Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

Ruminations: A sneak preview of the Walt Disney Family Museum

Roger Colton’s back with an extra-special column today, as he reports on his recent visit to the Presidio. When Roger got to tour the still-under-construction Disney Family Museum in the company of Ron Miller and Diane Disney Miller

Published

19 years ago

March 22, 2006

Roger Colton

It is no secret that I have many reasons to love the City that is San Francisco. Like many visitors, I find an attraction in the neighborhoods, the people, the places and the food. So, if something else were to come along that would make me enjoy it all the more, how would I feel about it? After today, I can say pretty darn great!

Loyal readers of this space may recall that last September, I shared a look at one of the oldest and most historical places in the City. Located on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, The Presidio continues to be a place where the past meets the present and the future awaits. Under the direction of the Presidio Trust, this jewel of an urban park continues to evolve as reuse plans unfold. In a place where so much historic fabric exists, the challenge is how to incorporate the past safely and respectfully into the future.

One very important element of that future is The Walt Disney Family Museum. If everything goes as planned, sometime in late 2008 or early 2009, the doors will open to the public on a very special place to share the story and the legacy of Walt Disney.

So… how about a sneak peak at what lies in store for the guests to this Museum? If you were one of those lucky enough to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (in Simi Valley, CA) during the “Walt Disney – The Man & His Magic” events in 2001, then you have a head start on the rest of us. Check this link for a great description of the exhibition by Matt Walker of Started By A Mouse.

That exhibition came about as the result of contacts between Retlaw Enterprises and the Reagan Library. Preparation of the exhibit was financed by the Walt Disney Family Library and used a great deal of materials from its collection. When that exhibition closed, the materials were returned to storage with the hope that they might eventually find a permanent display location. In November 2004, plans were announced for the creation of the Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio in San Francisco. In the years since, the materials from the Reagan Library exhibition have been used to create what could best be described as a prototype for the San Francisco museum. I recently had the good fortune to visit that prototype, with a rare tour of these displays hosted by Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller.

As much as Abraham Lincoln was a hero of Walt Disney’s, General John “Black Jack” Pershing was another. General Pershing was commandant of the 8th Infantry Brigade at the Presidio during a period of the rebuilding of the City after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. With that history, the Presidio location will work very well in bringing the story of Walt and his legacy to life for visitors.

A great deal of what visitors will eventually see is very personal to the Disney family. For example, one wall display contained a series of artworks that had been in the Millers’ home at one time. Among those works was a pair of Mary Blair character studies. Those came from the 1941 South American Disney trip (referred to as “El Groupo” by the participants) that lead to the production of 1943’s “Saludos Amigos” and 1945’s “The Three Caballeros.” Next to that was a Jim Fetherolf painting of a pond and pasture view that had been a 1965 Christmas gift from Walt and Lillian to Diane and Ron. Walt had very much admired his work and gave both Diane and Sharon paintings of his as gifts that year. (It’s also worth noting here that this Fetherolf painting was the very last Christmas gift that Walt ever gave to Diane & Ron. Which is why this particular painting has a special significance to the Millers.)

One truly interesting piece was a painting by Peter Ellenshaw of a Tennessee cabin of Davy Crockett in a winter snow scene. As with many of his famed matte paintings, it has special highlights of lighting that bring the image to life in the way he seemed to excel at.

While looking over a case with a series of medals awarded to Walt, Diane made a comment that “stories get lost.” To illustrate that point, she shared the tale of a 1935 trip to Paris by Walt and Lillian along with Roy and Edna. Over the years since, the story about the trip had been told that Walt had specifically traveled to buy books about European fairy tales as reference materials for various Disney artists. Diane related how a transcript of a journal written by Edna, told of the trip and how one entry noted that “Lillian, Roy and I did this today, while Walt went off to buy more books.” As Walt was always collecting figures, books and other items, this was easy to accept as being the truth about that trip.

The real reason for the trip was that Walt was being awarded the French Legion of Honor medal. It came with recognition of Mickey Mouse as “a universal symbol of goodwill.” And of course, while she was telling that story, there was the 1935 Legion of Honor medal on display.

