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Academy sets Disney centennial tribute

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will celebrate the life and work of Walt Disney with a special program at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Dec. 5, which would have been Disney's 100th birthday.

Film historian Leonard Maltin will host the event, exploring Disney's influence and role in the history of film and popular culture. Maltin told United Press International, however, that it would take more than one evening -- more like a series -- to cover the entire range of Disney's influence.

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"This is going to be the 'Reader's Digest' condensed version," he said. "Disney's career and influence are enormous and staggering."

Maltin suggested that a Disney series could devote one night to film, another to TV, one to pop culture, another to theme parks, and yet another to corporation building.

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"He did it all," said Maltin, "and he did it better than anyone's doing it today."

The celebration will feature a screening of rare cartoons, home movies, innovative and experimental live-action clips and behind-the-scenes footage.

According to a statement issued by the Academy, the evening will also feature appearances by Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller -- and by Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Ward Kimball, the three surviving members of Disney's legendary group of "Nine Old Men." That was the name given to the animators who formed the core of the creative engine at Disney's studio -- turning out such animated classics as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Dumbo," "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty."

Walt Disney was born in Chicago on Dec. 5, 1901 and raised in Marceline, Mo. He parlayed his talent for drawing into his first hit -- the legendary "Steamboat Willie" cartoon, which introduced Mickey Mouse to the world. Mickey Mouse became one of the most recognized icons in the world, a symbol that came to stand for family entertainment and wholesome values.

Disney animated features and shorts went on to garner 76 Oscar nominations, and win 31 statuettes.

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In 1941, Disney received the Academy's most prestigious honor, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

In 1964, the studio's "Mary Poppins" -- featuring a groundbreaking blend of animation and live-action -- was nominated for best picture. It won the Oscar for best visual effects.

Disney had a penchant for spinning his imagination into fun and adventure for the public -- and gold for the company's bottom line.

In addition to building one of the dominant film studios in Hollywood, he opened Disneyland in 1955. The Southern California attraction became a primary destination for tourists from around the globe and established the theme park as a major element of the world's entertainment menu.

"You can't really measure Disney's scope," said Maltin. "People have called Steven Spielberg and George Lucas the equivalent of Disney in our time. I don't think so -- and that's no insult to either."

Maltin calls Spielberg and Lucas "consummate moviemakers and storytellers" who have had an impact on our pop culture, but nothing like the influence Disney exerted.

"Also remember that Disney accomplished all this at a time when the media world was much smaller," said Maltin. "He did it first when there was no TV. He then commanded TV when there were fewer channels. He dominated merchandising when that was still a novelty, not a given."

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Maltin -- who will introduce a series of four new DVDs next month, featuring classic Disney shows in the digital format -- said Disney was a "visionary" and a pioneer who built his entertainment legacy from the ground up, with no existing prior model to rely on.

"He didn't use focus groups or market research," said Maltin. "He trusted his own gut feelings. There was no committee at the Walt Disney Co. He was the committee. He was it."

Famed matte artist Peter Ellenshaw will also be on the Academy program in December. In addition to the Oscar for "Mary Poppins," Ellenshaw earned Oscar nominations for the Disney features, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "The Island at the Top of the World" and "The Black Hole."

The panel will also feature an appearance by Fess Parker, who starred as Davey Crockett in both films and TV shows for the Disney studio.

The DVD series featuring Maltin's commentary will include two animated shows -- the best of "The Silly Symphonies" and the complete Mickey Mouse color cartoons from 1935-38. The other two new DVDs will feature live-action shows -- the "Davey Crockett" material as it first appeared on the "Disneyland" TV show, and four hour-long episodes of "Disneyland."

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Maltin said four more DVDs from the Disney archives are planned for 2002.

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