Between Books - Before the Birds Sang Words

I have to beg the Between Kid to enter Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in the Magic Kingdom! Maybe it takes a Dole Whip to get him to agree to enter. Maybe I just have to demand a break in the AC. Cearly, singing colorful birds doesn’t excite him. Now, Pirates of the Caribbean, he can ride all day! And what’s sad about this situation is that José is essential to the story of Jack Sparrow, Elsa, Mr. Potato Head, and Hondo Ohnaka when we see them in the parks today.

Before the Birds Sang Words by Ken Bruce outlines the long, and we mean long, saga of the Disneyland Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. While the attraction may have opened in 1963, Bruce ties the origins of the singing bird attraction not in just the popular tale of the New Orleans bird toy that Walt Disney brought to Imagineering, but even earlier to the astronomical clock in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg in Alsace, France. The 60-foot clock was created in 1354 and seen by Walt as a young Red Cross volunteer and an American businessman visiting France in the 1930s. Bruce uses the clock as a foundation from which he builds intersecting histories of mechanical toys, American views on Tiki and Polynesian culture, and Walt Disney’s development of the American theme park as seen through Disneyland. With Disneyland established, and his gift of a mechanical bird to Imagineering, Disney charged his artists to develop a bird restaurant. This challenge would lead to a ten-year development cycle that includes some of Disney’s most respected artists including John Hench, Marc Davis, Rolly Crump, the Sherman Brothers, Harriet Burns, and numerous other Disney Legends who participated in the evolution of a planned restaurant to a higher-capacity singing bird show. Bruce provides a comprehensive view of the show's development discussing Disneyland food service (can we talk about Stouffer’s Foods friends), Audio-Animatronic development, show scripting, building layout, song selection, recording, and virtually any topic of relevance to the show. Bruce finishes with a discussion of the evolution of the Disneyland attraction and its duplication in other parks like Walt Disney World.

I really enjoyed Before the Birds Sang Words. It is well-organized, well-written, and engaging. As someone who is not in food service, if you had told me that I would be fascinated by a chapter discussing Stouffer’s Foods I would have loudly said that would not happen. But in the big picture of Disneyland and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, this one small detail matters for understanding the relationship between leasees in Disneyland and why Walt Disney moved away from their large role in the park. The quality of the book and its definitive coverage of the attraction is surprising to me due to the fact it’s not a Disney Press edition yet it meets or exceeds the qualities of that press.

I called this story a saga, and it really is. The short story us Disney fans tell is that Walt Disney wanted a bird restaurant, Walt Disney realized that the birds were above the food, and he moved to an attraction. No, this is a ten-year development where technology changed, capacity was better understood, and Tiki culture grew in popularity. What’s also interesting to me is that honestly no one seems to have gotten what they wanted. Marc Davis designs were rejected, along with Rolly Crump’s. I really enjoyed the pages that discussed Davis and Hench working at cross-purposes. Songs were revised by George Bruns. Scripts and roles were changed, taking out some of Wally Boag’s saucy jokes. In the end, the attraction was rarely what anyone truly wanted, but a true collaboration between many visions. Though some would be able to show in the attraction’s evolution that what they wanted likely would have been for the best from the start.

Before the Birds Sang Words by Ken Bruce is a engaging saga of one Disney attraction. But it’s an attraction who’s impact extends beyond the four corners the bird room. Bruce notes that some like the Between Kid may not be an enthusiastic for singing birds today as in the past. But Bruce gives us a context to better understand how important singing birds really are in Disney history and a chronicle of the hit they really were for Disney fans in Anaheim and beyond. Bruce helps us understand fully the lastly impact of the tiki birds and their entertainment legacy even for those who lack modern interest.

Clearly next time I’m in the park, I need a AC break even if he says no!  Because I love legacy.

Review Copy Provided for Review

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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.

Between Books - Walt's People Volume 1

As someone who loves Disney history, the Walt’s People series edited by Didier Ghez has often caught my eye.  And now with one volume in my rearview mirror I find myself wanting more of the oral histories where those who lived share their experiences with us.  And the fact that sadly many of these legends have passed away makes hearing directly from them even more exciting to the historian.

Walt’s People: Volume 1 Talking Disney with the Artists Who Knew Him is the original volume, recently reprinted by Theme Park Press.  As content goes, this volume kicked off the series right with interviews with Disney figures including Milt Kahl, John Hench, Ken Anderson, and John Hench (they are so big they share the cover).  The volume includes interviews with 10 Disney artists, with Hench and Davis being featured twice.  The interviews are standard question and answer with some editorial background to help orient the reader.  The volume covers both Disney’s early Hollywood years with interviews with figures like Rudolf Ising who had known Walt Disney in Kansas City.  Other’s like Harper Goff discuss both live-action and theme park projects.  And the legendary Marc Davis covers topics that include both the development of Snow White and Disneyland improvements, spanning multiple Walt Disney masterpieces.  

