Monday 23 October 2023

Guide to Walt Disney's Los Angeles Part 2

Frank Thomas Animator's Desk
Photo: Michele Stueven, Academy Museum
Celebrate the centennial of Walt Disney Studios with our guide to Walt Disney's Los Angeles part 2.

ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES

Opened in September 2021, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures houses more than 13 million objects in a 300,000 square-foot campus designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Renzo Piano.

Disney fans will enjoy Inventing Worlds and Characters: Animation. Models, puppets and maquettes of beloved characters are displayed along with illustrations, designs and other materials that give insight into the animation creative process. One highlight is an Animator's Desk designed by Kem Weber (see Walt Disney Studios above) and used by Frank Thomas, one of Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men." The gallery features Disney/Pixar films such as Pinocchio (1940), Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Little Mermaid (1989), Up (2009) and more.

The museum hosts screenings and panels that often feature Disney films, such as the ongoing Family Matinees series and a recent screening of One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) that was preceded by a Q&A with animator Tom Sito (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas), Lisa Davis (the voice of Anita Radcliffe) and animator Floyd Norman (Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book).

EL CAPITAN THEATRE

Opened as a playhouse in 1926, the El Capitan Theatre has been Disney’s cinematic home on Hollywood Boulevard since the premiere of The Rocketeer in 1991. With Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar all under the Disney umbrella, premieres have spanned a wide range of genres and movie universes. Along with early showings of the latest releases and special fan events, the El Capitan also presents Sensory Inclusive and Open Caption screenings. Pre-movie stage shows and memorabilia exhibits will often accompany select movies and holiday themed series.

STORYBOOK MANSION

 Walt Disney's Storybook Mansion
Photo: Joel Danto, TheLuxLevel
In 1932 the Disneys moved into what's now known as the Storybook Mansion - a 6,400 square-foot house at 4053 Woking Way in the Los Feliz hills. The couple soon welcomed two daughters - Diane was born in 1933, and they adopted Sharon in 1936. The family's time at Woking Way coincided with an astounding run of theatrical releases for the Walt Disney Studio - the "Golden Age of Animation" between Snow White (1937) and Bambi (1942).

Designed by Frank Crowhurst, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom estate features views of the LA skyline, a two-story living room, 10-car garage and a miniature playhouse for the daughters. Walt watched dailies of his productions in the home theater on the first floor. The Disneys lived at Woking Way until 1950, when they moved to Holmby Hills.

The current owner is filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, who occasionally opens the Storybook Mansion for public tours. Follow Walt Disney’s Storybook Mansion on Facebook for upcoming events.

SNOW WHITE COTTAGES

Designed in the Storybook style by Ben Sherwood in 1931, the Snow White Cottages is an eight-unit complex located at 2900 Griffith Park Blvd. a few blocks from the site of the Hyperion Studio. The 700 square-foot, one-bedroom cottages are backed by a tower that overlooks the central courtyard. Along with the Tam O'Shanter, it's easy to picture how the cottages influenced the design of the Cottage of the Seven Dwarfs in Snow White. The Snow White Cottages appeared as the Sierra Bonita apartments in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (2001).

 Snow White Cottages
Instagram: @borka_warriorka
In his Ask Chris column, local historian Chris Nichols spoke with Walt Disney Archives founder Dave Smith, who confirmed that cottage residents included director Hamilton Luske (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Mary Poppins), animator Dick Lundy (Snow White, numerous shorts), animator Fred Moore (Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland) and writer Lee Morehouse.

The Eastsider noted that art director Claude Coats (Snow White, Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp) and his wife Evelyn also lived in a cottage.

* Words by Daniel Djang

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