Q : What Mary Poppins props/sets do you have in the Archives?
Stephen, Concord, New Hampshire
A: The Walt Disney Archives has a collection of items, including several currently on display at the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. Mary Poppins’ hat and traveling costume, alphabet blocks, and the jack-in-the-box from the Banks’ nursery are on display there. And then there’s an Audio-Animatronics® robin and the carousel horse, which has been on display at The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World for many years.
Q : I recently re-watched Goliath II, and I always wondered how a perfectionist like Walt Disney released an animated short with so many sketch lines left on some of the characters. Why didn’t he have the clean-up artists fix the drawings before they were printed on film?
Laura, Casper, Wyoming
A: Goliath II (1960) was the first time that the Xerox process was used to transfer the animators’ drawings to cels. Since the animators’ original pencil drawings are used, rather than inked lines, on cels there is more of a sketchiness than usual. You will see a similar look in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, from 1961.
Q : I was fortunate to see a short animated film by Salvador Dali at the Hollywood Bowl with the orchestra playing the especially commissioned music. I understand this was commissioned by Disney for the original Fantasia but not included in the final work. It is a masterpiece. Is there any hope it might be recorded on DVD?
Mary, San Marino, California
A: The short, Destino, based on concepts by Salvador Dali, was released in 2010 as bonus material on the Blu-ray set of Fantasia and Fantasia/2000.
Q : I am looking for information about Brazilian-born actor José Oliveira, who was the voice of José Carioca, the parrot in Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. When was he born? How long did he live? Where is he buried? How did he become associated with Disney? What else did he do with his career?
Andy, Nashville, Tennessee
A: José Oliveira was a Brazilian singer, born in Rio de Janeiro. He was hired by Disney to be the voice of José Carioca. Little is known of his background other than that he was a noted musician and comedian in the nightclubs of Rio; imdb.com does not list any other film credits. In the mid-1950s, he appeared on Guest Star Day on the Mickey Mouse Club television show.
Q : I’m starting a collection on anything that has to do with The Black Hole. As a kid, I remember a Black Hole record that told the story of the movie. It’s not the “See, Hear, And Read” storybook and record. This had the actual dialogue, sounds, and music from the movie. It was edited obviously and did not run nearly as long as the film, but it came right from the movie soundtrack. Do you recall this? Do you know its title? I seem to recall ones from Robin Hood and Winnie the Pooh. Was this a part of a series?
Jason, Greenville, South Carolina
A: The Black Hole soundtrack album was released on record as Buena Vista STER 5008 in 1979—the first digitally recorded soundtrack.
Q : I really like Will Rogers, and as he was a good friend of Walt’s, I’m wondering if the animators made Pecos Bill after Will? Pecos Bill looks like Will—the same hair, face, and love of the lariat! Who was the animator for that short?
Kelly, Hollywood, California
A: The Pecos Bill story about a cowboy hero comes from the folklore of the Old West and was first printed in a magazine by Edward O’Reilly in 1917. (Some have suggested that O’Reilly made up the stories.) There was probably no connection in the minds of the Disney artists with Will Rogers. The character was animated in Melody Time by Ward Kimball and Milt Kahl.