Help with Disney Project

[yoda_four]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but the search didn't find anything. Could you guys recommend anything I should see or read for my DIsney Project. I'm basically doing Disney Thru the Decades: ALice & Oswald, Mickey & SS, feature Films, War, More Films, Live action, Disneyland, Death and Eisner and Wells and Katzenberg and Roy, renaissance, Pixar, today. I've already found 2 excellent books: The Art of Walt Disney, and The Disney Studio Story. Anything I could use?

Thanks all!
P.S.: I gotta write it in French, so if there's anything en francais, it would be greatly appreciated.

[MickeyMouseboy]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but the search didn't find anything. Could you guys recommend anything I should see or read for my DIsney Project. I'm basically doing Disney Thru the Decades: ALice & Oswald, Mickey & SS, feature Films, War, More Films, Live action, Disneyland, Death and Eisner and Wells and Katzenberg and Roy, renaissance, Pixar, today. I've already found 2 excellent books: The Art of Walt Disney, and The Disney Studio Story. Anything I could use?

Thanks all!
P.S.: I gotta write it in French, so if there's anything en francais, it would be greatly appreciated.

If you can get a hold of Walt: The Man behind the Myth DVD or VHS that's something that might help you alot too! Great Documentary!

[Luke]

I really like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... ovemz">The Disney Films</a> by Leonard Maltin.

[PatrickvD]

I have a book called "The Art of Walt Disney" by Christopher Finch. It's very informative, but also kinda expensive. Good luck finding something...'besides that book and the above mentioned dvd I don't know where else to look

[jeffs854]

For a great look at Disney, I recommend "Walt Disney An American Original" by Bob Thomas.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

There are a lot of books, but I think this is one of the best:

Watts, Steven. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American way of life. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

[luigi_atlante]

I recommend you a book by Ariel Dorfman named "Para Leer al Pato Donald"...it's interesting becuase it was written in the years of the communist Chile...so basically it's a critit to Disney...but I must admit its interesting and its something totally different

[AwallaceUNC]

Disney: The Ultimate Visual Guide

and

Disney: The First 100 Years

are both great books, particularly the latter.

-Aaron

[Kram Nebuer]

For a great look at Disney, I recommend "Walt Disney An American Original" by Bob Thomas.

There are a lot of books, but I think this is one of the best:

Watts, Steven. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American way of life. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

I agree with both of these. I used them for my Walt Disney research paper and I got an A on it! Not only that, but they're great reads by themselves.

[Luke]

We have a little known, little-visited list of books that have been purchased or recommended by site visitors here:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/disneybooks.html

[Mayhem]

I have a few of those on the list. The Encyclopedia of Disney Characters one really got me into analysing, collating and finding out much, much more about the whole pantheon of Disney works when I was a teenager (back when the book was still a first edition!). Oh and the fact it was done by an English writer given access to Disney's vault was kinda special too

I have a third edition of the book here at home... signed by the author

[yoda_four]

Thanks very much everyone! I'll be sure to check all those books out at my library. I just ordered the Walt DVD off Amazon with Frank and Ollie (is it informative?). Again thanks, and I'll be sure to tell you how the project turns out!

[yoda_four]

BTW, can anyone tell me which Disney films were featured in the Sketchbook Series? I know there's one for Peter Pan, Bambi and Toy Story. Amazon got really confusing after the first half hour so I thought I'd test your guys' knowledge. Thanks in advance!

[Lars Vermundsberget]

There was a Snow White sketchbook, reprint of 1938 original, that started the Sketchbook series. I think there's also Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid and possibly Lady and the Tramp. Not sure about that last one, though - I never got any of these.

But I can list other titles worth checking out:


Disney Bibliography


Allan, Robin. Walt Disney and Europe. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1999.

Bell, Elizabeth, Lynda Haas and Laura Sells (editors). From Mouse to Mermaid: the Politics of Film, Gender and Culture. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1995.

Canemaker, John. Before the animation begins. New York: Hyperion, 1996.

Canemaker, John. Paper Dreams: The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards. New York: Hyperion, 1999.

Canemaker, John. Treasures of Disney Animation Art. New York: Abbeville, 1982.

Canemaker, John. Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation. New York: Disney Editions, 2001.

