New Biography on Walt Disney: Author interviewed

[Pluto Region1]

Have you guys heard about the new biography on Walt Disney by Neal Gabler? There is a good interview with the author posted on the front page of the boxoffice mojo site. I had heard the author interviewed about a week or so ago on the radio - apparently he was given full access to the Walt Disney archives. I also happen to have his book on Winchell and he's pretty thorough. I'll probably pick this up. I don't own any biographies as of yet on Disney (haven't had the time to read so I just put off buying any for now) but I guess I will start with this one. Here's the link to him being interviewed over at box office mojo:

<a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/features/? ... .htm">Neal Gabler on Walt Disney</a>

[Ktrek]

I am wondering if any members have bought this book yet and what you think about it? Is the book worth buying? Is it better than the Bob Thomas book? Are there other books you would recommend more?

Kevin

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I could recommend a number of books (biographies) - depending on what you're looking for. It's been a while since I read most of them now, but I think this one is definitely worth mentioning:

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

[Ktrek]

Thanks Lars! I'll see if I can locate a copy. Much appreciated!

Kevin

[goofystitch]

I am in the middle of this massive biography. This book is amazing and all encompasing. In fact, at times it tells you more than you probably wanted to know not only about Walt, but the studio itself. I was surprised to read a quote by Ward Kimball talking about how disgruntled the employees would get during the creaton of Snow White and how they would draw the characters nude in dirty positions to relieve some of the stress and have a laugh and that many of them became alcoholics during production. Diane Disney Miller, Walt's daughter, is really pleased with this book and even thanksed Neil Gabler for approaching the topic of her father not as a legend like every other author, but as a man.

Anyways, this book is a long read and is very full of information. If you are looking for a more general and quicker read about Walt's life, I highly reccomend Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas. It gives a more general overview of Walt's life while still giving plenty of information that will wow and surprise you. In fact, it is so well written that I cried during the last chapter on Walt's death. So both books are fantastic and the die-hard Disney fan will want to go with Neil Gabler's new biblical size biography, wheras the reader with a general interest in Walt's life should pick up the cheaper and shorter biography by Bob Thomas.

[kbehm29]

I asked Santa to bring me this book for Christmas. I have a strong feeling I'm going to get my wish.

I can't wait to read it in the days following Christmas.

[PixarFan2006]

This sounds like a neat book. Maybe I should see if my local library has a copy in.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Thanks Lars! I'll see if I can locate a copy. Much appreciated!

Kevin

Well, if you dig up a copy, let us know what you think!

There isn't enough talk about books here, you know.

[Pluto Region1]

I think this one is definitely worth mentioning:

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

Yes, this one is on my Xmas wish list. I actually don't have any books on Disney or Walt and his life, so it would be nice to start off with that particular book.

I listen to a lot of Disney podcasts these days due to not having time to post on the forums as much, but having time in my car or at the gym to "listen" to stuff.... anyway, on a recent MouseTunes episode, Dave Smith the head archivist with Disney, was interviewed and he said that they just do not give access to the Disney archives anymore to outsiders doing books. I also heard Neil Gabler interviewed and he had stated that he worked on the book closely with the archive staff for about 7 years - being given full access. In addition, recently I caught quite by chance an interview on KCET TV that was like a 15 or 20 min. interview with Neil Gabler which was conducted at the Walt Disney Studios outside (the big Disney building with the dwarfs holding it up was in the background) about his new book - so basically this book seems to be fully sanctioned by Disney. On the other hand, it is not supposed to be as "sugar-coated" (as I've heard it described) as Bob Thomas' book.

But since he was being given access by Disney, I would imagine he had to walk a fine line of telling an accurate story about the ups and downs of working with a perfectionist-genius (Walt), but being careful not to be too critical. I hope I get this book for Xmas, if not, I'll probably pick it up after the 1st of the year.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

On the other hand, it is not supposed to be as "sugar-coated" (as I've heard it described) as Bob Thomas' book.

