Customer Reviews

Walt - The Man Behind the Myth

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

WALT: THE MAN BEHIND THE MYTH is a warm, entertaining, and fascinating look at both the public and private life of one of the greatest show-business men of the 20th Century....a man who is still influencing our world today. The never before released photos and film footage alone make this a "must" purchase. If the production has one fault, it may be that it leaves the viewer wanting more such glimpses into the life of Walt Disney. A great companion video would be THE HAND BEHIND THE MOUSE: THE UB IWERKS STORY.

It was great seeing a more balanced biography of Walt Disney after all these years. I felt like there have always been 2 extremes: the sugary and perfect Walt who loved children, and the diabolic Communist smasher that hated Jews.
Well, here's a news flash: he was human. Walt was a taskmaster, and perfectionist, but he was dedicated to entertaining people and making them laugh. This movie showed us how he was a 12-year old at heart, full of the vigor that made his cartoons great and prone to being naive when it came to labor and politics.
To work for Walt was probably a rollercoaster, being "under the eyebrow" one moment when he was concentrating on a project, then elated when he dispensed a single iota of praise from his gruff businessman persona. The next second he could transform himself into a character from the storyboard he was demonstrating, brimming with energy and enthusiasm like a middle-aged Huck Finn.
People have tried to villify him over the years, pecking away and trying to drag down his overly-sweet reputation perpetuated by the studio after his death. But you can say this about him: he loved childern, wanted to make people laugh, and in some small way felt that by making the childhood of others happier, he was a happy child himself.

Walt Disney's grandson did a wonderful job on revealing a man who had a dream and let nothing get in his way. This documentary has nothing to do with propaganda as some people might think. It told a story that inspires anyone who watched it to go out do what they love.

I am a Disney fan plain and simple. I grew up watching "The Wonderful World of Disney", going to Disneyland more than six times in my life and visiting Walt Disney World once. I buy Disney DVD's and other products from the Disney line. However, I knew a little about the man who created the "magic" and after viewing this outstanding DVD about the life of Walt Disney, I feel like I know him so much more.

This is an account about the life and thoughts of the man who created a world where people are more happier today because of the dreams shared by Walt Disney. The film begins with Walt's childhood in Missouri and California. There are family films that are shown for the first time with the permission of the Disney family that show the love and warmth not only of Walt, but of his family and friends.

The film also tells about his early workings in creating cartoon characters, working and paying his dues in the entertainment industry of the 1920's and finally with a bold stroke, creating his own studio where Walt could finally create much of the magic that we enjoy today. The film also tells about the work and creation that went into full length animated movies such as "Snow White", "Bambi", "Pinnochio", and other classic masterpieces. Also shown is the vision that led to the construction of Disneyland and Walt's final dream...Epcot Center.

The film also has moving interviews with intimate Disney family members such as Walt and Lillian's daughter Diane, grandson Walt Elias Disney Miller, grandaughters, grandnieces and grandnephews. Close family friends such as Art Linkletter, Dean Jones, Ray Bradberry, and the late Buddy Epsen are interviewed as well as early live Disney stars such as Dean Jones.

Each give a wonderful insight into Walt Disney and all still show loving devotion to him even 37 years after his death.

Walt Disney definitely made the world a better place to live him and we can thank him for giving us a magical place to escape to everyday by watching the films, going to the amusement parks and so much more, because of his magical immagination.

Every Disney fan will enjoy watching this DVD over and over again.

Very highly recommended!!

before seeing the video, I was lucky enough to see it in a cinema with Diane Disney and Jean-pierre Isbouts in the room, in english without subtitles, playing for a belgian audience, it was in the dutch speaking part of the country (of course) and my party and I were the only french speaking people there. I couldn't stop crying during the whole movie, the emotion was just to much. I could talk to Jean-Pierre himself and his mother, forgot to take pictures and ask for autographs (stupid me)
a few days later, an american pen friend set me not exactly the video but the film taped from ABC including the commercial breaks with GREAT commercials for the parks, speeches by Michael Eisner and very touching tribute to the september11 victims by the Disney Company, I watch that tape all the time but still intend to buy the video someday, and DVD if there's one.
All those familiar faces like Frank Thomas, the Shermans... and that film enabled me to see AT LAST what Disney child stars like Karen Dotrice and Kevin Corcoran look like today (

I bought this DVD at Disneyland in the summer of 2003. At the time I was told by the sales clerk that the DVD was absolutely amazing. I didn't put much stock into what he said as he worked for Disney but when I got home and had the chance to watch it I was absolutely amazed at how good it was! It is a very well produced "inside" story on Walt's life and work. The DVD includes interviews with many people who worked with him as well as never released family videos. It is so good that I have watched it several times and come away feeling inspired each time. If you like Disneyland/Disneyworld then you will be more than pleased with this purchase (there are lots of goodies on it for the big Disney fan).

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Walt Disney's life story unfolded in this documentary film. It keeps the viewers attention with ample film footage of Walt at work and giving riveting interviews. I especially enjoyed the part where they show Walt Disney's first studio as it was in the twenties and as it is now because I live a few blocks from the location.

My only complaint about the film is it cuts off a lot of Walt Disney's interviews after only a few comments, which appeared very interesting on the screen. It would be nice to see Walt Disney's interviews in their entirety.

I am a big Walt Disney fan. I can't get enough of the behind the scenes and personal stuff about him. This video is just the ticket. This film is so well made and is so well put together. Just as good if not better than the wonderful "Frank and Ollie". Finally after all these years we get a good in depth look at the man himself. I was overcome with feelings of warmth and comfort seeing Walt in the home movies. Watching his family and friends speak about him I could almost hear that cough coming down the hall myself. I am lucky enough to own a copy of this on DVD as well and it has very nice extras. Hard to find but worth it. Do get a copy of the VHS before it goes away. Don't miss out on this treasure.

For anyone interested in a visual biography of Walt Disney and the studio he built -this is it! Executively produced by Walt's grandson Walter Elias Disney Miller and narrated by Dick Van Dyke, it's a wonderful tribute to one of the most iconic men of the twentieth century.

Van Dyke details the family history with never seen before home movies and photographs. It's a well balanced documentary with participation from the people who really knew Walt and who had worked on many of his creations. The famed "Nine Old-Men", the very animators who spent their whole lives at the studio,tell us why they were so devoted to a man who never offered personal praise. You'll learn about the negative side too, the bitter 1941 animation strike, the accusations of racism and of Walt being anti-semetic, are also truely laid to rest. The birth of Disneyland, television and live-action are all included in this well paced two hour salute.

Their are secrets to be learned, like how Mickey Mouse came about. How the animation process works, with plenty of footage from Disney classics to illustrate why they were the best and most inovative. Walt surrounded himself with good people, he was a master motivator and ideas man. But he was also human and that is well brought out, specially with his family. It's a great drawn to scale, down-to-earth look at a man, that most people only thought of in mythological terms.

Assuming that this is the same as the one recently on TV, it is an outstanding purchase for anyone remotely interested in what brings a man to greatness. I also read the book Inside the Dream, which made reference to it - also an excellent source of information