Disney archivist Dave Smith further related to Diane that it was on that trip that Walt noticed how the theaters in Paris were playing four and five Mickey Mouse cartoons at a time. And he thought, “Aha! People are finally ready for a feature length Disney cartoon.” As Diane said, the truth is more interesting than some of the legendary stories (or myths) that have become accepted as reality. Offering those truths is a part of what the efforts behind the Walt Disney Museum are all about.

Diane also admitted that while she was pleased that Bob Iger had been able to re-acquire the rights to the Oswald properties, that she had (at one point) no idea who or what Oswald was. As it had all taken place long before she was born, it had been something of a mystery to her. But now, she is very glad that this early component of the Disney legacy had been recovered.

Ron Miller and Diane Disney Miller with a display on Walt’s early years.

The items on display are not all to be small in scale or nature. Take for example this group of items:

Photo by Roger Colton

In the foreground is an early prototype Autopia car with the finished production model behind. While both were driven around the Studio lot by a number of kids (in testing, of course), the prototype went to several car shows but never saw service on the highways of Tomorrowland. FYI: These cars were donated to the Walt Disney Family Museum by Walt’s own grandchildren, Johanna & Christopher Miller.

Behind the cars is the train from Walt’s backyard railroad, The Carolwood Pacific. Lead by the “Lilly Belle” steam locomotive and completed by the four-wheel bobber caboose, the train sits on a wooden trestle with various photos behind it. As much as Walt’s railroad interest inspired others and was a factor in the growth of the live steam railroad hobby, I know that this particular display will be enjoyed by many future Museum guests.

The Lilly Belle.

Walt’s caboose, complete with detailed interior.

During the Disneyland 50^th anniversary festivities, Diane mentioned how great it was to have had so many members of the Disney family able to be present. It was a family reunion that somewhat just happened. Initially, she had been invited to do a signing of the book, “The Story of Walt Disney”. This a book that she denies writing, and so acknowledged in a forward to the 2005 edition. A scheduling conflict prevented her from attending the May 5^th press event at Disneyland. When chatting about the July event, one thing lead to another and there were members from many branches of the extended Disney family who were able to be there on July 17^th.

One highlight for the family was the opportunity to visit Walt’s apartment for that day complete with a wonderful meal enjoyed on the balcony adjacent to the apartment. Being there with many of her grandchildren brought back wonderful memories of earlier visits with both of her parents. (Having been able to enjoy a Disneyland vacation with my extended family in October, I could easily identify the joy of family and just how special a part of the Disneyland experience it can be.)

Some of the furniture from Walt’s Disneyland Apartment
now in storage waiting for the Museum.

Diane mentioned that she had not met Bob Iger until that day. There was a rehearsal that morning at 5:30. She had her speech all set to go on the teleprompter, able to read it without her glasses. It was Bob who suggested to her that she read Walt’s opening day dedication.So she was doing fine with the rehearsal and started to recite the dedication. Then she turned and looked at the large video display and there was her father just as he had been that day, with his hair tussled, so earnest. So, she started to sob, overcome by the moment. So when it came time for the actual event, she was lead onstage by Donald Duck, who quietly offered her a tissue, just in case. She said she didn’t need it, because she turned her eyes from the screen and just looked at her family. It was a very emotional day. (For the record, the audience only heard Diane say the opening words of the dedication, as Walt’s dedication was replayed not only on the video display but also on the audio throughout the Park.)

Diane noted that that visit was also her first time to see Disney’s California Adventure including “Soarin’ Over California.” She truly enjoyed the spirit of the Cast Members. The Parks looked great and everyone was very upbeat. Ron mentioned that from the Orange County airport to Anaheim that so much had changed over the years since his last visit that he didn’t recognize the area until he was inside Disneyland.

Ron mentioned that he was particularly moved by the participation of the Disneyland Cast Members on that day. From the smiles and welcomes at the main gate as souvenir maps and golden mouse ears were handed out to the line along Main Street with Cast Members welcoming guests “home,” it was a day to be proud of in many ways.

Among some of the many other items that I saw were a series of framed original Disneyland attraction posters, an early optical film printer, a restored World War I ambulance (a close relation to the one that Walt was so proud of having driven in France), a number of vintage motion picture cameras, and many items from Walt’s collection of miniatures. Diane noted that there are so many of the latter that they may be arranged in themed groupings just as Walt had originally intended.

