Some of the best Disney treasures can be found in the yellowing, flaking pages of old magazines. It is not just vintage American magazines where these gems can be mined, but many international magazines have interesting interviews and articles with information that never appeared in the United States.
Of course, it takes some effort and expertise to try to translate these foreign publications. Fortunately, some were produced in English-speaking countries, like the United Kingdom.
A recent addition to my collection was the 28-page edition of Picturegoer magazine for the week ending March 21, 1959, which was filled with features celebrating Disney's 30th Anniversary (using 1928's Steamboat Willie as the beginning date of Disney's popularity).
Picturegoer magazine was a long running movie fan magazine from January 1921 through April 1960 published in the United Kingdom by Odhams Press Ltd. It began as a monthly magazine and then became a weekly and finally a bi-weekly.
In 1960, it merged with the British music magazine Disc Date and concentrated solely on music. Until that time, it focused on current films and tried to boost its drooping circulation with covers of cheesecake and beefcake photos.
Since it is doubtful you might have this oddity in your collection, I have chosen to share some highlights from this special issue for Disney fans along with my occasional intrusive commentary after certain items.
Of course, there was an introduction from Walt Disney himself:
“All of us in the Disney organization are happy to be honored in Picturegoer's special edition on the occasion of our 30th anniversary.
“We have always tried to shape our films to embrace the entertainment tastes of our British friends.
“Highlight our forthcoming releases in the British Isles are Darby O'Gill and the Little People, Third Man on the Mountain (made in Switzerland and London by our British affiliate with outstanding British and American players), Swiss Family Robinson (now in preparation by our affiliated British company) and our animation feature Sleeping Beauty.
“Sleeping Beauty as we saw it for the screen posed many formidable problems and exciting challenges. It was our biggest undertaking.
“These represent our most extensive, diversified and costly year's output and our continued faith in the future of motion pictures – and the benefits we hope to share with overseas exhibitors.
“We thank you for the attention you have given us and the friendship expressed in the special issue of Picturegoer magazine.
“And we extend best wishes for your continued success and influence in the entertainment field.”
There was a feature composed of 15 black-and-white photos titled “His [Walt Disney] Success Story in Pictures”.
There was a full page full-color ad promoting Sleeping Beauty and a half-page ad from Wade of England promoting its line of porcelain figures of Disney animated animals “individually packed in gay little hat boxes.”
Another full-page full-color ad promoted “And FIVE more for YOU and YOUR FAMILY in 1959” showcasing Tonka, The Shaggy Dog, White Wilderness, Darby O'Gill and the Little People, and Third Man on the Mountain.
There was a box labeled Viewpoint expressing the perspective of the editor of the magazine:
“This week we pay tribute to a modest, immensely gifted genius of the cinema. His name is Walt Disney – and he is respected not only for achievement but for his true and upright personality.
“Thirty years ago Disney's cartoon films made their first big impact. Now the ramifications of his companies reach out to large-scale film projects in Hollywood and in Britain, television series, records, music publishing and kiddies' toys.
“There has been one constant inspiration throughout all these years of imaginative endeavor. Walt Disney expressed it himself to me a few years ago: 'We like our films to be those that fathers can take their children to – and sons take their mothers.'
“To some, this outlook may seem staid, slightly old-fashioned. Disney does not indulge in horrific shocks for their own sake, in the over-exposure of starlets.
“But at no time has Disney's policy been so popular. It is reflected in the prosperity of Walt Disney Productions itself. It is shown by his faith in huge subjects like Sleeping Beauty which took six years to make, Third Man on the Mountain, which involved arduous European locations.
“Meanwhile, films such as Fantasia and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remain classics of their kind.
“So we salute Walt Disney. And the fervor and potency of his influence wherever films are shown.”
The cover girl of the issue was attractive Disney actress Janet Munro and there was a story about her.
This Picturegoer magazine from 1959 highlights the 30th anniversary of the Disney Company.
“Janet Strikes a New Note.”
The article gushed:
“Never have I come across a young artist with such a well-developed sense of responsibility towards her studio – in this case Walt Disney's – as Janet Munro. Not only is she the first woman Disney has ever placed under contract, but she's also rather in the position of the good fairy in pantomime who must never tell the children there is no Santa Claus.
'Because of this Disney studio family reputation, I've just turned down a wonderful part in a film for another company. One that any actress would love to play – searing loves scenes and the lot,' says Janet. Her argument was that it wouldn't seem right for a Disney heroine to disillusion the family audience by being seen in such a part.
