[Jewish World Review] I started my almost 30 year career at the Walt Disney Studios in 1970. Walt Disney himself had only been dead about three years and the studio was still pretty much the same as it had been when Walt was running things.
Walt was a patriot and he enjoyed making pictures that celebrated America's history and heroes from American Revolutionary Johnny Tremain to Davy Crockett to Pecos Bill and Casey Jones. Walt and his team also created entertainment that highlighted the family, stories such as Pollyanna, Swiss Family Robinson, Old Yeller, and Mary Poppins.
The studio grounds felt like a college campus, a college campus from the 1950s. When I walked through the halls of the animation building or around the lot people who passed by would look me in the eyes and smile. They'd say "hello" even if they didn't know me. That's the way it was then, friendly, family-like, and welcoming.
The Disney studio had the reputation of being the best animation studio in the world. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, and so many other classics were produced at this magical place.
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