Today, a rare interview of Walt Disney, probably filmed on the Queen Elisabeth ocean liner, going to England with his family. At that time the RMS Queen Elizabeth operated by the Cunard Line was a slightly larger ship than the Queen Mary (now in Long Beach) and was the largest passenger liner ever built, which was a record that would not be exceeded for fifty-six years. Years later, in 1972, a mysterious fire broke out on the ship whilst undergoing renovations in Hong Kong harbour and to this day 50% of it lays in the bay. It did star in a James Bond Movie "The Man with the Golden Gun" in 1974 and provided underwater headquarters for the Bond team of MI6.
On the picture above and in the filmed interview Walt Disney stands with Lilian, their daughter Diane, and Sharon who was adopted by Walt and Lilian. Sharon is on the left on the picture above and Diane stands between Lilian and Walt.
Disney movies were very successful in England and the studio made a lot of money but because of British laws Disney was not allowed to send the money back to the U.S. So he spent the money in England making more films like his first live action Pirate movie "Treasure island". He made many trips back and forth to England from the United States and the video below show one of them, on the Queen Elizabeth. On the picture below, another picture of Walt and his family, this time flying on a TWA plane.
It's time to have a look to this rare interview of Walt. Note that this Youtube video was uploaded with the "time code", right in the center of the frame. When Walt get closer to the camera the time code is in the middle of his face and it's a bit a pity, but this kind of Walt's interview is so rare that even with this bloody time code it's better than nothing!
Video: all my thanks to jeffsabu who posted it on Youtube
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Alain,
ReplyDeleteThanks to you for mentioning this interview and Jeffsabu for posting it to Youtube. Although I'm certain Walt did a lot of interviews for whatever he was working on/interested in at the time, they do seem to be rare. I'm sure I'll enjoy this - yes, haven't even watched it yet! Take care!
Alain, I was trying to figure out what was on Walt's tie and if that was a castle tie clasp he was wearing on it? I wonder if Treasure Island which was mentioned, had an influence on Jerry Bruckheimer who was born in 1945 and would have been 5 years old when it came out? I know it did on me when I saw it in the later 50's on our new RCA B&W TV.
ReplyDeleteWow, thats brilliant! I love how distracted he is at the end.
ReplyDeleteVery nice interview!
ReplyDeleteWalt began the Disney Brothers Studio with the Alice shorts though, not with Oswald as the reporter said.
Nice to see the Disney family together, but I think that the reporter was a bit cruel to keep saying that Diane looked like her parents and was beautiful in front of the adopted Sharon.
These old Disney movies, like Treasure Island, 20,000 leagues under the sea and Swiss Family Robinson are so much better than the new ones, the TV series also. Walt was irreplaceable, it was such a loss him dying so young.
Very nice family!