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Neal Gabler's meticulously researched biography, Walt Disney offers the full story (Gabler is the first writer to gain complete access to the Disney archives) of the American icon. Readers will discover the whole story, witnessing Disney's invention of a "synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise." What fans don't know could fill a book (this book in fact), and we asked Gabler to point out a few of the juicy bits. Read our interview with him, and his "10 Things That May Surprise You" list below. --Daphne Durham
10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Neal Gabler
Q: Why Walt Disney?
A: When you write about someone as grandiose as Walt Disney, you may tend to get a little grandiose yourself, so forgive me. But I had always set the task for myself to examine the forces that helped define American culture in the twentieth century and those individuals who might be regarded as the architects of the American consciousness. Walt Disney was certainly one of those forces and one of those architects. His visual sensibility is arguably one of the two most important in the last century, along with Picasso's, yet Picasso has received dozens of biographies and Walt Disney had, when I began, not received a single full-scale, fully-annotated biography. I wanted to fill that gap in our cultural studies. I thought that if one could understand Walt Disney, one could go a long way to understanding American popular culture.
Q: One thing that strikes you when reading the book is that Walt Disney never had any money. With all his success how is that possible?
A: It is astonishing that Walt Disney was always--and I do mean always--in dire financial straits until the opening of Disneyland. The primary reason wasn't that his cartoons weren't making money, because they were--at least until the war in Europe when the loss of that market meant disaster for the features. But even as they were making money, the studio was losing money because Walt was constitutionally incapable of cutting corners, enforcing economies, laying off staff. The only thing about which Walt Disney cared was quality. He thought that quality was the way to maintain his preeminence, though quality also had the psychological advantage of letting him perfect his world. The problem was that quality was expensive. To cite just one example, Walt spent more than a hundred thousand dollars setting up a training program for would-be animators, though even then the return was small because Walt was so picky that very few of the candidates actually qualified to work at the studio. Money meant very little to Walt Disney. It was only a means to an end, never an end in itself.
Q: When did Walt first conceive of the idea for Disneyland and what were the initial reactions to the idea?
A: It is very difficult to determine exactly when Walt hatched the idea for Disneyland, though he seems to have been thinking about it for a long time, at least since the early 1930s. Certainly by the time he was taking his daughters, Diane and Sharon, to amusement parks on Sunday afternoons in the late 1940s, he had formulated the idea to establish a park that was clean and wholesome and where parents wouldn't be afraid to take their children. The original plan was to build the park on a plot adjacent to the studio in Burbank, where there would be a train, a town square, an Indian village and kiddieland rides, but as Walt's ideas expanded, so did the need for a bigger plot. As for the reactions to his idea, Roy was initially reluctant, as usual, and Walt's wife, Lillian, was firmly opposed, though she had also been opposed to his making Snow White. Still, Walt exaggerated the opposition as a way, I think of elevating his own foresight and determination. In fact, as the plan grew closer to realization, corporations sought to be included as lessees, and even banks, that had been skeptical, became more receptive. When the park opened, it was an instant success.
Q: What do you think has been Walt's most lasting impact/legacy on American culture?
A: One could answer this question in a dozen different ways depending on one's priorities, but I think his largest bequest is a matter of the American mind. Walt Disney helped change the national consciousness. He got people to believe in the power of wish fulfillment--in their own ability to impose their wills on a recalcitrant reality. That's what Walt Disney did all his life. He managed to replace reality with his illusions--what some people now refer to disparagingly as Disneyfication. He sold us on the idea of control because Walt Disney was himself a master of control. We see the results everywhere--from film to theme parks to virtual reality to virtual politics.
You Don't Know Disney: 10 Things That May Surprise You
1. He is
not frozen. His body was cremated, and his ashes are interred at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California, near his studio.
2. Mickey Mouse's original name allegedly was Mortimer but Disney's wife Lillian objected because she thought it too "sissified."
3. Some of the names originally considered for the dwarfs in Snow White were: Deafy, Dirty, Awful, Blabby, Burpy, Gabby, Puffy, Stuffy, Nifty, Tubby, Biggo Ego, Flabby, Jaunty, Baldy, Lazy, Dizzy, Cranky and Chesty.
4. Walt Disney suffered a nervous breakdown in 1931 and descended into depression after the war, concentrating his attention on model trains rather than on motion pictures.
5. Fantasia was the result of a chance meeting between Walt Disney and symphony conductor Leopold Stokowski at Chasen's restaurant.
6. During World War II the Disney studio became a war factory with well over 90% of its production in the service of government training, education and propaganda films.
7. The studio stopped production for six months on Pinocchio because Walt felt the title character wasn't likable enough. During this time he devised the idea of introducing Jiminy Cricket as Pinocchio's conscience.
8. Walt Disney received more Academy Awards than any other individual--32.
9. Disney modeled Mickey Mouse on Charlie Chaplin and that Chaplin later assisted the Disneys by loaning them his financial books so they could determine what kind of proceeds they should be getting from their distributor on Snow White.
10. MGM head Louis B. Mayer once rejected the opportunity to distribute Mickey Mouse cartoons shortly after Walt had invented the character because Mayer said that pregnant women would be frightened by a giant mouse on screen.
Book Description
From Neal Gabler, the definitive portrait of one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American entertainment and cultural history.
Seven years in the making and meticulously researched—Gabler is the first writer to be given complete access to the Disney archives—this is the full story of a man whose work left an ineradicable brand on our culture but whose life has largely been enshrouded in myth.
Gabler shows us the young Walt Disney breaking free of a heartland childhood of discipline and deprivation and making his way to Hollywood. We see the visionary, whose desire for escape honed an innate sense of what people wanted to see on the screen and, when combined with iron determination and obsessive perfectionism, led him to the reinvention of animation. It was Disney, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films—most notably Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi—who transformed animation from a novelty based on movement to an art form that presented an illusion of life.
