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Page 17 of
28 |
Creative
Explosion |
Walt's Political Outlook |
Hayley Mills in 'That
Darn Cat'. The FBI file on Walt deals mostly with the
Bureau's efforts to ensure that this film didn't make
fun of FBI agents.
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There is another myth which suggests that
Walt was so anti-communist, that he became some kind of
a spy for the FBI. A thorough review of the FBI file on
Walt, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request,
reveals absolutely nothing that would lead one to such
a conclusion -- unless one pushes the material there to
a ridiculous extreme. Much of the file deals with efforts
on the part of the FBI to make sure Walt didn't make fun
of agents in films like "That Darn Cat!" Some of the rest,
believe it or not, deals with questions about whether
Walt was, in fact, a communist himself (in part because
he was apparently involved in a tribute to a deceased
cartoonist sponsored by an organization connected to the
Communist Party).
Did Walt have no official contact
with the FBI? The file does mention that he was a Special
Agent in Charge contact. But FBI representatives today
explain that that designation was the kind of thing awarded
to anyone in a community who might be of use to the bureau;
the owner of a car dealership, who might make arrangements
for vehicles; or the owner of a restaurant where FBI parties
could be held. |
In fact, the document that proclaims Walt
was a Special Agent in Charge contact states, "Mr. Disney
has volunteered representatives of this office complete
access to the facilities of Disneyland for use in connection
with official matters and for recreational purposes."
Author Marc Eliot -- the foremost advocate of Walt as
spy -- begins his case with the notion that Walt and J.
Edgar Hoover were close associates through the years.
Eliot says, "In July 1936, Hoover sent the now-famous
Disney a letter, one of many attempts the Bureau had made
as part of an ongoing campaign to recruit him. The last
paragraph of the letter (the rest remains classified by
the FBI) reads as follows: "I am indeed pleased that we
can be of service to you in affording you a means of absolute
identity throughout your lifetime." Sounds nefarious enough,
in the context in which Eliot places it. But the fact
is that there are no other documents in the file indicating
any kind of campaign to recruit him. What's more, the
"classified portion" (which Eliot alludes to in such a
way that readers might believe it contains secrets shared
between the two men) is actually a word or two at the
top of the page." |
Walt on the set of 'So Dear To My Heart'
in 1948. Attempts by recent authors to
depict Walt as a spy for the FBI have
had no basis in fact.
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Artist Herb Ryman joined the Studio
in 1954.
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What is true is that ultimately Walt didn't
concern himself much about the political leanings of the
people he worked with. In sharp contrast to some of the
myths that have grown up around Walt, he really didn't
care what men or women believed -- as long as they did
their job right. Herb Ryman was one of Walt's favorite
artists, and a friend outside the studio as well. As Ryman
recalled, "Everyone knew that Walt was a committed anti-communist.
Very patriotic and all that. So someone thought they would
do damage to one of the writers on "20,000 Leagues under
the Sea" by telling Walt that he was a real Red. They
thought that Walt would fire him or investigate him or
kick him off the picture. Well, Walt's answer was, 'I'm
glad to know that. It's a relief that he's a communist.
I thought he was an alcoholic.'" |
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