Walt Disney was a very special person indeed. Known throughout the world for his animated films, live-action features, television programs, the theme parks and his beloved cartoon character creations, Walt was also a technical innovator, pushing ahead with pioneering uses of storyboards, sound (and later stereo surround), color, widescreen, 3D and special effects, as well as animatronics – “real” animated robot characters.
On top of all this, he was also a loving husband to wife Lillian, and Dad to his daughters Diane and Sharon. Born in 1933, Diane was joined just a few years later by adopted sister Sharon, and the two grew on the sets of their Dad’s films and had sneak previews of projects in development. After Walt’s passing, Sharon remained a very private person, while Diane continued to be involved in the family business by way of marriage to Ron Miller, who produced many of the Studio’s wonderful pictures in the 1970s and early 80s. More recently, she has championed Walt on the web, with the Walt Disney Family Museum, which seeks to preserve the life, work and philosophy of her father.
In 2001, in recognition of Walt’s centenary year, both studio and family pooled resources to produce Walt: The Man Behind The Myth, a wonderful 2-hour biographical documentary that celebrates Walt the man, and Disney, his company, which took a while but is now available in wide release on DVD. After a harrowing journey through red-lights and rush hour traffic to make my appointment, I had an opportunity to talk to Diane about Walt’s life at home and at the Studio, and find out more about the Dad behind the myth […]
