Walt Disney
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“without exception…” Ad, Film Daily, July 22, 1929.
Joseph Barbera. Joseph Barbera, My Life in ’toons: From Flatbush to Bedrock in Under a Century (Atlanta: Turner Publishing, 1994).
Hiring Burt Gillett. Walt to Roy and Ubbe, Feb. 9, 1929, Walt Disney 1928 Corr., Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Sharpsteen. Ben Sharpsteen, interview by David Smith, May 19, 1971, WDA.
“It was pressure!” Quoted in Donald Crafton, Before Mickey: The Animated Film, 1898-1928 (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1982).
“one of those endless…” Janet Flanner, Harper’s Bazaar, Nov. 1, 1936, quoted in Finch, Art of Disney.
Description of Hyperion. Sharpsteen interview by Smith; Jackson interview by Smith.
“his salvation was in making…” Sharpsteen interview by Peri.
“complete reversal.” Quoted in Barrier, Hollywood Cartoons.
“In Walt’s estimation…” Sharpsteen interview by Peri.
“I have encountered plenty of trouble…” Walt to Giegerich, Apr. 10, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
“We’d hate to go home…” Ub Iwerks, interview by George Sherman, July 30, 1970, WDA.
“one would gather…” Walt to Giegerich, Dec. 14, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., 1928-29, WDA.
“We haven’t any president…” Florabel Muir, “Animated Cartoons Going Over Big,” New York Sunday News, Dec. 1, 1929.
Key to front door. Jack Cutting quoted in Finch, Art of Disney.
“The men loved it…” Iwerks interview by Sherman.
“The money has been coming in…” Roy to Edna, Walt, Lilly, Aug. 10, 1929, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Finances. Statement of Account with Walter E. Disney, May 31, 1929; Walt to H. A. Post, May 31, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
Turning out the Mickeys. Tel. Walt to Giegerich, Jun. 30, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
“queered it.” Roy to Edna, Walt, Lilly, Aug. 10, 1929, Walt and Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Hollywood Screen Star News. Walt to Giegerich, Jun. 3, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
Mayer and MGM. Frances Marion, Off With Their Heads! A Serio-Comic Tale of Hollywood, excerpted in The Grove Book of Hollywood, ed. Christopher Silvester (New York: Grove Press, 1998).
Frank Capra and Walt. Frank Capra, The Name Above the Title: An Autobiography (New York: Macmillan 1971).
Columbia deal. Roy to Walt [Aug. 9, 1929], Disney, Walt, Corr., 1929, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Felix. See Canemaker, Felix.
“By 1930 Felix was doomed.” Hal Walker quoted in ibid..
Calling theaters. Roy Disney interview by Hubler, Jun. 18, 1968.
Cartoon of Mickey leading orchestra. Roy Disney interview by Hubler, Feb. 20, 1968, WDA.
Ads. Exhibitor’s Herald World, Aug. 31, 1929.
Mickey Mouse Clubs. Walt to Giegerich, July 30, 1929; Walt to Giegerich, Sept. 16, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
Mickey Mouse charter. General Campaign, Mickey Mouse Club, 1930, Mickey Mouse Clubs, Alpha-M, General 1934-37 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Lu-Mi (1930-1939), A2997, WDA.
“Minnie’s Yoo Hoo.” Columbia Beacon, Apr. 29, 1930.
Mickey Mouse Club popularity. Clipping, n.d., Mickey Mouse and General Stories, 1925-1931, M-17, Box 3182, WDA.
Milwaukee parade. Hank Peters to Roy, Jun. 8, 1931, P-D.V.’s letters, 1931-1933, Walt Disney Corr., 1930-1934, P-U, A1505. WDA.
Membership. Roy quoted in Hubler, Disney; Motion Picture Herald, Oct. 1, 1932, cited in Lorraine Santoli, The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book (New York: Hyperion, 1995).
King Features and comic strip. J. V. Connelly to Iwerk [sic], Jul. 24, 1929; Iwerks to Connelly, Jul. 30, 1929; Walt to Giegerich, Jul. 30, 1929; Giegerich to Walt, Aug. 12, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr, 1928-29, WDA; Walt to Roy, Aug. 3, 1929, Disney, Walt, Corr., 1929, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Shifting Gottfredson. George Morris to Roy, Apr. 19, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Syndicated in forty papers. Roy to Flora Disney, Aug. 25, 1930, Roy O. Disney—1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Personal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA.
twenty thousand requests. Carolyn Kay Shafer (publicity director, Walt Disney Productions) to J. P. Murphy, Boston Daily Record, Jun. 8, 1931, B -D.V.’s Letters, 1931-1933, Walt Disney Corr., 1930-1934, A-C, A1502, WDA.
