I just gotta ask....

[MonsterManX]

Before you read this , please don't kill me I'm just confused as hell about this.
Ok so the other day I was looking up disney world documentaries to watch on my computer (and seriously I cant find any , I've seen modern marvels like 15 times on my dvr) , and I came across a video on youtube that consisted of 6 parts from 1995. It was Entilted "Walt Disney-"Secret Lives" Documentary" , it was a apart of a show called "Secret Lives" that discussed further backgrounds into famous people. On this episode they interviewed a good solid 6-8 animators and workers ,etc discussing the man , telling us things that you would never hear about uncle walt. Including , a video of a Disney Studios strike , himself at the stand for a Communist Questioning , and a file on himself that nearly all was blacked out and never known till this day. And trust me a whole lot more.

So I'm just like concerned that my whole world just got turned upside down here , and I'm curious to know if any of this is true. He deffinetely seemed paranoid by the Communist stuff , not gonna lie. Anyways lemme know cause now Idk what to feel anymore reguarding to him as a person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA2hWgvZKo

that's part 1 of 6 , it gets crazier by the end.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Including , a video of a Disney Studios strike , himself at the stand for a Communist Questioning , and a file on himself that nearly all was blacked out and never known till this day.

I don't know what the file you're talking about is, but there was definitely a strike in the early 1940s, and Walt did testify before Congress during the McCarthy era. From what I've read, Walt was anti-union, and he seemed to decide that the efforts to unionize his studio were part of a communist plot. He was insulted that his workers would try to band together and force concessions out of him. He resented the labor revolt in the studio he had built, and took it personally.

He deffinetely seemed paranoid by the Communist stuff , not gonna lie.

He wasn't the only one. The Cold War was a different time, and people were genuinely scared of the spread of communism. It's hard to identify with that mindset today, but it was prevalent in those days.

 

[MonsterManX]

I don't know what the file you're talking about is, but there was definitely a strike in the early 1940s, and Walt did testify before Congress during the McCarthy era. From what I've read, Walt was anti-union, and he seemed to decide that the efforts to unionize his studio were part of a communist plot. He was insulted that his workers would try to band together and force concessions out of him. He resented the labor revolt in the studio he had built, and took it personally.


He wasn't the only one. The Cold War was a different time, and people were genuinely scared of the spread of communism. It's hard to identify with that mindset today, but it was prevalent in those days.

Yeah I can see why they'd be scared , but it just seems so messed up to me reguarding all this stuff , does anyone know if any of this other info is true or not? At first It was made up tabloid but they did interview a fair share of animators.

 

[Disneyson 1]

Oh God. Is this the whole " He's anti-semetic" thing?? I'm over this.

 

[MonsterManX]

Oh God. Is this the whole " He's anti-semetic" thing?? I'm over this.

Pardon my french , but hell no lol. I'm asking upon the whole whenter or not the "i'm a jerk to everyone" , "I didn't draw half my mickeys in my pictures because I stunk at drafting", "I trashed my hotel room after my strike was solved" , etc. Im curious to know if anyone of you long knowledge disney fans knew if any of it was true because in all honesty this has been bugging me since I watched it , it's totally altered my thoughts on everything disney wise. So basically put I'm hoping someone can convince me it's a bunch of bs just like a lot of stuff.

 

[clarksfan95]

Okay, so I watched the first two parts and I think the one thing that you have to keep in mind is that most of the people being interviewed may have worked there at one point, but didn't spend their entire career there.

Bill Melendez did work for Disney, but he didn't stay very long and became extremely famous after he left Disney. Melendez Animation was a large competitor of Disney for a good while.

Also, try to keep in mind the timeframe that Walt lived in. Women really didn't have a lot of rights and neither did non-white people. Men were seen as the workers and women weren't really supposed to be out and about, they were meant to be at home. (Though I'd take an ink and paint job anyday. It's so much fun.) In a production house it is very important that the work stays on schedule and it usually involves working at a high level very quickly. Ink and Paint may not have been the best job in the world, but there were probably far worse jobs that they could've gotten.

I'll try to comment on the other parts later, but that's what I'm seeing now.

A lot of these people may not have even survived the strike. They may have been in the majority who walked out on Walt. Some animators did not and they were forever loved by him, he was greatly hurt when his staff walked out on him and I'm not sure he ever really got over it....but I guess that's for historians to discuss.

 

[MonsterManX]

Okay, so I watched the first two parts and I think the one thing that you have to keep in mind is that most of the people being interviewed may have worked there at one point, but didn't spend their entire career there.

Bill Melendez did work for Disney, but he didn't stay very long and became extremely famous after he left Disney. Melendez Animation was a large competitor of Disney for a good while.

Also, try to keep in mind the timeframe that Walt lived in. Women really didn't have a lot of rights and neither did non-white people. Men were seen as the workers and women weren't really supposed to be out and about, they were meant to be at home. (Though I'd take an ink and paint job anyday. It's so much fun.) In a production house it is very important that the work stays on schedule and it usually involves working at a high level very quickly. Ink and Paint may not have been the best job in the world, but there were probably far worse jobs that they could've gotten.

I'll try to comment on the other parts later, but that's what I'm seeing now.

A lot of these people may not have even survived the strike. They may have been in the majority who walked out on Walt. Some animators did not and they were forever loved by him, he was greatly hurt when his staff walked out on him and I'm not sure he ever really got over it....but I guess that's for historians to discuss.

Appreciate it , yeah deffinetely watch the other parts , I'm just trying to maintain some optimisum that a lot of this is that general made up stuff everyone reads , just in video form. I deffinetely understood the time period part just some of the comments and things made in this video bugged me ,etc.

