mount named Sickle in Johnny Tremain, first having to master riding a small English-style saddle in two weeks of pre-production riding. For the filming of the first leg of the ride, the actor was startled by the speed with which Sickle galloped off. “I wasn’t sure if Sickle ever intended to stop,” Walter reported. “I was holding on for dear life.”

“Men seemed to gravitate toward these natural leaders by instinct,” observed Walt Disney of the heroes of the War for Independence. “But of them all, the figure of James Otis perhaps cast the largest shadow. He was one of the most brilliant men of his day and a great orator.” A large man, Otis is portrayed by larger-than-life Jeff York in a rare and moving dramatic performance. A favorite from his comedic appearances in Old Yeller (1957) and as legendary keel boater Mike Fink in the second set of “Davy Crockett” TV episodes, Jeff vividly delivers the film’s crucial speech about the importance of the cause of independence, and recognizes in young Johnny the hope for freedom’s enduring future.

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming! Robert Stevenson
Johnny Tremain was director Robert Stevenson’s first Disney film but far from his last. “I was hired for six weeks, and I stayed for 20 years,” Robert was later to marvel. Walt was so impressed with the filmmaker’s fine work that Robert became Disney’s premier live-action director; he went on to helm such classics as Old Yeller and Mary Poppins (1964), for which he was nominated for a Best Director Oscar®. Aside from his directorial skills, Robert was perhaps the ideal choice to helm a story of English subjects discovering independence in America: “I was born in England,” he revealed during production of Johnny Tremain, “but I’ve been an American citizen for many years.”

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming! (Part 2) Peter Ellenshaw
Like Robert Stevenson, legendary special effects artist Peter Ellenshaw was British-born but found a permanent U.S. home at the Disney Studio. Having relocated from England to add fantastical effects to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Peter shone in his first Disney assignment as production designer on Johnny Tremain. The brilliant film artist used the miracle of his movie matte paintings to bring to cinematic life 18th century Boston, its ship-filled harbor and homesteads in the New England villages and countryside. For Paul Revere’s ride, he later recalled, “there was no set there at all, just the center for the rider and horse. I painted all the rest of the set in there.” Peter even incorporated a surprised patriot popping his head out an upper-story window in the middle of a matte for added realism and the famed Disney touch. The imaginative designer created dozens of evocative pre-production paintings, envisioning Johnny’s world of print shops, silversmith’s establishments, and the quaint streets and alleyways of old Boston. The film’s picturesque sets were inspired by Peter’s atmospheric paintings, including a full-scale replica of the British ship Dartsmouth that was constructed on a Disney soundstage.

March Along With the Fifer, Boys: Songs
As they had done for “Davy Crockett”, screenwriter Tom Blackburn and composer George Bruns combined their talents and created a catchy ballad that captured the main character’s spirit in song. Though this title tune’s lively lyrics are never heard in the film (the melody is played throughout the movie’s underscore as Johnny’s theme), they tell in folksy style of the young silversmith-turned-hero character (“Didn’t like redcoats worth a hoot/And didn’t like red in any suit/Boston Town was loaded with tea/He upped and dumped it in the sea”). Blackburn and Bruns also composed “The Liberty Tree,” a jubilant march performed onscreen in celebration of the Boston Tea Party as the Liberty Boys hang shining lanterns in the branches of the great elm. The infectious song remains an unforgettable tribute to both “the strong old tree” and to the inspiring ideals of liberty.

The elegant LP cover with stars Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten and Richard Beymer front and center. The album features dramatic selections from George Bruns' stirring score (the orchestra and chorus for the album were conducted by Bruns), as well as a jubilant assortment of patriotic standards such as "Yankee Doodle" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," Fourth of July favorites all. — The elegant LP cover with stars Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten and Richard Beymer front and center. The album features dramatic selections from George Bruns’ stirring score (the orchestra and chorus for the album were conducted by Bruns), as well as a jubilant assortment of patriotic standards such as “Yankee Doodle” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Fourth of July favorites all.

Redcoats, Powdered Wigs and Tri-Cornered Hats: Costumes
To handle the many and varied costumes worn in this historically authentic period piece, Sound Stage 2 on the Disney lot was transformed into a giant wardrobe center/dressing room. Carpenters worked for a week to divide the mammoth stage down the middle into ladies and gentlemen sections. Rows of costumes — lined up under labels such as “Minutemen,” “British Troops” and “Townspeople” — were then made available to the large cast, including 250 extras recruited for the Lexington and Concord battle scenes, filmed on location at the Rowland V. Lee Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, 45 minutes from Disney’s Burbank studios.