How’s this for a rare piece of Disney art?
A complete cel set-up from 1953’s “How To Dance”
(part of “The Complete Goofy” DVD)
with the portrait of “The Firehouse Five Plus Two.”

The Building 104 location faces the former main parade ground of this military post. It will occupy over 44,000 square feet of one of the five 19^th Century brick barracks buildings along Montgomery Street. With a wonderful view of the San Francisco Bay and the Presidio from the front of the structure and an especially impressive view of the Golden Gate from the rear, it will be the highlight of any visit to this area. As the Army had changed the use of the structure from housing to office space, much of the preparatory work for the conversion to the Museum has already been done. The work that remains now is to design and install the new systems and structures to make the building ready for the 21^st Century and its new role as The Walt Disney Family Museum.

Building 104 facing the Presidio Main Parade Ground.

Ron and Diane pose for a photo in front of the future home of the Walt Disney Museum.

So… as much as many fans had looked forward to the 50^th anniversary of Disneyland, now there is another great event and a great location to look forward to for 2008 or 2009. I know it will be worth the wait and hope that you enjoyed this preview.

Now this if you can’t wait quite that long, there is a Disney exhibit coming to the Bay Area this year that you will not want to miss. May 6th will see the Oakland Museum opening of the “Behind The Magic-50 Years of Disneyland” exhibition. Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller are among the sponsors of the Oakland showing of this unique exhibition.

The following description is from the Museum web pages:

Go behind the scenes to see how Walt Disney and his Imagineers envisioned, created, and brought Disneyland to life. This touring exhibition includes hundreds of images and artifacts, including original artwork, construction drawings, architectural models, archival videos, promotional materials, and historic souvenirs?as well as original vehicles from Peter Pan’s Flight® and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride®. Meet Disney’s first Audio-Animatronics® figure, Abraham Lincoln!

A vintage view of Fantasyland in Anaheim.
Image courtesy of the Oakland Museum

Dumbo the Flying Elephant exterior overall concept.
Bruce Bushman, 1953.
Image courtesy of the Oakland Museum

Previously, the exhibition had been shown at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Loyal JHM readers will recall a description of the exhibition and the Museum members preview event here by Dan Viets last September. (An interesting coincidence has the Baseball As America exhibit now on display at the Ford Museum, where it had recently been shown at the Oakland Museum. As former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra once said, “This is like deja vu all over again!”)

Now if you are a member of the Oakland Museum, there will be an opportunity to attend their 2006 Golden Gala event on April 29^th. The theme for this is When You Wish Upon A Star and it will feature a preview of the “Behind The Magic” exhibit with Diane serving as the honorary chairwoman for this fundraising event. Details are still being confirmed and you may want to check the Museum web site for further information. Perhaps you might want to consider one of their membership opportunities as well, to take advantage of during this Disneyland exhibition.

If you haven’t seen this exhibition, mark your calendar and do so while it is in Oakland. After it closes here on August 20th, it travels to Japan. Tickets are available now online from the Museum through this link.

Special thanks for making this tour possible go to Diane Disney Miller, Ron Miller and the staff of the Walt Disney Family Library in San Francisco. As well, thanks to Leo Holzer of the Northern California Chapter of the National Fantasy Fan Club, Matt Walker of Started By A Mouse and Elizabeth Whipple of the Oakland Museum.

Television & Shows

The Untold Story of Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios: How Daytime TV Took Over the Parks

Published

2 weeks ago

April 24, 2025

Jim Hill

Super Soap Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios

A long time ago in a galaxy that … Well, to be honest, wasn’t all that far away. This was down in Florida after all. But if you traveled to the WDW Resort, you could then experience “Star Wars Weekends.” Which ran seasonally at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Disney World from 1997 to 2015.

Mind you, what most folks don’t remember is the annual event that effectively plowed the road for “Star Wars Weekends.” Which was “Super Soap Weekend.” That seasonal offering — which allowed ABC soap fans to get up-close with their favorite performers from “All My Children,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live” and “Port Charles” — debuted at that same theme park the year previous (1996).

So how did this weekend-long celebration of daytime drama (which drew tens of thousands of people to Orlando every Fall for 15 years straight) come to be?

