Leonard Maltin Is A Big Kid: New Walt Disney Treasures
By: R. O'Donnell |
Sunday January 15, 2006 |
| If you're going to start asking Leonard Maltin questions regarding this epic American Icon, be prepared for those well-informed answers of the scholarly kind. This guy knows his stuff. |
| The last time I had lunch with Leonard Maltin (I've know him over the
years through my association with The Criterion Collection) he was
sporting yet another one of his cherished Disney character pins. Just a
little Mickey Mouse. No big deal. Nothing too in-your-face or anything
like that, just a simple reminder that he was still a kid. A big kid that
knew everything there is to know about Walt Disney studios and the man
that brought it all about. I mean everything.
If you're going to start asking Leonard Maltin questions regarding this epic American Icon, be prepared for those well-informed answers of the scholarly kind. This guy knows his stuff. He's such an enthusiast, in fact, that he was the first person to chronicle the complete works of the Chicago-born Walt Elias Disney nicknamed "Uncle Walt". Leonard was just a teenager then. Now he's all grown-up and hailed as a world-renowned critic, film historian, and the Indiana Jones of the Disney vaults. This guy's still searching for and discovering all kinds of celluloid gems. Lucky for us, you bet. Alongside the Walt Disney folks, Leonard Maltin is producing a score of Walt Disney Treasures, handpicked rarities from the archives in limited edition box sets to be cherished by the kid in all of us. How did you come about conceiving, co-producing, and hosting the Walt Disney Treasures series? I had met Dick Cook, the President of the Walt Disney Company, and asked if I could pitch him an idea. He's a great guy whose first job, more than thirty years ago, was operating the riverboat cruise ride at Disneyland, so he "gets it." I told him my idea about digging into the vaults for a series of special DVDs and he said, "Let's do it." It was one of the shortest (and most satisfying) meetings I've ever had. Please explain the process of selecting the rare offerings of the series. At first it was daunting to figure out where to begin--with so much material from which to choose. I knew we had to start out with a Mickey Mouse set, because Mickey laid the foundation for Walt Disney's career. I thought we should also pay tribute to Disneyland. Then we started making choices, and we haven't run out yet. We're hoping to complete the run of Silly Symphonies and even get to the vast field of educational animated shorts produced by the studio. You were one of the first independent writers to document and illustrate the entire works of Walt Disney, how did that come about? I was weaned on Disney. I grew up under his spell in the 1950s and 60s. I ran home every day to watch The Mickey Mouse Club, and Walt Disney's hour-long show was a weekly event for me. I especially enjoyed the programs in which he would delve into his studio history or take us behind the scenes of animation. Incidentally, those shows hold up remarkably well today. To me, Walt Disney wasn't a corporate symbol or an image--he was a person I admired, and still do. When he died, I devoted an entire issue of my fanzine, Film Fan Monthly, to an annotated listing of his films, and the people at the Disney company flipped for it: they didn't have an easy-reference list like that of their own! (This was just before they hired Dave Smith to be their full-time archivist.) A publicity executive at the studio suggested I think about turning that issue into a book. It took a long time to do, but The Disney Films was first published in 1973; I've updated it several times since then. What's funny is, by the time I finished screening all the films (with the company's assistance) and started writing my manuscript, the friendly executive had departed, and the people I had to deal with were concerned that my book would compete with their first-ever coffee-table book about the studio (Christopher Finch's The Art of Walt Disney)... so they denied me access to their files, archives, and talent. I had to do the whole thing on my own. Years later when I revised the book it was published by Disney Editions! You are hailed as one of the country's most recognized and respected film critics and historians, so what is it about Walt Disney that has inspired you to dedicate a great portion of your professional career to documenting his countless works of art? I am amazed that I still learn new things about Walt's films and his artists all the time. There seems to be no end to the detail one can ferret out--and often those details bring a new level of appreciation and understanding. You received the coveted June Foray Award as part of the 2001 Annie Awards, which honor individuals who have made a significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation, tell us about that? I feel very lucky to have spent my life doing something I love. I've been at it long enough now that I often meet young people who tell me that I helped turn