Vault of Walt 4 by Jim Korkis

Jim Korkis is back with a fourth book in his Vault of Walt series and if the introduction is to be believed he’ll be gracing us with more editions over the next few years, and I’m perfectly happy with that.

Korkis for those who don’ know is one of the best animation writers working today. His books are beyond informative and are the sort of thing you’ll return to over and over again simply because they fun to read…and will become the way of settling arguments you’ll have with friends after you tell them something they don’t quite believe.

The Vault of Walt series is Korkis’ look at all things great and small concerning Walt Disney, his movies and his parks (my review of the previous books is here and other Korkis reviews are here). Korkis will take one subject per chapter and then give you everything you need to know about it in that chapter. I love how he makes things you don’t think you’d care about incredibly interesting-say a listing of all of the homes of Walt, which is how this fourth Volume begins...

...okay I just lied there, while the fourth book begins with a talk of the homes of Walt Disney it's one of the least interesting chapters I've run across in a Korkis book. It's a tad too minutae. On the other hand the two chapters that follow- one on the various Disney Studio locations and the next on four movie theaters that are important to Disney history are much more interesting.

I know I'm a Korkis fan which makes my raving about the latest book suspect. But the truth is there are at four chapters that make the book must reading and even if I wasn't a fan these four chapters would had me falling in love with the book instantly.

The first must read chapter is on on Winsor McKay's GERTIE THE DINOSAUR. Yes Gertie isn't a Disney character but Gertie was essentially the point where animation sprung to life. Korkis explains why Gertie is so important and then goes farther explaining related stories including the Bray Studio attempt to bootleg her and even sue McKay for using techniques he invented.

The second must read chapter is on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. While I'm not a fan of the character Korkis beautifully explains how Oswald begat Mickey Mouse and more importantly puts the whole story of the character being stolen from Walt to rest. In fourteen pages Korkis explains it all better than all of the Disney press that accompanied the reclamation of the original Disney cartoons

Third was the back story of the Haunted Mansion in the theme park. Yes I've seen all sorts of stuff on the attraction including the great Extinct Attraction Club DVDs , but none of it explained what it was supposed to be as well as this chapter.

The last must read chapter is the one on animator pranks. I was reading it on a train and had everyone looking at me I was roaring with laughter. Korkis could probably write a whole book on animator pranks, but I don't think anyone would ever finish it because they'd die from laughing half way through.

There are other treasures (the making of the original FRANKENWEENIE, or Walt's book collection) but they are merely added value to the book after the above four chapters.

You have to get this book. Frankly there is no reason not to since it's so good...and of course you'll want to add it to the collection of the other three books in the series. And with Christmas coming its the perfect gift.

Another Korkis home run.

Vault of Walt 1-3 by Jim Korkis

Jim Korkis's three volume (so far) collection of pieces on forgotten or really not well known tidbits on Walt Disney, his company, his films and his parks are an amazing read. They the equivalent of looking at a big beautiful painting that you've seen every day of your life, like the whole of Disney, and then having some one come up and showing you all these little things hiding in the nooks and crannies that you not only never noticed but never thought would be there.

As far as I'm concerned Jim Korkis is a god. He's some where beyond a living encyclopedia and a genius and moved into god status. How else do you explain how one man can know so much about not only Disney but all of animation. Its unnatural and we should bow down to his vast powers.

The Vault of Walt series started a couple of years back with a single volume. I have it some where in the collection. I read it and enjoyed it a great deal. I thought that was that. However recently I stumbled across the fact that Korkis had updated the first book and then added two more to the series. I did what any self respecting film fan would have done, I bought the two new books and the revised first one as well.

What's so cool about the books is that they don't cover just one topic. Korkis has each book divided into roughly four parts:

STORIES OF WALT- these are pieces that highlight stories about Walt's life. We get stories of his growing up, his family and his passions. What is so special about them is that Korkis takes one piece say Polo or his smoking and he goes into detail on that one subject. The detail is the sort of thing that wouldn't even make a detailed biography simply because there wasn't enough space. Since the five or ten pages don't have to tie into anything you get a clearer picture of things.

DISNEY FILM STORIES are just that, detailed examinations of the stories behind some of Disney's lesser known films. The ARISTOCATS is explained in detail, SO DEAR TO MY HEART,  LT ROBIN CRUSOE USN, or even BLACKBEARD'S GHOST.  These sectionals will also go into various stories about Mary Poppins with pieces in Volume 2 and 3 going into great detail about the efforts to get MARY POPPINS made as well as the real story behind SAVING MR BANKS. Trust me you don't know these stories.

