Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park
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Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park Details
About the Author Film historian Jeff Kurtti is considered one of the leading authorities on The Walt Disney Company and its history. He is the author of several books and magazine articles, a writer-director of documentaries, and a respected public speaker, host, and panel moderator. For the 50th anniversary of Disneyland, he wrote the park exclusive publication The Art of Disneyland. Kurtti was executive producer of the DVD collector's editions of Around the World in 80 Days, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Sixth Sense, A Bug's Llife, Tarzan, Toy Story, Fantasia, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Monsters, Inc., and Beauty and the Beast. He has written, directed, and commentated in documentaries on the making of several of these movies, and his video productions have been seen on The Academy Awards, The Wonderful World of Disney, and Turner Classic Movies. Kurtti also produced the Walt Disney Treasures DVD edition series with Leonard Maltin. He has been a guest speaker and moderator at the Official Disneyana Convention, and an artist-in-residence at The Disney Institute. His articles have appeared in Widescreen Review, Disney Magazine, Disney Adventures, Collector's Showcase and Sketches. Kurtti is a member of the Writers Guild of America West (WGAw). Bruce Gordon is a twenty-five year veteran of Walt Disney Imagineering, where he was a vital force in the creation of dozens of the most popular and beloved Disney attractions around the world, and is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on the history and legacy of Disney parks and attractions. A respected author and designer, Mr. Gordon's other titles include The Imagineering Way, The Imagineering Workout, The Art of Disneyland, The Disney Insider Yearbook, and Designing Disney, as well as the most popular souvenir book ever sold at the theme parks, Disneyland Then, Now, and Forever. Read more
Reviews
In my work I'm at Walt Disney World every week, and the more I research it the more impressed I am. It is a place of boundless imagination. After Walt Disney's original vision, the bulk of the creative work has been in the capable hands of the Disney Imagineers. This book profiles 30 of these Disney artists and engineers.Although you could argue about the list (I'd love to see Mary Blair, but I guess her role wasn't really as an Imagineer) you can't argue with the depth of the research. Within each profile, Kurtti has gathered not only anecdotes, reminiscences and quotes, but also photos and sketches. The best photographs show the Imagineers at work, painting and sculpting and model-making. The conceptual art is the most fun; you can see Bill Martin's conceptual layout for the Peter Pan attraction in Disneyland, and Rolly Crump's concept sketch for the Enchanted Tiki Room.I do wish more current Imagineers were included, especially the visionary Joe Rohde, the chief architect of Disney's Animal Kingdom. But then again he's not a Legend. Maybe in a sequel, Jeff?The design of the book is a little loose for my taste, with some clunky typeface choices and layout. Several of the photos are not rectangles, but rather circles or other shapes, and many are reproduced too dark, at least in my copy. But overall the book is an excellent resource -- and makes for fascinating reading -- for any Disney fan.Jeff Kurtti is also the author of SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN: WALT DISNEY WORLD: THE FIRST 25 YEARS.Here's the chapter list:Foreword: Growing Up With Imagineering, by Martin A. SklarWhat is Walt Disney Imagineering?The First Imagineer: Walt Disney1. The Prototype Imagineers* Harper Goff* Ken Anderson* Herbert Ryman* Sam McKim2. The Executive Suite* Richard F. Irvine* Bill Cottrell3. The Place Makers* Marvin Davis* Bill Martin4. The Story Department* Marc Davis* Claude Coats5. Masters of Mixed Media* Morgan "Bill" Evans* Roland "Rolly" Crump* Yale Gracey* Blaine Gibson6. The Model Shop* Fred Joerger* Harriet Burns* Wathel Rogers7. The Machine Shop* Roger Broggie* Bob Gurr8. The Music Makers* Richard M. & Robert B. Sherman* Buddy Baker* George Bruns* X Atencio9. The Unofficial Imagineers* Ub Iwerks* Bill Walsh* James Algar* Ward Kimball10. The Renaissance Imagineer* John Hench
