Walt's Personal Opinions of His Films

[nomad2010]

I know that it's well known that Walt wasn't a fan of Alice in Wonderland. But past that, I've only heard a few tiny tidbits about his thoughts on his other films. I thought it would be interesting for people to share what they know about Walt's thoughts here. Quotes, stories, etc.

[estefan]

I think he didn't much care for Peter Pan, either, mainly due to finding Peter himself rather unlikeable. The Sword in the Stone was another one that left Walt Disney unimpressed and I believe it was the reason he took a more active role in The Jungle Book.

[WilbyDaniels]

I know that Walt really njoyed Bambi, it was one of his favorites. He also once said that Cinderella's tranformation was one of his favorite animated sequences.

[Atlantica]

I've always found it such a shame he dislikes two of my favourite Disney movies, especially as they are two he oversaw !

[nomad2010]

Do we have any actual sources for any of this? I'm curious as to where some of this information comes from.

I didn't realize he disliked Peter Pan. For some reason, I always thought he had been pleased with it.

[Atlantica]

I don't know his thoughts on the overall film, but he didn't care for the Peter character at all, thought him cold and uncaring.

[Sky Syndrome]

I only remember Walt liked Bambi and disliked Alice in Wonderland and I learned those from hanging around in the on-line Disney community.

I don't know his thoughts on the overall film, but he didn't care for the Peter character at all, thought him cold and uncaring.

Peter wouldn't be the only cold and uncaring one. Look how many characters in Neverland had a issue with Wendy and she's a compassionate sweet girl!

[estefan]

Peter wouldn't be the only cold and uncaring one. Look how many characters in Neverland had a issue with Wendy and she's a compassionate sweet girl!

I actually think Tinker Bell's attitude towards Wendy and her disgruntled personality (in addition to Marc Davis's fantastic animation on her) is what makes her such an interesting character and a large reason I'm not a fan of how they've sweetened her up in the new CG movie*

*I use the singular, because I've only seen the first one and so, have no idea if she has become closer to her 1953 counterpart in the sequels.

[Avaitor]

I know that Walt was initially dissatisfied with 101 Dalmatians and its use of xerox, only accepting it as a necessary evil consider how little of its budget Sleeping Beauty made back. But by the end of his life, he warmed up to the film and the method.

[Semaj]

Walt supposedly thought less of Dumbo, because of his minimal involvement. According to "Two Guys Named Joe", jokes ran around the studio about Joe Grant and Dick Huemer becoming the new creative bosses, because that film's success was largely attributed to them, the top writers, instead of Walt. The film's completion by many animators whom would go on strike that same year might've also played a factor in Dumbo's "second-tier" status for so many years.

I'd have to find out where, but Floyd Norman mentioned not too long ago that Walt didn't speak much about Pinocchio in his later years.

[thelittleursula]

Oh I pretty much agree with Walt

I dislike Peter Pan because of how Peter is cold and uncaring and even sometimes quite sadistic.

The Xerox animation makes 101 Dalmatians look budget and tacky; though I am starting to get used to it as well

Cinderella's dress transformation is one of the best animated scenes in history

Alice in Wonderland could of been so much better

The Sword in the Stone was meh


Not sure about Bambi though. Maybe because these days we have The Lion King ? I do prefer Bambi over the TLK though as it feels more realistic and less Saturday cartoon-y and I'm going to get hit for this huh ?

[Avaitor]

Not sure about Bambi though. Maybe because these days we have The Lion King ? I do prefer Bambi over the TLK though as it feels more realistic and less Saturday cartoon-y and I'm going to get hit for this huh ?

Nah, most people on this site don't like TLK. I'm in the minority who does, but different strokes and all.

[Mooky]

He supposedly disliked Fantasia as well, and thought of it as his personal failure:

WHAT WALT DISNEY REALLY THOUGHT OF FANTASIA

Article by Jim Hill publised on JimHillMedia.com in March 2003

QUESTION: What did Walt Disney actually think of the original "Fantasia?"

