The Mouse Castle Lounge Podcast: Disney News and Interviews, Cocktails and Conversations

Tim meets Tim when Tim Callaway interviews Disney historian Tim Susanin, author of "Walt Before Mickey: Disney's Early Years, 1919-1928." The 2011 book is a detailed account of Walt Disney's early career in art and animation from the time he returned from France after World War I until the birth of Mickey Mouse in 1928. It was a period of Walt's life that Susanin says had not been previously explored in detail, yet it was arguably the most critical ten years in Walt's life, a period when the would-be filmmaker found some success but also experienced a series of career failures and life lessons. It's a great story that would make for an interesting movie, and it's about to do just that. "Walt Before Mickey," the film, will be released this April. www.TheMouseCastle.com

So you want to be a Disney historian? A lot of peple aspire to the title, even though it doesn't pay well--if at all--and pretty much no one is going to hire you to fill the job vacancy of "Disney Historian." Still, it's a noble field with many esteemed names, a number of whom it's been my pleasure to welcome to The Mouse Castle Lounge: Jim Fanning, Sam Gennawey, Didier Ghez, J.B. Kaufman, Jeff Kurtti, Todd Pierce and Paula Sigman Lowery. And those are just the people who have contributed to Jim Korkis' new book, How to Be a Disney Historian. It's a collection of tips, tricks and anecdotes about the world of Disney history research. It's an incredibly useful and informative book even if Disney history isn't your thing, because there's plenty of advice about writing and research in general, regardless of your particular topic of interest. Jim Korkis is a great friend of The Mouse Castle Lounge and it's always a pleasure to have him as my guest. The lengthy list of Disney history books Jim has written includes The Book of Mouse, Secret Stories of Walt Disney World, and four volumes of his Vault of Walt series. Today, Jim shares with us his best advice on how to become a Disney historian and what separates the contenders from the pretenders. Together, he and I tell our own real life stories about how to make an interview go horribly wrong. Please welcome Jim Korkis, my guest today in The Mouse Castle Lounge. Enjoy!www.TheMouseCastle.comRSS Feed: http://themousecastle.libsyn.com/rss

There’s been a lot written about the birth of Disneyland and how Walt’s eponymous theme park emerged from the Anaheim orange groves in the 1950s. We’ve all heard the myth-making official version: Walt visualizing his dream from a Griffith Park bench, the struggles to finance Disneyland, the struggles to build it, and especially the chaotic, near-disastrous opening day. But, have we ever really gotten the complete story? Disney historian Todd James Pierce sets out to do that in his fascinating new book, Three Years in Wonderland: The Disney Brothers, C.V. Wood, and the Making of the Great American Theme Park. Todd’s book digs deep to chronicle the evolution of Disneyland from its humble early concept as a family park adjoining the Walt Disney Studios to its ultimate success as a one-of-a-kind themed destination. Along the way, we meet the people who made Disneyland a reality: Walt and Roy Disney certainly, but also an often overlooked character, C. V. Wood, or “Woody” as he was known to his friends. Woody was Disneyland’s first general manager and a key player in the park’s development. He was a shrewd and energetic entrepreneur, but also a charlatan of questionable ethics. His approach to business would help guarantee Disneyland’s success, but would also ensure Wood’s personal downfall with the Disney brothers a mere six months after grand opening. Todd spent nine years researching his book, with much of the content culled from more than 150 interviews. He’s an English professor and co-director of the creative writing program at Cal Poly University. A long-time Disney fan, Todd is a contributor to the Disney History Institute website as well as the Walt’s People book series. He’s published a number of fiction and non-fiction works that have nothing to do with Disney and you can find out more about them at his website, www.ToddJamesPierce.com. Please welcome Todd Pierce, my guest today in The Mouse Castle Lounge. www.TheMouseCastle.comRSS Feed: http://themousecastle.libsyn.com/rss

Long before Walt Disney World opened--and later closed—an elaborately themed entertainment district, there was a Pleasure Island. Before Six Flags operated a hillside full of thrill rides in Southern California, there was a Magic Mountain. These theme parks were nothing like their contemporary namesakes and their lifespans were frustratingly short. But, along with their often-forgotten sister park, Freedomland in New York, they hold a special place in theme park history and provide a direct line connecting the game-changer that was Disneyland with Universal, Six Flags, Disney and other popular theme parks of today. In March, historian Todd Pierce was my guest in the Lounge and he told us about C.V. Wood, the colorful entrepreneur who was instrumental in the design and development of Disneyland. My guest today, Robert McLaughlin, picks up where Todd left off. Because, after departing Disney, it was C.V. Wood and his company that designed the Disneyland-wannabe parks of Magic Mountain in Colorado, Pleasure Island near Boston and Freedomland in New York. They were ideas that looked great on paper, but fell short dramatically when it came to financing and attendance. They were pretty good for what they were, but they were no Disneyland. Bob has written books about all three of these theme parks and his latest, Magic Mountain, was just released by Arcadia Publishing. Please welcome Bob McLaughlin, my guest today in The Mouse Castle Lounge. Enjoy! www.TheMouseCastle.comRSS Feed: http://themousecastle.libsyn.com/rss

