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Walt Disney's America by Christopher Finch
Walt Disney's America by Christopher Finch
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Walt Disney's America: A Picture Preview by Christopher Finch
By all accounts, Walt Disney in person was a spellbinding storyteller. He could bring his movies to life-for his animators or for prospective backers-before a single image had been committed to celluloid, acting out every character, filling each scene with relevant detail, and building slowly toward the appropriate climax. On social occasions, he was apt to keep guests entertained with, for example, an ac count of a camping trip which he transformed into a comic adventure, complete with sound effects that would encompass everything from a prowling bear to the different snores that emerged from various tents. We have all met people with this kind of gift; what made Walt Disney special was his ability to turn it into images that captivated people in darkened theaters all over the world.
There is a certain amount of luck in any success story. Disney received his fair share when he discovered his ideal medium, animation, at a very early age. He had been interested in drawing and cartooning from early childhood, but had he not taken the job with the Kansas City Film Ad Company he might never have thought of adapting his talent to the needs of the cinema. There is reason to believe, too, that the failure of his Laugh-o-Gram Company made him think twice about the future of animation. Had he found work at a major Hollywood studio, he might well have distinguished himself in some more conventional branch of film making. but he would never have had the autonomy to realize his full potential, nor the opportunity to bring animation to technical maturity.
Along the Main Street of Walt Disney's America, the possession of "know-how" was a very desirable attribute. Walt was "know-how" personified, and "know-how" was the lifeblood of the embryo art of animation
The ideal animation producer should know a little about both art and the mechanics of the motion-picture camera; he should know something of the rudiments of human anatomy and of animal locomotion; he should have some understanding of modern management methods; he should know the capabilities and potential of each of his artists, and he should have enough knowledge of each of their specialties to be capable of demonstrating exactly what he wants from them.
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