Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[Pixiedustmaker]

Here's an interesting video of early 1955 Disneyland I came across, at the 0:55 mark, the picture is amazingly clear . . .

 

[Eddie Sotto]

What a great video thanks. So many details.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Here's an interesting video of early 1955 Disneyland I came across, at the 0:55 mark, the picture is amazingly clear . . .

Oh my. It reminds me of a time when men wore jackets & hats and women wore dresses & bonnets. Hard to believe it was less than 60 years ago.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Oh my. It reminds me of a time when men wore jackets & hats and women wore dresses & bonnets. Hard to believe it was less than 60 years ago.

Or briefly last year when they were filming this movie!



I love seeing 1950's/60's clothed people in Disneyland, the park hasn't changed much, but it gives a sense of how enduring Walt Disney's vision in Anaheim has become.

I wonder if the Tomorrowland movie will have some recreated shots of an earlier Disneyland.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Hey, Eddie!

Would you please share your thoughts on Tony and Collin being honored this year as Disney Legends?

Are you going to attend the Awards Ceremony next month @ D23?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Hey, Eddie!

Would you please share your thoughts on Tony and Collin being honored this year as Disney Legends?

Are you going to attend the Awards Ceremony next month @ D23?

I think it is well deserved. Both of them turned in a tremendous amount of work and made significant contributions to the Disney brand. Collin was rare in that he did many backgrounds for the animated films, namely 101 Dalmations and also worked on Pirates of the Carribean. (He made the Pirate a self portrait in the original attraction poster). Tony's contributions are both numerous and obvious. Congratulations to both. I'd like to be there if it works out.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I don't know about you, but I have trouble getting past Tom Hanks being Tom Hanks no matter how good he is or how much they made him look like Walt.

 

[Omnispace]

I don't know about you, but I have trouble getting past Tom Hanks being Tom Hanks no matter how good he is or how much they made him look like Walt.

I tend to agree -- looking at the trailer I have a difficult time thinking of Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. In fact in almost every movie I have seen him in I think of him as Tom Hanks.

Eddie Bracken as Roy Walley in National Lampoon's Vacation perhaps made a more believable Walt-type person. When they cast this movie they should have gone for a more believable actor rather than the star power.

So who would make a better Walt Disney?... Edward Norton??

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

I kinda think that Tom Hanks did a generic southern accent that was too exaggerated in a Paula Deen sort of way, wasn't Walt Disney "southern drawl" a sort of Kansas type mid-western accent, and not necessarily from the deep south?

I do think Hanks does a good enough job that I can enjoy the film and trick myself into believing that he's Walt Disney . . . but like Eddie said, he's so recognizable, in terms of appearance and stock facial expressions/acting techniques, it is hard not to see him as Tom Hanks.

Throughout "The Terminal", it was hard to believe that Tom Hanks was really this foreigner, although he does some great acting, it was kinda like watching a two hour Saturday Night LIfe sketch.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

From what I'm hearing about it, the story and the emotion will overcome the flaws.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I've been out of town the last few weeks, so I just wanted to bring this great article to your attention. Take a look at the incredible concept art of Eric Heschong. He recently passed away at an early 62 and was one of the greats at visualizing dreams. When we needed a killer illustration, Eric was the man. Quiet and professional, he always gave 200%. He was always in demand and you can see by his outstanding work. He worked alot for WDI and also Landmark. Eric will be missed. He was an incredibly kind and collaboritive person. A rare quality.

http://micechat.com/33326-late-conc...ong-leaves-behind-an-amazing-legacy/#comments

More on Eric.
http://forestlawn.tributes.com/show/Eric-Kurt-Heschong-95937784

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Another Imagineer I had the pleasure to work with under Tony was someone you may not know, John Stone. We lost him recently as well. John was the fastest model builder I have ever seen and he was driven by a passion to create. Tony could and did throw him any challenge and he rose to it. He made complete interior tabletop models of the Indiana Jones ride for Disneyland (on his own time) and made more than one for each of us as SWAG! ( I refused him making me one one as it seemed such alot of work), incredible. That's the kind of guy he was. Splash Mountain and Imagination were projects he was involved in as well and with Tony and Bruce shaped the look of those shows. Model builders are a key part of the evolutionary design process, not just carvers and painters. Most crucial, many times Tony would have an idea, but needed a model or something to capture the imagination of the management, but did not have much development budget. John would jump in on his own and literally overnight produce something that he could sell with. That is the difference in getting something made and having your idea go cold. John Stone knew that and used his gift to make things happen.

A rare, sometimes outspoken and passionate talent that has passed on far too soon. He believed in doing it right and said so. Like many Imagineers, John may not have gotten direct recognition, but was critical to the success of the project. Along with Eric, a tragedy for all of us as they were great players in the making of the Disney Show.

http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/183651-john-stone-former-imagineer.html

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

I've been out of town the last few weeks, so I just wanted to bring this great article to your attention. Take a look at the incredible concept art of Eric Heschong. He recently passed away at an early 62 and was one of the greats at visualizing dreams. When we needed a killer illustration, Eric was the man. Quiet and professional, he always gave 200%. He was always in demand and you can see by his outstanding work. He worked alot for WDI and also Landmark. Eric will be missed. He was an incredibly kind and collaboritive person. A rare quality.

http://micechat.com/33326-late-conc...ong-leaves-behind-an-amazing-legacy/#comments

Oh nerts. This is sad news indeed.

I loved Eric's work. I own a signed litho of his Rocket Rods nighttime concept art, with the Rods and the loading platform in the foreground and a deliciously turquoise blue Space Mountain as the backdrop.

An amazingly talented artist.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Another Imagineer I had the pleasure to work with under Tony was someone you may not know, John Stone. We lost him recently as well.

