A group of young guys and gals gathered in the office of a Disney veteran on the
third floor of the Animation Building. “Boy, you missed it,” the old timer
rhapsodized as he spoke about the good old days of the late 1930s and early 1940s. “This used to be a great place to work, but the strike ended all
that.”
If you know your Disney history, you’re probably aware of, what might be called
Walt Disney’s paternalism during the early days of the Hyperion Studio.
Disputes between labor and management were hardly an issue during the Great Depression. Most young guys and gals were happy to have a job, and a
job at Walt’s cartoon factory was better than most.
Walt’s midwestern philosophy of, an honest days work for a fair wage appeared to
prevail at the fledgling studio. There was no need to speak of unions or
workers rights when there was no guarantee the studio would even be in business
the following week.
The old guys I’ve spoken with told me they were delighted to quit their jobs as
delivery boys or soda jerks in order to earn a wage at the drawing board.
Better yet, Walt Disney even tossed in a few extra bucks for those industrious
enough to come up with gags or ideas for future cartoon shorts.
Walt Disney’s fatherly attitude continued when the studio moved to its new Burbank
facility in the San Fernando Valley. While there was a lost of intimacy
provided by the overcrowded Silverlake plant, it was more than made up for by
the efficiency of the new studio. Still, Walt Disney provided his staff with an
ideal artists environment. While the nation crawled out of a crippling
depression, the Disney animators enjoyed what could have been called a workers
paradise.
Yet, even in paradise, all was not well. Walt found it difficult to create Disney
magic when his animation staff was increasingly divided by a contentious labor
action. The bitterness created by the 1941 strike could not be easily
dismissed, and it would change forever the relationship between Walt and his
artists.
The Walt Disney Studio of the 1950s provided artists with the perfect working environment
The legacy of that Disney labor action ushered in “The Bad Old Days.” No longer
would Walt’s artists and staffers enjoy the perks and privileges of the
studios’ glory days. From now on Walt Disney would run a tough, hard as nails,
no nonsense business. The fun and games were over.
Well, at least that’s the way the old guys tell the story. However, I’ll have to add,
“Well, you could have fooled me!” You see, when I found the Disney Studio at
its worst, it was still better than most studios at their best. This, however,
might take some explaining.
This young kid arrived at Disney in the early 1950s with scant knowledge of the
studio’s labor history. So, when the old guys informed me that Walt had stripped
away all the “goodies,” I didn’t know what the heck they were talking about.
From this kid’s naive point of view, everything looked just great. Yet, I was
reminded continually that we were bearing the brunt of the 1941 strike, and
all of us were being reprimanded by “Big Bad Walt.” So, I decided to compile a
list on the many ways we were being “punished.”
First of all, let’s talk about working conditions. Number one, we had our own
animation building and most of us had a private office, or at least we shared
one with a colleague. In this case, I mean a real office with a door and a
window with a view. The so-called office cubicle was non-existent.
Walt’s studio commissary operated at cost as a convenience for the workers. If you’ve
ever had the pleasure of viewing a menu from the Disney cafeteria or lunch
counter, you would probably be in shock. Even though most didn’t earn much, we
could still dine at lunchtime for around a dollar. If you chose wisely, you might
even return to your drawing board with change in your pocket.
The commissary included a studio store that actually sold some pretty special toys
and gadgets. Not the cheesy stuff so often seen today.
That’s Marshall Horton & Buzz Fortney. We were all young kids delighted to be working for Walt Disney
Walt Disney also provided an onsite post office where employees could purchase
stamps and mail packages. No need to hop in your car and leave the studio lot
when everything needed was a few doors away.
There was ample wall space in the studio library for artists to exhibit their work.
Should you be lucky enough to sell all your paintings or sketches, the earnings
were yours to keep.
There were free classes and lectures by the Disney Masters on the subjects of
animation, layout and story. All provided without charge and conducted at the
studio after work. The Disney veterans donated their time in order to provide
training for a new generation of animation artists.
A carpenter shop, machine shop, and an electronics department that would gladly
help you solve problems should you require their help. Of course, this was in
addition to their regular company work. The electronics department repaired my
tape recorder, and Disney’s machine shop helped me build an animation camera
stand. All freely given because we were “part of the family.”
Finally, Walt Disney provided working conditions like no other studio in town. While
most movie employees labored in grungy, factory like facilities, the Disney
studio lot was a landscaped campus complete with squirrels that scampered
across manicured lawns.
I began my animation career working in these “dreaded conditions,” clearly being
punished for the sins of my predecessors. The funny thing is — since I didn’t
know Walt was punishing me, I assumed I was working in paradise.
If you were lucky enough to work for Disney back in the f1950s when Walt and Roy
ran the place, you might have had a few gripes about things. However, you’d be
less than honest if you didn’t admit that Walt Disney Productions at its worst
had to be an incredible studio. And if you decided to remain in the cartoon
business for the remainder of your career — it would never, ever be this good
again.
This young kid was working on “Sleeping Beauty” back in the good old days
Did you enjoy today’s Toon Tuesday column? If so, Floyd Norman currently has three books on the market
that also look back on his fascinating career in the animation industry.These volumes include 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 cataroo)
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 Afrokids.And while you’re at it, don’t forget to check out Mr. Fun’s Blog. Which is where Mr. Norman postings his musings when he’s not writing for JHM.