Although it's been a few years now since I read any of the Disney biographies, I think what you referred to there is pretty much the "problem" with the Walt biography by Bob Thomas. That book could be seen as a "standard work" and should probably be a "centerpiece" in any collection of Disney biographies, but it doesn't necessarily give the reader a sufficiently "wide range" of Walt Disney.

I guess it's understandable, though, that this "officially authorized" biography was written - since the Disney company (and perhaps family) probably wasn't quite happy with Richard Schickel's "The Disney Version" published a few years earlier, in the late 60s.

It's legitimate to be critical, but being "critical" can also go "over the top". I think that happened with "Walt Disney: Hollywood’s Dark Prince" by Marc Eliot.

As for Bob Thomas, I'll give him credit for his biography of Walt's brother, Roy O. Disney:

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

[Pluto Region1]

quote="Lars Vermundsberget"]
I guess it's understandable, though, that this "officially authorized" biography was written - since the Disney company (and perhaps family) probably wasn't quite happy with Richard Schickel's "The Disney Version" published a few years earlier, in the late 60s.

It's legitimate to be critical, but being "critical" can also go "over the top". I think that happened with "Walt Disney: Hollywood’s Dark Prince" by Marc Eliot. [/quote]

Yes I agree. I mean, I haven't read any of these books, I spent an afternoon over at amazon.com looking at the various books that had been written on Walt and reading the reviews and trying to figure out what was the best or the most impartial etc. Some said Thomas' book was "sugar-coated" others said Prince's book was highly negative, etc. There was a bunch of really outrageous books there for sale, accusing Disney or the Disney Company of all kinds of things including corporate-tolerated pedophilia! I mean really, how can one even begin to take that book seriously.... It is probably hard for a person to write a truly impartial book like this, without having any subconscious bias one way or the other.

As for Bob Thomas, I'll give him credit for his biography of Walt's brother, Roy O. Disney:

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

I made a note of this one too - I didn't put any Disney DVDs on my Xmas wish list but I did put several books including the one you previously recommended plus this one about his brother.

As for "Walt Disney and the American Way of Life," I'd decided that this was the one to get since it supposedly puts Walt and what he did into a historical and social context, which I think is important in understanding the motives and influences of anyone during their time.

[Mr. Toad]

Well Michael Barrier does not think much of it.

http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Commentar ... Errata.htm

[Ktrek]

Well Michael Barrier does not think much of it.

http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Commentar ... Errata.htm

Funny that you just posted this as I was going to post this link also. I will post Michael's link to his review though since you didn't do that. It can be found here:

http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Commentar ... erBook.htm

I'll be interested to read Michael Barrier's book and compare it to the Gabler.

Kevin

[Pluto Region1]

Thanks for posting the link - I will have to re-read it after reading Gabler's book. I dont know how I feel about a person who sits down to write a full dispute of someone else's work. Gabler worked closely with Disney archives for 7 yrs (per Dave Smith, head of Disney archives) and at the very least I would imagine Smith or other archives staff read the final transcripts. Of course it is an exhaustive work so some mistakes are expected but I can't imagine there are as many as Barrier seems to indicate, assuming Archives worked closely with Gabler. Perhaps some of the items that Barrier is stipulating as "mistakes" are issues that cannot be fully determined due to lack of records? Misspellings are pretty common in published books that I've read.

What is Barrier's motivation for writing this? If he is writing his own book, then it seems the motivation is to discredit Gabler in favor of his own release. Or is his motivation ideological in that he doesn't like the position (more favorable) that Gabler takes? Is it in the interests of correcting the public record/history? I just find it strange that he feels compelled to write a huge thing like that and post it at his website.

Now this is interesting, Michael Barrier says:
<<Gabler describes the house as "an old mid-nineteenth-century farmhouse now isolated amid much more expensive residences," but the "now" presumably refers to conditions in 1890. The house vanished decades ago, its space occupied now by a high-rise housing project. The expensive residences are still there, though, one block to the west, in what is known today as Bronzeville>>

I had heard on the radio that the house he grew up in (or was born in?) was recently up for sale on Ebay? Did anyone else hear about this? the current owners wanted someone who cared about the historical significance to buy the house. Did anyone else hear the story? Perhaps it is a different house and they moved a few times when he was young?