Disneyland is not just a thing or a place. It's a living, breathing creation of Walt Disney and scores of talented artists, designers and Imagineers. Historian Sam Gennawey has written not just a history, but a biography of the Happiest Place on Earth and he shares with us some of the fascinating details that make up his book "The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream." www.TheMouseCastle.com

It’s always a pleasure when Mike Van Eaton from Van Eaton Galleries drops by the Lounge, because that means he’s got some really cool Disney stuff up for auction. Today is no different. Now through June 17, you can visit Van Eaton Galleries in Sherman Oaks, California and see their Collecting Disney collection, over 700 items dating back to the earliest days of Mickey Mouse in the late 1920s. The collection includes over 40 years-worth of Walt Disney Studio related merchandise and collectibles. The items are priced for all budgets and tastes, so you can bid $50 on a vintage Sword in the Stone book all the way up to $60,000 for a complete set of studio office furniture. And there are plenty of other surprises in the collection, I guarantee. Of course, if you can’t make it to Sherman Oaks, you can still see the entire collection online at www.vegalleries.com. The entire collection goes up for auction on June 18. Please welcome Mike Van Eaton, my guest today in The Mouse Castle Lounge. The Mouse Castle Lounge has been nominated for a People’s Choice Podcast Award. And we are super excited about it, but we really need your support. People’s Choice means podcasting fans choose who wins, so you can show your support of The Mouse Castle Lounge by going to www.podcastawards.com and casting your vote for us the Society-Culture category. You can vote once per day every day now through June 12 and we would really appreciate it if you did. Thank you so much for being part of Team Mouse Castle. Enjoy! www.TheMouseCastle.comRSS Feed: http://themousecastle.libsyn.com/rss

It's a short and sweet weekend edition of The Mouse Castle Lounge as Tim talks about safety issues at the Disneyland Resort that have closed down three E-Ticket rides. Also, Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries is doing the unthinkable at Innoventions...creating lines. www.TheMouseCastle.com

It’s our pleasure to welcome back Garry Apgar to The Mouse Castle Lounge. In 2014, Garry compiled the book A Mickey Mouse Reader, an impressive collection of essays and articles spanning more than 80 years that bore witness to the immense popularity of Mickey Mouse and the impact Walt Disney’s creation had on popular culture. Garry revisits the eternal mouse once again in his latest book, Mickey Mouse: Emblem of the American Spirit. It’s a worthy companion to A Mickey Mouse Reader and an educated and thoughtful study--in words and pictures--not only of Mickey’s life within the Walt Disney Studios, but also his ever-evolving presence as a uniquely American cultural icon. After Tim's conversation with Garry, stick around for a new segment in the Lounge with our friend Carolyn. She knows a lot about cocktails and is going to start sharing her wisdom with us on a regular basis. Mickey Mouse and booze, what could be better? They're all in today's episode of The Mouse Castle Lounge. Enjoy! www.TheMouseCastle.comRSS Feed: http://themousecastle.libsyn.com/rss

In part two of Tim's interview with Robbie Sherman, the son of Disney songwriting legend Robert Sherman, they continue talking about Robert's memoir "Moose: Chapters From My Life," as well as Robbie's musical retrospective of Sherman Brothers music, "A Spoonful of Sherman." Tim also comments about the issues Robbie raised last week concerning his family and the Sherman Brothers documentary "The Boys." www.TheMouseCastle.com

"Disney's Grand Tour" is a detailed and fascinating book about Walt and Roy Disney's 1935 trip to Europe that would end up influencing their studio for decades. Author and historian Didier Ghez ("Walt's People") talks about his new book and the long, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding journey he took to make it happen. www.TheMouseCastle.com

Mickey Mouse is 85 years old, still going strong, and Disney historian/author Jim Korkis has written a biography about him, "The Book of Mouse: A Celebration of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse." Tim Callaway chats with Korkis about the ubiquitous rodent and also spends time with Darrell Fry from RunDisney as they recap the events from this past weekend's Tinker Bell Half-Marathon. www.TheMouseCastle.com.