Prodding Giegerich. Walt to Giegerich, Oct. 4, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA. See also Giegerich to Walt, Oct. 8, 1929, and Walt to Giegerich, Oct. 24, 1929.
First license. Miller, Story of Disney.
Deal with Borgfeldt. Tel. Walt to Roy, Jan. 29, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Doll models. George Morris to Roy, Apr. 7, 1930, ibid.
Promoting books and candy bars. Roy to Buzza Co., Mar. 20, 1930; Roy to Curtiss Candy Co., Mar. 21, 1930, Toys + Novelties, Misc. Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Mo-T (1928-1939), A2998, WDA; Roy to Walt, Apr. 26, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
“Things are happening fast…” Roy to Mr. and Mrs. E. Disney, Jan. 6, 1930, Roy O. Disney—1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Personal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA.
Mascot offer. Roy to Walt, Jan. 25, 1930, ibid.
“If they [the cartoons] weren’t good…” Roy to Walt, Jan. 24, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1939-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Dispute with Powers over Columbia. Walt to Giegerich, Oct. 21, 1929; Walt to Powers, Dec. 20, 1929; Powers to Walt, Dec. 26, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
“crook.” Roy Disney interview by Hubler, Jun. 18, 1968.
“You know, my greatest weakness…” Paul Smith and Hazel George, interview by David Tietyen, Aug. 29, 1978, WDA.
Powers sensing dissatisfaction. Tel. Powers to Walt, Jan. 2, 1930, Disney, Walt—Corr., 1929, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Iwerks’s leaving. Tel. Roy to Walt, Jan. 21, 1930; Roy to Walt, Jan. 24, 1930, Disney, Walt—Corr., 1929, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Tensions with Walt. Iwerks interview, ca. 1956.
“Draw your own Mickey.” Iwerks and Kenworthy, Hand Behind.
“If Ub’s action…” Walt to Roy, Jan. 21, 1930, Walt and Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Settlement and meeting. Resignation, Jan. 22, 1930, Security First National Bank of L.A. Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Mo-T (1928-1939), A2998; Roy to Walt, Jan. 25, 1930, Roy O. Disney—1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Personal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA.
“obviously loved that guy.” Leonard Mosley, Disney’s World: A Biography (New York: Stein & Day, 1985).
Talking to young animator. Dave Hand quoted in Barrier, Hollywood Cartoons.
“it would not be a good idea…” Roy to Walt, Jan. 18, 1930, Roy O. Disney—1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Personal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA.
Stalling’s departure. Roy to Walt, Jan. 24, 1930, Disney, Walt—Corr., 1929, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
“US fellows who have been…” Roy to Walt, Jan. 24, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
“the year to come will show them…” Ibid.
Ollie Wallace. Roy to Walt, Jan. 25, 1930, Walt Disney—1928 Corr., Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Enlisting Columbia. Roy to Walt, Jan. 25, 1930, ibid.
Suspending production on Mickeys. Walt to Roy, Feb. 1, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
“ATTORNEYS POSITIVE…” Tel. Walt to Roy, Jan. 29, 1930, ibid.
Offering Walt $2,000. Lilly to “Folks,” Jan. 30, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr.
, WDA.
“Powers is crooked…” Lillian to Roy and Edna, Jan. 29, 1930, ibid.
Powers’s shrewdness. Walt Disney interview by Martin, Reel 2; Roy to Walt, Feb. 1, 1930; Roy to Walt, Jan. 29, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
“Boy, they are gunning for him…” Lillian to Roy and Edna, Jan. 29, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Two weeks before meeting Lillian… Ibid.
Lunch with Huemer. Richard Huemer, Recollections of Richard Huemer, unpub. ms., Special Collections, Young Research Library, UCLA.
Breaking with Powers. Tel. Walt to Roy, Feb. 7, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Escaping the process server. George Sherman, interview by Hubler, RHC, Box 17, Folder 65; Bill, Hotel Picadilly, Feb. 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Borrowing from sound studio. George Morris to Roy, May 3, 1930, Roy O. Disney—1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Peronsal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA.
$400,000 gross. Roy to Walt, Apr. 24, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA. Roy adds, “Not so bad is it?”
“complicated.” Bert Nayfack (Newgass, Nayfack and Waldheim) to Walt, Mar. 10, 1930, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1930-36, WDA.
Powers made $100,000. Hubler, Disney.
Powers settlement. Draft tel. Roy to Lessing, [Apr. 9, 1930], Roy O. Disney—1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Personal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA; Contract, Patrick A. Powers—et al. with Walt Disney, Apr. 22, 1930, Powers Cinephone Folder, WDA.
“While sacrifice burns me up…” Lessing to Roy, Apr. 9, 1930, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp, Corr., 1930-36, WDA.
