This interview, transcribed by Robert Kolakowski, was conducted by John G. West during the course of his research for the seminal book The Disney Live-Action Productions.
John G. West: What was Walt like to work with?
Bill Anderson: Walt was smart enough to never let a director kill a contribution of a good actor. He would never tolerate an actor going completely out of character just to be funny. He’d often go on the—[well,] not often, [but] every morning he went on the set. He never let anyone in his organization or his filmmaking . . . He gave them all an opportunity to contribute. But if they tried to go too far, he would always pull the reins. He learned all that by having to do it all himself. […]