Michael Eisner’s Daytime TV Origins and a Theme Park Vision

Super Soap Weekend was the brainchild of then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. His career in media began with short stints at NBC and CBS, but it truly took off in 1964 when he joined ABC as the assistant to Leonard Goldberg, who was the network’s national programming director at the time.

Eisner quickly advanced through the ranks. By 1971, he had become Vice President of Daytime Programming at ABC. That meant he was on the scene when One Life to Live joined the lineup in July 1968 and when All My Children made its debut in January 1970. Even after being promoted to Senior Vice President of Prime Time Programming in 1976, Eisner stayed close to the daytime division and often recruited standout soap talent for ABC’s primetime shows.

Fast forward nearly two decades to July 31, 1995. The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire ABC/Cap Cities in a $19 billion deal. Although the acquisition wasn’t finalized until February 1996, Eisner was already thinking ahead. He wanted to use the stars of All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital to draw people to Disney’s theme parks.

He had seen how individual soap stars were drawing huge mall crowds across America since the late 1970s. Now he wanted to bring dozens of them together for something much bigger.

Super Soap Weekend Takes Over Disney-MGM Studios

The very first Super Soap Weekend was announced in June 1996, just a few months after the ABC deal closed. The event was scheduled for October 19 and 20 at Disney-MGM Studios and was a massive success.

The weekend featured panel discussions, autograph sessions, and photo opportunities with the stars of ABC’s daytime dramas. Thousands of fans packed the park for the chance to meet their favorite actors. Due to the overwhelming response, the event became an annual tradition and was eventually moved to Veterans Day weekend each November to better accommodate attendees.

Longtime fans like Nancy Stadler, her mom Mary, and their close friend Angela Ragno returned year after year, making the event a personal tradition and building lifelong memories.

West Coast Events and the ABC Soap Opera Bistro

Disney even tried to recreate the event out west. Two Super Soap Weekends were held at Disneyland Resort, one in April 2002 and another in June 2003.

At Disney’s California Adventure, Eisner also introduced the ABC Soap Opera Bistro, a themed dining experience that opened in February 2001. Guests could dine inside recreated sets from shows like General Hospital and All My Children, including Kelly’s Diner and the Chandler Mansion. The Bistro closed in November 2002, but for fans, it offered a rare opportunity to step into the world of their favorite soaps.

SOAPnet, Port Charles, and the Expansion of Daytime TV at Disney

Eisner’s enthusiasm for soaps extended beyond the parks. In January 2000, he launched SOAPnet, a cable channel dedicated to prime time replays of ABC’s daytime dramas.

During his time at Disney, General Hospital also received a spin-off series titled Port Charles, which aired from June 1997 to October 2003. The show leaned into supernatural plotlines and was another example of Eisner’s commitment to evolving and expanding the soap genre.

The Final Curtain for Super Soap Weekend

In September 2005, Eisner stepped down after 21 years as head of The Walt Disney Company. Bob Iger, who had previously served as President of ABC and Chief Operating Officer of ABC/Cap Cities, took over as CEO. While Iger had deep ABC credentials, he didn’t share Eisner’s passion for daytime television.

In the fall of 2008, Disney hosted the final Super Soap Weekend at what was then still called Disney-MGM Studios. That same year, the park was rebranded as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney began shifting away from television-focused experiences.

Within the next five years, the rest of Eisner’s soap legacy faded. One Life to Live was canceled in January 2012. SOAPnet was rebranded as Disney Junior in February 2013. Later that year, All My Children ended its 41-year run on ABC.

Only General Hospital remains on the network today, the last standing soap from the golden age of ABC Daytime.

A New Chapter for Daytime TV and Super Soap Fans

The soap genre may have faded from its former glory, but it’s not gone. On February 24, 2025, CBS premiered a brand-new daytime drama called Beyond the Gates, marking the first new soap launch in years.

Meanwhile, All My Children alum Kelly Ripa has been actively working on a revival. In September 2024, she mentioned a holiday-themed movie set in Pine Valley that would bring back many original cast members. The project was in development for Lifetime, though its current status is unclear.

And what about Super Soap? Fans like Nancy and Angela still hope Disney will bring it back. Even if it only featured the cast of General Hospital, it would be a welcome return for longtime viewers who miss that one weekend a year where the magic of Disney collided with the drama of daytime TV.