I have published a biographical profile of Marc Davis.  And I will admit I really wish I had this volume back when I wrote this.  This book, this series, is a researcher’s treasure chest.  To be able to hear directly from these individuals, even with their lapses of memory, is a delight.  It is fun hearing what they remember and the grudges they hold into their later years.  

For me the last interview with Joyce Carlson was honestly my favorite.  Her long career included animation, the World’s Fair and four Disney Parks as she truly became the queen of it’s a small world.  And her observations on Mary Blair, Rolly Crump and Davis are first person accounts of the three of them working and fighting together.  It did find it very insightful who won!  And Crump often paints himself as someone not always well liked by the older men of the studio.  Carlson shows us an audience that did enjoy his company, young ladies, which also helps explain why other men may have been resentful.  Additionally, she shows how friendly Walt Disney was with Crump with the ease he could slip into Crump’s projects and interests.

Walt’s People: Volume 1 Taking Disney with the Artists Who Knew Him edited by Didier Ghez is a great starting point to jump into this series.  It is under 200 pages and includes a large number of names Disney fans know, with an introduction to some that you may not be familiar with.  Currently this volume is only 99 cents for Kindle!  For a Disney history fan, there is no reason not to give this volume a try.   

Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Between Books - It's Kind of a Cute Story

It’s Kind of a Cute Story by Rolly Crump as told to Jeff Heimbuch is the sort of book that Disney fans love. Crump details his Disney career starting in animation, being assigned to WED in support of Disneyland, and beyond using his artistic expertise to help others build their dreams using his expertise. As Crump would say, it’s kind of a cute story!

Crump was a self –trained artist who left a job in a ceramics factory to become an inbetweener in 1952 at Disney. It was a leap of faith, with his salary half his ceramics pay. As an animator he worked on films such as 101 Dalmatians for which he animated the spots, lots and lots of spots. In 1959, Crump was tapped to join WED Enterprises as a designer. Amongst his early projects was the initial development of a haunted house attraction with Yale Gracey which would later become The Haunted Mansion years later. Another early contribution was design work on The Enchanted Tiki Room, including the preshow Tikis. Crump, like all Imagineers, was pulled off his assignments to contribute to the 1964 New York World Fair. His contributions included collaborating with Mary Blair in the design of it’s a small world for which Crump oversaw the construction of the “toys” used by the dolls. He would later oversee the installation of the attraction at Disneyland. In 1967, Crump would become the Supervising Art Director at Disneyland, helping to shape the park experience for guests. Crump would go on to help reconstruct the magic on the East Coast within the Magic Kingdom Park. He would leave Disney employment and lead his own design firm for projects such as Circus World, Knott’s Bear-y Tales at Knott’s Berry Farm, and an ocean center for famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. Crump would return to Imagineering to assist with the design of EPCOT overseeing the Land pavilion and unused concepts for The Wonders of Life pavilion. These are just a few of the projects in Crump’s distinguished design career documented in this memoir.

Crump’s design work shines throughout the book. There are numerous color photos throughout the book that highlight Crump’s style. The non-Disney work helps demonstrate how Crump’s personal style emerges in attractions such as it’s a small world and The Enchanted Tiki Room. By seeing something of Crump’s design outside of a Disney context actually makes Crump’s touches more transparent. Crump’s fingerprints become clearer and key pieces have an owner and are no longer crafted by anonymous artists. Additionally, the non-Disney pieces show Crump’s whimsical side. These include a poster series that sarcastically pitch narcotics, a series that Walt Disney saw. As Crump noted, Walt Disney saw Crump’s sense of humor as crazy around the edges. And the reader is able through Crump’s art to see how Disney came to this opinion.

The second star of the text is the Disney personalities. First and foremost is Walt Disney. Crump admired Disney and his leadership abilities. Crump largely worked for WED because of Walt’s vision and he originally left Disney employment due to the loss of that leadership. The next standout personality is Dick Irvine. Crump discusses his personality conflicts with the head of WED in-depth. Crump’s assessments are honestly one sided, a fact that Crump acknowledges. It becomes clear that while Disney celebrated the crazy around the edges Imagineer, others like Irvine did not know how to manage him. The third personality that rises to the top is John Hench, whom Crump depicts as a strong willed, opinionated and giving mentor. Crump clearly worries that his depiction of run-ins with Hench could negatively color the reader’s opinion of this Imagineering legend and he takes special care to fully discuss their complex relationship.

