Dear Old Hollywood: June 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Disney Celebrates the Walt Disney Archives 40th Anniversary

Dave Smith, Chief Archivist, Walt Disney Archives

On Friday, June 25, the Walt Disney Company held a special celebration for the 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney Archives and for Dave Smith, the founder and chief archivist of the Walt Disney Archives. The occasion also marks Smith's fortieth year at Disney. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s when other studios were selling off their historical assets, then Disney CEO, Roy O. Disney, wanted to do something to preserve the history of the Disney company and his brother Walt's legacy. Roy's solution was to hire Smith, then a librarian at UCLA. In 1970, Dave was added to the Disney payroll and went to work on creating a company archives. Now, forty years later Dave is still preserving the Disney legacy.

In the beginning, Smith was a one man team with not much to work with - not even a real job description. Smith was to make up the rules as he went along. To get started, Smith knew he needed to first build up a collection for the archives and then later he could sort through what items may be useful for the purposes of an archives. Smith got to search through Walt Disney's office, closets and attics, and any other space on the Disney lot where treasures may have been packed away.

Some of the items Smith collected were old letters, early Disney toys, photographs, posters, music cue sheets, and animation drawings to name a few. Today, Smith and his archives staff which now numbers twelve, continue to build up their collection. Exciting props and costumes from Disney productions or from the Disney theme parks are constantly making their way to the archives, as well as less exciting items, like press releases or annual reports. All in all, the Walt Disney Archives is an amazing achievement and a great resource for not only the Disney company, but the greater Disney community.

I'm glad I got to be at the Disney Studio on Friday to see my friend Dave honored for his incredible accomplishment. The celebration was an entertaining and informative event. As you can imagine, Dave has many great stories to share. Below are some photos that my wife and I took at the Walt Disney Archives 40th Anniversary Celebration.

Disney President & CEO, Bob Iger

Bob Iger presents Dave Smith with an award for his forty years of service with the Walt Disney Company.

Bob Iger and Dave Smith

Leonard Maltin and Dave Smith

Leonard Maltin, the film critic, historian and Disney fan, hosted a conversation with Smith. He started way at the beginning, asking Smith where he grew up (Pasadena), what he did before Disney, how Roy Disney came to hiring Smith, and then his experiences over the next 40 years building the archives. It was a great discussion filled with many fascinating stories.

Leonard Maltin and Dave Smith

Dave Smith (c) Walt Disney Company

Above is a slide that was shown of Smith with some of the early Disney toys he collected for the archives. Smith mentioned sometimes Disney's consumer products division will want to see items the company has licensed throughout the years.

Leonard Maltin and Dave Smith Conversation

Above, Smith discussed meeting Disney's "Nine Old Men," Walt's label for a group of his highest regarded animators. When Smith started at Disney, some of the Nine Old Men had already left the company or were on their way out for retirement, but he did get the opportunity to hear stories from the different artists. Smith wanted to acquire their knowledge of the Disney company's past to help develop the Archives. Smith mentioned that some of the artists were more quiet and told the same stories over and over again. Other artists he said had many great stories and loved sharing what they new with Smith. One example was animator, Ward Kimball, who drew for Smith the layout of the earlier Disney studio properties, showing what was located where. Below is a slide of one of the drawings that Kimball made for Smith.

Ward Kimball Drawing of Disney Studio on Hyperion

Writer, Carlton Cuse

After Maltin's conversation with Smith, Walt Disney Archives manager, Becky Cline, introduced a few special guests who were contributing some new items to the Archives. Above, writer Carlton Cuse, offers John Locke's knife and a ticket for Oceanic Flight 815, props that were used on the hit show LOST.

Disney Studio Exec presents the $9,000 scepter used by the Queen of Hearts in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Karen Dotrice from Mary Poppins, with Daughter

Karen Dotrice, who played Jane Banks in Mary Poppins, was on hand to contribute the jacket she wore during the laughing scene in the film. Onstage with Dotrice was her daughter who looks just like she did when she was younger.

Roy P. Disney

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but above I believe is Roy P. Disney, the grandson of Roy O. Disney and Walt's grandnephew, who was at the anniversary celebration to present a very special letter to the Archives. The letter Disney was contributing was written from Walt to his brother Roy. It was a letter to reconcile a three year feud the two had. The letter was typed by Walt personally and has been held in the Disney family's possession until this time.

There were other presenters and many other great items donated to the Archives, but there are just too many to post.