You know, when I first heard about “Walt Disney’s Missouri: The Roots of a Creative Genius,” I thought that there was just no way that this book was going to work.
I mean, a book that deliberately limits itself to chronicling just the life experiences that Walt Disney had while he was living in and/or visiting the “Show Me” state? That premise just seemed a tad too thin to me. Sure, that story idea might be enough to sustain a magazine article, sure. But a nearly 200 page book? I didn’t think so.
Which is why I initially approached “Walt Disney’s Missouri” with much trepidation. So imagine my delight when this slickly produced, beautifully illustrated book turned out to be a really great read.
Don’t get me wrong, folks. “Walt Disney’s Missouri” is entertaining. But it is NOT a frivolous or flip book. Authors Brian Burnes, Robert W. Butler and Dan Viets have clearly approached this project with much seriousness and a great sense of purpose. They seemed determined to create the definitive history of Disney’s days in Missouri. And this — I am happy to report — Burnes, Butler and Viets have delivered in spade.
But — for all the research and scholarly study that obviously went into the creation of this book — Brian, Robert and Dan never forgot that they were chronicling key events in the life of a master storyteller. Which is why they went out of their way to fill “Walt Disney’s Missouri” with all these extremely entertaining yarns.
For me personally, this book is worth its $34.95 suggested retail price tag just for Chapter 10 alone: “Walt Disney’s Vision for Downtown St. Louis.” This is the part of the book where you’ll learn about that infamous indoor theme park that Walt toyed with building along the edge of the Mississippi in the early 1960s. Up until now, little has been written about this ill-fated project. Something that many Disney historians now consider a crucial turning point in Walt’s decision to go forward with “Project Florida.”
For years, there have been rumors about the “Riverboat Square” project. What this indoor dining, shopping and entertainment district would have been like. The rides & shows that were proposed for the project. This chapter of “Walt Disney’s Missouri” finally delivers the facts about Riverboat Square, debunks many of the myths that have risen up about the project over the years. Burnes, Butler & Viets even go so far as to provide their readers with vintage WED blueprints so that they can see for themselves what rides were going to go where. (You can now officially add a “Jean la *** Adventure Ride,” a “Lewis & Clark Adventure” as well as a “Babes in Toyland” dark ride to WDI’s never ending list of “What ifs” attractions.)
Mind you, this is just one chapter out of a 12 chapter book, kids. Brian, Robert and Dan also take their readers through a typical day in Walt’s life (circa 1923). Years before Disney actually hit it big. When the struggling filmmaker was forced to dodge creditors and accept charity from a friendly café owner in order to keep his dreams alive.
There’s also a fascinating chapter in here about A.V. Cauger, the man who introduced Walt to film production. Cauger was the gentleman in charge of the Kansas City Slide Company who hired Disney to be his “first class” artist. Walt’s job was to create the artwork that would be used to illustrate the advertising slides that’d be projected on the screen at K.C. ‘s silent movie palaces between reels. Disney used this assignment as his backdoor entry into the world of animation. And the rest (as you all well know) is history.
That’s perhaps the highest compliment that I can pay to Brian Burnes, Robert W. Butler and Dan Viets. They can really have a gift for taking history – just a dry pile of facts – and making it come alive again. Even the stories that you may have heard before take on a new slant and/or a new energy in “Walt Disney’s Missouri.” Thanks in part to the authors’ entertaining writing style and/or some interesting new tidbits that they’ve managed to unearth.
So you want to show yourself (or some other lucky Disney dweeb on your holiday shopping list) a good time? Then pick up a copy of this book that chronicles Walt’s days in the “Show Me” state. Don’t make the same mistake that I almost made and think about taking a pass on “Walt Disney’s Missouri.” Otherwise, you’ll just end up feeling mis(souri)able.
Availability Okay. Please forgive the above horrible pun … But if you’d be interested in purchasing up a personally autographed copy of “Walt Disney’s Missouri: The Roots of a Creative Genius,” you can actually get one by contacting one of the book’s authors, Dan Viets, directly. You can reach Viets by writing to Dan at his 15 North 10th, Columbia, MO. home. (FYI: The zip code for Viets’ place is 65201).
Or – if you’d prefer – you can purchase a copy of “Walt Disney’s Missouri” straight from the publisher — the Kansas City Star — for $34.95 from the newspaper’s on-line store.
For those of you who’d prefer a bit of a bargain on this book, the LaughingPlace Store is currently offering “Walt Disney’s Missouri” for just $28.98.
Finally, I just spoke with Adrienne over at MouseShoppe. She told me that — while MS doesn’t currently have any copies of “Walt Disney’s Missouri” in stock – they are expecting to receive some more shortly (Which means that “Walt Disney’s Missouri” should be available to ship from MS’s home office on or about December 13th. Which means that a version of this book that’s ordered from MS should arrive in plenty of time to be placed under the tree on Christmas Eve). Best of all, MouseShoppe currently has the lowest current price anywhere (that I can find, anyway) for this book: $27.95. Click here to pre-order a copy of “Walt Disney’s Missouri” from MouseShoppe.