Between Books - Walt Disney & El Grupo in Latin America

I’m tired! I think Walt Disney may have been tired too!

Walt Disney & El Grupo in Latin America by Theodore Thomas, J.B. Kaufman, and Didier Ghez outlines Walt Disney’s trip to South America in 1941. The book covers the entirety of the nearly 3-month fall expedition, spreading American goodwill as a strategy to win over South American neighbors away from Nazi sympathy. Disney was asked by the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (CIAA) to use his global celebrity to strengthen Western hemisphere ties. The story is told heavily in images with the authors providing narration to the group’s daily doings. The volume does not focus on just Walt Disney but recognizes that El Grupo the 18 Walt Disney employees and family members on the journey, were at times separated into smaller traveling parties or even in the same cities separated to meet with numerous local industries or celebrities. Due to the highly visual nature of the text, it at times feels like a documentary and less than a book.

I’m tired, did I mention that? The goal of the authors is to provide a detailed account of the trip. The trio, therefore, doesn’t provide us a thesis to prove, in fact, the three have other works on El Grupo that have this as a goal. As a reader, you understand this is a very visual book seeking to provide a daily accounting. Hence, I’m tired. It feels like the group, especially Disney, rarely had a chance to rest during this fact-finding and goodwill-building adventure. Even in “downtime” artists like Mary and Lee Blair and Jack Ryman were sketching, painting, and refining ideas for potential future movies Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. Or perhaps, Jack Cutting may visit a local studio to supervise a movie dubbing into Spanish. The book makes it clear that this group of 18 were constantly in motion. And while early in the trip, they may have spent in the reader's mind “weeks” in Rio, it becomes clear to the reader that on later stays the group seemed to only linger a day or two in a location before moving on again.

Design-wise, I was pulled into the book and it often felt like a visual experience and not a book. That is why I feel tired. This isn’t an era of perfect staged pictures. The spontaneous nature of many of the pictures helps one to feel the emotion and action, like a tired Lillian Disney asleep on a train car one can feel the stuffiness within. The closed eyes and the improperly directed glances remind us this is a different time before everyone had a camera and the time to coordinate numerous shots for the perfect social media image.

My only complaint with the design is some pages have maps on the layout that pictures and text sit upon. These maps have notations to locations on the page design. Sadly at times, I read these like image captions and not part of the page design which took me out of the journey for a bit.

Walt Disney & El Grupo in Latin America by Theodore Thomas, J.B. Kaufman, and Didier Ghez is a book for those who want to go deeper into Disney’s trip to South America in a highly visual way. For those who want to see Disney legends like the Blairs and Frank Thomas working, drawing, and immersing themselves into a culture this offering is for you. The authors help me to understand the kinetic and tiring nature of the trip, even without making this an overt goal. I wondered, can El Grupo just kick back and relax? An answer that seems like no as Frank Thomas was teaching himself Spanish even on the long-trip home.


Quick Note: While you can purchase this text on Amazon. I grabbed mine at Stuart Ng books where I was able to pick up an autographed copy. 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site

Between Books - Walt's People Volume 6

At a certain point you cannot ignore the impact that the Walt’s People series has in capturing and distributing Disney history in an accessible and portable form.  In the end, I can only continue to compliment editor Didier Ghez’s work and inspiration to countless amateur and professional Disney historians.

Walt’s People Volume 6: Talking Disney with the Artists Who Knew Him captures interviews with over 20 Disney artists and figures of interest.  The interviews range from a few pages to long form interviews of 25 plus pages.  The two categories, that I self-created, that really stood out to me in this volume are animation and the Disney family.  For animation, interviews and segments range from the golden age with Michael Barrier interviewing Carl Stalling about early Disney shorts and his musical contributions, Wilfred Jackson and other animators discussing features like Pinnochio, and the 1980s and story development with Steve Hulett.  The Disney family is very well represented with interviews including Lillian Disney, Roy O. Disney, Edna Disney, Sharon Disney, Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller.  The volume literally includes thoughts from those closest to Walt Disney and saw him at home as a father and husband not just an entertainment giant.  Along with the interviews there are articles and profiles that are reprinted from earlier out of print animation magazines. 

I really enjoyed Walt’s People Volume 6: Talking Disney with the Artists Who Knew Him.  It may have been one of my favorite volumes as it contained a mix of new animation personalities to me while also offering voices, like Roy O. Disney, that I really wanted to hear from.  I found at times I was frustrated because I had to put the volume down or that the interview was over.  I found myself shopping for another volume even before I finished this collection.  And yet again, I can only strongly recommend these books to Disney history fans.  