them on to animation, or Disney in particular; I couldn't be more flattered. In 2005 you received a Special Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers for your immeasurable contributions to film preservation, what was that for like for you? Winning an award for doing something you love is icing on the cake, you might say. I wrote a book about cinematographers many years ago that was a tremendous learning experience for me; the ASC has always been grateful for that book and I in turn am indebted to them for giving me such a singular honor. Why is film preservation so important to you? I am one of those people who believes one ought to know what happened in the past in order to create a better future. Since it is widely known that your favorite all time movie is Casablanca, what is your favorite all time Walt Disney movie, and why? My favorite cartoon short is The Band Concert, which is by any standards a masterpiece. My favorite animated feature is Dumbo, and my favorite Disney film overall is Mary Poppins. Each of those films is bursting with imagination. Do you have any final thoughts on the Walt Disney Treasures series? This is the first time in history that Hollywood has actually documented its own history. For years film history was considered a specialized area of interest to just a handful of buffs and students; now there are scores of DVDs that amount to a master class in cinema. On a personal level, to be given the ability to run through the Disney vaults is like letting a kid loose in a candy store. Recently Released On DVD: Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities, Celebrated Shorts: 1920s - 1960s MSRP: $24.99 Every Disney Fan will want to bring home the newest, classic collection of Walt's most treasured works, never-before-seen and fully restored on DVD. Including introductions by respected critic Leonard Maltin, each limited-edition volume includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews that make Walt Disney Treasures a priceless collection that fans will enjoy for generations to come. Each 2-disc DVD set includes collectible packaging, never-before-seen material and an exclusive lithograph. Spanish and French language tracks. Spanish and French subtitles. Not rated. Disney Rarities, Celebrated Shorts includes two Academy Award® Winners & 8 Nominees, including Alice's Wonderland, Ferdinand the Bull, Noah's Ark, Paul Bunyan and more. Walt Disney Treasures: Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox, Legendary Heroes MSRP: $24.99 Every Disney Fan will want to bring home the newest, classic collection of Walt's most treasured works, never-before-seen and fully restored on DVD. Including introductions by respected critic Leonard Maltin, each limited-edition volume includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews that make Walt Disney Treasures a priceless collection that fans will enjoy for generations to come. Each 2-disc DVD set includes collectible packaging, never-before-seen material and an exclusive lithograph. Spanish and French language tracks. Spanish and French subtitles. Not rated. Elfego Baca & The Swamp Fox features episodes from the 1958-1960 Seasons like Attorney at Law, Brother Against Brother, plus the bonus ''Real Heroes'' and ''Tales of Courage and Adventure'' -- plus much more! Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Spin & Marty, The MM Club MSRP: $24.99 Every Disney Fan will want to bring home the newest, classic collection of Walt's most treasured works, never-before-seen and fully restored on DVD. Including introductions by respected critic Leonard Maltin, each limited-edition volume includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews that make Walt Disney Treasures a priceless collection that fans will enjoy for generations to come. Each 2-disc DVD set includes collectible packaging, never-before-seen material and an exclusive lithograph. Spanish and French language tracks. Spanish and French subtitles. Not rated. The Adventures of Spin & Marty include the entire first season, the complete Mickey Mouse Club episode that introduced the Adventures of Spin & Marty, never-before-seen Tim Considine's screen test for the role of Marty and much more. Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Vol. Two MSRP: $24.99 Every Disney Fan will want to bring home the newest, classic collection of Walt's most treasured works, never-before-seen and fully restored on DVD. Including introductions by respected critic Leonard Maltin, each limited-edition volume includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews that make Walt Disney Treasures a priceless collection that fans will enjoy for generations to come. Each 2-disc DVD set includes collectible packaging, never-before-seen material and an exclusive lithograph. Spanish and French language tracks. Spanish and French subtitles. Not rated. The Chronological Donald, Volume 2 includes shorts from 1942 through 1946 including Donald's Crime, Donald's Snow Fight, Der Fuehrer's Face, Donald's Tire Trouble and many more! |