<<Walt Disney was not a news butcher on the Santa Fe railroad. That concession belonged to the Fred Harvey Company (for whom Roy Disney did work as a news butcher). Walt worked for the Van Noy (not Noyes) Interstate Company, which provided news butchers to other lines. Walt himself wrote in 1965 that he worked on the Missouri Pacific, the Kansas City Southern, and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, or "Katy.">>

I just listened to an episode of the Mouse Lounge podcast where this exact same story (done in someone else's voice - presumably an old Disney audio file) was told about Disney being a news butcher on the Santa Fe.

so again, maybe there are conflicting sources of info on this stuff, in which case it is incorrect to say that Gabler is wrong when facts are still in dispute (in which case Gabler should not list it as fact if it is in dispute) but like I said, he worked with Archives on his book, so I would tend to believe him before I would believe Barrier.

[Mr. Toad]

I can give you two reasons Michael Barrier did this

1) He is indeed writing his own book

2) From all reports he is quite a difficult person, although obviously quite a talented writer/reviewer. The guy is conceited and has a bit of a mean streak from what I have heard.

And to be honest point #2 usually occurs on my performance reviews.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Michael Barrier has been into the field of animation history for decades. I'd say there's no reason to doubt that he knows a lot...

A lot of information goes into a Disney biography of several hundred pages. The points (errors) listed by Michael Barrier has really got to be a very, very small percentage of all the info in Gabler's book. Whether or not that's very significant is open for discussion.

[goofystitch]

I thought I read somewhere that Diane Disney Miller personally thanked Neil Gabler for tackling a biogrophy about her father as a man, and not a legend like ever other author. I also remember reading that she said that Gabler's book paints the best picture of the man her father really was than any other author. I don't however remember where I read this. Did anybody else read somehting like that?

[Edge]

So far I find the book to be interesting. Biographies are always tricky because the first thing you have to look for is the "Agenda".

Both intentionally and unintentionally people tend to paint the picture they want to paint and like most things in life ignore points that are counterproductive to their agenda.

I've read books that tend to gloss over Walt's life and at the same time I've read books that seem to want to tear it apart.

My hope obviously is to read a book that presents a person, and one who has both good and bad qualities but who most importantly is at least recognized as being very influential and important.

It's such a long book that it'll take me a while to finish it with my work schedule but I'll give you my thoughts when I'm done.

As for Michael Barrier he might very well be right, I don't know. I am however always skeptical about someone reviewing a book that is essentially their competition. I mean the guy even goes as far as to plug his book while reviewing this one (was a picture of the cover of hos book seriously necessary?). Once again it comes down to agenda.

I think people expect biographies to give them all the answers. Whether they admit it or not, I do think people expect a period, end of sentence understanding of the subject. As a society that's how we operate, we need to answers and we get upset when life gives us more questions than answers. Any biography is going to give you exactly what you put into it. If you like Walt, you'll probably still like Walt. If you hate Walt you'll probably still hate Walt. Very few biographies ever really change the way someone is viewed or revolutionize history the way the preceeding hype promises it will. There is no such thing as a definitive biography because a man's life is subjective to the opinion of the person who is talking about him.

Read the book if it interests you, it'll help you gather information and form your own opinion. Just don't expect any biography to ever serve as a "bible" for that person. I think we all tend to want that sometimes, but it just doesn't work that way.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Just don't expect any biography to ever serve as a "bible" for that person. I think we all tend to want that sometimes, but it just doesn't work that way.

Agreed. To "avoid" the problem of specific agendas I'd say it's useful to read a number of different biographies - and at the same time try to understand which parts of what the author tells us are "actual facts" and which are basically opinions.