Oh crap. I haven't been keeping up with the boards lately, so this is news to me.

Most crucial, many times Tony would have an idea, but needed a model or something to capture the imagination of the management, but did not have much development budget. John would jump in on his own and literally overnight produce something that he could sell with. That is the difference in getting something made and having your idea go cold. John Stone knew that and used his gift to make things happen.

Eddie, was John the builder for the infamous Splash model that Brock Eisner supposedly adored and begged his father to build? (Yes, I know there's much urban legend behind this story. But the basis of said story with the model being noticed during the tour is true, correct?)

A rare, sometimes outspoken and passionate talent that has passed on far too soon. He believed in doing it right and said so. Like many Imagineers, John may not have gotten direct recognition, but was critical to the success of the project. Along with Eric, a tragedy for all of us as they were great players in the making of the Disney Show.

That famous Disney Magazine portrait of Tony, John, and Bruce is somewhat chilling.

How's that saying go again? Deaths come in threes?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Eddie, was John the builder for the infamous Splash model that Brock Eisner supposedly adored and begged his father to build?

That famous Disney Magazine portrait of Tony, John, and Bruce is somewhat chilling.

How's that saying go again? Deaths come in threes?

The Splash model was John's. He was very involved. I'm not sure about the Breck (or Eric) Eisner story so I can't verify that. Eisner did ask his kids what they thought of the projects sometimes, so I believe that aspect, but not sure if he saw the model.

I remember when we all looked younger like that...Don't even go there with the "threes" thing.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Here's the John Stone Indy model I was talking about.
http://www.throwmetheidol.com/stone.html

 

[Figments Friend]

Another Imagineer I had the pleasure to work with under Tony was someone you may not know, John Stone. We lost him recently as well. John was the fastest model builder I have ever seen and he was driven by a passion to create. Tony could and did throw him any challenge and he rose to it. He made complete interior tabletop models of the Indiana Jones ride for Disneyland (on his own time) and made more than one for each of us as SWAG! ( I refused him making me one one as it seemed such alot of work), incredible. That's the kind of guy he was. Splash Mountain and Imagination were projects he was involved in as well and with Tony and Bruce shaped the look of those shows. Model builders are a key part of the evolutionary design process, not just carvers and painters. Most crucial, many times Tony would have an idea, but needed a model or something to capture the imagination of the management, but did not have much development budget. John would jump in on his own and literally overnight produce something that he could sell with. That is the difference in getting something made and having your idea go cold. John Stone knew that and used his gift to make things happen.

A rare, sometimes outspoken and passionate talent that has passed on far too soon. He believed in doing it right and said so. Like many Imagineers, John may not have gotten direct recognition, but was critical to the success of the project. Along with Eric, a tragedy for all of us as they were great players in the making of the Disney Show.

http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/183651-john-stone-former-imagineer.html

Lovely post Eddie. I was saddened when i heard of John's passing a couple of weeks ago.
I really enjoy your personal insight into working with folks like John and Tony. Please keep these great tales coming !

 

[Omnispace]

Oh nerts. This is sad news indeed.

I loved Eric's work. I own a signed litho of his Rocket Rods nighttime concept art, with the Rods and the loading platform in the foreground and a deliciously turquoise blue Space Mountain as the backdrop.

An amazingly talented artist.

I have to admit that I love these renderings. Eric Heschong was extremely talented -- so much so that he was able to make the 1998 Tomorrowland look fantastic. He did it by adding his signature highlights to everything and created a quality of "light" that did not materialize when the project reached reality. Instead of having this fantastic "sparkle" to everything, the browns and dark greens absorbed the light and made the place feel lifeless. I'm not saying that Eric cheated -- he was just smarter than the Imagineers who were not able to grasp what he was able to achieve on canvas. Perhaps if Eric was involved in the project all along instead of being hired to render the design towards the end, (I am assuming), things may have turned out differently. Not to criticize anyone who came later but I think it is significant that the early Imagineers were artists first. There's a lot that can be learned from their intuition.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I have to admit that I love these renderings. Eric Heschong was extremely talented -- so much so that he was able to make the 1998 Tomorrowland look fantastic. He did it by adding his signature highlights to everything and created a quality of "light" that did not materialize when the project reached reality. Instead of having this fantastic "sparkle" to everything, the browns and dark greens absorbed the light and made the place feel lifeless. I'm not saying that Eric cheated -- he was just smarter than the Imagineers who were not able to grasp what he was able to achieve on canvas. Perhaps if Eric was involved in the project all along instead of being hired to render the design towards the end, (I am assuming), things may have turned out differently. Not to criticize anyone who came later but I think it is significant that the early Imagineers were artists first. There's a lot that can be learned from their intuition.

Very good thoughts. Renderings do cheat reality and you can never assume that it will just look good, you have to continually question what you are doing and imagine it's total effect in context. The brown Space Mountain was a good example of reality not being the rendering.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

I have to admit that I love these renderings. Eric Heschong was extremely talented -- so much so that he was able to make the 1998 Tomorrowland look fantastic. He did it by adding his signature highlights to everything and created a quality of "light" that did not materialize when the project reached reality. Instead of having this fantastic "sparkle" to everything, the browns and dark greens absorbed the light and made the place feel lifeless. I'm not saying that Eric cheated -- he was just smarter than the Imagineers who were not able to grasp what he was able to achieve on canvas.

Not true. The Imagineers fully grasped what Eric achieved in his art, because that's what they originally wanted.

Eric didn't cheat. Pressler and Timor Galen wanted to save money, so they swapped out that beautiful turquoise metallic paint for the dull brown because it was cheaper. It was their decision and theirs alone. Tony didn't want that crappy treatment, but Galen held the purse strings and made the substitutions anyway.