On May 30, 1956 this episode of Walt's TV show aired (Behind the Scenes with Fess Parker) to advertise the release of Walt's latest big budget film, the Great Locomotive Chase. The Great Locomotive Chase was filmed in Cinemascope and a very ambitious project. There were only a few Cinemascope lenses in existence at the time and only very prestigious productions were produced in this format then. The film told the true story of when Union spies were sent behind enemy lines to cut off Confederate communications as they stole a train headed north. The story evenly portrayed the Americans on both sides of the war and this TV episode demonstrated the great lengths Walt always went to in order to ensure historical accuracy in his films. This is also a story that doesn't end happily but Walt knew it was an important story for families to hear. In many cases, the stories Walt dramatized in film were either the first time they had ever been told in cinema or they became the definitive cinematic versions. In this excerpt is Walt's intro for this TV episode where he talks about how he knew veterans from both sides of the Civil War when he was a boy. The theme of Walt's intro and the film is about the nation healing and coming together. It's a message just as timely for today. You also see Walt show the well-worn copy of the book the film is based on from his family library when he was a boy. If you've not seen the Great Locomotive Chase it's a film worth seeing. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

On May 29, 1957 Walt's TV show aired the episode called the Liberty Story to promote the release of his film Johnny Tremain. The film is based on the book by Ester Forbes that was published during WWII and won the Newberry Medal in 1944. It is one of the twenty top-selling children's novels of the 20th century. Walt felt this story was important to tell at the height of the Cold War. In this Liberty Story excerpt, Walt briefly discusses man's history of freedom correctly tying it in with Robin Hood (which he'd made into a film in 1952) before revealing his plans to add Liberty Street to Disneyland. Liberty Street had been announced along with Edison Square but the plans for both were put on hold as Walt and his team focused on the 1964-1965 World's Fair. Neither land was built at Disneyland. Edison Square evolved into the General Electric Carousel of Progress and Liberty Street was re-imagined as Liberty Square at Walt Disney World. In fact, some of the audio for the Hall of Presidents had originally been recorded under Walt's supervision back in 1958. The film Johnny Tremain aired in two episodes of Walt's TV show in 1958. The Boston Tea Party on November 21 and The Shot Heard Around the World on December 5. We have included Walt's intros to these episodes as well. These two episodic versions of Johnny Tremain were also distributed in schools for decades. When the film bombed in the UK Walt opted to not release it in Europe. A few years later Walt would reach Europeans with another story on Independence set at the time of America's founding but not released theatrically in America, Dr Syn/the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

To say Walt Disney loved America is an understatement. You can view his patriotism all through his films and theme park attractions. One of the most obscure of these projects today is the Circarama 360 film America the Beautiful. Circarama 360 was a process involving 11 cameras that put the audience in the center of a film. The film shot would be projected by 11 projectors upon 11 screens creating the world's first immersive film experience where the audience was literally surrounded by the film at every angle as if there were really there. The process was invented by legendary special effects genius and Mickey Mouse's co-creator Ub Iwerks. Walt's matte painter Peter Ellenshaw was also the technical supervisor on the filming end of it. When Disneyland opened in 1955 one of its opening day attractions was the first Circarama 360 film titled Tour of the West which took audience through the American frontier in a 12 minute film. It was always a popular attraction because no one had ever seen an experience like this before. For the 1958 Brussels World's Fair the first version of the follow up Circarama 360 film America the Beautiful premiered. It was a film that took audiences across America's landscape through history. This version was narrated by Dick Wesson who narrated on Walt's TV show and some of his film trailers. The music was by Buddy Baker who was one of Walt Disney's most prolific project composers. It remained a popular attraction at the World's Fair until its closure. America the Beautiful was a project Walt Disney was especially proud of because it celebrated the rich heritage of America demonstrating his deep felt patriotism. The film was moved to Disneyland in 1960. This process would be later adopted by Walt for the attractions he'd develop for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair when they moved to Disneyland after the fair closed. The film was updated in 1967 and again in 1975 for America's Bicentennial. Actor Paul Frees narrated this updated version. The film continued to play in the parks until 1984 where it was replaced by the Circarama 360 film American Journeys. That film ran in the parks until 1996. In 1980 America the Beautiful was adapted and released as an educational film and that version aired on the Disney Channel multiple times from 1984 to 2001. The film has not been seen officially since then. We present here the LP record release of the soundtrack of the original 1958 version for your listening pleasure. It features the score by Buddy Baker with the narration of Dick Wesson. It would be wonderful if the Walt Disney Company would release all of the Circarama films for our enjoyment. Original release date 1958 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