We see him reimagine the amusement park with Disneyland, prompting critics to coin the word Disneyfication to describe the process by which reality can be modified to fit one’s personal desires. At the same time, he provided a new way to connect with American history through his live-action films and purveyed a view of the country so coherent that even today one can speak meaningfully of “Walt Disney’s America.” We see how the True-Life Adventure nature documentaries he produced helped create the environmental movement by sensitizing the general public to issues of conservation. And we see how he reshaped the entertainment industry by building a synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise in a way that was unprecedented and was later widely imitated.
Gabler also reveals a wounded, lonely, and often disappointed man, who, despite worldwide success, was plagued with financial problems much of his life, suffered a nervous breakdown, and at times retreated into pitiable seclusion in his workshop making model trains. Gabler explores accusations that Disney was a red-baiter, an anti-Semite, an embittered alcoholic. But whatever the characterizations of Disney’s personal life, he appealed to the nation by demonstrating the power of wish fulfillment and the triumph of the American imagination. Walt Disney showed how one could impose one’s will on the world.
This is a masterly biography, a revelation of both the work and the man—of both the remarkable accomplishment and the hidden life
Customer Reviews:
The Ultimate Disney Biography.......2007-10-03
Many biographies have been written about the life of Walter Elias Disney. However none have ever been so complete. Neil Gabler's Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination is simply magical. Mr Gabler research in the Disney archives for this book and it shows. The attention to detail is amazing, and it is a must read for any Disney fan.
A book that sits you on the lap of Walt himself.......2007-09-26
I have read numerous books on Walt Disney. What I found so important about this book was that the author does not tell one side. He tells all sides. Where as one author may only tell the story he selects in writing about, Neal Garber tells all sides. Leaving the reader in control of what to believe to be true or not. I loved the way Neal wrote this book. I felt like Walt was my friend as I read it. The book is more convincable (i use the word convincable because of so many different accounts of the same story that is conveyed to the reader) because of the time spent researching Walts actions and communication. I highly reccomend this book as the FIRST read of many Walt Disney books. This way when you do read books by other authors (who did not have access to the Disney Archives) you can make your own judgement on whether or not the story is as accurate as the author thinks.
Neal addresses the 'frozen Disney' immediately. At first I wrote him off as hiding the true facts. By the end of the book I believed Neal that Disney was in fact cremated.
I highly recommended this book to tons of people, and I recommend it to you too!
Not exciting but lots of data - and many errors..........2007-09-23
Having collected and read about Walt Disney and animation for 30+ years, I found that the only proper way to read Gabler's biography is as follow-up to the great book by Michael Barrier, "An Animated Man", also available on Amazon. Barrier gives the structure of Walt's life as centered on Walt's true loves: his animation and his parks. While Barrier's book is a very pleasant read, and gives insight in what made Walt tick. As a contrast, Gabler recites data as if it was a class in Latin and represents Walt as a kind of nut. Gabler clearly neither likes nor understands Walt. He also has no knowledge of--or love for--the medium of animation, and he keeps talking of Walt's "animations," an expression that is only used by people who have no idea what they are talking about. But he did have access to the Archives, and thus some things are only to be found in his book. There are many, many factual errors in Gabler's book. A huge list can be found on Barriers's site (Google "GablerErrata"). And as a final note, on that same site, one can read that Diane Disney Miller herself thinks the Gabler book is a gross misrepresentation of her father (Google "Diane_On_Gabler"). So buy both books, read Barrier first, then Gabler, and then make up your own mind!
Good biography, but a little too long.......2007-08-26
Gabler does a good job with Walt Disney, but sometimes the text reads like transcribed notecards. Otherwise, Gabler covers all the bases and deals with some painful personal incidents with sympathy, such as the death of Walt Disney's mother and a fatal riding accident from Disney's polo-playing days, which other biographers have tended to play down or use against the man behind Mickey Mouse...this is the un-Richard Shickel version.
Well balanced and researched treatment of an iconic figure.......2007-08-16
Gabler has thoroughly researched his subject to the point that he can catch Walt Disney in the act of fabricating his past and can set the record straight. He writes clearly and tells the definitive story of Walt Disney. The question is whether the subject is worth 880 pages and the reader's investment of time.
On balance, I think it is. At a minimum, the story is interesting as a case study for a business school. There is much to be learned from Disney's early struggles in business. Disney's passion for the business and willingness to invest everything back into improving it explains his ultimate success -- a lesson that business executives who focus simply on next quarter's results always fail to appreciate. The book also explains to me why Disney's lawyers are so universally acknowledged to be so vicious: it's payback time for some of the screwing that good old Walt suffered in the 20's and 30's.
But at a deeper level, the story is interesting from a character and a sociological perspective. Disney is a sad and tragic figure. Gabler does not do a hatchet job on him, and there is much to admire. But in the end, he is a very lonely and at times mean-spirited man, bitter at the compromises he has to make for the sake of finances and, more importantly, at never quite finding the perfection he seeks in his art. And Gabler does a very good job of discussing the appeal of Disney's work and why Disney's own personal longings resonated so much with that of American society. The tension between Disney's conservatism and orthodoxy, on the one hand, and his advocacy of personal expression and resistance to wrong-headed entrenched authority, on the other hand,is very well developed by Gabler.
The book would have benefitted from some tougher editing. The early years are much too overblown. There is a lot of unnecesary detail in the book.
I do recommend this book as an exceptionally well researched and balanced account of a subject worthy of the attention.
Average customer rating:
- great for art/"Pocahontas" fans in general
- A book as beautiful as its main character
- Weak parts, but worth taking a look at.
- Very beautiful!
- Miniature Poachontas Book is Big on Color and Information
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ART OF POCAHONTAS, THE
Steven Rebello
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ASIN: 0786861584 |
Customer Reviews:
great for art/"Pocahontas" fans in general.......1998-08-24
I love flipping through this book once in a while just to be in awe of Disney animators all over again, but I agree w/ some of the other reviewers who say that there isn't enough about the actual people behind this artwork. I'd like to find out more about how the artists & voices influenced different aspects of the story, reacted to deadlines, etc. too--but the art almost makes up for it. The book also provides some more insight into the personalities of the characters in "Pocahontas," which I found enlightening. Overall, it's a beautiful accompaniment to the movie, and very inspiring as well--makes me want to learn how to draw a little better.
A book as beautiful as its main character.......1997-12-27
The art of Pocahontas is, to my mind, one of the most beautiful books about animation art. Its composition following the making of the film step by step helps the reader to understand how a huge production such as Pocahontas is made and all the production aeras are represented. The pictures taken from the film and the artist's sketches shown in it are so great they could make anyone that did not like the design of Pocahontas ( and god knows they are a lot in France ) loves it. The only thing that could be improved is about photos of the artists in their work environment, there should be more.
Weak parts, but worth taking a look at........1997-11-30
The only thing holding this book together is the easy way it flows. In the tradition of other Disney "Making of..." books, it follows the format of each animation process from concept to script to storyboard to animation. Its interesting, but at times bogs down some nice visuals. Not all the visuals are great, though. The pre-production art seems weak and cliche like the drawings of pilgrims and Indians you remember as a kid. Only in the animation chapters does it pick up, particularly the work of Glen Keane. As chief animator of the title character, his storyboards and animation seem the most inspired and studied. Other character designs seem less bold against Disney's first eco-feminist heroine who paved the way for post-feminist heroines like Esmeralda from Hunchback and Meg from Hercules. The book not unnique in its execution or format, but its worth taking a look at to compare with other films and books and to see the evolution of the thought process of great Disney animators like Keane and Ruben Aquino. And of course it has its share of Disney we-are-doing-this-and-no-one-else-can attitude.
Very beautiful!.......1997-11-26
First of all, I assume that these reviews are supposed to refer to the large hardcover edition, which was published in 1995, and not the smaller 1996 edition. The large one is gorgeous, allowing a look into the world of how the artists develop a film from start to finish. Some of the concept art is so beautiful that you wonder why it didn't make it into the film. My only gripe with this book is that, like Rebello's other books, it deals almost entirely with the visual aspect of the films and, although it talks about how songs developed the movie (the Colors of the Wind section is especially well done), what about the voices? In The Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast, descriptions and photos are included of the actors who voiced the characters. While you might say that this sort of thing doesn't belong in an "Art of" book, I think it does, because the actor who voices a character often has a tremendous influence on the visual development of that character. For example, Belle in Beauty and the Beast would not have had the lock of hair that kept falling into her face - an endearing gesture that helped make her more real to the audience - if Paige O'Hara, her voice, had not had it first. The Art of Pocahontas would be perfect if it offered similar insights. But it's definitely worth reading or just looking at, to bask in the sheer beauty of the artwork.
Miniature Poachontas Book is Big on Color and Information.......1997-03-06
Don't let the small size of "The Art of Pocahontas"fool you; the authors have crammed the 5.5" by 4.5" book with loads of colorful artwork and interesting insights into the recent Disney masterpiece.
"The Art of Pocahontas" traces the creation of the film from conception to completion, including wonderful reproductions of concept sketches, background paintings, layout drawings and final animation art. The 189 pages of this small volume contain over 400 color and black-and-white illustrations.
The text was written by Stephen Rebello, an editor of "Movieline" and author of "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of 'Psycho.'" He provides many insights into the collaborative and creative process behind the making of "Pocahontas."
Even though "The Art of Pocahontas" is an easy read--it takes less than an hour or two to read from cover to cover--the book provides plenty for fans of animation to contemplate. Much of the "behind the scene
Average customer rating:
- A must-have item!
- Animator's Ultimate Guide
- Disillusioned. Skip It.
- Wonderful
- this is a great book!
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The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
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ASIN: 0786860707 |
Customer Reviews:
A must-have item!.......2007-09-15
For those people who wants to work with graphics, It's very important to have contact with newest technologies and media. But to have real growth, the basis is here. Beautiful book! Compared to price, is the best benefit in whole amazon site!
Animator's Ultimate Guide.......2007-09-04
It's an amazing book! Everything you want to know about the business and the pure art and joy of being an animator from the masters.
Disillusioned. Skip It........2007-08-27
This is a biased and officially licensed piece of pro-Walt Disney propaganda. The animation tips from Frank Thomas, one of the greatest animators who ever lived, are priceless. But he and his buddy Ollie Johnston (who was not nearly as talented as Thomas) are biased, and as a history, it is severely flawed.
Many vital artists to the Disney style of animation are given the shaft, which essentially anyone outside of the Nine Old Men. Fred Moore, Art Babbitt, and Bill Tytla are almost completely ignored. Director Jack Kinney and animator John Sibley, the team responsible for Disney's inarguably best short subject series, Goofy, are not even mentioned. They do a good job of erasing all of the 'bombs' such as Alice in Wonderland and Three Caballeros as well.
I also am repulsed at the lauding of such features as Robin Hood and The Rescuers, in favor of work by the studio many years earlier that was inarguably superior. And any tome this size that gives only four mentions to Dumbo is not worth owning.
Skip it.
Wonderful.......2007-08-05
Wonderful and very useful book, highly recommended for everyone who's interested in the world of animation and its history.
this is a great book!.......2007-03-13
great shipping and good condition!
i think this book is very important for student who is studying animaion.
Average customer rating:
- Long overdue, Well Deserved
- It's a Small World Legend
- Mary Blair rocked.
- Blah Blah Blair
- Beautiful!
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Art And Flair Of Mary Blair, The
John Canemaker
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Book Description
The story behind one of Walt Disney's favorite artists is celebrated in this delightful volume of whimsical art and insightful commentary. For more than a dozen years, Mary Blair, a quiet-spoken, unassuming woman, dominated design at The Walt Disney Studios with a joyful creativity and exuberant color palette that stamped the look of many classic Disney animated features, including Cinderella and Peter Pan. Favorite theme park attractions, most notably the 'It's A Small World' boat ride, originally created for the 1964 New York World's Fair, were also among her designs. In her prime, she was an amazingly prolific American artist who enlivened and influenced the not-so-small worlds of film, print, theme parks, architectural decor, and advertising. Emulated by many, she remains inimitable: a dazzling sorceress of design and color.
Customer Reviews:
Long overdue, Well Deserved.......2007-07-27
The work of Mary Blair is well-known to animation and Disney aficianados, but there is a dearth of material available about her. Her influence on animation and Disney design was enormous. John Canemaker, as one has come to expect of his work, has written a terrific book on Blair. Well-illustrated, carefully noted.
Although this book is very good, Mary Blair deserves a full-length biography.
It's a Small World Legend.......2007-07-21
When I visited Disneyland last year with my daughter I expected to fall in love all over again with various attractions at the park: Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Carousel. I honestly didn't expect to fall in love all over again with "It's a Small World" but I did.
I had already heard the name, Mary Blair, but I didn't know anything about her so I decided to research her online and I found this book.
What an incredible artist she was! John Cane tells her story and her contributions to everything Disney. She was an incredible artist! Her works now sell for many hundreds of dollars. It's too bad that she didn't live long enough to see herself become famous. Like most artists, she became famous after her death. At any rate, here is the story of the woman who created so much of the Disney magic. It's very well illistrated and an enjoyable read.
Mary Blair rocked........2007-05-25
Beautiful and unique look into the life and developed portfolio of a retro animator. This book is nostalgic, child-like awe packaged. Wonderfully whimsical images.
Blah Blah Blair.......2007-03-09
The world of animated films has largely become a slick faceless corporation. For those seeking some idea of where it started and how individual genius played such a huge part I suggest The Art and Flair of Mary Blair. A highly inspirational visual feast.
Beautiful!.......2007-01-31
Wow, what a great book, I recommend it for fans and colour designers in animation. It would of been great to see more images, but thats as always with art books!
Book Description
The origins of Disney's masterpieces and the works the studio in turn inspired are the subject of this lavishly illustrated book.
While the works of Walt Disney rank among the icons of American mass culture, it is easy to forget that Disney's characters and stories were inspired by original works of art. Now the sources that motivated Disney's imagination--and the artists that his studio in turn influenced--are brought to light. From the launching of the Walt Disney Company until the founder's death in 1967, this book includes more than 300 original works selected from the Disney archives and from private collections, together with paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, and film stills.
Here Disney fans will discover the fairy tales behind Sleeping Beauty and Snow White; they'll learn that Pinocchio's village was modeled on the mediaeval city of Rothenburg in Bavaria; that Bambi's forest took its inspiration from fifteenth-century Chinese painting; that Dumbo's bird's-eye views drew on the work of Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton. One chapter is devoted to the mutually admiring relationship between Salvador Dali and Disney. Finally, the book looks at the myriad ways in which Disney's products became source materials for modern and contemporary artists, including Prokofiev and Leopold Stokowski as well as Christian Boltanski, Bertrand Lavier, Peter Saul, and Gary Baseman. A wonderful sourcebook for Disney enthusiasts, this colorful volume offers a unique perspective on the often-overlooked links between highbrow and popular culture.
Customer Reviews:
Chicken and Egg.......2007-08-23
Great book to see the images the Disney artists drew from for inspiration and design. Today the Disney images are considered the icons but to see their source material allows for an introduction to the original work, which is wonderful, and therefore have a deeper appreciation of each art form, both fine and animated. A worthwhile catalogue if you were unable to see the exhibit.
A cool cultural collage.......2007-05-03
Wow! Whether you're an art lover, Disney fan, or simply fascinated by Western culture, you owe it to yourself to add this remarkable book to your collection. Much thicker than a typical coffee-table tome, this big, heavy art anthology was published as a companion to an art exhibition of the same name, which collected works from both the Disney archive as well as 50 museums worldwide. The exhibit was shown in Paris last fall and is currently (spring 2007) on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It was compiled by Bruno Girveau, a principal curator at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris.
A delight to browse through, the book reproduces hundreds of original Disney pen-and-ink sketches, conceptual watercolors and actual production pieces for films from 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to 1967's "Jungle Book"; as well as many of the historic art pieces and other cultural material that inspired Walt Disney and his artists. For example, a section on the Evil Queen from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is brilliantly illustrated with a Gothic column statue from Naumburg, an 1898 French oil ("Woman in a Black Hat," George de Feure), a 1937 Disney production celluloid and a 1940 publicity shot of film actress Joan Crawford -- all of which appear to show the same person. (The text is good, too. This section includes a short essay pondering the effects of Walt Disney's hard-luck childhood.)
A chapter on pop art includes two interpretations of Donald Duck by Roy Lichtenstein and another by Andy Warhol -- and those are the dullest pieces! My favorite is David Mach's Matchstick Mickey, a real Mickey doll being eaten by a giant purple head made of nothing but purple matchsticks and glue. Other highlights in the book include more than a dozen gorgeous conceptual watercolors for "Alice in Wonderland" by Disney artists David Hall and Mary Blair, and a discussion that the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio" is actually an animated homage to Hollywood's original blond bombshell, Jean Harlow.
My only gripe is the book's organization and index. The chapters are grouped not by film, but rather the exhibit's themes of "Disney's European Sources," "Walt Disney and Literature and Cinema," "Disney and Pop Art," etc.; and the index is only by artist. Still, what a find!
-- By Julie Neal, author of The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World.
Book Description
Walt Disney (1901-1966) was one of the most significant creative forces of the twentieth century, a man who made a lasting impact on the art of the animated film, the history of American business, and the evolution of twentieth-century American culture. He was both a creative visionary and a dynamic entrepreneur, roles whose demands he often could not reconcile.
In his compelling new biography, noted animation historian Michael Barrier avoids the well-traveled paths of previous biographers, who have tended to portray a blemish-free Disney or to indulge in lurid speculation. Instead, he takes the full measure of the man in his many aspects. A consummate storyteller, Barrier describes how Disney transformed himself from Midwestern farm boy to scrambling young businessman to pioneering artist and, finally, to entrepreneur on a grand scale. Barrier describes in absorbing detail how Disney synchronized sound with animation in Steamboat Willie; created in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs sympathetic cartoon characters whose appeal rivaled that of the best live-action performers; grasped television's true potential as an unparalleled promotional device; and--not least--parlayed a backyard railroad into the Disneyland juggernaut.
Based on decades of painstaking research in the Disney studio's archives and dozens of public and private archives in the United States and Europe, The Animated Man offers freshly documented and illuminating accounts of Disney's childhood and young adulthood in rural Missouri and Kansas City. It sheds new light on such crucial episodes in Disney's life as the devastating 1941 strike at his studio, when his ambitions as artist and entrepreneur first came into serious conflict.
Beginning in 1969, two and a half years after Disney's death, Barrier recorded long interviews with more than 150 people who worked alongside Disney, some as early as 1922. Now almost all deceased, only a few were ever interviewed for other books. Barrier juxtaposes Disney's own recollections against the memories of those other players to great effect. What emerges is a portrait of Walt Disney as a flawed but fascinating artist, one whose imaginative leaps allowed him to vault ahead of the competition and produce work that even today commands the attention of audiences worldwide.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Biography.......2007-07-10
I'm in full agreement with other reviewers that this is one of if not the best Biography of Walt Disney ever written. The recent Neil Gabler biography has received more publicity (and it not bad) and is the most obvious book to compare to, I found Michael Barrier's "The Animated Man" much better in terms of the insight into the life of Walt Disney. I read Barrier's biography about 2 months after Gable's and found Mr. Gabler delved way to much into speculation where Barrier seemed to give insight into Walt.
I don't often write a review, but I thought this book was worth giving the positive review.
Mr. Barrier tells the life of Walt Disney, warts and all. Walt comes off a real person with real problems while doing great things. I have over 100 books on Walt Disney and the things he helped to create including many books and articles by those that new Walt first hand, and Barrier's book seems to give the most accurate and unbiased view of Walt of any biography I have ever read. It seems to give an accurate picture of Walt behind the scenes.
A VITAL & ALIVE BIOGRAPHY.......2007-06-11
Barrier has drawn with precise selectivity from an immense amount of original research and then pursued a careful, true balance in the writing - there is not a false note in it - to create an informative, entertaining and also stimulating biography of Walt Disney. He has clearly engaged deeply with the subject and the material and has brought careful thought to bear on every aspect and angle. As a result, each page comes alive, with a vitality not found in lesser books that merely rehash old arguments. When future generations once again focus on animation and attempt to reassess the moving drawing, with the benefit of hindsight, I'm sure Barrier will be one of the authors whose works will be considered indispensable
The Best Biography of Disney yet.......2007-05-12
This is an extraordinarily good book. After giving up on the Neal Gabler book (too many words and not enough understanding, really, of who the man was), I love the approach of this book. Barrier knows animation inside and out, and he uses his knowledge to give us a picture of a real man and boss who tried to make animation great. The nitty gritty of those details make a real life comprehensible. The immense research is felt even though Barrier doesn't try to impress us with it; the book is a captivating read that propels you along. Highly recommended.
The Animated Man: A Triumph for Michael Barrier.......2007-05-11
If you were thinking of passing by The Animated Man in favor of Neal Gabler's biography of Walt Disney, think again. "...Complete access to the Disney archives..." notwithstanding, Gabler couldn't in many, many cases, figure out just what exactly to do with all the information he was supposedly buried in for five+ years. And as such, the reader comes away at times with more questions than answers about just who Walt Disney was.
This is not the case in Michael Barrier's fine biography of Walt Disney, The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney. Although he may not have had the unfettered access to the Disney archives accorded Neal Gabler, one would hardly be aware of that particular handicap. He was able to utilize a great deal of information housed there, which along with interview after interview makes for a mighty informative read. And since many of the interviews utilized throughout the book date back over 30 years, Barrier was able to talk with many Disney employees who "were there" at or near the start of Walt Disney's impact on the world.
So many of the interviews captured by Barrier provide an insight into what made Walt Disney `tick' that simply don't exist from the materials Gabler was able to unearth. More than once while reading through The Animated Man did I stop to re-read a paragraph as a particular tidbit of information provided an "a-ha" moment, helping to fill in some blanks pertaining to either Walt Disney himself or the legacy he left behind.
Also, Michael Barrier was able to weave his knowledge of animation throughout the text, providing additional insights not available to authors with less refined skills in that area.
In spite of it being half the length of Gabler's tome, I feel most readers will come away feeling more than fulfilled with few asking for more as Barrier's raison d'être of the book is his pinpoint focus on Walt Disney and what really made him tick.
As has been stated many times, and is still true today: the definitive Disney biography has yet (if ever) to be written, but Barrier comes as close as anyone has to date. There are plenty of books about Walt Disney and the Walt Disney Company to keep most of us glued to our reading glasses for some time to come. And one could round out one's knowledge by continuing on to Gabler's bio or even Bob Thomas' and certainly The "E" Ticket fanzine for very insightful and unique interviews with those who worked with Walt (primarily on the parks) - to name but a few. But I strongly feel the best starting point would be to grab a copy of Michael Barrier's biography and be prepared to be wowed.
A rich account.......2007-03-24
This book is so rich with detail! You can picture yourself there when a young Walt is growing up as a farm kid in Marceline, Missouri, or later when he's struggling to make a living.
The endless first-person accounts and interviews really bring Disney's world -- indeed, much of a whole bygone American world -- to life. At times it reads almost like an oral history. It's a great complement to Neil Gabler's "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination."
The book is not published by the Disney company, and the author is no corporate flack. But he's also no muckraker. You'll come away with a definite opinion of Walt Disney, his work and his life, but it's one you'll form yourself.
-- By Julie Neal, author of The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World.
Customer Reviews:
A bit disappointed though!!.......2002-04-08
The book is not bad, but not really as good as I expected. After having read the extraordinary book "The illussion of life", I wanted more from the same drawer. I picked the villains book.
In the beginning Frank'n'Ollie explain why they did the book, and apparently it was made on command, I couldn't help thinking about that when I read it. The chapters in the book are very short, and there is too little information about how they decided to make their characters as they turned out. Each chapter begins with an (Too long) introduction of the characters role in the film. Of course you can not expect everybody to have seen every disney film that exists, but too much space in the book is used to explain things you already know if you've seen the films.
I would have prefered to know more about how the animators felt about their characters and how they developed the personalities, for instance the thin line of making the beast in "Beauty and the Beast" looking like a beast that you could still end up having feelings for. I would like to have seen more development drawings and sketches and even some animation continuity with some good examples of change in expression of the villains as well.
Some times you read about villains that actually ain't villains. The bear in "Fox and a hound" is actually no villain because it is just following natural instincts, but how about Chief, the big old dog in the movie, nothing about him? A book that is not deep enough. but still not bad. Guess I still shouldn't have read it after just finishing "Illussion of life".
Johnston and Thomas Together Again!.......2000-02-04
Anything by these two wonderful authors and amazing animators should be a must in anyone's collection. Yet, I am baffled that all of their books are currently out of print. I am sure one will not have trouble looking at a used bookstore for a copy of this. This book deals precisely with what the title says: The Disney Villians. In their usual classic and lucid style, the authors discuss the troubles they ran while devising a villian. One that is wicked, yet appealing to the audience. Going through their catalog of movies from Snow White to Aladdin, they discuss in detail what a villian is all about, and how the villian relates to the story, style and main character of each film. Whether one should be more realistic, or have harder edges, or what kind of mannerisms will this villian have. Highly reccomended for the animator and artist, as well as the Disney book lover as these are presented so well. For the enthuseist, which I also own, there is also a more expensive version of this book, hardcover with a slipcase, signed by each of the authors and a print of the filmstrip from Snow White.
GET IT when you can..........1999-05-14
Why did they do it? Frank and Ollie wanted to give a thorough insight into the making of believable, memorable animated characters. For all to learn from... and they did just that! Another MUST-HAVE from the makers of some of this worlds most entertaining animation.
A Worthwhile Read For Any Disney Fan!.......1998-07-11
Who better to bring us the history of the villain in Disney films than two people responsible for the creation of so many of them? Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas' remarkable survey of the history of bad guys begins with the obligatory history of Disney animation and proceeds to describe all of the villains created from the earliest cartoon shorts to Aladdin. Concept drawings, poster art and stills from the film make up the many illustrations and each film is described along with interesting information on each villain discussed. The one drawback - an obvious one when dealing with so prolific a studio - is the fact that this book cuts off at Aladdin, missing the many sinister villains that followed, notably Scar, and Hades.
Book Description
Most Disney characters between 1930 and 1970 were animated by one of the Nine Old Men. Through the span of their careers, these nine highly skilled men, exhibited a loyalty to one another and their employer unparalled in most professions. This candid narrative of their lives and contributions will continue to be a significant, essential source for stury and inspiration.
Customer Reviews:
I want John Canemaker's privileges.......2003-05-01
Once again John Canemaker has made me envious of his access to such beautiful artwork. The behind-the-scene stories of the personalities who created the characters we grew up with is wonderful. A gorgeous book with illustrations that make it worth the money all by themselves.
Nine Lives.......2003-01-12
So much has been written and said about several of these nine legendary Disney animators that I very much doubted a lot of new ground was going to be broken, especially in a Hyperion release, but Canemaker rises to the task here, and then some. I was most interested in artists like Les Clark and Johnny Lounsbery, who have received less attention than some of the others. Canemaker not only brings them vividly to life with meticulous research, but he also manages to bring new information and fresh insight to all nine of his fascinating subjects. No matter how well you thought you knew the Nine Old Men and their work, there's plenty here for you. This book reveals the lives and personalities of these men, analyzes their contributions extraordinarily well, and also their working and personal relationships with each other, and presents great new visual material from their lives in and away from the studio. The Kimball stuff is a special treat.
Who could have imagined that Marc Davis' early life was as interesting as his work? Or that Kimball and Kahl were even crazier than you thought (and even more brilliant)? Ot that the master, Frank Thomas, actually struggled with his draftsmanship? Canemaker captures the promise of each of these men's pre-Disney careers and the spark in the work that caught Walt's attention is always evident. He also captures the human quirks that played a tremendous role in the golden age of the studio and often found its way onto the screen as well.
Much of this information and all of Canemaker's excellent insight would not have come to light without his diligent effort and research, and the result is a well-written, revealing, tasteful, and very visual masterpiece.
PS We lost the great, one-and-only Ward Kimball recently...only Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas are still with us now. God bless you both.
Discovering the Genius Of Exactly What Made Disney "Disney".......2001-11-02
John Canemaker has given readers the Disney animation book that's been missing for decades. Only it's the Readers Digest version. Canemaker is forced to compact nine amazing biographies into one book. Each of his nine subjects - the core group of gifted animators who defined the look and feel of Disney animation from the 1930's through the 1970's - is deserving of far more time and space than a single volume can deliver. Nevertheless, he's done an amazing job, and he introduces us to these men with the same careful critical objectivity he did in "Before the Animation Begins", Canemaker's marvelous 1996 book focusing on the great Disney visual development and story artists.
The author gives us the best un-fairy-dusted glimpse of the real day-to-day workings of Disney's shop since animator Jack Kinney's 1988 "Walt Disney And Assorted Other Characters" (admittedly limited in objectivity, but still enormously entertaining in its candor.) It's impossible not to feel the same admiration and passion as the author. Even in his harsher analysis of temperaments and turmoil the author is writing about the best of times among a group of very real artistic heroes who were such extraordinary people that you'd have treasured any time you could have spent in their company. Sadly, Canemaker only gets to brush on topics such as how the old generation influenced the new. Many of the current generation of Disney artists are interviewed for this book and they have a great deal of insight to contribute (both Andreas Dejas and John Lasseter in particular)and one wishes that the author had been afforded the luxury of a more critical analysis of the older generation's influence on this generation -- both by their presence and their absence; e.g. - in the best chapter in the book, Milt Kahl is characterized as having had the greatest influence on the look of Disney characters. Questions about what affect Kahl's abrupt departure in 1976 had on the next generation - whether by way of his absence or his reluctance to be a true mentor - deserve more space than alotted. Similarly, the reader wants to know more about how veteran Eric Larson was treated by Disney executives who handed over "The Small One" to the ambitious Don Bluth, who later broke ranks and left the studio to start his own production company leaving the studio talent pool seriously decimated.
Canemaker is both the obvious choice and greatest risk for authoring this important animated version of "The Lives of the Artists" (Cainmaker states it was his hope to emulate Vasari's work) as he is admittedly very close to two of his subjects - animators and authors Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Similarly, Ward Kimball and the late Marc Davis were friends of the author's, but he pulls fewer punches in his sharp but loving focus on the latter two. Even so, it would be hard to imagine any other author would have such an unprecedented level of trust from his subjects and their parent company, and thus such privileged access. And though his focus seems less sharp in the chapters on Thomas and Johnston, any biographer suffers from similar lapses when focusing on a living subject, particularly one whom they and the vast majority of the public hold in great affectionate esteem.
The book makes it clear that the memories of the living affect a much harsher view of the dead from among this old boy's network of disparate personalities who helped to define something as far reaching in popular culture as Disney's animated characters. Withered rivalries and carefully aged egos still pepper the perspective here and it only adds to the books ability to evoke something real, and not just the Halceon days of animation. The fact that the dead can't defend themselves even through living relatives and numerous ex-wives is a minor and admittedly unavoidable flaw, and in his preface Canemaker attempts to acknowledge it with a quote from a letter from Thomas to the author re undertaking the project. Even with obvious affection personal favorites, the author has done a terrific job of sharing insights into the passions of each of these nine men whose personalities were made immortal once filtered through such old friends as Captain Hook and Cruella DeVil.
It's to Canemaker's credit that we long for even more on each of these animators -- particularly Kahl and Larson -- and more examples of what made them great animators. Which brings us to the book's only glaring flaw: the illustrations. There simply aren't enough examples of scenes and sequences attributed to each artist -- particularly raw pencil drawings -- and the quality of photo reproductions from finished film frames and other archival material seems oddly yellow or green in tint and not up to the usual Disney publishing standards. e.g. a series of frames showing the Duke from "Cinderella" rolling his monocle between his fingers is so dark that you can barely see the referenced movement it serves to illustrate. This is greatly disappointing. Granted that many such sequences are found in Thomas & Johnston's "The Illusion of Life", but the book is out of print, and the vast resources of the Disney Animation Research Library as well as Mr. Canemaker's personal collection must be able to yield fresher and more fitting illustrations than what's found here. Again, Kahl's chapter gives us more to feast on than others, but it still isn't enough. After all, this is a visual medium we're discussing and a picture here only serves to give us reason to read another thousand written words. But, be that as it may, the book is both a MUST READ and a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in film history, animation, acting and/or Disneyana, and one hopes that Mr. Canemaker's upcoming book on Disney artist Mary Blair heralds a series of more extensive and more intimate (and hopefully much better illustrated) biographies on Kahl, Davis, Reitherman et. al. A long awaited and fine accomplishment, and easily the best book from Disney's publishing arm in 2001.
Average customer rating:
- AMAZING ART ANIMATION
- A fantastic example of concept art for anybody!
- Best of the "The Art Of" series!
- Wonderful graphics, including ones the public never sees
- Great book for animation art lovers.
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Art of the Lion King, The
Christopher Finch
Manufacturer: Disney Editions
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0786860286 |
Customer Reviews:
AMAZING ART ANIMATION.......2005-07-03
"The Lion King," Disney's 32nd animated film proved to be a smashing success, appealing to young, old, and those in between. As it filled movie houses, Disney mania swept the country again. The breathtaking visual effects that fascinated so many are brought to stunning life in "The Art of the Lion King" by Christopher Finch.
This lavish folio-size volume traces the creative process utilized in making the film, from black and white sketches to glorious full-color reproductions and even splendid fold-outs, one exhibiting the surreal beauty of the African natural world.
Actor James Earl Jones, the voice of Mufasa the Lion King in the film, contributes the foreword, while the text is by Christopher Finch, author of "The Art of Walt Disney."
Those fascinated by the art of animation and those touched by the story of Mufasa, Simba and Scar will treasure this color and fact filled memento.
- Gail Cooke
A fantastic example of concept art for anybody!.......2004-02-18
Apart from the fact that my copy was close to pocket size, i thought that this book was fantastic. Not only does it come filled with amazing concepts, it also is accompanied with the Lion King Storyline. As an illustrator and student animator, it is a wonderful addition to my resources. The sketches through to the complete full colour images are for any Lion King fan, artists or just someone wanting a beautiful coffee table book. If your from overseas like myself and cannot get these kind of books in Australia, i reccommend Amazon and their associate stores. Buy this, its great.
Best of the "The Art Of" series!.......2000-06-06
I received this book as a birthday present last month. To say the least, I was overwhelmed with all the artwork in this book. I love it! The artwork and production animation is breathtaking! It's a really awesome book, I'd get it if I were you! You can't go wrong with "The Art of The Lion King"!!!
Wonderful graphics, including ones the public never sees.......1999-01-22
This book is one of the most exquisite things to come out of The Lion King. The graphics are beautiful. Most of the pictures are ones that are used for the storyboard and layout scenes. I reccommend it to anyone who loves The Lion King, or just Disney in general. Order with confidence - the book is worth much more than its price tag. It is also much more convient than the larger, more expensive version which I believe is no longer being produced.
Great book for animation art lovers........1998-10-01
This book is great if you like to see all the art work that was created during the development of the movie as well as the finished scenes. They show you a lot of the concept art that was used so that you get a sense of how ideas developed and gives you a glimpse behind the scenes. The book is mostly pictures with less explanatory text than you usually see in similar books. So it's mostly a book to look at as opposed to reading. It's great if you enjoy looking at animation art.
Book Description
In 1955 Walt Disney presented the world's first theme park. Disneyland opened with just 18 rides and attractions. Today there are eleven Disney parks around the globe. Visitors can spend weeks at a time in these resorts, often staying in one of Disney's own hotel rooms. But in the last fifty years the Disney Imagineers have designed thousands of rides, attractions, hotels, and even entire theme parks that have never been built. Many of these concepts have remained hidden in the company's private archive for decades. until now. The Disneylands That Never Were documents the biggest, best and most outrageous of these abandoned plans. It details everything from Walt Disney's initial ideas for Mickey Mouse Park to his planned ski resort in California. From small developments like The Disney Hotel in New York's Times Square to the huge Port Disney concept, over five decades of dreams are brought to life in The Disneylands That Never Were.
Customer Reviews:
Lot of Information but not too much.......2007-06-20
This book give us lot of very interesting information but without pictures. It's a bit frustating. Else, my first impression was a few spoofing with the use of a very big font for all pages.
Fun stuff!.......2007-06-08
For Disney park aficionados, this is a great read to hear about ride, land, park, and resort ideas that never came to be. One caution: the book contains little in the way of verification or validation: it reads like a high-school book report without supporting references. Not a scholarly work, but certainly fun for those with a Disney Jones!
A good Premise For A Book-- But Only Decent writing And No Pictures.......2007-05-31
For true fans of the Disney theme parks, this book is a good list of the many ideas considered by Imagineers for projects that, for various reasons, were never completed.
If you can ignore the many typos -- and the self-published vibe -- of the book, you'll enjoy the research that reveals the dozens-and-dozens of concepts for attractions, hotels, shops (and entire theme parks) that were never built due to politics, finances and/or public resistance.
My one MAJOR complaint is the complete lack of any photographs or artists renderings of all the "lost" Disney ideas. The writing is decent, but in no way is able to fully convey some of the GREAT ideas that have been tossed-around in the hallways of Disney's Imagineering division. Not having pictures for this sort of premise is silly (though I understand that Disney was probably uncooperative on this venture), and in a way, self-defeating. I'd love to see a revision -- under the Disney publishing arm -- loaded with the artwork from Imagineering's "morgue" of discarded ideas. Maybe the author can approach Disney with that proposal in a year or two?!? One can hope...
Required Reading for Disney Addicts.......2007-05-14
This book is required reading for Disney Addicts. The information in this book is extremely interesting to even the most seasoned Disney lover. The book is an easy read with tons of interesting info. You can't go wrong with this book...a definite buy!!!!
Amateur Writing, but Interesting Info Nonetheless........2007-05-12
This book is a flawed product of good intentions. It is poorly edited, misstates facts and names, and generally makes a mishmash of its subject, but it is still full of interesting stuff for the casual and inexperienced fan of things Disney. Most of the info here is better told in first-hand memoirs of Disney people, the book is poorly organized, and the author, who clearly hails from the UK, uses mistaken terminology to describe American subjects in a way that grates if you care about language as I do. The book jumps back and forth, repeats itself, and is kind of painful to read...BUT...the info is there hiding beneath the bad writing, so if you really want the basic background on many historical curiosities about the Disney theme park empire and especially about the attractions and plans that were never completed (even though many of the reasons and facts given about WHY they weren't are wrong or half-baked) then read the book anyhow. But you've been warned. It is realy rough going.
Books:
- We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
- What Happy People Know: How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better
- Whiteout: Melt
- Wish for a Fish: All About Sea Creatures (Cat in the Hat's Lrning Libry)
- 30 Days of Night
- 300
- A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire)
- Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster
- Amphigorey Again
- Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth: Book 1
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