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Walt Disney Bio Pic

Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 8:39 pm
by I Am Clark Kent
Say everyone, I read back a few threads about a suggestion about a Walt Disney bio pic. I think its a good idea, but if one really looks into Walt's life, one will easily see that doing a biography about him, especially a motion picture, would be very hard to do.

Because, his life especially in the 1920s dealt with other movie studios, some which still exist today. His story would have to include, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers and of course his own company. It would be more a film about the film industry between the 1920s the through the 1960s. So if we were to do a movie about him, it would have to be done, by someone outside of his company. Or the film would lack crediblity.

The cast for the film?

The person who would play Walt, would have to be someone who really isn't established. Someone that no one has heard of before. Think about shakespear, and how his plays demands people who can play serious roles. It's a serious role for a serious person.

How should Walt Be protrayed?

It should protray Walt at his best, and at his worst. A person who stuck to his values, his craft and his arts. But at the same time, always dealing with the everyday problems of running his company. And they'd have to show how his life actually was, when the camera was not rolling. For instance, how he was succesful in the 1930s, but also showing how the 1930s were the most heartbreaking. He lost both of his parents in a home accident, and his wife Lilly had three miscarriages. Not to mention how fame also put pressure on his family life, and fear of another Lindburg Baby incident with his young daughter Diane.

Your thoughts?

Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:33 am
by Lars Vermundsberget
Very interesting, but I suspect this is going to be very difficult. If this is to be done right, I'd say it would have to be a rather big project and it would at the very least need the support of the Disney company. And at the same time a credible Disney story definitely shouldn't be allowed to be too Disneyfied...

Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:54 am
by Isidour
even when they didn`t show the Walt`s movies times it would be a really good picture to film and a very fine story to tell. Not because of al the drama, but because even after all what he suffered he made many many movies that even today and surley in the future will still drawing smiles on the faces of all kids and not-so-kids too

Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:19 am
by creid
I would love to see a biography of Uncle Walt but the length and success of his life would limit the quality of the movie if a filmmaker wanted to Walt's entire life. (I think only Marty could do it right but he would still struggle including all of Walt's successes.)

I would see the following areas that a filmmaking could take of Walt's life and make a quality film.

1) Show the creations of the studio to 1929/1930 when UB Iwerks left the studio. The movie could focus on the ambitions of Walt while balancing it with the drama of the friendship of Walt/Ub. The story would show how a couple of hicks from Kansas start the Disney corporation from the increasily successful Alice and Oswald series. The action would reach a high point with the Mintz stealing the Oswald character and most of the Disney staff except Ub. Then on the train ride back Disney creates a new character, Mortimer Mouse and starts from scratch. Along the way Mortimer name is changed to Mickey, Disney decides to add sound, and Ub almost single-handly animates the first three Mickey cartoons. They meet with great success and even start with another series based on the ideas of Carl Stallings. Disney is again threatened by another short-sighted money man, Powers, who offers Ub his own cartoon studio. The ending could show Disney continued success and innovations of his cartoons while balancing it with the broken friendship with Ub. I think it make a helluva movie.

2) The struggles of the war years. (I am skipping details below.) After the success of Snow White, Disney suffers the large losses with Fantasia as it flops and the US and foreign grosses dry up because of WWII. On top of everything else, there was a strike at the studio that greatly effected the relationship of Disney with his employees. Disney is able to keep the studio afloat with budget restricted war cartoons and is helped by the success of Dumbo. Further struggles include the great Disney animation staff slowly moving on from Disney and the budget limitations Disney feature lengths were facing. However, the ending could end on a high note of the success of Cindrella, the start of live actions and the ambitions of the theme amusement park. This can be balanced by Walt (voluntarily) naming names at the House Of UnAmerican Activities. (The names of people, including Art Babbit, who led the strike of 1941.) I think a good movie here but the whole, strike/communist/naming, could be very controversial especially if not handled properly.

3) A movie of the last days of Walt's life and the ambition of Epcot center. Maybe it could explain what Walt wanted to do, because I am not certainly sure. I don't think the movie would be very good.

Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:28 pm
by GhostHost
what is the "House of UnAmerican Activities"?

Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:00 pm
by Escapay
GhostHost wrote:what is the "House of UnAmerican Activities"?
In the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy led a nationwide "witch hunt" of sorts to out Americans that were considered socialists and/or communists. The "House of UnAmerican Activities" was, IIRC, the department that dealt with them, often having sensationalistic trials and such to determine if the accused was in fact, a communist. Several celebrities were known to be blacklisted and/or ruined because of allegations that they were communist.

Disney was one of the accused, and I can't recall off the top of my head what happened, but he was cleared of the charges.

Another famous celebrity accused of being a Socialist was Lucille Ball, but that was quickly resolved and dropped.

Anyways, a Walt Biopic. A REALLY good source book besides the people still alive is the wonderful biography Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas. It practically plays out as a novel, the way things are worded, you'd hardly think you're reading a biography (I often find biographies to be long and drawn out and sometimes really dull). It's a wonderful read, and should be used heavily in any research done about Walt.

Escapay

Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:53 am
by creid
While Joseph McCarthy was the most house communist witch hunter, there was a whole committee of Representatives who were part of it. (Including Tricky Dick who gained national new coverage for his part.)

The committee went after Hollywood very hard and anybody who may have attended a socialist/communist meeting in the 1930's or 1940's could be called to testify. (During the depression, the socialist/communist had slightly more of a presense in this country.) Most of people who attended these meetings were bleeding heart liberals interested in different political points of view when the capitalist economy appearred to be a failing. However after the WWII, the communist Soviet Union became the great evil (remember they were allies in WWII) and politicians preyed on this fear. So the committee called a number of Hollywood actors, screenwriters and directors to testify and check their past communist actions and to name other individual who attended these parties. (Even though the FBI probably knew the background of everyone in Hollywood anyway.) Some people like uncle Walt, a complete American capitalist, volutarily named names, mostly the strike organizers like Art Babbitt (who would have been the 10th Old Man if he had stayed.) Others like Eli Kazaan involuntarily named name and his reputation has been greatly disminished because of his action while others, Jules Dules(msp) was blacklisted and was stuck making excellent French movies. Along the way, the committee also made it known that they were happy Charlie Chaplin left the country and should never return. (Luckily he was able to attend to accept a lifetime Oscar in the 1970's.)
It was abuse of politician's power and history has tended to focus the committee's activities to Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy was an alcoholic and started calling everyone a communist.

I hope that was not too much information.

Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 4:26 pm
by Lars Vermundsberget
GhostHost wrote:what is the "House of UnAmerican Activities"?
Well, it wasn't exactly called "House of UnAmerican Activities", which, when you think about it, would really take on the opposite meaning of what was intended, I guess...

The proper name is "House Un-American Activities Committee" (HUAAC) or "House Committee on Un-American Activities", "House" being short for the US House of Representatives, as far as I understand.