Between Books - The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion

When I was in college one particular professor was my role model.  He was knowledgeable, but also allowed himself to have some fun. He could communicate clearly with little confusion.  He spoke about facts and let rumors and off-hand stories be heard but clearly noted for what they were.  I think this is why I have come to respect Jeff Baham for his work on the Haunted Mansion.  He knows the gossip around the attraction, but he also labels it for what it is.  And his own quest to find more truth about the Mansion has helped uncover lost history behind the famous Walt Disney attraction.  And these new truths are one he has been able to communicate in an easy to understand manner. 

The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion by Jeff Baham is a comprehensive history of the world famous Haunted Mansion.  Baham starts his tale decades before ground was broken in Disneyland, discussing the haunted houses and theme parks that Walt Disney would have been exposed to especially in Kansas City.  The story heats up in the 1950s as Walt Disney builds his first theme park and plans for a Ghost House within his new adventure.  Baham next outlines the evolution of the concept as the Ghost House was transformed from a walking attraction to the Omnimover driven dark ride we have today.  In describing the concept evolution he details the roles of Imagineers such as Ken Anderson, Rolly Crump, Yale Gracey, Mark Davis, Claude Coats and X. Atencio including their disagreements and rivalries.  Much of the inside story follows Crump's tale, with the Imagineer also writing the Foreword.  After developing the ride, Baham takes his readers for a tour through the Haunted Mansion discussing history and variances between different versions.  And finally he provide an Appendix focused on Haunted Mansion themed merchandise.  

I am going to sneak in my two nit picky issues while also pointing out how much I like this title.  First, I really wish that an index was included.  Luckily, this is a short book under 150 pages so it is easy to scan through.  But it is both well-written and filled with excellent history of the Haunted Mansion.  In fact, as Haunted Mansion history evolves it is likely the most complete to date with the inclusion of the Sauer "Castle" and discussions of the homes that inspired the facades of both American Haunted Mansions.  But an index would be such a nice tool for younger researchers who might want to dig into the design story of the attraction.  Second, I wish there was a conclusion from Baham about his thoughts on Haunted Mansion history.  The text as is feels like it abruptly stops with the attraction walk through and then merchandise.  I think it is fair to say that Baham knows more than the typical Disney fan about the Haunted Mansion.  And this deep knowledge and understanding comes out in his very easy to read informative text.  But I would have loved to see his reflections on either the Haunted Mansion or his own personal quest to fully document the Mansion in great detail.  Yes, it may not have added to the facts.  But I feel it would have been a more than fair addition, especially since my experiences listening to his Mousetaliga podcast have shown him to have great insight into Disney history.

Let us be honest, I complain only because I enjoyed this book so much.  And these are really minor quibbles.  

Then there is the ghost in the room, what if you bought Baham's first Haunted Mansion book, An Unofficial History of Disney's Haunted Mansion?  Do you buy the second one?  Baham in interviews makes it clear there is new material and reorganized material.  There are at least 20 additional pages in the newer book.  And it seems to me that there are less images in the updated book, which means there is even more text.  Additionally the new book's page size is around half an inch bigger.  All of this means again more content!  And the content includes greater discussion of Walt Disney and the people who made the attraction.  Another difference is images.  The pictures found in the updated history are sharper and clearer.  If you are considering purchasing between the new history and the older Baham history I would select the newer one just due to the influx of new content.  And if you have the old Baham book, buy the new one too because you are clearly a big Haunted Mansion fan!

When I heard that Jaff Baham was going to be working with a publisher to offer a new updated Haunted Mansion history, I got excited.  Since I heard it mentioned on his podcasts, I have kept this book on my radar despite having reader the earlier book.  The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion is a must have for Disney book fans, Haunted Mansion fans and parks fans.  It is well written, well produced and filled with fact about one of the most storied Disney attractions of all time.  It is clear for Baham that the Haunted Mansion is a passion.  We are just lucky he is willing to share the vast history he has uncovered. 

Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press 

 

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Between Books - More Cute Stories Volume 3: Museum of the Weird

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As a Disney fan and a comic book guy, I've been paying a lot of attention lately to the Museum of the Weird.  I have enjoyed the behind the scenes story of this old idea that has been dusted off by Marvel Comics to become Disney Kingdom's Seekers of the Weird.  So when I saw that Rolly Crump had put together one of his oral histories recounting his history with the idea, well I knew I had to hear it since Walt Disney developed the concept after reviewing some Crump designs.

Like the other offerings in this series, More Cute Stories Volume 3: Museum of the Weird is all Rolly all the time.  In this title he provides the story of how the Museum of the Weird was created.  And it all starts with the beloved Haunted Mansion!  He details how Yale Gracey and himself were working on the Mansion attraction and reassigned to work on the World's Fair attractions.  And he discusses how Walt Disney created the Museum of the Weird for concepts that Rolly developed.  But Walt Disney pulled Rolly off the Mansion and assigned him to New Tomorrowland.  By the time this project was completed, Disney had passed away.  And the head of Imagineering Dick Irvine was more interested in the contributions of his own generational peers than the younger Crump.  So Crump was made Disneyland's Art Director and mostly worked with maintenance!  Crump provide listeners with an overview of how the Museum would have been laid out and what his hopes for the Museum's future are now that it has been rediscovered by Marvel.

What really fascinates me in these presentations is Crump's take on people.  Dick Irvine is painted, as in other places, as someone who did not understand this young Imagineer that Disney seemed so interested in.  And Marc Davis, who I have remarked in the past has at times been absent in this series, is seen as someone who also did not understand Crump's work.  Or more importantly, Davis did not understand what Walt Disney saw in Crump's work.  But the person who really stands out in Crump's memory is Walt Disney.  Crump reinforces again and again it is Disney that created the Museum of the Weird, Crump paints himself as only providing concepts.  It is Walt Disney that saw the potential of a full-scale attraction that could be combined with the Haunted Mansion.  As Crump typically does he paints Disney as a hero.  And any Disney fan has to enjoy Crump's discussion of Walt Disney on the set of the Wonderful World of Disney, a showing that Disney handpicked Crump to attend.  

For me one of the best segments was listening to Rolly describe what the Museum of the Weird would look like.  First, it would be a Museum.  The Museum would be designed as a walk through attraction that would designed to meet the guests expectation of what a museum should be.  Second there would be a large rotunda and and a series of hallways.  I will not spoil the whole tour, but one of the first things I did was take out my copy of Disney Kingdom's Seekers of the Weird #1 and compare the Disney Legend's description of the rotunda to what I see in the pages of the comic.  In many ways I fell like they nailed the feel that Disney and Crump were looking to set.  My only real question was the described placement of the gypsy wagon which I felt was improperly placed based on Crump's discussions.  But after looking through several other panels I think they may have hit the proper placement and my imagination may be slightly off kilter. 

This honestly is my favorite of the three volumes.  Since Crump is only discussing one central subject, the discussion flows smoothly and logically.  But best of all, you really feel like Crump is getting on a roll as he talks.  You can imagine this entire disc as one stream of thought.  I found myself getting excited as he told his behind the scenes stories of what could have been. You can really get caught up in his enthusiasm, especially since one can tell he cares for Walt Disney's idea.  Crump is excited and you feel excited!  

I have really enjoyed volume 1 and volume 2 of this oral history series.  But More Cute Stories Volume 3: Museum of the Weird is my favorite to date.  And honestly that enthusiasm is not about the comic.  But really I would enjoy this volume without a comic because Rolly is so enthusiastic about this topic.  The star is Rolly Crump and hearing his voice gain steam as he gets excited about Walt Disney's Museum of the Weird.  As if an attraction can kick-off a movie franchise and Marvel Cinematic Universe movies based on comics are making huge profits for Disney, who knows what the future holds for the Museum of the Weird!      

Copy Provided for Purposes of Review 

Between Books - More Cute Stories, Volume 2: Animators and Imagineers

Over the last few years, Rolly Crump has allowed Disney fans to look at him as an open book.  First, he collaborated on an excellent memoir of his life working for Walt Disney and the years beyond in the themed entertainment business.  Then he released a CD of oral history that includes some of his "cute stories".  Now with his second volume of audio stories, Crump introduces us to familiar and not so familiar names and provides some frank cute stories of working for WED Enterprises and the Walt Disney Studio as an animator.