Stick a Feather in His Hat and Call it Macaroni: Memorabilia
As with most Disney films, Johnny Tremain had a vast assortment of tie-in merchandise available for Tremain fans to take home. Offered was a dizzying variety of memorabilia, everything from pajamas and balloons to pencil boxes and even hand puppets. American Revolution-type playthings included a toy soldier-type playset complete with Redcoats and Minutemen figures; a bugle, fife and horn set (the red-white-and-blue instruments were actually kazoos); and a powder horn whistle. Best of all were the replicas of Johnny’s tri-corned hat, available in two styles (wool and felt) and in three sizes (small, medium, large), each with an official Walt Disney’s Johnny Tremain emblem affixed. “New colonial tri-cornered hat, destined to challenge Davy Crockett coonskin craze as new merchandising champ!” trumpeted the Johnny Tremain press book — and while the sales of Tremain’s hat didn’t quite uncrown Crockett’s cap as one of the top-selling movie-related headpieces of all time, the unique colonial chapeaus are rare collector’s items today.

Red, White and Blue (and Other Colors Too): Comics
Johnny Tremain was translated into the comic art form to be enjoyed anew by readers of all ages. Two comic books were published: 1957’s Paul Revere’s Ride with Johnny Tremain with art by acclaimed illustrator and designer Alex Toth; and an all-new history-based adventure for the young patriot, Old Ironsides with Johnny Tremain (published in 1958), drawn by comic-book great Dan Spiegle. Fans of the funny pages could open their Sunday newspaper color comics section to discover that the weekly feature Walt Disney’s Treasury of Classic Tales was showcasing Johnny’s escapades. Written by Frank Reilly and drawn by comic-art master Jesse Marsh, the Sunday comics version of the film was featured in 58 newspapers from coast to coast, with a combined readership of 40,000,000 enthralled comics fans. Starting on April 7, 1957, Johnny Tremain ran in the color funnies for 13 consecutive weeks and came to a smashing conclusion on June 30, just in time for the Fourth of July.

Published in 1957, this magnificent comic book cover is attributed to Taylor Oughton, acclaimed for his Classics Illustrated comic-book cover paintings.

It’s a Tall Old Tree: The Liberty Tree
Walt was so inspired by the story, setting and principles of Johnny Tremain that he planned to add a Liberty Street to Disneyland as a salute to Johnny’s Boston. Liberty Street at Disneyland was never to be but it was expanded into the even more expansive Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Welcoming freedom-lovers of all ages since Opening Day, October 1, 1971, Liberty Square boasts many a Tremain touch. But the grandest sight in Liberty Square is one of the stars of the film, the Liberty Tree — a stately elm pictured on the back of the medals surreptitiously worn by the Sons of Liberty. As Walt explained, “the medallions… were the secret identification badge of the Sons of Liberty. They were called Liberty Tree Medals after the famous elm tree, which stood in the heart of Boston. The Liberty Tree was a rallying point where mass meetings were held and plans were made.” For Liberty Square, an impressive oak tree — 35 tons, 60 feet wide, 40 feet high — was found already growing on the Walt Disney World property six miles from its present site.

Moving the oak was another task entirely as it could not be simply lifted by wrapping a cable around its trunk, because vital bark and cambium layers would have been irreparably damaged under so much weight. Many ways in which the mighty oak could be transported were carefully considered until finally, holes were drilled through the massive trunk and steel rods were inserted. These rods served as grips for lifting the tree with a 100-ton crane. Carried out under the direct supervision of Imagineer and legendary landscaper Bill Evans, the transplant was a success. When the very existence of the towering Liberty Tree, already more than 135 years old, was threatened years later by an infection in the holes where the steel rods had once been, the Imagineers ingeniously grafted a second, younger oak into the base. This magnificent tree — the largest living specimen in the Magic Kingdom — was saved, and continues to thrive as a living symbol of freedom. The Liberty Tree is particularly inspiring at night when the 13 lanterns hanging in its branches (representing the 13 original colonies) shine in the dark, a luminous reminder of the ideals of the first Sons of Liberty — and Walt’s timeless tale of freedom, Johnny Tremain.

Jiko’s Millet Flatbread with Kalamata Olives

Ingredients

Millet Dough
1 (¹⁄₂-ounce) envelope dry active yeast
³⁄₄ cup plus 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
¹⁄₂ cups high-gluten or bread flour
¹⁄₂ cups millet flour
¹⁄₃ cup hulled millet
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon sugar

Kalamata Olive and Cheese Topping
¹⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¹⁄₂ cups shredded four-cheese blend (fontina, Gruyère, provolone, Asiago), divided
¹⁄₂ cups kalamata olives, pitted and halved, divided
3 cups loosely packed spring greens

Preparation

Millet Dough:
In small bowl, combine yeast and water. Stir gently to combine. Set aside until frothy, approximately 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine high-gluten or bread flour, millet flour, millet, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Stir to combine.

Slowly incorporate yeast-water mixture into flour mixture, stirring until a dough forms. Refrigerate overnight.

Kalamata Olive and Cheese Topping
Remove dough and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour. Place a baking stone in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Divide dough into 6 equal balls. Roll each ball into an 8- x 9-inch oval. Prick with a fork 10 times. Brush each oval with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top each with ¼ cup cheese and ¹⁄₄ cup olives.

Bake each flatbread on the preheated baking stone until crust is golden and cheese is melted and bubbly, 8 to 12 minutes. Top each flatbread with ½ cup spring greens. Cut flatbread into bite-size pieces. Serve warm.

Makes 6 (8- x 9-inch) flatbreads.