If you want to hear firsthand what it was like to be part of Super Soap Weekend, be sure to listen to our I Want That Too podcast interview with actor Colin Egglesfield. He shares behind-the-scenes memories from his days as Josh Madden on All My Children and what it meant to be part of one of the most unique fan events in Disney park history.

History

The Super Bowl & Disney: The Untold Story Behind ‘I’m Going to Disneyland!’

Published

3 months ago

February 6, 2025

Jim Hill

One of the highlights of the Super Bowl isn’t just the game itself—it’s the moment when the winning quarterback turns to the camera and exclaims, “I’m going to Disney World!” This now-iconic phrase has been a staple of post-game celebrations for decades. But where did this tradition begin? Surprisingly, it didn’t originate in a stadium but at a dinner table in 1987, in a conversation involving Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and aviation pioneers Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

The Unlikely Beginning of a Marketing Sensation

To understand the origins of this campaign, we have to go back to December 1986, when the Rutan Voyager became the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. Pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the nine-day journey on December 23, 1986, flying over 26,000 miles before landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Their historic achievement earned them national recognition, and just days later, President Ronald Reagan awarded them the Presidential Citizen Medal at the White House.

Meanwhile, Disney was gearing up for the grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland, set for January 12, 1987. Following its usual playbook of associating major theme park attractions with real-world pioneers, Disney’s PR team invited astronauts Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton to the launch event. But in a twist, they also invited Rutan and Yeager, who were still making headlines.

A Dinner Conversation That Changed Advertising Forever

After the Star Tours opening ceremony, a private dinner was held with Disney CEO Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and Eisner’s wife, Jane. During the meal, Eisner asked Rutan and Yeager, “You just made history. You traveled non-stop around the planet on a plane without ever refueling. How are you ever going to top that, career-wise? What are you two gonna do next?”

Without hesitation, Jeana Yeager replied, “Well, after being cramped inside that tiny plane for nine days, I’m just glad to be anywhere else. And even though you folks were nice enough to fly us here, invite us to your party… Well, as soon as we finish eating, I’m gonna go over to the Park and ride some rides. I’m going to Disneyland.”

Jane Eisner immediately recognized the power of Yeager’s statement. On the car ride home, she turned to Michael and said, “That’s a great slogan. I think you should use that to promote the theme parks.” Like many husbands, Michael initially dismissed the idea, but Jane persisted. Eventually, Eisner relented and pitched it to his team.

The Super Bowl Connection

With Super Bowl XXI just around the corner, Disney’s PR team saw an opportunity. The game was set for January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena—just miles from Disney Studios. What if they convinced the winning quarterback to say, “I’m going to Disneyland” live on-air?

Disney quickly struck a deal with both quarterbacks—Phil Simms of the New York Giants and John Elway of the Denver Broncos—offering each $75,000 to deliver the line if their team won. Simms led the Giants to victory, making history as the first athlete to say, “I’m going to Disney World!” on national television.

A Marketing Triumph

That year’s Super Bowl had the second-highest viewership in television history, with 87 million people watching Simms say the famous line. The next day, Disney turned the clip into a national commercial, cementing the phrase as a marketing goldmine.

Since then, “I’m going to Disneyland” (or Disney World, depending on the commercial) has been a staple of championship celebrations, spanning the NFL, NBA, and even the Olympics. What started as a casual remark at dinner became one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history.

A Lasting Legacy

Jane Eisner’s keen instinct and Disney’s ability to act quickly on a great idea created a tradition that continues to captivate audiences. The “I’m going to Disneyland” campaign remains a testament to the power of spontaneous inspiration and smart marketing, proving that sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

To learn more about Disney’s ties to the world of sports, check out I Want That Too: A Disney History and Consumer Product Podcast.

Television & Shows

How the Creators of South Park Tricked A-List Celebrities to Roast Universal – “Your Studio & You”

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2025

Jim Hill

Universal Studios has a rich and storied history, but few moments are as peculiar—and as hilariously cutting—as the creation of Your Studio & You. This 14-minute parody film, commissioned in 1995 to celebrate Universal’s new ownership under Seagram’s, brings together an all-star cast, biting humor, and the unmistakable comedic fingerprints of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Long before South Park debuted on Comedy Central in 1997, Stone and Parker were already carving out a reputation for their irreverent style, and Your Studio & You perfectly encapsulates their knack for turning even the most corporate project into something delightfully subversive.