The book overall is easy to read, and Crump is a sympathetic figure. The reader truly comes to enjoy Crump and his personality. I was surprised to find that the text is oversized, almost appearing to be a thick tabloid style magazine instead of a typically sized book. With the book being oversized and colorful, suiting Crump’s personality, the hardcover version would be a handsome addition to any Between Books library. The softcover is a good value for the price, especially when compared to other similar memoirs. Honestly, the best value may be the Kindle version which like another Bamboo Forest offering From Dreamer to Dreamfinder, is priced as a steal.

It’s Kind of a Cute Story is a Between Books library essential! There may be a large number of Disney themed books, but not many that provide a firsthand account of working with Walt Disney, John Hench, Mary Blair, Marc Davis and others. And of course, Crump is a legend in his own right and I deeply enjoyed reading his accounts working for Disney and other clients. It’s Kind of a Cute Story by Rolly Crump as told to Jeff Heimbuch is an informative and personal story of an Imagineering giant that any Disney fan will enjoy.


Review Copy Provided by Bamboo Forest Publishing

Between Books - Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park

Jeff Kurtti in Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park outlines the lives of 30 Imagineering legends, both official Imagineers and unofficial ones, that help build the Disney theme parks that we love today.  Kurtti begins with Walt Disney himself, whom Kurtti labels as the original Imagineer.  Kurtti follows with themed chapters including The Prototype Imagineers, The Executive Suite, The Place Makers, The Story Department, Masters of Mixed Media, The Model Shop, The Machine Shop, The Music Makers, and The Unofficial Imagineers.  The book concludes with a section titled The Renaissance Imagineer which provides a slightly longer biography of John Hench.  Most of the biographies are less than five pages and filled with photos and illustrations from the legend’s career.   

The text itself is factual, well researched and a valuable resource for the lives of these Imagineering legends.  Each biography provides a quick overview on each figure spotlighted.  The biographies are more than just bland facts, with the Kimball chapter discussing the low points of Walt Disney and Ward Kimball’s relationship and another explaining why Yale Gracey is a mysterious figure in Disney history.  The only difference between the quality of information and style I have found in Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park and academic historical books and articles I have read is the sources which include fan magazines, which for Disney legends are an excellent resource for their past interviews.  Some readers may find the writing an obstacle since it is academic in nature.  Therefore, it can be difficult to “get into” each biography if one was hoping for a hook to pull you into the story.  

Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park is an essential volume for any Between Books library.  In less than 150 pages it provides an introduction to 30 key players including Walt Disney himself.  I personally have consulted this volume a number of times to verify and clarify information.  Due to its size and writing style it will never be a book one packs up to read poolside, but it is a book one will consult again and again as you ask yourself questions about these men and women.  If anything I hope Kurtti would consider another volume in the future including new Imagineering legends not included like Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter.    

Between Books - The Imagineering Way

We can all agree that the artists of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) create magic.  But how does an idea move from idea to concept to final attraction?  The book The Imagineering Way by The Imagineers gathers the collected creative wisdom of WDI and attempts to show how non-Imagineers can use the same principles in their everyday work and creative lives.

The Imagineering Way consists of small essays written by a number of WDI staff.  These include well known Imagineers including Tony Baxter, Marty Sklar, John Hench and honorary Imagineer Richard Sherman.  But being in the public eye is not a key to selection of inclusion in the book as a number of lesser known Imagineers contribute to the book.  Contributors range across a number of WDI disciplines including story, lighting, artists, and engineers.  The essays range from a page in length to no more than five pages.  Some of the essays are not even really essays but doodles, quotes and poems.  The essays are grouped into five main topics including brainstorming, building a culture, creativity, and multi-tasking. 

I have wanted to read this book for several years, ever since I saw it lying on a shelf in a Downtown Disney store in Orlando.  I have contemplated picking it up several times and have pushed it off until my most recent vacation.  I probably built too much anticipation over the years as I found myself slightly disappointed.  I do not think the book falsely advertised what it was, but I do not believe I truly understood what it was.  I was expecting a cohesive creative manual for non-Imagineers.  Instead the book is a series of quick hits which are only loosely held together.  Once one understands the style of the book it is possible to mine nuggets of wisdom from the WDI team which can be used in your non-Imagineering life.  In fact, I believe this book is highly quotable, and I could see stealing quotes from this text in the future especially as tweets.  Additionally, readers should not expect this book to include detailed concept art or discussions of WDI disciplines.  The book focuses on the philosophy of creativity not the artistic skills needed to develop a final WDI project. 

The Imagineering Way attempts to connect the philosophy of Imagineering to the non-Imagineering community.  It offers the common man the ideas that help guide Imagineers and makes suggestions on how these principles can be used beyond the walls of WDI.