Cotter, Bill. The Wonderful World of Disney Television. New York: Hyperion, 1997.

Culhane, John. Fantasia 2000: Vision of Hope. New York: Disney Editions, 1999.

Culhane, John. Walt Disney’s Fantasia. Reprint. Originally published: New York: Abrams, 1983.

Eisner, Michael D. (foreword). Walt Disney Imagineering. New York: Hyperion, 1996.

Eliot, Marc. Walt Disney: Hollywood’s Dark Prince. New York: Birch Lane Press, 1993.

Fanning, Jim (text). The Disney Poster: From Mickey Mouse to Aladdin. New York: Hyperion, 1993.

Feild, Robert D. The Art of Walt Disney. New York: Macmillan, 1942.

Ferraiuolo, Perucci. Disney and the Bible. Camp Hill, PA: Horizon Books, 1996.

Finch, Christopher. The Art of The Lion King. New York: Hyperion, 1994.

Finch, Christopher. The Art of Walt Disney. New York: Abrams, 1973.

Finch, Christopher. The Art of Walt Disney. Updated edition. New York: Abrams, 1995.

Fjellman, Stephen M. Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America. Boulder, San Francisco and Oxford: Westview, 1992.

Giroux, Henry A. The mouse that roared: Disney and the end of innocence. Lanham, Boulder, New York and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999.

Grant, John. Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s Animated Characters. New York: Hyperion, 1993.

Green, Howard E. The Tarzan Chronicles. New York: Hyperion, 1999.

Hiaasen, Carl. Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World. New York: Ballantine, 1998.

Holliss, Richard and Brian Sibley. The Disney Studio Story. London: Octopus, 1988.

Hurter, Albert. He Drew As He Pleased. Intr. Ted Sears. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1948.

Iwerks, Leslie and John Kenworthy. The Hand behind The Mouse. New York: Disney Editions, 2001.

Johnston, Ollie and Frank Thomas. The Disney Villain. New York: Hyperion, 1993.

Koenig, David. More Mouse Tales: A closer peek backstage at Disneyland. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure, 1999.

Koenig, David. Mouse Tales: A behind-the-ears look at Disneyland. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure, 1994, 1995.

Koenig, David. Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation and Theme Parks. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure, 1997.

Krause, Martin and Linda Witkowski. Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: An Art in Its Making. New York: Hyperion, 1994.

Kurtti, Jeff. The Art of Mulan. New York: Hyperion, 1998.

Kurtti, Jeff. Since The World Began: Walt Disney World – The First 25 Years. New York: Hyperion, 1996.

Lambert, Pierre. Mickey Mouse. New York: Hyperion, 1998.

Lambert, Pierre. Pinocchio. New York: Hyperion, 1997.

Maltin, Leonard. The Disney Films. 3rd edition. New York: Hyperion, 1995.

Marling, Karal Ann (editor). Designing Disney’s Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance. Paris and New York: Flammarion, 1997.

Merritt, Russell and J. B. Kaufman. Walt in Wonderland. Gemona (Italy): Le Giornate del Cinema Muto / La Cineteca del Friuli, 1993.

Mosley, Leonard. Disney’s World. Lanham, MD: Scarborough House, 1990.

Rebello, Stephen. The Art of Pocahontas. New York: Hyperion, 1995.

Rebello, Stephen. The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. New York: Hyperion, 1996.

Rebello, Stephen and Jane Healey. The Art of Hercules: The Chaos of Creation. New York: Hyperion, 1997.

Schickel, Richard. The Disney Version. 3rd edition. Chicago: Elephant Paperback / Ivan R. Dee, 1997.

Schweizer, Peter and Rochelle Schweizer. Disney: The Mouse Betrayed. Washington, D. C.: Regnery Publishing, 1998.

Sherman, Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman. Walt’s Time: from before to beyond. Santa Clarita, CA: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998.

Smith, Dave. Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia. New York: Hyperion, 1996.

Smith, Dave and Steven Clark. Disney: The First 100 Years. New York: Hyperion, 1999.

Solomon, Charles. The Disney That Never Was. New York: Hyperion, 1995.

Taylor, Deems. Walt Disney’s Fantasia. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1940.

