Thursday, December 23, 2010

What would I love to receive as a Christmas gift this year? If Santa Claus were all-powerful, here are some of the Disney-history-related items that would make it to my wish list.

What would YOU add to this list?

- Bob Thomas' lost interviews (especially those conducted in the mid-'50s for The Art of Animation and in the '60s for Walt Disney - Magician of the Movies)

- The lost interviews conducted by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston for The Illusion of Life

- Eric Larson’s autobiography manuscript (40 Years at the Mouse House)

- Manuscript of Jack Speirs' autobiography

- The rumored (but unconfirmed) autobiography of Roy Williams

- All of Dave Smith's not-yet-transcribed interviews

- All the letters to Dave Smith by people who knew Walt or worked for Walt

- All of Michael Barrier's and JB Kaufman's not-yet-released interviews

- A full-run of the DeMolay Disney comics

- A complete list of the Disney TV ads produced in the ‘50s

- Production information about the Disney TV ads produced in the ‘50s

- Production information / correspondence / other documents related to the Disney section created for Douglas Fairbanks’ Around the World in 80 Minutes

- Visual elements linked to Mary Pickford's Alice in Wonderland project

- The 1933 Technicolor test for Disney's / Pickford's Alice in Wonderland project

- All the lost Alice Comedies and Disney Oswald cartoons

6 comments:

David said...

Great wish list...even just two or three of the items would be fantastic!

I would add the release of Ward Kimball's diaries, either in their entirety or selected quotes, and the notes/manuscript Roy O. Disney had allegedly compiled for an autobiography.

Didier Ghez said...

Yes, how could I have forgotten the Kimball diaries (my holy grail)?!

I had no idea about the Roy O. Disney notes for an autobiography.

David said...

Hi son Roy E. mentioned them at one point in time...that his father had written quite a bit about his and Walt's history. I think it was mentioned too in Bob Thomas' Roy O. Disney biography. I think they went through the ocntents of many boxes in the garage hoping to come across the papers, but were never able to find anything. Too bad. Would have been nice to have had his perspective in his own words.

Unknown said...

Shamus Culhane once told me that he was working on a book of short stories inspired by his experiences as an animator in the 1930s. I hope that whatever he finished survives, somewhere...

mnmears said...

surprised you didn't include someone, anyone, getting a good oral history from Ron Miller ... would like to hear more stories from Dick Nunis as well ...

Didier Ghez said...

You are right, of course, those two interviews would be great to have if they existed. But I respect the decisions of Ron and Dick to remain silent.