Matt Stone & Trey Parker Before South Park

Stone & Parker were already known out in Hollywood as funny guys. Thanks largely to “The Spirit of Christmas,” which was this video greeting card that they’d crafted for a Fox executive – who then distributed this infamously funny thing (which had Our Lord Jesus Christ & Santa Claus literally duking it out for the holiday affections of Cartman, Kenny, Stan & Kyle) to friends & family.

This was the early 1990s. No internet. Each copy of “The Spirit of Christmas” was made on VHS tape and then mailed. Went viral the old-fashioned way. It’s rumored that George Clooney made over 300 copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” and passed these VHS taps along to friends and family.

Things didn’t move as fast as they do today. “The Spirit of Christmas” still became a sensation out West.

Zucker Brothers

Matt & Trey also had other supporters in the entertainment industry. Among them David Zucker, who was one of the members of ZAZ (i.e., Zucker Abrahams Zucker), the talented trio that made “Airplane!” in 1980, “Top Secret!” in 1984 and the three “Naked Gun” movies.

The original “Naked Gun” in 1988
“Naked Gun 2 & 1/2 : The Smell of Fear” in 1991
and “Naked Gun 33 & a 1/3: The Final Insult” in 1994

All five of these parody films had been made for Paramount Pictures. But in the Late Winter / Early Spring of 1995, Universal had persuaded the Zucker Brothers to come over and set up shop in a bungalow on their lower lot. With the hope that – at some point further on down the line – David & his brother Jerry would start making funny films for Universal.

Zucker Brothers featured in "Your Studio and You"

And it’s during this same window of time (We’re now talking April of 1995) that news breaks that Seagrams (Yep, the adult beverage company. Who – at the time – was making an absolute fortune on the sales of wine coolers) was about to buy a majority stake in MCAUniversal. We’re talking control of 80% of that company’s stock. Which would effectively make Seagrams the new owners of Universal Studios.

Edgar Bronfman

And Edgar Bronfman – the owner of Seagrams – knew that Universal had had a tough time with its previous owners – which had been the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan. Matsushita had bought MCA back in November of 1990 for $7.5 billion but had never really understood the entertainment industry.

This is why – after repeatedly butting heads with Lew Wasserman & Sidney Sheinberg (i.e., the heads of Universal Studios & the Universal theme park respectively) when it came to creative control of this company – Matsushita decided to wash it hands of the entire enterprise. Agreeing to sell their holdings in MCA to Seagrams for $5.7 billion (effectively taking a nearly $2 billion loss on this investment).

And Bronfman … He knew that some bad feeling had developed between Hollywood’s creative community and the Japanese owners of Universal. The thinking was that executives at Matsushita Electric had just not gotten what it took to make movies & TV shows.

And Edgar? Right from the get-go, he wanted to show that Seagrams was NOT going to be Matsushita Electric Redux. Bronfman was looking for a way to send a clear message to Hollywood’s creative community that Universal’s new owners got it. That they were willing to work with Hollywood to make the best possible movies & TV shows at Universal.

And how did Edgar decide to get this message across? By making a funny movie.

Zucker Commissions Trey Parker for “Your Studio & You”

Mind you, Bronfman himself didn’t make this film. The owner of Seagrams reached out to David Zucker. Who – after initially agreeing to produce this introduction-to-Universal film – then farmed out the production of the actual project to Trey Parker. Who – just two days before shooting was supposed to star on the Universal Lot – persuaded Matt Stone to come help him on this project.

Which brings us to “Your Studio and You.” Which is a parody of an educational film from the 1950s, right down to being shot in black & white and featuring a very generic soundtrack.

Now what’s amazing about watching “Your Studio and You” today is that this 14-minute-long film features some of the biggest names working in Hollywood back in the mid-1990s. We’re talking about people like recent Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox and Angela Lansbury. Not to mention two of the most powerful men in all of Hollywood, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And what’s especially interesting about watch “Your Studio and You” is that – as you watch these performers go through their paces in this motion pictures (which – most of the time – involves doing some innocuous task while holding a Seagram’s wine cooler) – you often get the feeling that this star is not in on the gag.