DISNEY PARK STORIES go into great detail about the various rides and attractions. Korkis explains why the various Disney parks are the way the are, why promised rides never happened and how some attractions have changed over the years. EVen for someone like me who has never been to the parks, its fascinating reading.

OTHER WORLDS OF DISNEY are stories of things that didn't fit in any of the other sections. Here we get the stories of Krushchev's desire to go at the height of the cold war, Frank Lloyd Wright's hatred of FANTASIA, Chuck Jones' time working for Disney, Disney's hatred of Friz Freeleng, the birth of Disney Fandom and Disney's connection to Norman Rockwell. Its all cool stuff and its the answer to trivia questions you can use to stump your friends.

For me this isn't three books but one giant book with three parts. I've stopped refering to them as a separate volumes and talk only of them together. I recently told a huge Disney fan friend that he should read the Vault of Walt, He asked which one should he start with and I said "all of them"

These books are so good that I can't really review them I can only tell you about them and threaten to beat you senseless if you don't go out and buy them. (Yes they are that good) Seriously the material in the books is so consistently good that the only time you kind of feel let down will be when a piece that would in another book be incredible, doesn't live up to the chapters around it. (I say this from experience having gone back to a chapter I didn't love for reference only to wonder why on earth I didn't love it-because the others around it were even better)

These are some of the best film books, best reference books you'll ever run across. They are quite simply some of the best books you'll read all year. This stuff is just so damn cool.

Available from Theme Park Press, Amazon. and other booksellers

Vault of Walt 6

Sixth time out of the gate for Jim Korkis is a delight. The Vault of Walt 6 is one of the best in the series. While it may not have what you’d think were tantalizing tidbits it has some the best and most satisfying.

As long time readers know I am a huge fan of Jim Korkis’ work (see my previous reviews here) and a huge fan of his Vault series. I instantly snap up each and volume as it comes out and I devour them as fast as I can. I do this because Korkis is one of the finest historians, of any sort, I’ve ever run across. The depth of his knowledge and understanding is limitless. When you read something by Korkis you know you aren’t getting a regurgitated fact but something more with the understanding and context of what something means. Jim is telling us this story for a reason beyond filing a page.

A case in point is the opening chapter on Abraham Lincoln. In the opening chapter get the story of Walt’s love of Lincoln which took hold in his early days when he would recite the Gettysburg Address in school on traced it how followed through his life to the point where Lincoln appeared at the World’s Fair in 1964 and eventually the Hall of Presidents. In the chapter we get this glorious sense of how Lincoln shaped Disney’s person and sense of justice.

Of course there are some other chapters which delight, such as one on Walt and Chaplin- who helped shepherd SNOW WHITE through to completion. There are bits on Disneyland in 1957 and 1967 that are just put the changes happening in the park into wonderful prospective, and a whole history of the Love Bug.

Interestingly there is also a killer chapter on Bob Clampett connection to Disney that talks of his connection to Mickey Mouse dolls and his later work on Disney spoofs. Its a fantastic chapter that talks about a lot of things including the in now infamous COAL BLACK AND DE SEBBEN DWARVES which explains the care that studios other than Disney put into their making of aniated shorts.

My  favorite bit is a tiny piece that mentions that King Kong was killed by planes with Mickey Mouse on their sides because RKO tricked the fliers of Floyd Bennet Field to fly around the EMpire State Building-and their insignia had mickey on it.

What can I say this is yet another must read for any Disney fan and more importantly any film fan.

Thank you Jim Korkis.

The book is available from Theme Park Press, Amazon and other book sellers.

Vault of Walt Volume 9:Halloween Edition

Sequel  to Jim Korkis' Vault of Walt Volume 7 highlighting Disney Christmas stories, this volume looks at Halloween films and attractions at Disney and it's one of the best in the series.

Anyone who has been reading Unseen Films knows I am a hue fan of Jim Korkis and his Vault of Walt series because they always manage to reveal stories I've never heard of before. Over the years I've handed off copies to Disney crazed fiends ho knew it all and they always are shocked at how much Korkis reveals that they didn't know. 

This time out Korkis gives us looks at the making of films such as THE SKELETON DANCE, THE NGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HOCUS POCUS, as well as others. There is a discussion of the character of Witch Hazel who appeared in both Disney's TRICK OR TREAT and several Bugs Bunny cartoons, all voiced by June Foray, details on the Haunted Mansion, Bela Lugosi and more.

What truly is great about this book is that almost all, if not all, of the material is new. As Korkis tells it at the start the publisher came to him after the success of the Christmas volume and asked for something on Halloween. Korkis agreed and then ran into the problem that he couldn't borrow material  from his other books and articles, which meant he had to form the book from the ground up. This makes the book one of the best in the series simply because we haven't heard many of the stories before. The fact that Korkis borrows from himself is the only weakness in series, and that makes this a page turning delight as we wait to see what the next tale will be.

I love this book. Not only do I love the things he talks about I love the writing itself. For the first time in a long while Korkis' writing seems fresh. He isn't telling a story for the 12th time and as such he seems to be sitting on the edge of his seat to see how it will come out.

This book, like all the others in the series is highly recommended.

Secret Stories of Walt Disney World by Jim Korkis

In the introduction to Jim Korkis’s latest book he writes that the book was written to set the story of various Disney World attractions straight. Five years ago he had been working as a writer for Disney putting together the material for tour groups and compiling  facts and stories for the employees to pull from when he was let go and all of the material he had compiled went missing overnight. The result of this was that the stories of Disney attractions was in danger of being lost. This was especially the case since without the real history employees were making things up. Korkis relates talking to one employee recently who told him a completely wrong story of Walt Disney staying in a certain room overlooking main street and watching the crowds in the park, something impossible since Disney died 5 years before the park opened. The employee treated him like a loon when he corrected them. In order to prevent the loss of the real history and prevent lies from taking hold  Korkis put SECRET STORIES... together.

The book is a breezy look at various attractions, existing, long gone and never were via lots of stories stories you probably didn’t know. Each location profile has their story told briefly and to the point, with each piece is no more than 2 pages long. Its the kind of thing that would be perfect to take a long to the park as a kind of deep background guide for the attractions. The reality is that you’ll take the book to the hotel and refer back between trips to the park, its just a bit too big to carry along.

What I love about the book is that you get little tidbits that no may not have known or thought to consider for example the garden train in Epcot had to be magnetized to stay on the tracks because of squirrel attacks. Every morning the tunnels have to be cleared of rabbits who crawl into to them most nights. Some of the “hidden” Mickey’s aren’t real hidden Mickeys, they are simply employees deciding to create them on their own, much to the annoyance of management. I never realized all of the references to THE ROCKETEER, or that the dragon Figment was stole from another ride. I also love the talk of the attractions that never were such as the Muppet restaurant that was going to be run by Gonzo and Pepe, but the deal fell through and the location became something else. Story after story grabs you and they all are just really cool.

If you are a fan of Korkis’s writing, which I am, then you may have read versions of some of these stories before, albeit in longer form in some of his other books. I recently read his VAULT OF WALT 4 and found there is some cross over. Usually a story that ran over a chapter in on of the VAULT books here is told in a few sentences as part of a another story. For me it was a treat since you realize how much everything is interconnected.

If there is any real problem with the book, it’s that unless you’re at or have been to the park odds are some of the information is going to go over your head. I have never been to any Disney theme park so discussions of locations meant nothing to me. I also was lost as to the changes to some of some rides over the decades since I never experienced them. It’s far from a fatal flaw, I mean this is a Jim Korkis book, he’s incapable of producing anything truly flawed, but it keeps the book from being something that a casual reader such as myself will get as much out of as someone who has been to the park. This is a book for people who love Disney, so much so that I've bought copies for friends for Christmas.

Ultimately this is a great read and another must have from Jim Korkis and Theme Park Press.

Vault of Walt 8: The Outer Space Edition

One of the best books in Jim Korkis' Vault of Vault series deals with the projects relating to space that the Disney Studios have touched. From detailed examination of the legendary Man in Space TV show episodes to seeming missteps of TREASURE PLANETand the BLACK HOLE to efforts to keep Tomorrowland current to a run in with Osamu Tezuka and Dr Who, this book is stacked.

Okay a quick warning don't buy the book just for the Tezuka or Dr Who chapters- they are each only two or three pages in the final section of quick stories.  You want to buy the book for the rest which is choice.