To say Walt Disney loved America is an understatement. You can view his patriotism all through his films and theme park attractions. One of the most obscure of these projects today is the Circarama 360 film America the Beautiful. Circarama 360 was a process involving 11 cameras that put the audience in the center of a film. The film shot would be projected by 11 projectors upon 11 screens creating the world's first immersive film experience where the audience was literally surrounded by the film at every angle as if there were really there. The process was invented by legendary special effects genius and Mickey Mouse's co-creator Ub Iwerks. Walt's matte painter Peter Ellenshaw was also the technical supervisor on the filming end of it. When Disneyland opened in 1955 one of its opening day attractions was the first Circarama 360 film titled Tour of the West which took audience through the American frontier in a 12 minute film. It was always a popular attraction because no one had ever seen an experience like this before. For the 1958 Brussels World's Fair the first version of the follow up Circarama 360 film America the Beautiful premiered. It was a film that took audiences across America's landscape through history. This version was narrated by Dick Wesson who narrated on Walt's TV show and some of his film trailers. The music was by Buddy Baker who was one of Walt Disney's most prolific project composers. It remained a popular attraction at the World's Fair until its closure. America the Beautiful was a project Walt Disney was especially proud of because it celebrated the rich heritage of America demonstrating his deep felt patriotism. The film was moved to Disneyland in 1960. This process would be later adopted by Walt for the attractions he'd develop for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair when they moved to Disneyland after the fair closed. The film was updated in 1967 and again in 1975 for America's Bicentennial. Actor Paul Frees narrated this updated version. The film continued to play in the parks until 1984 where it was replaced by the Circarama 360 film American Journeys. That film ran in the parks until 1996. In 1980 America the Beautiful was adapted and released as an educational film and that version aired on the Disney Channel multiple times from 1984 to 2001. The film has not been seen officially since then. We present here that version of the film for your viewing pleasure. It would be wonderful if the Walt Disney Company would release all of the Circarama films for our enjoyment. Original release date 1958-1984 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

The American Adventure is an attraction at EPCOT Center. It has been revised in recent years, but this is a documentary about this attraction when it open and was constructed by Walt Disney's family. It opened October 1, 1982 along with the rest of the park. This promotional video was created to advertise what an achievement this production was at the time. It's a shame the show has been altered to become PC then Woke. Release date 1984 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Actor Lloyd Bridges hosts this behind the scenes documentary for The American Adventure was created for The Disney Channel in 1987 and only ever aired a handful of times never to be seen again. The source for this video is from a master copy so you'll see some bars on the sides of the footage as this is the full magnetic tape image. At the time, The Disney Channel sometimes created documentaries about different aspects of the Disney Parks. by the 1990's this was dropped in favor of the occasional TV Magazine format. What's great about these longform documentaries is they chronicle the history of an attraction and celebrate it as it was built and not what it's been degraded into. Original air date July 4, 1987 Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

On May 29, 1941 a little over 200 members of Walt Disney's animation staff went on strike led by top animator Art Babbit. The communist influence on the Labor Movement is documented. Known communist Herbert Sorrell was the ring leader of this strike and it's what led to Walt Disney testifying before congress against communists in 1947. The strike went on across several months with the strikers threatening to murder Walt in effigy. (You can see footage of that in this montage. In one shot the strikers haul out a guillotine as they're dressed as executioners and behead a dummy of Walt over and over again.) It's no wonder this event was one of Walt Disney's pivot points. The strike affected Walt's health and he was sent on a tour of South America that eventually resulted in the films Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. The strike ended on Sept 21, 1941 with the strikers getting nearly all of what they'd demanded. Many of the strikers left the Walt Disney Studios and founded UPA. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney testifies against communists in Hollywood before congress on Oct 24, 1947. In the wake of the 1941 Studio Strike, Walt Disney testified against the communists behind the strike. Revisionist historians claim there were no communists in Hollywood and call this a witch hunt but the documentation proves otherwise. Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.