ANSWER: Well ... Um ...

Perhaps the best way to sum Walt's feelings about his studio's 1940 release would be to recall his appearance at the 1941 Academy Awards.
Walt stood at the podium, crying.

"We all make mistakes ... I shall now rededicate myself to my old ideals."

Where was Walt when he made this tearful apology? Standing at center stage behind the podium, as he accepted the Irving Thalberg Award.

What was Disney apologizing for? Making the original "Fantasia."

I'm serious, folks. Get yourself a copy of Mason Wiley and Damien Bona's great book about the Academy Awards, "Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards" (Ballantine Books, March 1996). There you can read how David Selznick presented Walt a bust of Irving Thalberg for the creation of "Fantasia." Once Walt got to the podium, he started weeping, then said:

"Thank you so much for this. Maybe I should have a medal for bravery. We all make mistakes. 'Fantasia' was one but an honest one. I shall now rededicate myself to my old ideals."

The Walt Disney Company would like you to believe that the original "Fantasia" was Walt's masterpiece -- the film that Disney was most proud of.

The truth is ... Walt was embarrassed by "Fantasia."

Not necessarily by the film itself, mind you. But Disney was kind of ashamed of "Fantasia"'s failure during its initial release. You see, Walt always prided himself on his ability to predict what audiences wanted. Way back in 1928, Disney knew that moviegoers would go ga-ga for cartoon characters that talked. Then in 1937, Walt felt that the film-going public was finally ready for a feature length animated film.

These two decisions had helped make Disney a very rich and powerful man. So in 1940, Walt's instincts told him that modern audiences were ready (eager, even) for a film that combined animation and classical music. When "Fantasia" came out in November 1940 and died a dog's death, Walt's self confidence was shaken to the core.

In the years that followed, folks at the studio would try to interest Walt in attempting other ambitious animated features. And -- for a time -- Walt did toy with making toon versions of such high minded fare as Cervantes' comic novel, "Don Quixote" and Wadworth's epic poem, "Hiawatha."

But -- in the end -- Disney eventually pulled the plug on these proposed projects. "Fantasia"'s 1940s failure at the box office lead Walt to mistrust anything that seemed too artistic. Better that the studio should stick with safer, more commercial fare like "Cinderella" (1950) and "Peter Pan" (1953), than risk another disaster like the concert feature.

In Walt's eyes, "Fantasia" was not some noble experiment. It was a failure -- plain and simple, folks. And that film was not a mistake that Disney was eager to repeat. So Walt made an effort to insure that all of the studio's future animated features had the broadest possible audience appeal.

Now -- at any other studio -- a failure like "Fantasia" would have been tucked away in the back of the vault, never again to see the light of day. But Walt Disney Studio was an unusual operation. They liked to re-release their animated films every 7 years or so, to try and capture that audience that hadn't been born yet during the film's previous release.

As you might expect, having the reputation of being a colossal flop made "Fantasia" a particularly difficult film to sell during its re-releases. In 1946, Disney tried marketing the movie by using the cheesy catch phrase: "Fantasia will Amaze-ya!" Which didn't exactly wow the post-WW II crowds.

"Fantasia" was also re-released in 1956 and 1963. On each of these releases, Disney's marketing department sold the movie as being "... a masterpiece that was ahead of its time." Again, the film met with a limp response from the movie-going public and didn't do particularly well at the box office.

It was only after the film's 1963 re-release that Walt learned that "Fantasia" had finally covered its production costs. After 23 years, the film was officially in the black.

What was Walt's reaction to this news? Disneyana fans may be intrigued to hear that -- about this time -- Disney gave some very serious thought to dismantling the company's animation operation. After all, if it took "Fantasia" 23 years to turn a profit, what chance did any of Walt Disney Productions' modern animated films have to ever making any money?

It should be noted that this was when Walt was plowing hundreds of thousands of the company's hard earned bucks into hair-brained schemes as the then-still-secret Florida project. Which was why Roy was putting tremendous pressure on his brother to make economies elsewhere within Walt Disney Productions.

