Roy E. Disney has Passed away.

UltimtMickeyFan

UltimtMickeyFan

Member
LOS ANGELES -- The Walt Disney Co. says Roy E. Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney who became a powerful behind-the-scenes influence on the family business, has died. He was 79.
The company announced that Disney ( DIS - news - people ) died Wednesday in Newport Beach after a bout with stomach cancer.
http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?publishe...bit-roy-disney_7218008.html?partner=yahoobuzz
His father, Roy O. Disney, and uncle, Walt, founded The Walt Disney Co. in the 1920s. Walt was the company's creative genius but Roy Disney's father played a vital role as head of its financial side.
The younger Disney, born in 1930, worked for the company as a writer and producer. But his most important influence was as a Disney shareholder who led two investor revolts.
In 1984 he led a successful campaign to oust Walt Disney's son-in-law from the company. Nearly 20 years later, he launched another successful shareholder revolt against Michael Eisner.

R.I.P. Roy...
 
MissM

MissM

Well-Known Member
Terribly sad news indeed. Roy's contributions, experience and his dedication to preserving the traditions that made the Disney name so great will surely be missed in years to come.
 
WEDMagic

WEDMagic

Member
I just saw the "breaking news" about this and it made me sad. One day after Uncle Walts death.

If it weren't for Roy, and his shakeup in the 80's we Wouldnt have the Walt Disney World Resort that we are lucky to have today.
If it werent for his shakeup in 04 we Would have had to deal with Eisner letting everything fall apart.

He knew when to step in and say This isnt Disney, The Quality needs to be there and I'll do whatever I have to, to get it back

I will miss that "voice"
 
Rosso11

Rosso11

Well-Known Member
This is such sad news. It always made me happy that there was still a Disney family member still involved with the company. Now it's just feels like any other Corporation. I wish more of the family was still involved.
 
MKCP 1985

MKCP 1985

Well-Known Member
Roy E. Disney, the nephew who saved Disney from corporate takeover in 1984. You will be missed!

:(

Thanks for all you did for those who loved Walt Disney family entertainment and traditional animation.

And he passed away during a week when a traditional Walt Disney Animation feature film is at #1 at the box office. What were the odds of that? Wow!
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
Original Poster
MKCP 1985 said:
Roy E. Disney, the nephew who saved Disney from corporate takeover in 1984. You will be missed!

:(

Thanks for all you did for those who loved Walt Disney family entertainment and traditional animation.

And he passed away during a week when a traditional Walt Disney Animation feature film is at #1 at the box office. What were the odds of that? Wow!
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Very sad and fitting, in a way. :eek:


How involved was he with PatF? I know he was sick...
 
WDW Vacationer

WDW Vacationer

Active Member
:cry: I'm very shocked.

R.I.P. Roy,and thanks for everything you did with animation,keeping the company from takeover and Save Disney. It is all appreciated.

And,so goes the last active member of the Disney family...:(
 
sublimesting

sublimesting

Well-Known Member
This is just the sort of man we needed to run the company. In today's corporate environment the Disney Way just isn't accepted. Just imagine where Disney would be without thew revival of animation! It's shocking. Without animation what does Disney have? They'd have a stagnant park, no animated movies. Disney would have become another business conglomerate. Just imagine where the Disney we know, the parks, the movies would be without Little Mermaid, andToy STory, and Lion King etc. I was stunned tot that it was he who demanded computer animation equipment.


I also noticed the fact that at least he wasn't pretentious:

His main indulgences were a castle in Ireland, a jet, sports cars and financing a passion for sailboat racing.

R.I.P. Roy
 
WDW Vacationer

WDW Vacationer

Active Member
Wanted to share this...Roy's bio page on the Disney Legends site:

If the Walt Disney Studios were to have a real-life Jiminy Cricket, it would have to be vice chairman Roy Edward Disney, son of Roy O. Disney and nephew of Walt Disney, the Company's founders. Besides being its conscience, Roy has also been called the "soul of the Company" because he often looks to its past to define its future.

He once said, "The thing that distinguishes us from everybody else, and always has and always will, is our past. The goal is to look over our shoulder and see Snow White and Pinocchio and Dumbo standing there, saying, 'Be this good.' We shouldn't be intimidated by them; they're an arrow pointing someplace."

Born in Los Angeles on January 10, 1930, Roy practically grew up at the Studio, where his father managed business affairs, while his uncle inspired artists to create magical animated worlds for movie screens. Roy was there when Snow White and Pinocchio were born and once recalled, "the animators used to test stuff out on me. They'd say, 'Come on in and watch this and see if you think it's funny.'"

In 1951, Roy graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English from Southern California's Pomona College, and soon launched his entertainment career as an assistant film editor on the television series "Dragnet," starring Jack Webb. He joined The Walt Disney Studios in 1954, working as an assistant editor on the successful True-Life Adventure films, including "The Living Desert" and "The Vanishing Prairie," both of which won Academy Awards. He later wrote and co-produced "Mysteries of the Deep," which won an Oscar nomination in 1959.

Roy also wrote for television series, including "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" and the popular "Zorro," starring Guy Williams. Then, in 1964, he formed his own production unit - writing, producing and directing some 35 other television and theatrical productions, including "Varda, the Peregrine Falcon," "Mustang!," "The Owl That Didn't Give a Hoot" and "Pancho, the Fastest Paw in the West." He joined the Company's Board of Directors in 1967.

After 23 years, Roy left the Studio in 1977, to become an independent producer and investor, but returned seven years later to serve as the Company's vice chairman and head of the animation department. Since then, Disney animation has produced some of its greatest box office successes of all time, including "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King."

Roy literally combined the Company's past with its future when he revived one of his uncle's most colorful visions of all time. "Fantasia 2000," which is a continuation of Walt Disney's 1940 classic "Fantasia," combining classical music with original animation, rang in a new millennium on January 1, 2000, at Imax Theaters across the country.
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EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
Original Poster
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M

Mouse Man

New Member
This is bitter sweet news. Yes the loss of Roy is a shame and he will be missed. The sweet is look at his and Walts life and look at all the good things they did and brought us. It's dreamers and visionary's like this that will never be forgotten.
 
R

roadtripper

Member
Nice to see that he fought so hard and overcame so many obstacles to keep the same path his dad and uncle started. Is there anyone else out there who will do the same for Disney?
 
drp4video

drp4video

Well-Known Member
I am very sad to hear the news. Thanks to Roy for protecting the magic. Are there any other Disney family members who will now step up?
 

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