Rediscovering Walt Disney

On Oct 27, 1966, the same day Walt Disney filmed his EPCOT presentation film, he also filmed this. It was meant to be shown before the premiere of Follow Me, Boys! at Radio City Music Hall in December but was withheld because Walt had died. When you see this footage and hear him talk about how he can't get away from the studio and you realize he's actually a sick man nearing his deathbed, you can't help but get a little misty-eyed. Follow Me, Boys! is a forgotten film but it was a story that resonated with Walt. Whenever he cast Fred MacMurry in a role it was because Walt saw himself in that role. Follow Me, Boys! was also the first Disney film starring Kurt Russell who would go on to enjoy a career of Disney films well into the 1970's. Kurt has discussed his friendship with Walt many times over the years. Walt also created the role for Lillian Gish in that film as the emotional heart of the story because he wanted to give her the work. In a lot of ways, this film is Walt telling the world goodbye whether he realized it of not. The world lost one of the most innovative figures of all time when Walt Disney passed away and this channel exists so you can rediscover the things he did. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 12th Oswald cartoon in the series. Release date February 6, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 13th Oswald cartoon in the series. Release date February 20, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 19th Oswald cartoon in the series. Release date May 14, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 23rd Oswald cartoon in the series. Release date July 9, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 25th Oswald cartoon in the series. Release date August 6, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 11th Oswald cartoon in the series and most of it is lost. Release date January 23, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

In the spring of 1940 Walt Disney and Billy Bletcher were filmed at their recording session for the Mickey Mouse cartoon Mr Mouse Takes a Trip. The short was released on November 1, 1940. This is the only footage of Walt performing Mickey Mouse's voice that's known to exist. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This theatrical featurette was a newsreel released to advertise the original release of Mary Poppins. This historical document shows what it was like on the night of August 27. 1964 when Mary Poppins debuted at the Grauman's Chinese Theater and was a smash success. There were also live radio and television broadcasts of this very special night. Although the announcer claims this was Walt's first premiere since Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, that's inaccurate. All of Walt's films had a gala premiere from Song of the South in Atlanta to Darby O'Gill & the Little People in Dublin. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 15th Oswald cartoon in the series and the final one produced by Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks. Release date March 19, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney had intended to do several themed package features in the postwar period but ran out of money so the work that had been completed was combined into releasable features to get them out the door and bring much needed revenue into the studio. The features Mickey & the Beanstalk and the Wind in the Willows became featurettes and were combined with other stories. Shorts created for an American Tall Tales feature were distributed into the films Melody Time and Make Mine Music. Another one of the compromised features was originally going to be a Washington Irving feature. While the Legend of Sleepy Hollow was released in the feature The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad, the other half of the Irving Feature, Rip van Winkle was cancelled. What does exist is a kiddie record based on the Walt Disney film that never was starring Walter Huston, Arthur Q Brian, and Bea Benaderet. Walt had once considered a live action adaptation of Rip Van Winkle with Will Rogers in the title role and the dwarves being animated but Rogers passed away in an aviation accident before anything came of it. This kiddie record is all that exists of the Walt Disney film that never was. The segment was often paired with the kiddie record adaptation of Walt Disney's Legend of Sleepy Hollow and reissued multiple times over the years. The album artwork was by famed Walt Disney artist and cartoonist Walt Kelly. Since kiddie records are a thing of the past, we post it here for you to learn about this lost chapter of Walt Disney history. When one hears the performance of Walter Huston one wishes they could have seen this story animated. Walt did do an episode of his TV show partially based on the life of Washington Irving with Irving's life being animated. This episode aired in the second season on October 26, 1955 and was paired with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow segment from the Adventures of Ichabod & Mr Toad. It should also be noted that in recent years there are "experts" who have tried to coopt the image of Washington Irving and claim, without evidence, that he was part of the Rainbow Jihad. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

On December 21, 1937 Walt Disney's Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater. A who's who of Hollywood fixtures came out to see the film. Some of the first costumed Walt Disney characters ever also appeared at this event and intermingled with the celebrities. This legendary premiere was a huge success that far surpassed expectations. Here's a radio broadcast of the red carpet before the premiere edited with photos from the event. This is a treasure we're blessed still exists. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