One of the elder Disney's suggestions for cutting back costs was to halt production on any future animated features for the studio. Rather than make any new animated films, Roy felt that Disney could just get by re-releasing the toons the studio already had in the vault.

Thankfully, this was one of those times that Walt opted not to take Roy's advice. He continued development of "Project Florida" as well as putting a new Disney animated feature into production. That film -- "The Jungle Book" -- would be the very last animated film at the studio that Walt would personally supervise. It would also be among the most successful movies the studio would release in the 1960s.

As for "Project Florida" ... well, I'm pretty sure you all know how that one turned out.

Anyway ... the morale of this story is: Just because the official authorized-by-the-Walt-Disney-Company film history books that say that "Fantasia" was a much beloved classic doesn't make it true. That's why I advise you guys to occasionally read something other than these books that Hyperion Press and Disney Editions regularly burp out.

Sometimes it's amazing what you'll learn once you move beyond Mickey's approved reading list.

Via: http://web.archive.org/web/200306180633 ... tasia.html

[Disney Duster]

I know that Walt really njoyed Bambi, it was one of his favorites. He also once said that Cinderella's tranformation was one of his favorite animated sequences.

In Disneyland, Walt Disney was asked by someone, "Of all the animation that has ever been done at your studio, what is your favorite?" And Walt thought and said, "I guess it would have to be when Cinderella got her gown." So it was his most favorite of all, just like he also told Ilene Woods that Cinderella was his favorite heroine. So Walt had a very high opinion of Cinderella, who knows if it or Bambi was his favorite film of all time. Though Mary Costa said Sleeping Beauty was his favorite. Who knows if that's true.

[tomakpo]

He actually felt that Cinderella was like himself, coming from a humble life to a wonderful life. I wish Walt was alive to watch the 90's classics

[TsWade2]

Geez, Walt should of been happy for these movies. I never realize Walt can be such a jerk! DANG!

[SWillie!]

He's not a jerk, he's simply very critical of his own work, the way most artists and innovators are.

[nomad2010]

Wow, this has become a really depressing topic. I'd have thought Walt was thrilled with Fantasia. I'm glad he loved Cinderella though. I think he deserved to love that. I think the biggest shocker is Pinnochio which critically today is hailed as Disney's best...

Honestly though, I think it just goes to show what a true artist he was. He was very self critical, and I think that is the sign of a good artist. It does beg for the question though, what would he have thought of the 90's films? Obviously tastes change along with the humor.

[Tristy]

Wow, this has become a really depressing topic. I'd have thought Walt was thrilled with Fantasia. I'm glad he loved Cinderella though. I think he deserved to love that. I think the biggest shocker is Pinnochio which critically today is hailed as Disney's best...

Honestly though, I think it just goes to show what a true artist he was. He was very self critical, and I think that is the sign of a good artist. It does beg for the question though, what would he have thought of the 90's films? Obviously tastes change along with the humor.

He didn't hate Fantasia per se. He was just let down by the fact that it was such a monumental effort and that it didn't really connect with audiences at the time. How surprised he would have been if he were still living.

[nomad2010]

Wow, this has become a really depressing topic. I'd have thought Walt was thrilled with Fantasia. I'm glad he loved Cinderella though. I think he deserved to love that. I think the biggest shocker is Pinnochio which critically today is hailed as Disney's best...

Honestly though, I think it just goes to show what a true artist he was. He was very self critical, and I think that is the sign of a good artist. It does beg for the question though, what would he have thought of the 90's films? Obviously tastes change along with the humor.

He didn't hate Fantasia per se. He was just let down by the fact that it was such a monumental effort and that it didn't really connect with audiences at the time. How surprised he would have been if he were still living.

Which is so sad, because even some of his lesser efforts are celebrated today. It's absolutely heartbreaking he never got to see the effect and the love his films have had and acquired.