The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney (Simpson Book in the Humanities)

432 Pages·2007·1.24 MB·English

by  Michael Barrier

The publisher gratefully acknowledges
the generous contribution to this book provided by
the Simpson Humanities Endowment Fund
of the University of California Press
Foundation.
the animated man
[To view this image, refer to
the print version of this title.]
The Animated Man
A LIFE OF WALT DISNEY
michael barrier
university of california press
berkeley los angeles london
Frontispiece. Disney draws Mickey Mouse at a
reception at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1946.
Quigley Photographic Collection, Walt Disney
File, Georgetown University Library, Special
Collections Division, Washington, D.C.
University ofCalifornia Press, one ofthe most
distinguished university presses in the United States,
enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship
in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation
and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and
institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
University ofCalifornia Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University ofCalifornia Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2007 by Michael Barrier
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barrier, J. Michael.
The animated man : a life ofWalt Disney / Michael
Barrier.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn: 978-0-520-24117-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Disney, Walt, 1901–1966. 2. Animators—United
States—Biography. I. Title.
nc1766.u52d53155 2007
791.43092—dc22
[b] 2006025506
Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on Natures Book, which contains
50% post-consumer waste and meets the minimum
requirements ofansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r1997)
(Permanence ofPaper).
To my parents

contents
Plates follow pages 140 and 236
preface ix
acknowledgments xv
introduction: “It’s All Me” 1
1 “The Pet in the Family”
On the Farm and in the City, 1901–1923 9
2 “A Cute Idea”
The Self-Taught Filmmaker, 1923–1928 39
3 “You’ve Got to Really Be Minnie”
Building a Better Mouse, 1928–1933 68
4 “This Character Was a Live Person”
The Leap to Feature Films, 1934–1938 100
5 “A Drawing Factory”
Ambition’s Price, 1938–1941 134
6 “A Queer, Quick, Delightful Gink”
On a Treadmill, 1941–1947 168
7 “Caprices and Spurts of Childishness”
Escaping from Animation, 1947–1953 200
8 “He Was Interested in Something Else”
Escaping from Film, 1953–1959 235