The format of this collection, More Cute Stores, Volume 2: Animators and Imagineers,  is pretty simple.  There is a brief introduction where the name of the discussed animator or imagineer is spoken.  Then Crump captures a story or two about the Disney contributor in his own words.  The stories vary in length from around two minutes to four minutes, one track is less than a minute.  The figures covered include a who's who of familiar Disney names including Yale Gracey, Harriet Burns, Bill Justice, Ward Kimball and Blaine Gibson.  But there is among the Disney giants names like Art Stevens, Bob Smith and Jack Miller who Disney fans are likely not as familiar with.

If I could describe the tone, it would be frank and honest.  Crump makes mention of teaching and learning to smoke cigarettes.  And since he preferred special food to go with his smokes and had a dealer to help supply his stash, well I'm guessing it was not tobacco that he was rolling.  And he calls it as he saw it, including mentioning a time where Marc Davis in his mind committed a shameful act.  If anything stands out it is the absence of Alice and Marc Davis with whom he collaborated on it's a small world with.  But then perhaps that says something about Crump's feelings (or it could mean nothing at all).   Ward Kimball does stand out as someone that Crump respected and appreciated for bringing him to Imagineering.  Another thing that stands out is the working conditions at Disney in animation, and it makes sense as you hear Crump talk why animators were at times laid off. 

I am a big podcast consumer, so I often compare pay audio content to free podcasts.  I have not heard Crump tell the majority of these stories elsewhere.  Most podcasts want to hear about Yale Gracey, not Keith Elder!  If I had not received a review copy, I would have likely bought myself a physical copy for this nearly an hour of stories.  But for those who do not wish to pay the full price, there is a download option available for half the price.  Honestly, it is fresh and more frank than one would typically find in a podcast interview.

More Cute Stores, Volume 2: Animators and Imagineers continues to build the Crump legend.  You hear the tales from Crump himself, the man many likely wish they had for a grandfather as he shares credit for many of the Disney successes.  And the frankness provides a honesty that makes you understand how he may have grated against others at WED for being such an individual while endearing himself to others. 



Review Copy Provided by Bamboo Forest Publishing

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 - An Unofficial History of Disney's Haunted Mansion

Jeff Baham in An Unofficial History of Disney’s Haunted Mansion explores the history and legacy of this beloved Disney attraction.  Baham provides a history including the ride’s origin and development.  He highlights the role of Imagineers such as Yale Gracey, Rolly Crump, Marc Davis and X Atencio and Legends like Paul Frees in evolving Walt Disney’s original concept for a walk through haunted house into the ride we have today.  Baham guides his readers through the attraction noting the history or background of the gags and theming that entertains the mansion’s guests including the mechanics of the Stretching Room and how the Pepper’s Ghost effect work.  Baham also includes a chapter on Haunted Mansion themed merchandise.  Additionally there are several text sidebars placed along the main text to provide additional context or guest and cast member stories; ranging from what is WED (WED Enterprises the precursor to Walt Disney Imagineering) to stories of special merchandise events.  Throughout the book are sprinkled numerous photos from the Haunted Mansion itself or related to the attraction’s effects.     

It is an understatement to anyone who has listened to Baham on the Moustaliga podcast to say that he is a Haunted Mansion expert.  He loves this attraction and this book along with www.Doombuggies.com are two ways he shows his respect for this attraction.  An Unofficial History of Disney’s Haunted Mansion is both easy to read and enjoyable.  It helps provide depth to a classic attraction that is a must ride for any visitor to Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom.  If I could improve any one aspect of the book it would be the pictures.  They are all black and white and at times not as clear as one would desire.  But we have to remember this book does not have a major publishing house behind it, which likely led to the lower quality photographs.  Jeff Baham in An Unofficial History of Disney’s Haunted Mansion provides us a fitting tribute to the Haunted Mansion, while showing the high quality work a devoted Disney fan can produce.