 

[GJF323]

OK, I'll admit I haven't watched this, and don't feel a burning need to view the clips, but here's a general observation. The best parallel is probably the trend in the treatment of great persons (i.e., great Presidents like Washington and Lincoln and the Founding Fathers), where two approaches can be taken - one where the great person is treated almost as demigods or marble statues so virtuous that they couldn't possibly have existed (as human beings), and the other where it is recognized that a great person can be flawed and yet accomplish great things. I'm with the latter group.

So, before watching, decide which trend you find most appealing and view the material through that lens. As others have pointed out, Walt was a man of his time, and probably did most or all of the things the clips allege - can we fault him for not transcending every misguided view he might have held? Can't we just admit that despite all of what he might have been or done, he still managed to create something magical that's still going strong?

 

[Princess1215]

OK, I'll admit I haven't watched this, and don't feel a burning need to view the clips, but here's a general observation. The best parallel is probably the trend in the treatment of great persons (i.e., great Presidents like Washington and Lincoln and the Founding Fathers), where two approaches can be taken - one where the great person is treated almost as demigods or marble statues so virtuous that they couldn't possibly have existed (as human beings), and the other where it is recognized that a great person can be flawed and yet accomplish great things. I'm with the latter group.

So, before watching, decide which trend you find most appealing and view the material through that lens. As others have pointed out, Walt was a man of his time, and probably did most or all of the things the clips allege - can we fault him for not transcending every misguided view he might have held? Can't we just admit that despite all of what he might have been or done, he still managed to create something magical that's still going strong?

Well put! :sohappy:

 

[wrewlySmera]

I just gotta ask

Just ordered a rocketfish keyboard online from best buy. the item was not suppose to be available until friday, but i got it for the sale price as of 12:30 am Thursday.Has anyone else tried it yet?

 

[Andrew54]

I just find it incredible that he could not even draw mickey, but could collect the awards and sign the paintings as his own. From the video he did seem very certain that a bunch of communist just came in and ruined his company. I really doubt those people were communist though and they really got their lives ruined because he named their names. I did like the part where they put the people on strike in the beginning of Dumbo wanting a raise, thats very clever!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Has anyone ever been on Its a Small World? Of course you have. Walt created that in 1964 at the height of he Civil Rights movement. I've always maintained that a so-called prejudice man would not make such a peaceful ride where children of all colours and backgrounds would sing together. The proof is in the pudding right there and in my opinion each time you witness that ride I always feel it is a commentary on who Walt really was.

So a few animators mentioned he made some racist comments in his lifetime. Is he any less human than you or I? No, just like anyone else. But at his core I believe Walt wanted EVERYONE to enjoy his rides

 

[Erika]

OK, I'll admit I haven't watched this, and don't feel a burning need to view the clips, but here's a general observation. The best parallel is probably the trend in the treatment of great persons (i.e., great Presidents like Washington and Lincoln and the Founding Fathers), where two approaches can be taken - one where the great person is treated almost as demigods or marble statues so virtuous that they couldn't possibly have existed (as human beings), and the other where it is recognized that a great person can be flawed and yet accomplish great things. I'm with the latter group.

So, before watching, decide which trend you find most appealing and view the material through that lens. As others have pointed out, Walt was a man of his time, and probably did most or all of the things the clips allege - can we fault him for not transcending every misguided view he might have held? Can't we just admit that despite all of what he might have been or done, he still managed to create something magical that's still going strong?

You just saved me the trouble of typing out a real long post :lol:

Well said! :sohappy:

 

[ScorpionX]

I don't know what the file you're talking about is, but there was definitely a strike in the early 1940s, and Walt did testify before Congress during the McCarthy era. From what I've read, Walt was anti-union, and he seemed to decide that the efforts to unionize his studio were part of a communist plot. He was insulted that his workers would try to band together and force concessions out of him. He resented the labor revolt in the studio he had built, and took it personally.


He wasn't the only one. The Cold War was a different time, and people were genuinely scared of the spread of communism. It's hard to identify with that mindset today, but it was prevalent in those days.

I watched the video, and it said that Walt got help ending the strike from the Capone mob. Now I think of Walt as a very violent man.

 

[unkadug]

I watched the video, and it said that Walt got help ending the strike from the Capone mob. Now I think of Walt as a very violent man.

You shouldn't let others so easily influence your opinions.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I just find it incredible that he could not even draw mickey, but could collect the awards and sign the paintings as his own. From the video he did seem very certain that a bunch of communist just came in and ruined his company. I really doubt those people were communist though and they really got their lives ruined because he named their names. I did like the part where they put the people on strike in the beginning of Dumbo wanting a raise, thats very clever!

You need to read the whole story about the strike. There really were communists and communist sympathizers behind it. They struck at all the other studios, and finally at Disney; they were not so much concerned about the rights of workers as they were about creating a power base of their own. And communists were indeed trying to infiltrate Hollywood. I've read two biographies, one about Dorothy Parker, and one about Groucho Marx, and an autobiography about Mary Astor, that all talk about it. Communists saw the media as a way to influence the public and eventually, wild as it seems, take over America. The unionizers pf that day and many envious, politically-left-leaning people of today try to paint Walt as a greedy slavedriver, but in truth, Walt was a good employer who provided many perks for his employees that were unheard of at the time -perks like air conditioning, recreational areas and even waiters to serve the animators at their desks if they so desired! It's true that animators were treated shoddily at some studios - most notoriously Warner Brothers - but not at Disney. Walt thought of his workers as a sort of family - he even considered having housing built at the studio so that his workers could live together - and that's why he took the strike so personally. It just about broke his heart. He was never the same after it happened.