The heart of the Walt Disney Family Museum is the life of Walt Disney, who, through animated and live-action films, television programs and theme parks, created global symbols and characters that are an indelible part of popular culture in America and around the world.
Extensive video footage interviews of Disney, coupled with rare film clips, concept art, musical scores and photographs, tell the story of the man who was the moving force, not just in the creation of Mickey Mouse and myriad other beloved figures, but in the development of technological advances that laid the foundation for the modern animation industry.
Museum highlights include the earliest known drawings of Mickey Mouse, the innovative multiplane camera that made possible the revolutionary feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the Snow White Academy Award, which includes a full-size Oscar and seven miniature castings.
Founding Executive Director Richard Benefield said, "One of my favorite exhibits in the Museum is found in gallery three where the Silly Symphonies are introduced. On one wall, there are two video monitors. The monitor on top plays the first version of "The Ugly Duckling” from 1931, while the monitor below it plays at the same time the version of "The Ugly Duckling” from 1939. There isn’t a more instructive exhibit in the Museum. The 1931 version is in black and white, and the drawings are rougher, cruder. The 1939 version is gloriously colorful, and the drawing is much more refined. These two monitors highlight three of Walt’s greatest advancements — use of color, use of multi-plane camera to achieve a sense of depth and the realization of "personality animation,” which was achieved by the ever improving drawing abilities of the animators under Walt’s direction and with regular instruction from teachers at the prestigious Chouinard art school.”
The Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery St. in the Presidio of San Francisco. Admission is by timed-entry ticket. Audio guides are available in Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin. There is ample free parking. For information call (415) 345-6800 or visit disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
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Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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