Between Books - Dali and Disney: Destino

Dali and Disney: Destino: The Story, Artwork, and Friendship Behind the Legendary Film by David A. Bossert provides the history behind the famed short "Destino" including the relationship between artists Salvador Dali and Walt Disney before, during, and after the artistic development of the film.  Bossert goes beyond just this artistic pair to discuss the effort to complete the film led by Roy E. Disney which culminated in the short being assembled in 2005.  The book presents as a art of book for the short which includes Bossert's own personal efforts as a producer on the short.  And being a art of style book it is filled with wonderful Dali art and "Destino" concept images from Dali and John Hench. 

Bossert gives the readers what is expected from an art book.  He goes into how Walt Disney came to know Salvador Dali and how Dali came to work for Walt Disney, creating a never made short in "Destino".  And while Disney fans may be thrilled with pictures of Dali riding Disney's home hobby train, it is the Dali background that went above and beyond for me.  Bossert provides Disney fans, assuming we knew much of Disney's history, with a discussion of Dali and his role in surrealism.  This helps one to understand images of watches, Dali and even baseball seen within the film.  The numerous images of both Dali's work and story concept art come together to help one better understand the final images of what is truly a complicated visual short.

One of my favorite discussions of the short's development is the role of John Hench.  This Disney legend worked beside Dali in the development stage.  And the two were in such collaboration that when Hench was asked years later to attribute if he or Dali were the creator of key art pieces, some he could never distinguish authorship for.  

While Bossert does pick up on how Roy E. Disney shepherded the effort to resurrect the never completed short, including using Dali's concept art, test footage and the adapted song, what fascinated me the most was the story of stolen Dali concept art from Disney.  While we today see the Disney Archives as a top notch department, concept art was not as closely protected as it is now.  And an employee stole and sold art completed for "Destino".  Bossert outlines how Disney discovered this theft, how the art was found and Disney's efforts to recover it.  And even the efforts to recover the art can be interesting to the non-art expert 

Dali and Disney: Destino: The Story, Artwork, and Friendship Behind the Legendary Film by David A. Bossert is a visually stunning art book.  It is one that goes beyond restating Disney history, but provides readers with the background needed for Disney fans to better understand Dali.  The text is filled with incredible Dali images both for the short and those key to surrealism.  And most surprising, it provides a somewhat exciting crime thriller as Bossert tells his readers of stolen Dali art.

Mousey Movies - Destino

Still From "Destino"

One of the topics discussed in Jim Korkis' The Vault of Walt is the short film "Destino".  This film was a collaboration between Walt Disney and famed artist Salvador Dali which began in the 1940s and was not completed until 2003 by Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney.

Salvador Dali

To say the film is visually interesting is an understatement!  So instead of trying to describe the film, ladies and gentlemen, "Destino": 

That is the most interesting baseball game I have ever seen!

What did you think of "Destino"?

Between Books - The Vault of Walt

The Vault of Walt: Unofficial, Unauthorized, Uncensored Disney Stories Never Told collects writings of popular Disney historian Jim Korkis.  The writings found within the book range from the life of Walt Disney to the lives that Walt Disney impacted.  The book is broken into four sections; “The Walt Stories,” “Disney Film Stories,” “Disney Park Stories,” and “The Other Worlds of Disney Stories.”  Each chapter is really a self contained story of around 10 pages that are combined into themes but do not build onto each other.  Stories found in this 400 plus page book range from the faith of Walt Disney, movie premieres such as Snow White and Song of the South, the development of the short "Destino" with Salvador Dali, the production of Captain EO and so many many more. 

Here at Between Disney we are always honest and I had prejudged The Vault of Walt early.  First, after reading three other Ayefour titles; Project Future, Four Decades of Magic, and Walt and the Promise of Progress City, I was convinced that the streak for fantastic books had to end someday, you know like Pixar’s winning streak which will end someday.  Second, when I read that the book consisted of repurposed blog posts I knew my judgment was confirmed.  I love Jim Korkis when he presents stories in an oral format like on podcasts like WDW Radio.  But often, for me, Korkis’ blog posts fall short.  That’s kind of ironic isn’t it!  Shame, shame on me!  The Vault of Walt is a wonderful, entertaining, educating and overall delight.  I took three weeks to read this book.  Was it because it was poorly written or difficult to work through?  No it was because these tales deserve to be savored, they should not be rushed through for the sole purpose of saying you have read another book.  No The Vault of Walt is a fine meal that should be chewed and enjoyed, not rushed.  This book is excellent and should be on the shelves of every Disney library. 

When I say a wide range of topics, I mean it.  The Vault of Walt is incredibly diverse.  Topics include obscure Disney topics that I have never read essays on in other books such as Walt Disney and his relationship with DeMolay.  Personally I love the detail in the essay on Walt and Roy O. Disney’s return to Marceline, Missouri and their reactions to their boyhood home.  And the chapter on two key women in Disney’s life gives us a new and in-depth view of Walt Disney the employer.  The chapter on "Destino" led me to seek it out, and wow all I can say is that’s the most interesting use of baseball imaginary I have ever seen.  The chapters are informative but also leave you wanting to seek out more. 

Honestly, almost every chapter in The Vault of Walt was a hit for me.  I read this book for the stories and I discovered a resource for researching somewhat obscure Disney topics.  Congratulations to Jim Korkis in helping prove that Ayefour titles are all ones that the literate Disney fan needs!