“By the time she was fifteen, she'd danced, sung, playing in sketches and tap-danced on roller skates in variety with her father, Alex Munro.
“As a Disney employee, she might have found it awkward if there'd been any scandal over the break-up of her marriage to Tony Wright. “When it happened', said Janet, 'I went to Walt, told him everything. Later, I learned that I needn't have bothered. He'd checked up anyway. But he was most understanding, just asked me to keep it as discreet as possible'.
“Disney wanted her just as she was, freckles and all.”
Korkis Komment: Actually, little Virginia Davis of the Alice Comedies was the first actress that Walt put under contract.
Munro was chosen from among 300 girls for her role in Darby O'Gill. She was 24 years old. Munro had been named England's “Miss Television of 1958” by another film magazine. In 1960, she won the Golden Globe for “Most Promising Female Newcomer.” She was married to actor Ian Hendry from 1961-1971 and had two daughters.
Disney Studio publicist Leonard Shannon told writer John G. West Jr. that the studio was wary of Munro's private life.
“Let's just say that at a studio that was very careful about its reputation, Janet's skirts were frequently higher than her knees,” Shannon said. “And everybody in my department lived in apprehension that someday the news might get out that we had a live one the lot, bless her heart. It could have been very embarrassing.”
While signed for five films for Disney, she only made Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959), Third Man on the Mountain (1959), Swiss Family Robinson (1960) and The Horsemasters (1961) which was first shown on the weekly television program before receiving a limited theatrical release. There has always been much speculation on why she was released from her Disney contract early and did not do another Disney film. She died in 1972 at the age of 38 from a heart attack.
After leaving Disney, she had her share of challenges, from two miscarriages to alcohol issues along with chronic ischemic heart disease. I loved seeing the charming and perky 5-foot-6 green-eyed cutie perform and wish she had done more films, especially for Disney. This article is just a reminder that she should have had a wonderful future ahead of her.
From sidebar titled “Wanted – One Island”:
“The most difficult location ever. That's what director Ken Annakin and production manager Basil Keys, who have just returned from Africa are calling Swiss Family Robinson. For three years, crews have been scouting island throughout the world. Australia…no good. Ecuador…unsuitable. The West Indies…possible. Swiss Family Robinson was to start last year, but was postponed until early this year. Now Disney has put it off until early summer—provided a suitable island is found.”
Walt had wanted the entire film to be shot on the soundstages at Denham Studio in Great Britain. After all, Darby O'Gill and the Little People had been shot on the soundstages in Burbank, on the backlot and at the Golden Oak Ranch utilizing outstanding matte paintings by Peter Ellenshaw (in the future, Mary Poppins would be shot entirely on soundstages in Burbank).
Director Annakin and producer Bill Anderson wanted to shoot on the island of Tobago in the Caribbean. Walt worried about the money and the problems about shooting on a location so far away if trouble arose. Walt finally relented, but Annakin ended up on the island for 10 months shooting the film and the budget soared over initial projections. The entire film was dubbed afterward in London because of all the additional background noise. Twenty-eight days were spent dubbing every voice.
Janet Munro was in the film and rode on a zebra. The experience was so unpleasant and unnerving that she initially did not want to do The Horsemasters film, but was eventually convinced that riding a horse was easier than riding a zebra.
“Why I Gave My Parents a Dream House” by actor Sal Mineo (from an interview with Leonard Coulter):
“To further my career, I want to get away from the hard-bitten youngster roles in films. That's why I jumped at the chance when Disney asked me to star in Tonka (1958) as White Bull, the young Sioux Indian brave.
“Suddenly, I realized I'd have to ride a horse. I told Disney I'd never been on one in my life. He just stood and roared with laughter. The studio found me a horse called Goldie and started me on riding lessons—bareback.
“At the end of the first two days, I couldn't walk. On the third morning, I couldn't even mount. However, after some two and a half weeks, working three hours a day with Goldie, I began to feel more comfortable.”
This little remembered live-action Disney film was based on the book Comanche: Story of America's Most Heroic Horse by David Appel and was even released under the title A Horse Named Comanche. Originally it was planned as a multipart episode for the television series.
It's the fictional story of a U.S. Cavalry horse that survived the Battle of Little Big Horn where Custer and his troops were wiped out and was adopted by a Sioux brave who was there and had originally trained the horse when it was a wild colt named Tonka (short for Tonka Wakon – “The Great One”). It was filmed in Oregon. Reportedly, Mineo had a poker game running every night of filming. Britt Lomond, who was the villain Monastario in the Zorro TV series at the time, played General Custer.