So how did Matt & Trey get away with this? Simple. There was never actually a script for “Your Studio and You.”

Filming “Your Studio & You” at Universal Studios Hollywood

Mind you, David Zucker would always insist that there was. Especially when he’d phone up celebrities on the Universal Lot and say “Hey, I’m sending over a couple of college kids later today. They’re working with me on a new parody film. It’s something that we’re doing for the new owners of Universal. I need just a half hour of your time. We’re shooting something special for the party we’ll be holding when the Seagrams people first arrive at the Studio. Absolutely. You’ll definitely get an invite to that party. So can I count on you to help these kids out? Beautiful. They’ll be over there later this morning.”

And then Matt & Trey would show up and say “… Dang, Miss Lansbury. We’re sorry. We must have left our copy of the ‘Your Studio and You’ script back in our office. Which is clear on the other side of the Lot. So – rather than waste your time – why don’t we do this instead? Follow us over to the Psycho House. Where we’re then going to get footage of you painting the front porch on Mother Bates’ house while you say ‘Gosh, with all of the wonderful improvements going on around here, everyone is going to want to work at Universal.’ Oh, and can we also get you to wear this button on the front of your blazer which reads ‘Universal is A-OK’ ? “

And over & over again, the biggest names who were working for Universal at that time took part in the production of “Your Studio & You” because A) David Zucker vouched for Matt Stone & Trey Parker and B) this was something that was being made for the new owners of Universal. And it’s just natural to want to get in good with the new boss.

Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and Jaws

But no one at Universal anticipated that “Your Studio & You” would wind up being as sharp edged as the finished product turned out to be. I mean, it’s one thing to bite the hand that feeds you. But “Your Studio & You” ? It doesn’t just bite the hand. It takes the hand off at the wrist.

It’s a brutally funny film. With one of the meanest moments reserved for Steven Spielberg, who plays a driver on the Universal Studio Tour who’s trying to persuade a tram full of bored tourists (one of whom is played by Jeffery Katzenberg) that the “Shark Attack” scene down by Jaws Lagoon is actually exciting.

Spielberg actually says lines like “ … Whoa, whoa. What is going on here? Ladies and gentlemen, this never happens. Look out! It’s a shark! Whoa, that is one big scary shark.”

Mind you, as footage of this mechanical shark repeatedly coming up out of the water is shown, “Your Studio & You” ‘s off-screen narrator (who is voiced by Trey Parker says):

“But what about tomorrow? If we don’t keep in step with the times, things that were once neat and thrilling can become old and stupid.”

“Your Studio & You” Reception

This film was supposed to be shown only once at the welcoming party for Seagrams executive on the Universal Lot. And I’m told that – when Edgar Bronfman saw the finished product at that party – he reportedly turned to David Zucker and said “ … That’s a little more mean-spirited that I think it needed to be.”

And with that, “Your Studio & You” was supposed to go back into the Universal vault, never to be seen again. But when “South Park” debuted on Comedy Central in August of 1997 and then became a sensation for its biting humor, there was suddenly a lot of interest in what else Matt & Trey had done. Which is why copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” began to circulate. And – over time – copies of “Your Studio & You” began to bubble up.

Which – as Stone & Parker have repeatedly pointed out – was just not supposed to happen. Largely because none of the celebrities who appeared in “Your Studio & You” had never signed releases for Universal’s legal department. Because – again – this was for a movie that was only going to be shown once at a private function on the Universal Lot.

Matt mentioned (as part of a career retrospective at the Paley Center in LA back in 2000) that “ … they wouldn’t even let us keep a copy of the finished film.”

It’s a funny but brutal movie. And worth taking a look at today especially if you’re a theme park history buff because it shows Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Jurassic Park: The Ride” still under construction on the Lower Lot. That attraction would finally open to the public in June of 1996.

“Your Studio & You” became a lot easier to see after Seagrams sold off its share of Universal to Vivendi in 2000. Copies began propagating online after that. Though Universal Legal will periodically make an effort to get the latest copy of “Your Studio & You” taken off the Internet because – again – none of the performers who appear on camera ever signed the proper releases and/or were paid for their efforts.

That said, if you’re up for a mean-spirited laugh, “Your Studio & You” is well worth 14 minutes of your time. That said, once you watch this thing, be warned: