Animation Behind The Scenes

This 1937 short film was made at the request of Walt's distributor RKO Radio Pictures to show executives and theater managers who were interested in seeing how Walt Disney made his films. The footage was shot in early July of 1937 and features a plethora of notable Walt Disney Legends at work on some of Walt's most beloved films. While this film was never intended to be viewed by the general public, during the following year another documentary film was produced for general release titled How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made that included some footage from this short. We're fortunate that this time capsule of Walt's studio was made and still exists today. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This 1938 short film was made to advertise both Walt Disney's Studios and his new animated feature, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. It was made at the request of Walt's distributor RKO Radio Pictures and features some footage from an earlier industrial short film never intended for the public called A Trip Through the Walt Disney Studios. This would have been screened before a feature length film in a movie theater during the evening program that would have included a short cartoon, news real, comedy short like Laurel & Hardy, and other additions to a night's entertainment at the movie's. We're fortunate that this time capsule of Walt's studio was made and still exists today. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This 1939 short film was made to advertise both Walt Disney's Studios and his new animated feature, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. It was made at the request of Walt's distributor RKO Radio Pictures and features some footage from an earlier industrial short film never intended for the public called A Trip Through the Walt Disney Studios. The animation sequence was adapted from an earlier cartoon created for the Academy Awards and reused animation like the Disney studios would later do in some similar parades in WWII cartoons and 1950's TV episodes. This would have been screened before a feature length film in a movie theater during the evening program that would have included a short cartoon, news real, comedy short like Laurel & Hardy, and other additions to a night's entertainment at the movie's. We're fortunate that this time capsule of Walt's studio was made and still exists today. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

In the spring of 1940 Walt Disney and Billy Bletcher were filmed at their recording session for the Mickey Mouse cartoon Mr Mouse Takes a Trip. The short was released on November 1, 1940. This is the only footage of Walt performing Mickey Mouse's voice that's known to exist. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This 1951 promo for Walt's new film, Alice in Wonderland, aired on the June 14, 1951 episode of the Ford Star Revue. It's narrated by opera singer James Melton for his daughter Margo. In the time, there were very few behind the scenes documentaries on how films or cartoons were made so this was very much a novelty. Some of the footage is reused from the 1941 theatrical film The Reluctant Dragon. This short also demonstrates just how much of an A-list release Alice in Wonderland was for Walt Disney. Original airdate June 14, 1951 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This 1952 trailer for Peter Pan features rare documentary footage of Walt's collaborators working on the film. Such documentaries on how films or animated cartoons were made were unusual for the time. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This 1942 documentary trailer was released to advertise the forthcoming films Walt Disney had in production. Ultimately only Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros were completed but several others were planned. The documentary was distributed by the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs rather than in theatrical venues. Walt and 18 of his artists had been sent on a Goodwill Tour of South America on the cusp of World War II because the American government feared the Nazis gaining a foothold on America's doorstep. Several film makers were sent under this policy in the hopes that American capitalism and freedoms would take root in the Latin American countries. Orson Welles was another of these film makers who were sent on a tour via this policy but his films were abandoned and went unfinished in his lifetime. We are very fortunate that this footage exists because documentary films of film productions and animation were a rarity at the time. Release date November 23, 1942

In the 1970's there was a movement giving the golden age of 1930's Hollywood academic attention. Many of the people who had been part of these films were reaching their golden years and eager to share their stories and many of the up and coming filmmakers were eager to document them and hear them. For the first time old Hollywood was being treated as a serious academic subject worthy of study. This is one of these projects. This 1978 BBC documentary captures Walt's studio at the end of the Walt era. We get a retrospective on the projects produced by Walt and his collaborators prior to the Eisner era. There's interviews with such Disney legends as Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, James Algar, Marc Davis, Ken Anderson, Jimmy MacDonald, John Hench, Walt's daughter Diane Disney Miller, studio head Ron Miller, rising artist Andy Gaskill. and more. These are some of the first behind the scenes commentary ever captured on film from the people who were there and involved. This documentary also reflects on Walt's values and morality and how they were still relevant in the 1970's. It explores Walt's role in popular culture touching on the animated films, live action, True Life Adventures, Disneyland, and beyond. We also see rare behind the scenes material on the then latest Disney animated feature release The Rescuers including material not in the final film. There's also material on Pete's Dragon. This is a great time capsule capturing how the studio carried on after Walt's passing. *Historical note the nude photo of the woman hidden in the background of the Rescuers is present in one of the scenes. It was placed in the shot for two frames of film as a "joke" by one of the younger animators. This shot was used weekly n the intro to Walt's TV show as part of this "gag." In 1999 there was a massive recall of the 2nd VHS release of the film and the video was recalled. This image was then digitally removed from the film as new VHS tapes were issued. Since it's part of Walt Disney history, we're pointing out it's present in this documentary. Original airdate 1978 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Perhaps no other Walt Disney film has had more TV specials devoted to it than Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. This one tied in with the 1983 rerelease and is hosted by comedy star and character actor Dick van Patten. He was in several sitcoms in his career but may be best known to today's audiences for his numerous cameos in Mel Brookes comedy feature films. This TV special only aired once on CBS. This documentary was filmed by former Disney CEO Card Walker who'd been at the studio since the 1938 when he started as a mail clerk and personally knew all of these people and their important contributions to the studio. Walker cared very much about history and understood the importance of the Walt Disney legacy being preserved. He went on to make The Walt Disney Family Album after this. What makes this TV special unique is we see so many of the people involved with the film. This may be the only TV special on Snow White where many of them ever appeared. We hear from legendary Disney artists including Ken Anderson, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Woolie Reitherman, Ward Kimball, and Eric Larson. We also see a brief interview with Adriana Caselotti and Harry Stockwell who played Snow White and the Prince. Disney voice actors Paul Winchell and Clarence "Ducky" Nash also have a few comments. Wayne Allwine demonstrates some of the sound effect props that Jimmy MacDonald used in the original film at the Los Angelos Childrens Museum. We also see several very young Disney artists very early in their careers such as Glen Keane, John Lasseter, Phil Nibbelink, and Cyndee Whitney. We also see a comment from Joseph Bottoms who portrayed Major Effects in the infamous episode from Walt's TV show. There's also contemporary 1980's stars of time as well as vintage footage of Walt from the time of the film's original release. This is an important record of Walt Disney history and we're blessed it was produced at all. Original air date May 28, 1983 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This Disney Channel TV special was created for the 1993 rerelease of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. While not as in depth as the making of documentaries they'd produce for the contemporary films, the reason this program is so valuable is because it features some of the last interviews ever conducted from the people who made this film. We hear from Snow White's voice Adriana Caselotti and several of the Nine Old Men including Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, and Ward Kimball. There's also a few soundbites from Roy Disney, Jr and animation historian Charles Solomon. There's lots of historical footage and we also get a segment on the restoration of the film as well as a few clips of both celebrities and average Americans discussing how they feel about the film. It's interesting to note just how diverse the audience is and they all universally praise the film. It's a shame this documentary has never been officially released on one of Snow Whites DVD releases. It's an important record of Walt Disney History. *Quality note - This is the best quality print of this film that could be located and opening is missing. If a better quality/complete print ever surfaces we will replace it in this archive. Original air date June 10, 1993 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.