View from the Top: Disney Studio

After a ten year hiatus, I returned to the Walt Disney Studio in Burbank for a visit. Parking in the Zorro garage (which replaced the area where the Disney “Zorro” TV series was filmed), I admired the stained glass portraits of some of Disney’s most famous animated characters.

Designed by Michael Graves in 1990, the primary building at the Studio is called the Team Disney Burbank building. It contains the office of President and CEO Robert A. Iger, as well as the boardroom for the Board of Directors. The building is sometimes referred to as the “Seven Dwarfs Building” because of the gigantic statues holding up the roof of the building. On January 23, 2006, in honor of Michael Eisner's 21-year leadership of the company, the Team Disney building, was rededicated as Team Disney - The Michael D. Eisner Building.

Today, whatever you do, DON’T call it the Eisner Building!



Ever wondered what the view was from the building? Wonder no more.



Or how it would look framed by a Mickey from one of the chairs in the private dining room?



Some closeups of the Dwarfs’ arms holding up the building:







The final one today is Daisy Duck’s portrait at the Zorro Garage:



More photos coming up from my trip to the Walt Disney Studio!

See more Disney Studio photos at my main website.

Walt at the Studio, June 1941

This vintage publicity photo dated June 9, 1941, shows Walt Disney standing in front of the Studio that he built. The accompanying caption:

The Busiest Man Is The Boss

Complete relaxation comes to Walt Disney every day at the noon hour when he strolls around the paths of his studio at Burbank, Calif. In the background are some of the staff who helped produce "The Reluctant Dragon," the latest Disney feature-length film.

Although the backlot is gone, the studio and office buildings look very much the same today as they did when they were built.



Oh how I love the lettering above this door.

In other Mouse news, it was brought to my attention last night by a faithful reader that the use of the former Royal Court has been leaked/revealed. In an article written by someone who has od'ed on the Disney Corporate Kool-Aid, we discover that a Club 33 for the less-fortunate will be open in the New Year:

disneydose.com



Not surprisingly, Herb Ryman's original art has been trotted out in yet another attempt to lend historic credence to what's going on. I think I smell a new fragrance in New Orleans Square: Desperation.

See more Daveland Disney Studio photos at my main website.

Welcome to the Not-So-Wild West

This July 1958 photo was shot during the building of “Western Street” at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California and shows Western Street’s designers/art directors: Stan Jolley, Marvin Davis and Carroll Clark. It was taken on a day that Walt Disney checked out the progress on the lot. Unfortunately, he is not in the photo!



Most of the buildings on the Western Street were constructed in 1958 for the TV shows "Elfego Baca" and "Texas John Slaughter." Other productions which modified the structures for filming were "Darby O'Gill and the Little People," "The Love Bug," and "Those Calloways." The last major feature films to utilize the street extensively were "Hot Lead, Cold Feet" (1978) and "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" (1979). With the increased use of "on location" shooting, the back lot sets were gradually replaced by the Property building, the Zorro parking structure, the Frank Wells office building, and Stages 6 & 7.



Stanford Jolley, Jr., known as Stan Jolley (1926-2012) was an art director and production designer who originally worked at The Walt Disney Studios on "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" (1958-1964). He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the Harrison Ford film "Witness" (1985).

Carroll Clark (1894-1968) was an art director nominated for seven Academy Awards in the Best Art Direction category: "The Gay Divorcee" (1934), "Top Hat" (1935), "A Damsel in Distress" (1937), "Flight for Freedom" (1943), "Step Lively" (1944), "The Absent-Minded Professor" (1961), and "Mary Poppins" (1964). Clark also worked (uncredited) with Production Designer Van Nest Polglase on the original "King Kong" (1933). That's a pretty respectable list of films!



Marvin Davis (1910-1998) was a master planner, art director and scenic designer. In 1953, he was invited by his friend, former Fox art director Dick Irvine, to join WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering), the design and development arm of the Company charged with creating theme parks. Former Sr. VP of WDI John Hench recalled, “Marvin was very conscientious about developing the Park. He worked extremely hard to help bring Walt’s dream to life, exactly as Walt envisioned it.” At Disneyland, Davis designed the exterior of The Haunted Mansion, New Orleans Square, Sleeping Beauty Castle and the buildings on Main Street, U.S.A.. Davis had a famous argument with Herb Ryman as to which direction the top of Sleeping Beauty Castle should face. Davis' original front on the model of the castle was flipped backwards; Walt Disney walked into the model shop, liked Ryman's "front" better, and the design remains to this day. Davis became an Art Director with Walt Disney Studios after Disneyland opened, working on "Babes in Toyland," and television's "Zorro" and "The Mickey Mouse Club." Davis also won an Emmy for his work on "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color." In 1965, Marvin worked as a project designer on Walt Disney World, turning Walt Disney's ideas for WDW and Epcot into workable site plans, contributing to the design of Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Resort. Davis' window on Main Street is located above the Disney Gallery in Town Square.

See more vintage & current Walt Disney Studio in Burbank photos on my Disney Studio web page.

Traveling Thursdays: Bob's Big Boy, Ellen, & Tart with the Gaggle of Gals

Last week, thanks to my friend Marlene, I was able to see a live taping of the Ellen Show with the Gaggle of Gals. For our special road trip day, my pop-culture guru friend Doug suggested Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank for our lunch. What a great suggestion, as it is chock full of retro goodness!







The girls just couldn’t wait to have their photo taken with Bob:



Of course I couldn’t be left out:



After lunch, we headed over to the Warner Brothers Studio, parked the car, and unfortunately, I had to leave the camera behind. Yes, even I obey some rules about cameras.



Cell phones were allowed to be used up until we got into the studio itself; while in the waiting area, Mar-Mar snapped shots of our passes into the show:



I posed with Pilar and showed off my pass...



...shortly before I took a quick disco nap. Anyone who knows me knows that the chances of me falling asleep in the middle of a show, movie, or almost any event is almost guaranteed if I don’t get a nap in first.



The freezing cold temperature of Ellen’s studio helped keep me awake. Her schtick throughout the show was that she would be exercising continuously. And she did.



Ryan Gosling entered to a cheering crowd; he really was an excellent guest. The two had a very good banter going back and forth, and he did a great job of deflecting Ellen’s not-so-subtle inquiries as to his relationship status with Michelle Williams.



Thanks to my bright red rugby shirt, if you squint, you can see me in the audience:





Gosling showed off his Jumpin' Jammerz, which he not only gifted to his family for Christmas, but to the studio audience as well, who immediately put them on! Mine was cute, but way too small, so it was given to one of my friends when I returned.





Camille Grammer was the other guest; she basically got courtesy applause.



Ellen seemed totally incredulous that Camille would allow her life to be taped. Despite saying that it was Kelsey's idea, I really don’t think anyone bought it. No matter how much she claimed that she was not "the character" portrayed on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she still seemed crazy to me.



From one tart to another Tart, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Tart, located at The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel directly across from The Grove Shopping Center in Hollywood.







Mar-Mar’s birthday was the perfect excuse to order Tart’s S'more pie!



This one deserves a closeup!



Thanks to the Gaggle of Gals for another great day!

See more Hollywood photos at my main website.