Walt Disney left behind big dreams when he died in 1966. Perhaps none was greater than the hope that his son-in-law, Ron Miller, would someday run his studio. Under Miller’s leadership, Disney expanded into new frontiers: global theme parks, computer animation, cable television, home video, and video games. Despite these innovations, Ron struggled to expand the Disney brand beyond its midcentury image of wholesome family entertainment, even as times and tastes evolved. Tensions between Miller and Walt’s nephew, Roy E. Disney, threatened to destroy the company, leading Wall Street “Gordon Gekko” types to come after Mickey Mouse.
At the same time, the aging Animation Department, once the core of Walt’s business, was one memo away from shutting down forever. Rather, thanks to the radical efforts of Walt’s veterans to recruit and nurture young talent, it was revived by this sudden influx of artists who would go on to revolutionize the film industry. Additionally, this new generation would prove over time that animation was so much more than just kids’ stuff—it was a multibillion dollar industry.
This is the upstairs-downstairs story of the executives and animators who clashed and collaborated to keep America’s most storied company alive during the most uncertain period in its one hundred year history.
After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Media Company by Neil O'Brien will be published on March 4, 2025. Post Hill Press provided an early galley for review.
Disney died just a year after I was born, yet as a child of the late-60's and early-70's his influence was a big part of my entertainment. Whether re-releases of classic films or the weekly TV shows, comic books and records and toys, the Disney brand was ever-present.
O'Brien does a fine job with his narrative. I enjoyed reading about the transition period which included some of the initial first-run Disney films I saw as a kid (The Aristocats, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Robin Hood). This book also educated me about the 1960's Lloyd Alexander juvenile fantasy novels from The Chronicles of Prydain series which was the source material for the 1985 animated film The Black Cauldron. This latter film also serves as the spine of O'Brien's narrative in covering the Disney era between Walt's departure and Michael Eisner's rise.
This is a fascinating read for those who enjoy looking behind the curtain.
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