As it happens, we're writing this on December 5, 2002, and we've
just gotten a note from JB Kaufman, who is both a friend and a scholar,
and the author of "Walt in Wonderland." The purpose of
his e-mail was to take note that today is the 101st anniversary
of Walt Disney's birth.
It struck us almost immediately what a contrast this day is from
the same date a year ago, when we visited Walt Disney World to help
celebrate the 100th anniversary of Walt's birth. At the time, you'd
have had to move to a deserted island to get away from all the talk
about Walt. Personally, we felt like we were at the center of a
maelstrom. The documentary "Walt: The Man Behind the Myth,"
had just come out and our book, "Inside the Dream," was
rolling off the presses.
Now, on the same date one year later, December 5 has ceased to
be of any great significance to anyone outside, perhaps, of Walt's
immediate family and some die-hard fans. Frankly, from our point
of view, that's absolutely sensible.
It's also the reason we feel so devoted to this Web site. Walt
Disney's work, we believe, will continue to be an important part
of world culture for generations to come. And so it continues to
be critically important that Walt Disney, the man - as opposed to
the corporate icon - is remembered. Not just when a special occasion
rolls around. And not just when it's an opportunity to market some
product or another.
If we're doing our job right, that's something the Walt Disney
Family Museum should help accomplish. We're kind of proud of the
features we bring you every month, and want to invite you once again
to e-mail us here with any suggestions you may have for ways to
better serve you, our guests.
For those of you who haven't visited the Museum for a few weeks,
we want to once again encourage you to visit two newly refurbished
major exhibits: Masterworks and The Private Walt.
Among the new features available this month are a Spotlight On.
. . the new DVD about Walt Disney. As many of you already know,
the DVD includes the full two-hour version of "Walt: The Man
Behind the Myth" (the ABC version had to lop out more than
half an hour in order to make room for commercials). It's also chockfull
of bonus materials. We won't tell you more about it here, though.
You can read all about it in the Museum - and even get a couple
of sneak peeks at some of the new materials on the disc.
Inasmuch as the inclusion of this feature also doubles as marketing
for a product, it seems only appropriate to us that we're featuring
an interview with Jack Lindquist, marketing man extaordinaire. Jack
worked with Walt in the earliest days of Disneyland, and continued
with the company for years to come. He's not just a great source
of information about Walt's marketing efforts in the late '50s and
early '60s - he's also full of funny stories. We think you'll agree
when you read the interview.
Sometimes we worry that we're so intent on bringing you brand-new
material - about topics you may never have considered before - that
we may ignore the obvious. With that in mind, this month you'll
also find an essay about Mickey Mouse and his friends, by Charles
Solomon.
Enjoy.
Katherine and Richard Greene
Museum Curators
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