I didn't know it existed, or why it hasn't been published yet.
"Hubler was a freelance writer who wrote many magazine pieces and was the as-told-to coauthor of Ronald Reagan’s memoir Where’s the Rest of Me? He was the first author commissioned by Walt Disney Productions and the Disney family to write a biography of Walt Disney, less than a year after Disney’s death. In late 1967 and 1968 Hubler interviewed many Disney employees and members of Disney’s family, some of whom were never interviewed otherwise. His book was never published. “Turned it in for corrections and/or defections in fact—and got a blank wall,” he told me in 1969. “No comment, no reasons, no nothing at all.... They paid the considerable contractual penalty and let it drop dead.” Hubler retained drafts of his manuscript, complete and partial transcripts of dozens of interviews, and a wealth of other material, all of which he donated to Boston University and much of which I consulted in the course of writing my own book. Transcripts of a number of Hubler’s interviews are also held at the Walt Disney Archives, and they have been quoted extensively in subsequent Disney-authorized books like Bob Thomas’s biographies of Walt Disney and his brother Roy."
"Ryan's research was extensive, but he was not allowed into the Disney vault. Instead, he found an authorized but unpublished Disney biography written by Richard Hubler. Ryan located one of only two copies, kept at Boston University."
Interesting… Can you share your source for this info, I’m just curious if there’s more context?
Walt’s family has always been pretty protective of his legacy. For example, I think Neal Gabler’s bio is considered pretty much definitive but Diane Disney Miller was unhappy with it.
I have read Neal Gabler's book, and it does have a lot of interesting information. But Gabler decided to write it as a story, using his own narrativ. And according to him, Disney was running from the real world his whole life, till he finally found peace in death and could stop running.