“The Answer to Horror”:
“Walt Disney is laughing at horror films. You've seen characters turned into werewolves, etc. Now meet The Shaggy Dog. “This dog, says director Charles Barton, “is a living breathing Disney-type character.”
“Mr. Showmanship” by Donovan Pedelty:
“For the record, everybody who works for him or with him or has any dealings at all with him calls him Walt. He insists on it. At the Disney studios in Burbank it is slightly weird, at first, to hear some snippet of an office girl say, 'Walt, you're wanted on the phone here'. You get used to it.
“Milt Olin, who manages the contract department told me, 'Walt's name means an annual gross of more than $300 million. Of course, we don't get all of that sum. We just get a percentage for letting manufacturers use the Disney name. But we like to quote that $300 million because it's a pretty fabulous figure'.”
“Animals Are Box Office” by Mark Stephens:
“One of the biggest favorites is Disney's True Life Adventure series. It has collected more Oscars than any other series sine the Academy Awards were started. Yet, it all began by accident.
“Walt Disney walked into a tiny general store up in Alaska run by a husband and wife camera team, Al and Elma Milotte. 'How would you like to make some pictures for me up here?' he inquired. 'I don't know—just pictures. You know, mining, fishing, building roads, the development of Alaska. I guess it will be a documentary or something'.
“Al Milotte said, 'We spent a year up there, part of the time with Eskimos. Lived right in the igloos. We'd send the film back to Disney in batches and sometimes we wouldn't hear for weeks. Then a wire: 'More seals'.
“Many times the Disney cameramen have diced with death to get invaluable footage. Cameraman Herb Crisler, who worked on White Wilderness, still vividly remembers his most hazardous moment – when about twenty-five feet away, he saw a giant mountain cat calmly watching him.
“Stealthily he began to back away. But the cougar followed him. He turned and ran. Suddenly the cat flashed by, whirled round and simply sat down. Crisler skidded to a halt and the two of them just stayed put, staring at each other. Finally, he uttered the most tremendous war whoop he could muster and to his amazement, the cat took to its heels.”
'We can have all the story conferences we like before we send a photographer out,' says Walt Disney, 'but animals just do what comes naturally when they feel like it. I guess that's what fascinates picturegoers'.
Korkis Komment: The Milottes were responsible for the first True Life Adventure film, Seal Island (1948), and it won an Oscar.
Crisler was only one of several different photographers on White Wilderness. This is the film that featured the famous scene of lemmings rushing into the sea, supposedly committing suicide, something that never happens in real life. The scene was filmed in the Canadian province of Alberta, which is not a native habitat for lemmings and is landlocked with no outlet to the sea. The lemmings were purchased from Inuit children in Manitoba who had captured the rodents in different provinces for use in the film and transported to the location.
They were placed on a snow-covered turntable and shot selectively to look like a frenzied migration and forced into the Bow River (although the implication was that it was the Arctic sea). It is still not known today whether Walt was actually aware of the trickery of the principal photographer of that particular sequence to get “a good shot” to confirm the myth. Lemmings can swim and do cross bodies of water (sometimes drowning in the process) and are involved in mass dispersals but do not intentionally kill themselves.
“Disney Builds a Record Empire” by David Hammond:
“Says Jimmy Johnson, Disney's record division head, '[Annette Funicello] is one of the few really magnetic personalities to come up in the last few years—no great singer, but whatever she does is apt to be spell-binding. So we tried her with a single called 'How Will I Know My Love?' It sold 150,000 copies. Next, a rock 'n' roller 'Tall Paul.' This has sold 400,000 copies in four months and is headed for the U.S. Top Ten.”
Korkis Komment: A wonderful opportunity to recommend again the book Inside the Whimsy Works: My Life with Walt Disney Productions by Jimmy Johnson (with outstanding editing by Disney musicologist Greg Ehrbar and Disney historian Didier Ghez).
After being let go from Disney in the 1970s, during which he created its successful record division in 1956, Johnson wrote his autobiography and, after he finished, he died. The manuscript was “lost” for decades but, thanks to Ehrbar and Ghez, was discovered and finally edited and published, revealing a different perspective of both Walt and Roy Disney. It also provides great insight into this business division that receives so little attention in most Disney histories.
Other short bits and lots of pictures abound in this magazine, but I have tried to select some of the best so that other Disney fans may be able to use them in the future to enrich their understanding.
