One of the most interesting things I saw during my California trip was the Walt Disney Studios – and it was virtually the first item on the docket. After Jimmy and I killed a couple of hours in Santa Monica, we headed to Burbank to find the Walt Disney Studios and meet our friend David Rodriguez for lunch. When we drove up to the gate, I immediately recognized the surroundings as seen in several Disney documentaries, as well as in the 1941 Disney feature The Reluctant Dragon. David works as a colorist for the studios and had given the front guard our names as visiting guests.
We met up with Dave and had lunch in the Disney commissary along with many of the Disney employees. I was impressed right off the bat with the huge selection and sumptuous presentation, typical of what you might see at Disneyland – but without the Disneyland prices. I had an inside-out turkey burger and some sushi (to kick off my traditional California sushi binge).
After lunch, we worked our way around the lot, drinking in the amazing buildings that looked as they once did in the studio’s heyday. Although the interiors of the buildings had been changed, the exteriors remained virtually the same. The shades on the windows were still in place to let in the maximum sunlight for the animators. The art deco signs over the entrace doors indicated what was once in the building. For instance, at left the sign over the door states “Inking & Painting” although that was no longer what was in the building. In the photo above, Dave and I pose in front of the famous corner of “Dopey Drive and Mickey Avenue.”
The area that was once the Disney animator’s “reflecting pool” had long been dried up and the area had become the studio’s Hall of Fame area (above), with plaques on the columns featuring the handprints and signatures of many performers from the studio’s rich history. In the two photos below, I pose with the lifesize statues of Walt and Roy Disney.
As we careened our way through the buildings, Dave pointed out an empty office – remarkably now little more than a storage area – that used to be the office of Walt Disney himself. In one of the main buildings was the original multi-plane camera, designed by Disney to give his animated films the illusion of three dimensions. This very camera (seen at right with Jimmy and me) was employed during the filming of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was so amazing to see all of these legendary Disney icons, although seemingly for Dave, it was just his place of business. It’s obvious though that he relishes the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of working at Disney.
Next we visitied Dave’s office, tastefully decorated with all things Disney, Carol Channing, and wouldn’t-you-know-it, Laurel and Hardy. Dave gave us a demostration of what he does for a living, by showing us how he goes about selecting colors to use in his current project My Friends Tigger and Pooh (above). Below you can see that I ably assisted Dave in his work. Therefore, it might be said that I helped work on a Disney film project. Yes, that might be said. I was also delighted to see a picture that I snapped displayed on his boss’ office door!
Stay tuned for more on the Disney Studios tour…
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