Negotiation meetings. Roy to Walt, Apr. 23, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
“I HONESTLY FEEL ELATED…” Tel. Roy to Walt, May 6, 1930, ibid.
“a weight of worry…” George Morris to Roy, Apr. 24, 1930, Roy O. Disney—1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Personal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA.
Columbia terms. Arthur Mann, “Mickey Mouse’s Financial Career,” Harper’s 168 (May 1934).
Columbia’s offer to Powers. Roy to Walt, Apr. 15, 1930, Walt Disney—1928 Corr., Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
“The Most Popular Character.” Film Daily, Dec. 1, 1930.
“‘Mickey Mouse’ is one of the very few…” Clipping [1929], Mickey Mouse and General Stories, 1925-1931, M-17, 3182, WDA.
“Am I too late for Mickey Mouse?” Saturday Evening Post, Oct. 4, 1930.
Discovered by intelligentsia. Creigthon Peet, “Mickey Mouse’s Miraculous Monkey Shines,” Literary Digest 106 (Aug. 9, 1930).
Chaplin’s demand. Karen Merritt and Russell Merritt, “Mythic Mouse,” Griffithiana, no. 34 (Dec. 1988).
Madame Tussaud. Boston Herald, Nov. 13, 1930.
thirty thousand fan letters. “Mickey Mouse Publicity Items,” Oct. 29, 1931, Mo, D.V.’s letters, Walt Disney Corr., A1504, WDA.
One million audiences. Gilbert Seldes, “Mickey Mouse Maker,” The New Yorker, Dec. 19, 1931.
“most popular motion picture star…” Photoplay, Nov. 1930.
“preeminent personality…” Clipping, Iza Schallert, “German Author Looks Us Over,” Aug. 17, 1930, Mickey Mouse and General Stories, 1925-1931, M-17, 3182, WDA.
French critics. “Europe’s Highbrows Hail ‘Mickey Mouse,’” Literary Digest 110 (Aug. 8, 1931).
More popular than Mozart. “Mickey Mouse Publicity Items,” Oct. 29, 1931.
Filing suit and warning Mintz. NYT, Apr. 1, 1931; Tel. George Morris to Roy, May 5, 1930, M, D.V.’s letters, 1930-33 Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1930-1934, J-O, A1504, WDA.
Paramount and Krazy Kat copying the work. Lilly to “Folks,” Jan. 30, 1930, Walt & Roy Disney Corr., 1929-1930, Walt Disney Early Corr., WDA.
Walt’s early assessments. Fenn Sherie, “Meet Mickey’s Master,” Pearson’s [April 1930], Pearson’s Mag, Sherie, Fenn, Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1930-1934, P-U, A1505, WDA.
Mickey’s size. Shelly Fored, “He Wanted a ‘Little Fellow,’” Hollywood [?], June 1930, Mickey Mouse and General Stories, 1925-1931, M-17, 3182, WDA.
“Mickey is so simple…” Barbara Berch Jamison, “Of Mouse and Man, or Mickey Reaches 25,” NYT Magazine, Sept. 13, 1953, sec. 4.
“We just make a Mickey…” John T. McManus, “Speaking of Movies,” PM [Aug. 1943], A Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1942-1943, A-C, A1526, WDA.
“perfect expression…” John Culhane, “A Mouse for All Seasons,” Saturday Review of Literature, Nov. 11, 1978.
“beloved Don Quixote…” William DeMille, “Mickey Versus Popeye,” in The Animated American Cartoon: A Critical Anthology, ed. Gerald Peary and Daniel Peary (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1980).
“the jerky rhythm…” “The Mechanical Mouse,” Saturday Review of Literature 10 (Nov. 11, 1933).
“age of dictators…” Edward G. Smith, “St. Francis of the Silver Screen,” Progress Today, Jan.-Mar. 1935, quoted in Steven Watts, The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997).
“The Disney world is a world…” Warren I. Susman, Culture as History: The Transformation of American Society in the Twentieth Century (New York: Pantheon, 1984).
“[C]ircles never cause…” Quoted in Robert W. Brockway, “The Masks of Mickey Mouse: Symbol of a Generation,” Journal of Popular Culture, Spring 1989.
Mickey’s flat face. Calvin Trillin, “Disney World, Fla.” The New Yorker, Nov. 6, 1971.
Wholeness. Quoted in Brockway, “Masks.”
“a relatively large head…” Stephen Jay Gould, “A Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse,” in The Panda’s Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History (New York: W. W. Norton, 1980).
“passionate investigation of the body.” Merritt and Merritt, “Mythic Mouse.”
“Stole” screen slapstick. Frank S. Nugent, “The Slapstick Professor,” NYT, May 5, 1935, sec. 9.
