The Personality Of The Day.docx

Mara Dinică, Grupa 2, Publicitate

The personality of the day: Walter Elias Disney

W

alter Elias Disney Jr,

officially born 1901 in Chicago is arguably one of the greatest artists of all time. A legend in his lifetime, Disney shaped fairy tales into a new patterns, and while fighting off creditors, took immense financial risks as he innovated, experimented and went out on limbs, always refusing to cut corners for profit. And today, he agreed to give us a special interview.

Mr. Disney, we all know that you are not an incredible graphic artist. But, in the same time, you are a creative person. Which is the real secret to succeed without drawing talent?  Well, it’s true that I’m not a good graphic artist. But a lot of people consider that because of this ‘singular lack of drawing ability’ I can’t create. That’s not true. I also have this gift for assembling creative teams. I’m an ambitious person, I know what I want and I could see when things were going wrong; even if I’m not always capable of articulating my thoughts, I could act out a whole movie that I carry in my head, so that my animators see it before me. Can you tell me a few words about this amazing Disney world?  Ha-ha. What a funny question! I have the perfect answer for you. You probably won’t expect this…It’s a little bit amusing and awkward at the same time. The design of my famous scrolled signature that became the company’s logo was taught from one of my employees. In 1920 you made the first sound cartoon. Which was your source of inspiration for that production?  I was largely influenced by one of my heroes, the greatest Charlie Chaplin, who inspired Mickey Mouse. I was the first film-maker to see the appeal of Technicolor and to move entirely into colour film. In 1934, at the height of the Depression, I increased my staff to 1,500 so I could embark on a seemingly foolhardy programme of feature-length cartoons, and over the next eight years I made Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi, films that remain unsurpassed for imaginative soundtrack, for which cinemas were not yet ready. 1

Mara Dinică, Grupa 2, Publicitate

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” In the middle of 1950s, you struck a deal with the ABC television. Can you talk about this partnership?  Yes, I struck a deal with them for a weekly peaktime series which for the first time ease my cash-flow problems. It was a success. For the first time my face became as famous as my name. At the same time I conceived Disneyland, and two years later, after a comically disastrous opening day, the turnstiles of the world’s first theme park were happily clicking away. How did you feel about the artistic achievement, public adoration and financial success?  This is one of the most difficult question to answer if I have to be honest because it was the darkest period of my life. Those things brought me neither satisfaction nor happiness. I admit that I was sad and depressed in that ‘period of glory’. I was a remote figure, a poor father, an inconsiderate husband, a three-pack-a-day smoker and near-alcoholic. I regarded my employees as a family, but I paid them badly and stole their credits, treated them as traitors if they opposed me. But now, I realized what I’ve done and I know how to manage all of this. And the last question: It has been established that from 1940 you was an informer for the FBI and you had a role in attracting the House UnAmerican Activities Committee to investigate Tinseltown's politics. Is that true?  Hm…yes,it is. The FBI association was connected with my fears over my parentage that began with a discovery: my birth had never been registered. In return for informing on my colleagues, they undertook to trace my origins. This trail led us to an attractive washerwoman called Isabella Zamora, but when the team tried to visit her home town, they couldn’t find anything. It’s a real mystery!

WOW! What a wonderful story! Thank you so much for answering these questions and for your time and amability Mr. Disney! You’re a legend and I’m sure that all of your fans will be more than excited to read this heartfelt interview. 2