Let’s take a trip back in time. A time when traffic was light on the freeways, Hollywood was clean and tidy, and only the locals knew the location of film studios. Today, the Walt Disney studio presides over Burbank like the Colossus of Rhodes. But back then, the nondescript campus on Alameda Avenue gave not a hint of the activity inside.
On February 1956, nine starry-eye youngsters reported for work at 500 South Buena Vista Avenue eager to begin their careers in the cartoon business. Having a great job was only part of the deal because an added bonus was finally getting inside Walt Disney’s magic factory. Unlike today, there were few if any books on animation, and only an insider knew what a cartoon studio even looked like. Studio tours were practically non-existent, and few people ever breached the studio gates. For us, all that had suddenly changed because like Alice, we had entered Wonderland.
We were shown our office on the first floor of the animation building. It was a large room with several desks, and a view of the Studio Theater and recording stage. The room number was 1B-1, and it was to be our home for a month as we worked to prove ourselves worthy of a position, even a lowly position at the Walt Disney Studio. Armed with pencil and paper, we sat about learning our animation craft. But break time meant a cup of coffee and a walk around the Disney studio campus.
Indeed, the Walt Disney studio was more campus than movie lot. Unlike most tacky Hollywood studios, Disney had well swept streets and trimmed hedges. Squirrels scampered about manicured lawns, park benches and shady trees. It was a casual relaxed atmosphere and one couldn’t help but feel at home in this artist’s paradise. But, our first order of business was getting to know the Animation Building. This wonderful three story Art Deco facility was home to Walt’s animation department. Having finally escaped the cramped quarters of the Hyperion bungalows in Silverlake, Disney’s staff finally had a wonderful new work place to call home.
We began by touring the hallways of the first floor. For those not familiar with the animation building, each studio wing had a small lobby with a directory and receptionist’s desk. Once inside, we noticed all but a few animation artists kept their office doors closed so we felt comfortable entering and checking out the wonderful sketches on their drawing boards. We found the Effects department of C-Wing fascinating as Disney’s effects animators were busily creating wind, rain and fire. Across the hall in D-Wing we were advised to keep our voices down, and make our visit short. We later learned this wing was the domain of Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” and visiting — though not discouraged — was not necessarily welcome.
As we moved down the hallway of the Animation Building we notice steps that led downstairs. Was there a basement floor we wondered? So, our little group decided to venture down into the catacombs of animation. What might be contained in this underground labyrinth? Was it the studio archives, Walt’s bunker, or maybe an underground cartoonist or two?
Nope. This underground passageway provided a simple and practical way of moving the precious Disney art from animation to the Ink & Paint and Camera buildings. Animation art would not risk damage by being exposed to the weather on a rainy California day. Later, we would come to learn these passageways provided another less official function. Amorous young men and women would use these darken hallways for many a mid day rendezvous.
Embolden by our tour of the Animation Building’s first floor, we decided to explore the second floor of this creative complex. As you might expect, we were stunned by what we saw as we entered B-Wing right off the stairs. The hallway was filled with the beautiful background paintings of color stylist, Eyvind Earle as he labored away on the new feature film, “Sleeping Beauty.” It’s difficult to explain how we felt that day as we starred slack jawed at the most incredible artwork we had ever seen. One young artist in our group was so inspired he made becoming a Disney background artist his lifetime goal. A goal I’m happy to say, he finally achieved.
Across the hallway in 2-A, the Ham Luske unit was hard at work developing new shows for the “Disneyland” TV show, and a short walk down the hallway took us to 2-D, the home of Ward Kimball’s Space unit. Because of his fascination with space travel and extraterrestrial life, Walt Disney saw that Kimball was uniquely qualified to helm this unit currently producing films that were more science fact than fiction. The hallway was filled with scale models of the moon rocket; the Chesley Bonstell inspired space station, and the multi-stage rocket ship that would one day be realized as the Space Shuttle. Storyboards, graphs, and scientific schematics also filled the hallway. The unit had more the appearance of a top government development facility than a cartoon studio, and even President Dwight Eisenhower requested a viewing of Kimball’s films.
Venturing into the inner offices of Kimball’s unit revealed animator and gagmen, Charlie Downs and John Dunn working on a funny sequence in an upcoming film. In another room, master layout artist, Ken O’Conner sat at his desk working out a complex scene involving a spaceship orbiting the earth, while background artist, Bill Layne painted the Martian landscape. Across the hall, strange Martian creatures were being created by development artist, Con Pederson, who would one day work for Stanley Kubrick on “2001, A Space Odyssey.” There was one large office we thought it best not to enter. The slide trombone sitting on the desk was a pretty good indication this was the office of the boss, Ward Kimball.
A walk down the second floor hallway took us past 2-C and Jack Kinney’s unit where the Goofy shorts were still being produced. In 2-F, director Bill Justice was still doing Donald Duck cartoons, and directly across hall, Supervising Director Gerry Geronimi was riding herd on Disney’s latest animated feature, “Sleeping Beauty.” The last wing at the north end of the building was 2-G. This was the office of animator, director, Les Clark who was hard at work on a featurette on the life of Paul Bunyan. Clark shared the wing with C. August (Nick) Nichols, a former animator now directing the “Mickey Mouse Club” with Donald O’Conner’s partner, Sidney Miller.
As we made our way down the hallway, a rather odd looking old gent spoke to us and continued on his way. One guy in our group remarked that the man looked like a walking cartoon character. He wasn’t far from the truth because the old gentleman was Cliff Edwards, the voice of Jiminy Cricket. A large room at the end of the hallway revealed a group of artists working on television commercials. This was the fifties and color was still a dream of the future, so the commercials were being painted in black and white, or more accurately, shades of grey.
It had been quite a tour, and our little group wondered whether we should press our luck and take a peek at the third floor of the Animation Building? The third floor was the domain of Disney’s top story men, as well as the stomping grounds of the Old Maestro himself. What would Walt Disney think should he catch us loitering in the hallway?
Considering our lowly status as unproven apprentice inbetweeners, we agreed this might be a tour reserved for a later day.
Did you enjoy tagging along on Floyd’s tour today? Well, if so, just be aware that Mr. Norman has other great tales to share in the three books he currently has on the market: Floyd’s original collection of cartoons and stories — “Faster! Cheaper! The Flip Side of the Art of Animation” (which is available for sale over at John Cawley’s excellent www.cataroo.com web site) as well as two follow-ups to that book, “Son of Faster, Cheaper” & “How the Grinch Stole Disney.” Which you can purchase by heading over to the Afrokids.com website.