In 1949 Bing Crosy devoted several different segments of his radio show across two months to promote Walt Disney's new animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr Toad. Bing told and sung the Ichabod segment. For your enjoyment, here are all four segments edited into one clip. Each of these songs contain verses not used in the final film. Original air dates: Katrina Sept 21, 1949 Katrina October 5, 1949 Ichabod October 12, 1949 Headless Horseman October 26, 1949 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Trailer for the 1949 fantasy comedy adventure film based on the novels the Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. Plot: In the Wind in the Willows the eccentric Mr. Toad loses his ancestorial home in his pursuit of obtaining motor cars. In the Legend of Sleepy Hollow schoolmaster Ichabod Crane matches wits with local good ol' boy Brom Bones for the hand of the lovely Katrina van Tassel. Starring Bing Crosby as the Narrator, Ichabod Crane, & Brom Bones Basil Rathbone as the Narrator Eric Blore as J. Thaddeus Toad J. Pat O'Malley as Cyril Proudbottom John McLeish as the Prosecuting Attorney Colin Campbell as Mole Campbell Grant as Angus MacBadger Claud Allister as Water Rat The Rhythmaires as the Sleepy Hollow villagers Oliver Wallace & Alec Harford as Mr. Winkie Songs by Larry Morey & Ray Gilbert and Frank Churchill & Charles Wolcott and Don Raye & Gene de Paul Story by Erdman Penner, Winston Hibler, Joe Rinaldi, Ted Sears, Homer Brightman, & Harry Reeves Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar Release date October 5, 1949 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

In this 1950 episode of Perry Como Presents this promo for Walt Disney's Cinderella. The sequence features Perry Como, the Fontane Sisters, and Cinderella's actual voice in the film, Ilene Woods. There's also a cameo by Clarence "Ducky" Nash and Donald Duck. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This is the second Mickey Mouse cartoon animated but the second one released. When the silent versions of Plane Crazy and the Gallopin' Gaucho failed to gain distribution, Walt decided to make the third Mickey Mouse, Steamboat Willie, cartoon the world's first fully synchronized sound cartoon after seeing The Jazz Singer (Itself being the first synchronized live action film.) The short was animated by Ub Iwerks and the title came from a parody of a Buster Keaton film, Steamboat Bill. A test with live sound was done for the staff in July 1928. Walt Disney voiced all the characters in the short. The film was distributed by Pat Powers. Steamboat Willie premiered at Universal's Colony Theater in New York City on November 18, 1928 and became the most popular cartoon of its day and launched Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney into stardom. Walt added sound to the previously silent Mickey Mouse cartoons, Plane Crazy and the Gallopin' Gaucho. The Gallpoin' Gaucho is a parody of the Douglas Fairbanks film The Gaucho. It fell into the public domain in 2024. Release date December 30, 1928 (Silent version) August 2, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. This short was remade into the Mickey Mouse short Ye Olden Days. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 6th Oswald cartoon in the series and the final one produced by Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks. Release date November 14, 1927 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

The Alice Comedies are Walt Disney's first successful animated series. The cartoons follow the adventures of a live action little girl named Alice and her animated cat, Julius, through an animated world. The original actress who played Alice was Virginia Davis. The third actress to play Alice was Margie Gay is in this short and was in more than twice as many Alice Comedies than Virginia Davis. The cartoons are animated by Ub Iwerks and were distributed by Margaret J. Winkler. The successful Alice Comedies series ran for 57 episodes and are the foundation of the Disney Bros Studio. The series was finally replaced by Walt's new star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. 16 Alice Comedies shorts are believed to be lost. This is the 28th Alice Comedies cartoon in the series. Release date January 15, 1926 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

While not rediscovering Walt Disney history, this is rediscovering Walt Disney adjacent history. Richard M and Robert B Sherman made up the Sherman Bros songwriting team. They were his righthand songwriters but after Walt passed away they left the Walt Disney Studios and struck out on their own. Among their Post Walt Disney musicals work are Charlotte's Web, Snoopy Come Home, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, the Slipper & the Rose, and others. They also wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang while still working for Walt. One of their unproduced musicals is an animated feature known as Sir Puss in Boots. It starred Sammy Davis, Jr, Karl Malden, and Michael Jackson (not THAT Michael Jackson...) It was to be directed by another Disney alumnus, Jack Kinney. Kinney mentions this unproduced film in his autobiography and so do the Sherman Bros in their own. The film was never completed because the producer ran out of money but it's my understanding that all of the performances were recorded. In the days of crowdfunding, wouldn't it be marvelous to see a brand-new hand drawn musical animated feature by the Sherman Bros released among a sea of CGI animated features? Here's a sampling from that score married with a press kit created for the film that was produced to generate funding in the 1970's. To purchase the CD with the entire score follow this link: http://www.kritzerland.com/unsung_sherman.htm It's great to discover a lost Sherman Bros musical and there's two on that album plus a few prospective songs written for a third. Maybe if people generate interest in this project, those who are able to will revive it. We can only hope.

The Alice Comedies are Walt Disney's first successful animated series. The cartoons follow the adventures of a live action little girl named Alice and her animated cat, Julius, through an animated world. The original actress who played Alice was Virginia Davis. This is her final performance as Alice. The cartoons are animated by Ub Iwerks and were distributed by Margaret J. Winkler. The successful Alice Comedies series ran for 57 episodes and are the foundation of the Disney Bros Studio. The series was finally replaced by Walt's new star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. 16 Alice Comedies shorts are believed to be lost. This is the 14th Alice Comedies cartoon in the series. Release date February 1, 1925 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

The Alice Comedies are Walt Disney's first successful animated series. The cartoons follow the adventures of a live action little girl named Alice and her animated cat, Julius, through an animated world. The original actress who played Alice was Virginia Davis. The third actress to play Alice was Margie Gay is in this short and was in more than twice as many Alice Comedies than Virginia Davis. The cartoons are animated by Ub Iwerks and were distributed by Margaret J. Winkler. The successful Alice Comedies series ran for 57 episodes and are the foundation of the Disney Bros Studio. The series was finally replaced by Walt's new star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. 16 Alice Comedies shorts are believed to be lost. This is the 34th Alice Comedies cartoon in the series. Release date October 4, 1926 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. This short was remade into the Mickey Mouse short Ye Olden Days. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 20th Oswald cartoon in the series and the final one produced by Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks. Release date May 28, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. Sky Scrappers was remade as the Mickey Mouse cartoon Building a Building With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 27th Oswald cartoon in the series and the final one produced by Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks. Release date September 3, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

The Alice Comedies are Walt Disney's first successful animated series. The cartoons follow the adventures of a live action little girl named Alice and her animated cat, Julius, through an animated world. The original actress who played Alice was Virginia Davis. The Fourth actress to play Alice was Lois Hardwick is in this short. Most of her Alice Comedies shorts are lost. The cartoons are animated by Ub Iwerks and were distributed by Margaret J. Winkler. The successful Alice Comedies series ran for 57 episodes and are the foundation of the Disney Bros Studio. The series was finally replaced by Walt's new star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. 16 Alice Comedies shorts are believed to be lost. This is the 31st Alice Comedies cartoon in the series. Release date July 25, 1927 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

After the Alice Comedies had run their course due to cost and technical restrictions, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed as the lead character in an new all animated series. Walt and Ub Iwerks began the series once they moved into the new Hyperion Studio building. When the first short, Poor Papa, was rejected by Universal, Walt and Ub went back to the drawing board and redesigned the character to be more like Charlie Chaplin. After Oswald was accepted, the short Poor Papa was tweaked to fit the new character design and became the 21st short released while it was the first one made. With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades. 6 of the 27 Oswald shorts Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks made are believed to be lost. This is the 18th Oswald cartoon in the series. Release date April 30, 1928 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.