Between Books - Walt's People: Volume 10 Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him

I honestly cannot say enough how awesome it is as a Disney history fan to have a series like Walt’s People. There are archives and people that I will never have access to in Betweenland. And as a bonus in the series’ 10th volume I feel like I am getting annotated notes to one of my favorite books.

Walt’s People: Volume 10 Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him edited by Didier Ghez collects the interviews used by biographer Bob Thomas in his writing of Walt Disney: An American Original. The book opens with an essay discussing Thomas’ book written by Jim Korkis. The essay discusses the quest for an official biography of Walt Disney and the attempts by other authors to fulfill the request. It also highlights the intellectual freedoms Thomas had. The first oral history is Ghez interviewing Thomas about his experiences with Walt Disney and writing the book. The majority of the rest of the volume consists of Thomas’ interviews which include a list of Disney legends including Lillian Disney, Roy O. Disney, Ub Iwerks, Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas, Roy E. Disney, Marc Davis, and so many more. Oh, and there is an interview with Walt Disney himself. Additional information includes an essay on Walt Disney’s secretaries which is an interesting read.

I really do feel like this volume is the annotated notes of Thomas’ Walt Disney: An American Original and Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire. There were several moments I thought to myself; hey I have heard this before. And in many cases it is because I have read some of the stories before in Thomas’ books and in their use by other historians and biographers afterwards. However, I really like seeing the original notes and contexts of the interviews that Thomas used. And now, I and others can use them for our own writings even if we never met any of these legends, many of which have passed away.

Walt’s People: Volume 10 Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him is likely my favorite volume of the series to date due to the connecting theme. I bought my copy as a Kindle book for under $5. And that may have been the best value of the year based simply on the number of notes in my copy.

Between Books - Walt's People: Volume 14 Talking Disney with the Artists Who Knew Him

Sometimes you never know what gem you will find in a volume of Walt's People.  For me my most recent excitement was finding a connection to Disney and the end of the United States Army cavalry.  It is always surprising how a volume of Didier Ghez's edited collection reflects 20th century history and culture in unexpected ways be it the rise of modern media or the World War II home front.

Walt's People: Volume 14 Talking Disney the Artists Who Knew Him edited by Didier Ghez captures snapshots of Disney history from the early days of the studio to the development of Disneyland Paris.  The majority of chapters are oral history interviews with former Disney employees conducted by historians Dave Smith, Bob Thomas, Ghez, John Canemaker, Jim Korkis and more.  The interviews largely are arranged in chronological order.  Interview subjects that will catch the interest of most Disney fans include Alice Davis, Bill Justice, Joe Grant, and Lillian Disney.  But as always the collection also includes largely unknown names.  Along with the interviews are two essays, on Dick Kelsey and Eric Knight, and a collection of letters.  To close the book is additional reference material for those who want to look deeper into the subjects.

One should know that the majority of the book is interview transcripts, not a narrative.  For historians, as I keep saying, this makes these volumes fantastic resources since one can read the actual subjects account in their own words.  Yes at times the memory may have failed some or the interviewee may have remembered something incorrectly.  But the memory is as they recollect it.  For me because of my own interests the interviews that stood out to me were Lillian Disney and Admiral Joe Fowler.  The Disney interview conducted by Michael Broggie discusses Mrs. Disney's marriage to Walt Disney including their courtship.  Though for me what really stood out was the discussion of trains.  A reader discovers that she herself had her own connections to trains, though she largely did not participate in Walt Disney's passion for railroads.  But having Broggie who's father helped Walt Disney build his own backyard train and who himself remembers the Lilly Belle creates an very interesting situation as they reminiscence together about that phase of Walt Disney's life.  Additionally, Mrs. Disney shares with Broggie what her husband thought of Broggie's father Roger.  Being someone who has studied 20th century military history, I found the Fowler interview very interesting.  For me one of the most interesting moments was reading about his post-war position reorganizing the War Department.  As part of this charge, he helped oversee the retirement of the cavalry as a non-essential service.  As someone who has met a former cavalry veteran and visited a museum focused on the horse cavalry, I enjoyed uncovering the surprising connection. 