“the spirit of the child…” Robert D. Feild, The Art of Walt Disney (New York: Macmillan, 1942).
“narcotized.” Dr. A. A. Brill, “Dr. Brill Analyzes Walt Disney’s Masterpiece,” Photoplay 45 (April 1934).
“ego ideal.” David I. Berland, M.D., “Disney and Freud: Walt Meets the Id,” Journal of Popular Culture 15 (Spring 1982).
“He can break all natural laws.” “Profound Mouse,” Time, May 15, 1933.
“quick and cocky and cruel…” Richard Schickel, The Disney Version: The Life, Times, Art and Commerce of Walt Disney, 3rd ed. (1968; reprint Chicago: Elephant Paperbacks, 1997).
“scandalous element…” E. M. Forster, “Mickey and Minnie,” in Peary and Peary, Animated Cartoon.
Ohio censors. Clipping, Feb. 4, 1931, MWEZ, n.c., 17,901, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
“never been our intention…” Walt to Giegerich, Dec. 23, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
“anarchy” and “greediness.” Merritt and Merritt, “Mythic Mouse.”
“the cosmic victory of the underdog…” Motion Picture Herald, Oct. 1, 1932.
“the greatest of them all.” Disney, Autobiography, 1939, 2nd installment.
“We wanted something appealing…” Exhibitors Complete Campaign for Walt Disney’s “Mickey” [1931] Mouse, United Artists, Pamphlet #4, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Screening Chaplin’s films. Sharpsteen interview by Peri.
“always showing us how Chaplin…” Ward Kimball, interview by Christopher Finch and Linda Rosenkrantz, May 10, 1972, WDA.
“He just couldn’t get him…” Huemer, Recollections.
Sketch of Mickey Mouse impersonating Chaplin. Walt to Steichen, Nov. 11, 1933, Si, D.V.’s letters, 1931-33 Folder, Walt Disney Corr., 1930-1934, P-U, A1505, WDA.
“He w
as the superhero of his day.” Iwerks interview by Sherman.
“Walt and Mickey were so simpatico…” Quoted in Katherine Greene and Richard Greene, The Man Behind the Magic: The Story of Walt Disney (New York: Viking, 1991).
“Whenever he mentions Mickey Mouse…” Clipping, Robert Sherwood, Aug. 29, 1931, [no title], MWEZ, n.c. 19,000, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
“Walt was Mickey…” Clark to Barrier, Aug. 19, 1976, quoted in John Canemaker, Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation (New York: Disney Editions, 2001).
“I don’t think Mickey…” Henry F. Pringle, “Mickey Mouse’s Father,” McCall’s, Aug. 1932.
“as long as there is a Disney studio…” Barbara Berch Jamison, “Of Mouse and Man, or Mickey Reaches 25,” NYT Magazine, Sept. 13, 1953.
Dissatisfied with Mickey’s voice. Walt to Giegerich, July 26, 1929, Powers Cinephone Equipment Corp., Corr., 1928-29, WDA.
Helen Lind. Variety, Dec. 3, 1930.
Doing MM’s voice. Walt Disney, interview by Tony Thomas, Jan. 1959 (excerpt), WDA.
“[t]here is more pathos…” Quoted in Hubler, Disney.
Ted Sears. Tel. Walt to Roy, Nov. 21, 1930; Draft Tel. Roy to Walt, Dec. 7, 1930, Roy O. Disney—NY Trip—Nov. 1930 Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., Disney, Roy O.—Personal & Trips (1930-33), A2994, WDA.
Harry Reeves. Walt to Roy, Nov. 15, 1930, ibid.
Grim Natwick. Roy to Walt, George Morris, Gunther Lessing, Nov. 21, 1930; Roy to Walt, Morris, Lessing, Nov. 16, 1930, ibid.
“quiet little building…” Alice Ames Winter, “Animated Cartoon Pictures,” Motion Picture Monthly, Jan. 1931.
Expansion. Superintendent’s contract, Roy Disney and F. Scott Crowhurst, Feb. 4, 1931; Roy to F. A. Munsie (secretary, Board of Building and Safety Commission), Jun. 2, 1930; George A. Conlon (sales department, QRS Neon) to Walt, Dec. 1, 1930, Building Bids Folder, Roy O. Disney Corr., A-C (1927-51), A2993, WDA. See also David R. Smith, “Disney Before Burbank: The Kingswell and Hyperion Studios,” Funnyworld, no. 20 (Summer 1979); Thomas, Building a Company.
“as if we were members…” Schickel, Disney Version.
Fraternal atmosphere. Sharpsteen interview by Peri; Bill Peet, Bill Peet: An Autobiography (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989).