By Christina Pappous, Walt Disney Archives Today marks the 80th anniversary of the 20th Century Fox film The Mark of Zorro (1940), directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Tyrone Power as Don Diego Vega and his masked alter ego, El Zorro! Set during the days of Spanish California, The Mark of Zorro tells the story …
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By Katie Strobel, Walt Disney Archives Mickey Mouse Book, published by Bibo and Lang in 1930, was the first Disney book. Along with being sold to the public, the book was also distributed to theaters that hosted Mickey Mouse Clubs and was given to the members. It begins with a story and a board game, …
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Original Story by: Ken Anderson Compiled and Edited By: Amy Opoka, Walt Disney Archives In early 1957, Walt Disney asked Imagineer and story artist Ken Anderson to come up with a haunted house experience for Disneyland. Ken conceived multiple early concepts for what would become the Haunted Mansion attraction, and pitched them to Walt Disney. …
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By Heather Hoffman, Walt Disney Archives With Halloween just around the corner, it is the perfect time to grab a cozy blanket, a big bowl of popcorn, and settle in to watch some classic spooky movies. If you’re a fan of suspenseful melodrama mixed with comedic satire, one classic film that should definitely be on …
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By Nicole Carroll, Walt Disney Archives The spooky and lighthearted Disney classic Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968) is perfect for a ghastly October viewing. The film focuses on the dead, yet still mischievous pirate Captain Blackbeard, played by legendary actor Peter Ustinov, who is trapped in limbo until he performs a good deed. Accidentally conjured by unsuspecting …
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By Cesar Gallegos, Walt Disney Archives To help celebrate the Halloween season, let’s take a look back at a classic science fiction tale of transformation, The Fly. This 20th Century Fox film from 1958 starred David Hedison, Patricia Owens, and notable horror and science fiction actor, Vincent Price. Adapted from George Langelaan’s short story of …
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By Becky Cline, Director, Walt Disney Archives One of my favorite pastimes is collecting vintage recipes. So, this week I just had to share a fun little cookbook from the former Walt Disney Studios Library, now preserved in the Walt Disney Archives ephemera collection. It is called Walt Disney’s Snow White Dairy Recipes, was published …
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By Nicole Carroll, Walt Disney Archives “Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!” Sixty-five years ago, on October 3, 1955, this popular anthem was heard for the first time as the Mickey Mouse Club debuted on ABC and became one of the most popular children’s television series of …
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By Kevin Kern, Walt Disney Archives Every now and then, while working with the historical production artwork preserved in the Walt Disney Archives, one has to pause to appreciate just how special each individual piece is, and what story it helps to tell. Some of my favorite examples to peruse in this way come from …
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By Rebecca Cline, Director, Walt Disney Archives Long before Henry led the Country Bears in their “Jamboree,” or even before Walt Disney made Davy Crockett’s raccoon skin cap all the rage in the 1950s, another famous Disney bear nearly sported some very “lively” headgear on top of his little red cap. These story sketches for …
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