Walt's People: Volume 14 Talking Disney the Artists Who Knew Him is an essential volume for those who love Disney history (I feel like I have said this before).  The volume captures the words of those who helped create the magic.  Yes, you may read a story you have heard before, like Alice Davis' first meeting with Walt Disney.  But the majority of stories captured include recollections heard less, like why Davis left Disney employment.  Showcasing stories from over 80 years of Disney history including the animation, live-action and the Disney Parks, this volume likely has something that every Disney historian can appreciate.

Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Between Books - Walt Disney: American Legends

Charles River Editors is a group that specializes in creating Ebooks for various platforms.  In Walt Disney: American Legends they claim to provide readers an overview of Walt Disney's life in the time of a commute.  But I was left wondering was is this Between Book another rushed and short biography of Walt Disney that allows someone to make a quick buck while being light on content?

Walt Disney: American Legends by Charles River Editors is a brief biography of Walt Disney's life.  The book outlines the major chapters of his life from childhood to death in a book that could easily be read in less than an hour.  The book only covers the life of Walt Disney, and does not focus on more recent developments in the Walt Disney Company.  And being a brief book it typically does not go deep into any subject.

As someone with a history background I have two major problems.  The first is generalizations.  The authors make generalizations at times that have little evidence behind them or are factually incorrect.  For example, the book claims Disney never experienced a full school day in his childhood due to the Kansas City paper route his father owned.  However, this was only one period in Disney's childhood and does not take into account the Marceline or Chicago years.  At another point the book states that Roy O. Disney became Walt Disney's father figure.  I think this would be fine if they stated his male role model or mentor.  But I have never seen anything that showed that Walt Disney saw Roy O. Disney as a father.  I believe this statement misunderstands the Walt/Roy partnership dynamic.  At another point the book says that older bothers Herbert and Raymond were never part of Walt Disney's life after they moved off the Marceline farm, a statement that makes it appear they never had contact again and could be improved by replacing never with seldom.

The second issue is facts.  There are some "facts" that are simply not true.  For example the book states that during World War I Roy O. Disney joined the Army.  He in fact joined the Navy, which is a very different experience from the Army during this conflict.  Some of the missteps factually simply show that the book was likely written by someone who does not have experience with Disney history.  For example, the authors refer to the Walt Disney World Resort as Disneyworld.  And there is some familiarity that I am not comfortable with as the authors insist on referring to Lillian Disney as Lillie for example. 

However with this said, this little volume is not afraid to pull punches and show the flaws in Disney's life.  The book discusses his managerial style and its negative impacts, the potential that he held to discriminatory practices and failings as a husband.  However, these topics in such as small book are really hitting the tip of the iceberg on deeper issues.  And I wish the authors had gone beyond the writings of Neal Gabler to support their views on Disney and race in order to provide themselves broad support for their viewpoint.

Would I have bought this volume for $2.99, I got my Kindle copy for free.  No, I would not.  I did find it to be decently formatted for an EBook and surprisingly readable.  I could see how someone writing a paper on Disney and needing information quick would find this useful with it being more detailed than one would expect from a Wikipedia page.  But in the end, Walt Disney: American Legends is just a taste of a much bigger story.  

Between Books - Disney's Grand Tour: Walt and Roy's European Vacation Summer 1935

In the Summer of 1935 the Disney Brothers, Walt and Roy, along with their wives Lillian and Edna traveled to Europe on a two month trip filled with vacation and work.  The trip itself gave Walt a needed rest before he propelled himself into even more ambitious projects.  And the Disney brothers saw first hand the global reach of their products.  When the two returned home they were better connected, better prepared and better rested for the challenges that would come before them as they moved into feature animated films.

Disney's Grand Tour: Walt and Roy's European Vacation Summer 1935 by Didier Ghez outlines the working vacation that the Disneys took which included the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy.  The book describes the general itinerary of the trip, the activities that four key participants took part in and those who they connected with.  As one reads through the pages, the reader finds a business man (Roy) who uses this trip to firmly establish subsidiary offices in Europe.  Additionally, readers see the artist (Walt) who meets with European creatives and collects European art books to grow the studio library at home for future projects.  And the reader joins two couples as they reconnect with each other on a trip that partially served as a second honeymoon and an opportunity for the husbands to reflect with their spouses on their World War I experiences.  Along with the facts of the trip, Ghez also addresses myths about the trip such as Walt Disney receiving a medal from the League of Nations and if the Disney's met Benito Mussolini.  Several photos from the time and some more recent color photos are found throughout the book, showing the reader the Disneys on the trip and the places they went.   

Ghez's writing is clear and easy to read.  Though some may see this as a niche history book, it is really written in a style that any reader can enjoy.  In fact, some could see this as being a travel book as the Disneys explore Europe instead of a historical monograph.  Additionally, the text is well-researched and documented.  The archives he consulted span two continents and numerous languages.  And he was provided access to Edna Disney's diary which serves as arecord of the trip.  Ghez's notes are extensive and informative in themselves, for example studying the note #60 I learned about the career of Disney merchandising guru Kay Kamen's nephew George.  Disney's Grand Tour with it's extensive notes and references really is a mature historical narrative written by a serious and reflective historian.  If I was to complain about anything I would ask Ghez to give the reader a little more.  There are topics, such as a brief discussion on a clock, that I wish there was more material on to fulfill my own curiosity.  Of course, as I have found in my own research, there may simply be no more that can be shared at this time.

I really did enjoy the fact that this book is a story of two couples.  And I do not feel that Roy gets lost behind his more famous younger brother.  This may be due to the one of the main sources being penned by Edna Disney and Roy.  The book makes it clear that Roy was an active participant on this trip who had an agenda bigger than helping his little brother relax.

A six week vacation!  I go to Disneyland for 12 days and people call me crazy!  This was not that atypical during the early 20th century.  I myself researched a British officer who took a 2 month vacation in India.  Basically, this helps to show us that though it was less than 100 years ago, the world was a much bigger place.  It took longer to travel and communicate between large distances.  Therefore, to have a meaningful trip more time was necessary.  It was not like Walt and Roy were checking their smart phones every few minutes!  They were going somewhere that truly was half a world away and took more than a few hours to get there, honestly it took days to just get out of the United States.

With a price tag like $34.95, some readers may be scared off.  I am assuming that Disney book collectors and completests will find this a required book!  But what about the more casual or price conscious reader.  I was surprised to see that the Kindle version of the book is priced at $7.99 at the time of this posting.  Yet again independent publishers prove that content is king and getting it to the reader is part of the mission.  I myself read an electronic copy of the book and had an enjoyable experience.

Disney's Grand Tour by Didier Ghez outlines a key time for Disney creativity.  Walt Disney came back from his six week trip with a better understanding of the world and how they consumed his products.  And, he was able to get some needed rest allowing him to launch forward to new areas and grow his studio even more.  Disney's Grand Tour outlines not just a holiday, but a turning point in Disney history.      




Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Between Books - Walt Disney: 84 Fascinating Facts for Kids About Walt Disney

The first thing to remember is that Walt Disney: 84 Fascinating Facts for Kids about Walt Disney is a kids book.  So though many Between Books readers may read the book with a historical focus, it is important to remember who the audience is.  And with that in mind, despite some issues, it may help young readers know more about Walt Disney and his life.

Walt Disney: 84 Fascinating Facts for Kids about Walt Disney by Colin Mitchell is exactly as advertised.  There are 84 facts organized by theme in short sentences.  The facts are numbered and range from the early life of Walt Disney, his animation years, the building of his theme park and death.  They are all short and vary by the amount of detail provided.

Let us start with what I did not like.  First, like many Kindle books (I downloaded this book for free) the margins at times are off.  Some lines are indented deeper than others.  Second, some of the facts caught my attention and I wanted more.  For example, why did Ub Iwerks leave Disney employment?  Yes I know, but a child might also like to know Iwerks' next steps.  Third, there are additional editing concerns like not putting film titles in italics, putting them in quotes like they were shorts.  Fourth, there is a lack of balance in the facts.  For example the animation strike receives eight facts for an event that was relatively short but Disneyland only gets six.  And finally there are factual inaccuracies.  For example Mitchell states that Walt Disney had hired Lillian Bounds (the future Mrs. Disney) to ink his sketches.  Actually, Bounds was working on animated films and never sketched anything specifically drawn by Walt.  And the entire chapter titled Kansas provides facts about Walt Disney in Kansas City.  The Kansas City metro straddles both Missouri and Kansas with Disney having lived on the Missouri side of the metropolitan area.

Despite me finding fault in Walt Disney: 84 Fascinating Facts for Kids About Walt Disney, I do think that the book could make a child more interested in Walt Disney the man.  I do wish that the factual errors were corrected, so I do not know if I would pay for this title.  But for free, it could make one curious.