After 3 ½ years, two full seasons and 40 episodes, Disney XD’s Gravity Falls is about to air its final show—and we're a little bummed by this. Gravity Falls is our favorite thing on Disney television right now, ranking right up there with Phineas and Ferb, another great Disney animated series that came to an end. The summer adventures of Dipper and Mabel Pines at their great uncle Stan’s Mystery Shack in the Oregon backwoods has been consistently funny, irreverent, exciting and even a little sweet. There have been mysteries solved, monsters defeated and life lessons learned in a show that is as entertaining for kids as it is for adults. The show’s final episode, “Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls,” will air on Disney XD Monday, February 15 at 7:00 p.m. In it, we'll find out the fate of the Gravity Falls townsfolk at the hands of Bill Cipher, the one-eyed, triangle-shaped being from another dimension hell-bent on ruling—and possibly destroying—the entire known universe. It’s going to be fun, really. This week, Tim attended a press event in Burbank with some of the cast and creative people of Gravity Falls. On hand was the show’s creator and voice of Grunkle Stan, as well as the lovable handyman Soos, Alex Hirsch. Joining him were the actors who voice Dipper and Mabel Pines, Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal. And finally, we heard from the composer of Gravity Falls' catchy, mysterious and whimsical music, Brad Breeck. Drew Taylor with the Disney Insider moderated the panel discussion, which was followed by questions from the press. Alex, Jason, Kristen and Brad shared their favorite moments from the show, how the Gravity Falls characters developed and grew, and why it made sense to end the series when they did. Adventure Thru Liquid Space In a move inspired by Garry Apgar, our guest in the Lounge last week, Tim challenged our resident mixologist Carolyn to devise a cocktail worthy of Mickey Mouse's arch-nemesis Black Pete. We're happy to report she came through with flying colors (or maybe she was just Plane Crazy). Black Pete 1 1/2 oz. Scotch1/2 oz. Cherry Heering1/2 oz. Ramazzotti Amaro1 1/2 oz. Coca Cola In a shaker, combine the Scotch, Cherry Heering, and Ramazzotti, fill with ice, and shake to chill. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top with Coke. Garnish. Enjoy! www.TheMouseCastle.comRSS Feed: http://themousecastle.libsyn.com/rss

After more than 40 legendary years at Walt Disney Imagineering, Tony Baxter had his name immortalized on a Main Street window at Disneyland. In this week's Mouse Castle Lounge, we have audio from the dedication ceremony where we hear from Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs and from Tony Baxter himself, who reminisces about the many people he worked with during his career and the many park projects he's known for including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Indiana Jones Adventure. MCL host Tim Callaway also wraps up part two of his conversation with the multi-talented Pat Carroll, the voice of Ursula in "The Little Mermaid," and an accomplished stage and screen actress who's spent over 60 years in show business. www.TheMouseCastle.com

Tim welcomes animators Tom and Tony Bancroft to the Lounge. These identical twins each worked for Disney during its second golden age on such films as "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," "Pocahontas" and "Mulan." The brothers discuss what attracted them to animation, the people who influenced and inspired them and the state of 2D animation. Tim also recaps this past weekend's Annie Awards. www.TheMouseCastle.com

Tim interviews Robbie Sherman, the son of the late songwriter and Disney Legend Robert Sherman. Robbie has just published his father's memoir "Moose: Chapters From My Life" and talks candidly about Robert's life, the Sherman Brothers, Robbie's take on the Sherman Brothers documentary "The Boys' and his own strained relationship with his family. www.TheMouseCastle.com

Floyd Norman is a rare artist who had the opportunity to work for both Walt Disney and John Lasseter. Floyd's career began at Disney in 1956 when he was hired as an in-betweener for television and short theatrical cartoons. He eventually moved to feature animation, contributing his talents to "Sleeping Beauty," "The Sword in the Stone" and "The Jungle Book." He left Disney in 1966, shortly after Walt's death, and became an independent filmmaker. He returned to Disney in the 1970s to work on "Robin Hood" before spending many years in TV animation. Floyd discusses his early career in part one of a two-part conversation with host Tim Callaway.  www.TheMouseCastle.comRSS Feed: http://themousecastle.libsyn.com/rss

Outside of the Fab Five, Tinker Bell may be Disney's most beloved and iconic character. Animation historian Mindy Johnson's new book "Tinker Bell: An Evolution" traces Tink's history from being a mere beam of light in J.M. Barrie's original stage play "Peter Pan" to the lengthy and arduous trek that brought her to animated life at Disney. Mindy is Tim Callaway's guest this week in "The Mouse Castle Lounge." www.TheMouseCastle.com 

Roy E. Disney saved the Walt Disney Company...twice. He was at the center of two memorable boardroom battles in 1984 and again in the early 2000s. Both times the company came out better for it. Tim Callaway interviews longtime Disney animator, director and producer Dave Bossert, who's written a new book about Roy E. Disney that touches on his well-known corporate entanglements but is mostly about his lesser-known personal side and the many people within the Walt Disney Company--particularly in animation--who knew, respected and admired him. It's an insightful look at the man who helped lead the charge to resurrect his father's and uncle's company, and to enable Disney's second golden age of animation. www.TheMouseCastle.com

The Mouse Castle Lounge, your unofficial Disney happy hour, visits the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco to preview the museum's new exhibition celebrating 75 years of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Tim Callaway interviews museum co-founder Diane Disney Miller, CEO Gabriella Calicchio, exhibition curator and Walt Disney Animation Research Library creative director Lella Smith and film historian and author J.B. Kaufman.

Animators Tom and Tony Bancroft return for part two of their interview inside The Mouse Castle Lounge. They share what it's like to work in-studio with voice talents Eddie Murphy ("Mulan"), Patrick Warburton ("The Emperor's New Groove") and Gilbert Gottfried ("Aladdin"). Tony also talks about his latest book, "Directing for Animation: Everything You Didn't Learn in Art School." www.TheMouseCastle.com