By Rebecca Cline, Director, Walt Disney Archives When I was a little girl, one of the things I really loved was poring over my Disney storybooks. One of my favorites was a Little Golden Book entitled The Little Man of Disneyland, published in 1955. I was absolutely enchanted by the story of Patrick Begorra, a leprechaun …
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By Kevin Kern, Walt Disney Archives “Walt realized that a visit to an amusement park could be like a theatrical experience—in a word, a show.” — Disney Legend John Hench No part of the Disneyland “show” was overlooked while preparing to open in the months leading up to July 17, 1955. When Walt and his …
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By Kimi Thompson, Walt Disney Archives When the Haunted Mansion was being developed for Disneyland, Walt Disney asked Imagineer X Atencio to help develop the storyline for the attraction. He even wrote the now-famous lyrics to the iconic theme song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” As a fun homage to the Imagineers who helped create the Haunted …
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By Rick Lorentz, Walt Disney Archives In its production heyday, The Walt Disney Studios had five sound stages and several backlot locations. Also located on the studio grounds were a costume department and prop warehouse. The proximity of wardrobe and set decoration made it convenient for production staff to prepare for filming. Another advantage to having such facilities …
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By The Walt Disney Archives To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Walt Disney Archives, pixie dust has transformed the department’s Reading Room into “50 Years of Preserving the Magic,” an exhibit showcasing rarely-before-seen historical objects that trace the beginnings of The Walt Disney Company to today. Upon entry, Guests are transported back to 1937 …
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By Kevin Kern, Walt Disney Archives Sometimes, the most interesting historical rediscoveries we make in the Walt Disney Archives come when you least expect it, usually while you’re not looking for what you find. Being a fan of all things Star Wars, I just about fell over when, while perusing a box of Disney studio …
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By Lynne Drake, Walt Disney Archives The 39th Academy Awards were held on April 10, 1967, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 20th Century Fox film, Fantastic Voyage (1966), was shot in CinemaScope Color and won the night’s top prize for Art Direction (Color). Art direction for the film was overseen by Jack Martin …
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By Cesar Gallegos, Walt Disney Archives From galaxies far, far away to 20,000 leagues under the sea, motion pictures have the ability to transport audiences to new worlds. In order to create these worlds, filmmakers apply a bit of ingenuity and movie magic. To help craft the underwater world in Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, …
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In 2020, the Walt Disney Archives will celebrate its 50th anniversary and, to mark this special occasion, the department is spreading some extra pixie dust by introducing several exciting new events and opportunities to view treasured Disney historical objects around the country. The Archives’ very own retrospective exhibition “Inside the Walt Disney Archives: 50 Years of Preserving the Magic” will premiere at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, in March, …
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By Zach Johnson Becoming a Disney Legend the same year as his collaborator and friend Jon Favreau makes the recognition even more meaningful for Robert Downey Jr., who launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with his inimitable turn as Tony Stark in Iron Man. “We thought we’d arrived when the Paramount folks brought us to …
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