Enjoy a magical night under the stars at the Presidio of San Francisco's Film in the Fog, this Saturday, September 19. Delight in music from The Lady Crooners, food from Off the Grid, classic Looney Tunes Shorts, and Disney's Maleficent!
WGBH’s American Experience: Walt Disney, which aired on PBS this week, was created independently of The Walt Disney Family Museum. The museum promotes the examination of Walt Disney’s life and legacy and is encouraged at the ongoing interest in this incredible icon of the 20th century. However, the museum only supports examinations of Walt’s life that are based on fact, not on extrapolation, interpretation, or ex post facto psychologizing, and further which take into account,... as all reputable and responsible biographical reviews do, historical context.
The American Experience program reminds us that part of the impetus for Diane Disney Miller's founding of The Walt Disney Family Museum was to respond to biographers and historians more eager to interpret Walt than to discover him. Her goal was to open the personal story of her father's life for the global community to read and experience--so that we can all find answers to questions about the man through the wealth of personal artifacts and primary sources on display. Diane said the museum was her book, and it is clearly as relevant and necessary a book today as it was when she founded it six years ago.
One of the museum's early blogs was entitled, In Defense of Walt, and it seems an appropriate time to make this available once more: http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/defense-walt-disney
We welcome you to visit The Walt Disney Family Museum to learn more about Walt, the man. And through his story, we hope you will feel inspired to heed your own imagination and persevere in pursuing your goals.
If you have watched American Experience: Walt Disney, we’d love to hear what YOU think. #WaltDisneyPBS
Thank you to everyone who came out last week to participate in our panel discussion—with Sarah Nilsen, Floyd Norman, and Don Hahn, moderated by Chad Jones—on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: WALT DISNEY, which premieres tonight and tomorrow night at 9PM on PBS! More info, here: http://www.pbs.org/wg…/americanexperience/films/walt-disney/
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: WALT DISNEY offers an unprecedented look at the life and legacy of Walt Disney, one of America’s most influential and enduring storytellers. This two-part, four-hour documentary premieres on Monday and Tuesday, September 14 and 15, 2015 from 9 to 11pm on KQED 9.
Tonight, the museum is hosting a (now sold-out) special preview screening, which will benefit KQED and the museum. The evening will include a conversation about the life of Walt Disney with Disney Legend Floyd Norman, Disney producer Don Hahn, and professor Sarah Nilsen, moderated by San Francisco Arts Education Executive Director and local journalist Chad Jones!
It's always fun seeing the museum from our guests' perspectives, including this one from YouTuber, artist, and Disney trivia expert Keith Lapinig! Check out his video tour here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elfIQ7qN_N4
In Memory of Dean Jones (1931–2015): http://bit.ly/1KNy4rC
“I think Walt saw a lot of himself in Dean, just as he did in Fred MacMurray. Dean was an American everyman and had perfect timing, well-suited to the unique comedy pictures we made with him. He was a true pro, and a joy to work with." —Ron Miller
[Image: Dean Jones and Walt Disney, courtesy of the Walt Disney Archives Photo Library, © Disney.]
We are saddened to hear of the passing of actor and Disney Legend Dean Jones. Born in 1931 in Decatur, Alabama, Dean originally aspired to be a singer and worked as a vocalist at the start of his career, before acting in film, TV, and on the stage. In 1965, Walt brought Dean to The Walt Disney Studios, where he was cast as the leading man in hit films such as That Darn Cat, The Ugly Dachshund, Monkeys, Go Home and Blackbeard’s Ghost (Walt's final film). After Walt’s passing, ...Dean remained a “leading man” in a number of films made under Studio head Ron Miller, including The Love Bug (and a sequel and a TV series), The Million Dollar Duck, Snowball Express, and The Shaggy D.A. Dean Jones was inducted as a Disney Legend in 1995, participated in The Walt Disney Family Foundation’s 2001 documentary Walt: The Man Behind the Myth. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans—a kind, gentle, and inspiring man of deep faith and charity, Dean will be missed.
See MoreDiscover more about Walt & his Studios' fascinating contribution to World War II in a new BBC program, premiering this Wednesday at 11am and available for 30 days after its first broadcast: http://bbc.in/1FcK0wX #R4DisneyWW2
You never know who you'll bump into at The Walt Disney Family Museum's D23 booth... it's Disney Legend Floyd Norman!
Only one more day to visit us at the D23 Expo, so stop by booth 1453 and see who else you may bump into here!
Stop by our booth 1435 at D23 between 4 to 5pm to meet filmmaker Ted Nicolaou who will be signing the catalogue for our newest exhibition, DISNEY AND DALI: ARCHITECTS OF THE IMAGINATION, of which he is also the curator!
Come find us at the D23 Expo—located at booth 1435, between Hall B & C!
Virtually discover the top 10 “must-see” objects at the museum using a brand-new, interactive indoor map of our galleries through STQRY: an interactive, mobile, storytelling platform. One of these objects is the innovative Multiplane Camera, first used at The Walt Disney Studios as an experiment in the production of the Silly Symphony “The Old Mill” in 1937. Learn how the Multiplane Camera has invigorated arts education in the Bay Area, and get hands-on with a DIY version of the camera to explore how to add depth to your own animation.
Hope to see you soon!
"No one person can take credit for the success of a motion picture. It's strictly a team effort." - Walt Disney
Find out more and be inspired by the history of animation and Disney at the The Walt Disney Family Museum: waltdisney.org.
Like many celebrated enterprises of the twentieth century, the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was founded in a garage. And over 150 years ago today, the owner of that garage was born. Let's take a look into the life of Robert Samuel Disney: http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/so-dear-my-heart-uncle-robert
Sound the sirens: "Mickey's Fire Brigade" was released 80 years ago today in 1935. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy would team up—in full Technicolor—to combat a raging fire in spectacular hilarity!
Find out more about Walt Disney's comedic influences, here: http://www.waltdisney.org/…/comedic-influences-and-walt-dis…
![](https://web.archive.org./web/20150919010503im_/https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v2/y4/r/-PAXP-deijE.gif)
"Walt had a very interesting way of complimenting you."
-- Richard Sherman, Composer
See more video and behind-the-scenes exclusives at pbs.org/waltdisney.
Inspired from the 1941 Disney classic DUMBO, the Casey Jr. Circus Train had debuted temporarily on Disneyland's opening day on July 17, 1955, only to suffer mechanical difficulties. But after a little "I think I can, I think I can..." Casey finally had his permanent debut 60 years ago on July 31!
[Image: Casey Jr. story sketch from DUMBO, ca. 1941; collection Walt Disney Family Foundation © Disney.]
How's this for a Throwback Thursday? Diane Disney Miller remembers her dad, Walt Disney, on the OC Register: http://www.ocregister.com/ar…/disney-674660-walt-miller.html
Go inside the Disney and Dali exhibition with Business Insider as they chat with our director of collections and exhibitions Michael Labrie. Check out the video here: http://www.businessinsider.com/walt-disney-salvador-dali-fr…
In celebration of Disneyland's 60th Anniversary, we're featuring an exclusive article from the pages of the celebrated "E" Ticket magazine every week this month. Each installment will highlight an attraction at the park that premiered on opening day in 1955 and still remains there today... including, DISNEYLAND'S MARK TWAIN!
Read it here: http://bit.ly/1D723sZ
The Walt Disney Family Museum with Eric Matlock and Bernard Hoversten
Take a LOOK! 60 years ago today, Walt and Fess Parker—Davy Crockett—graced the cover of LOOK Magazine.
Read more about Davy Crockett, here: http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/walt-and-king-wild-frontier