Thomas, Bob. The Art of Animation. New York: Golden Press, 1958.

Thomas, Bob. Building a company: Roy O. Disney and the creation of an entertainment empire. New York: Hyperion, 1998.

Thomas, Bob. Disney’s Art of Animation from Mickey Mouse to Hercules. New York: Hyperion, 1997.

Thomas, Bob. Walt Disney: An American Original. New York: Hyperion, 1994.

Thomas, Frank and Ollie Johnston. Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life. New York: Abbeville, 1981.

Thomas, Frank and Ollie Johnston. Too Funny for Words. New York: Abbeville, 1987.

Thomas, Frank and Ollie Johnston. Walt Disney’s Bambi. New York: Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 1990.

Watts, Steven. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American way of life. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

[MickeyMousePal]

Whoa what a long list with so many books.
Thanks Lars Vermundsberget for the information.

[Escapay]

Koenig, David. More Mouse Tales: A closer peek backstage at Disneyland. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure, 1999.

Koenig, David. Mouse Tales: A behind-the-ears look at Disneyland. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure, 1994, 1995.

Loved these books. While the second one was a bit more depressing (more serious stuff, such as a whole chapter about the troubles Jungle Cruise has had.), the first has a lighter tone to it, with more humor. The second one makes up for it though, by having random blurbs of just how funny (and sometimes stupid) guests can be. Off the top of my head:

1. "Adventures Thru Inner Space" is probably the only Disney ride that had the most...er, relations between a man and a woman. The castmembers would jokingly call it "Voyage Thru Intercourse". When Star Tours replaced it in 1986, a father was seen looking despondent. He had always been telling his son that once he was old enough, he'd take him to the place where he was conceived...Adventures Thru Inner Space.

2. A guest when told by a castmember not to stand in the front of the parade line (he was blocking the children and everyone else, who were sitting): "BUT I AM FRENCH, BUT I AM FRENCH!"

3. During a parade, a woman asked a castmember on Main Street if he could do something about the sidewalk. It was too hot for her to sit on. So the castmember takes out his flashlight and pretends it's a walkie talkie. He then says something like "Climate Control, please lower the sidewalk temperature on Main Street, Section (something)." The woman then sits down, and actually thinks the sidewalk is cooling!

4. A castmember would always pull off his pants and run around the elevator at Haunted Mansion, to prove to others that he could do it, then put them back on before the guests came on. One time, his friend threw up his pants onto a gargoyle above, and he had to wait for the elevator to rise close enough for him to reach it...and of course, the closer to his pants, the closer the guests were getting to entering the elevator.

5. "Where can I find It's A Mad Mad Mad World of Children" instead of "Where's It's A Small World".

6. A girl grabbed at a castmember's crotch, and felt her hairbrush (which was in the padding). She remarked "Omagosh! It's a guy and he's excited!"

7. A girl grabbed at a castmember's crotch, which was a guy, and remarked "It's a girl!"

But of course, my favorite humorous bit from Mouse Tales and More Mouse Tales would have to be when a castmember gave a new castmember a balloon. He told her that a guest wanted to bring it on the Matterhorn, but it's not allowed. So this castmember is greeting people at the Matterhorn, holding this kid's balloon. She has no idea why guests are giving her strange looks, until someone finally tells her she's holding a blown-up condom on a stick.



Escapay

[yoda_four]

Whoa what a long list with so many books.
Thanks Lars Vermundsberget for the information.

Ditto that. Thanks Lars!

[AwallaceUNC]

Lars, great list!

Escapay, some of those stories are shocking, but funny

Also, there's a book I've been seeing around and intend to eventually pick up called "Disney and God" or somehting like that. It may or may not be the same as the "The Bible and Disney" that you listed.

-Aaron

[Lars Vermundsberget]

An amazon search shows no book of that particular title, so it could be the one on my list instead. However, quite a few of the books on my list are written by people critisizing Disney based on various religious or political agendas. Some quite interesting, others rather seem to be missing the point of Disney...

[Mayhem]

Grant, John. Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s Animated Characters. New York: Hyperion, 1993

2nd edition date... 3rd one (the most recent) is from 1999 btw

But yes, a great reference list there... some I may well check out.