I loved this edition a great deal.  While my love for the Tomorrowland  chapters was not high, owing to my doing a great deal of reading on the theme parks over the last few weeks, I did love the rest of the book for all sorts of reasons.

I love that the Man in Space episodes took me not only behind the scenes of the TV show but also the space program as well. This was not the result of Disney working with the government as such but more that he ended up talking with the right people before they stepped out on the stage.

The two chapters on the failure of TREASURE PLANET and the semi-success of THE BLACK HOLE make for great reading. Personally I always find it interesting to go back and look at films that made impressions, for good or bad, decades later when time has washed away the hype and we can see the films for what the are.

The MOON PILOT chapter was a blast since it talked about a film almost o one talks about, as well as discussing the problem that the FBI hated the film and how that effected how the agency saw the studio.

And then there is the final section of delightful short bits where the Japanese Disney met the man himself and a certain time traveler almost ended up as a Disney character.

I was in heaven from start to finish.

If you love Disney Vault of Walt  8, like the rest of the series is a must.

Vault of Walt 10

Billed as the final trip to the vault Jim Korkis’s Vault of Walt 10 is a fitting send off.  Over the last decade plus Korkis has been revealing hidden tidbits of Disney history. Korkis has gone into every aspect of Disneyana from the man to the films to the parks, it’s all been made public from one of the greatest historians working today.

Korkis is ending his series, not because there aren’t enough stories, but rather with the internet and the various sites there are increasing less and less numbers of untold stories. Korkis’ work shined because there weren’t that many people doing the leg work on Disney history and now there are hundreds. While Korkis’ is the grandfather and his work is the source for many other reporters, other people are finding the stories he wants to tell before he gets the chance. While it saddens me that Korkis is stopping I know he will be writing other books and still spinning out tales.

I’m happy to report that this is one of the best books in the series. While some of the material on Disney himself isn’t as strong as the reset of the book there are some great bits. For example the section on the making of ENCHANTED is great fun. I know someone who worked on the film and while they filled me in with details about the making of the film Korkis revealed a great deal more. There is a wonderful piece on Disney during Hurricanes. Additionally there are pieces on the up and down relationship of Disney and Rbbin WiIlliams, a look at the odd duck film CONDORMAN, how the Swiss Family Robinson tree house became Tarzan's, and an intriguing look of Disney on the radio. Plus much more.

This book rocks and is highly recommended and an absolute must for Disney fans.

Books for Christmas- Theme Park Press and Giant Monsters

A some suggestions for Christmas books.

Jim Korkis’ has a couple of volumes out in his SECRET STORIES... series for both Disneyland and Disney World (here is my review of the first in the series). As regular readers know I am a huge fan of Korkis and is you’re like me the books don’t disappoint. The books are collection of not so well known stories behind the building of the park and the changes made over the years. It’s truly fascinating stuff, even for someone like me who has never been to the park. Seriously, I bought the first volume because I was a fan of Jim Korkis but I bought the second because I loved the first one so much. I’ve given copies to a friend who goes multiple times a year to the park and thought she knew it all – no she didn’t. Korkis revealed all.

And while I’m recommending Korkis books don’t forget his Who's Afraid of Song of The South and The Vault of Walt  books- plus anything else he's written.

Actually just go over to the Theme Park Press website and buy lots of books. Run by the wonderful Bob McLain the company puts out tons of great books about Disney (theme parks and films) and OTHER parks and related subjects. Trust me you’ll want to buy tons of his books-I know I’ve done just that. The website is here. Trust me just go to the page and scroll through all the books on the front page and try not to buy- which I failed to do since I found tons of stuff I put my Christmas list.

Have a kaiju fan in the family? Then I highly recommend John LeMay's series on Japanese Giant Monsters.These three volumes cover the all he films that were produced and a good number of them that weren’t as well as those that weren’t. Drawing from a vast array of sources as including unproduced material, the books is aiming to be a kind of Leonard Maltin or Video Hound Guide of the genre. Arranged chronologically the film presents ebb and flow of the films from first to the most recent American take on Godzilla.

The first volume covers from the birth of the giant monsters in Japan and takes it to 1982. The second volume takes it from 1984 on to the present (not sure why he skips a year). The third volume is an investigation into the various films that never were, the abandoned projects as well as earlier drafts of the films we have. It’s a hell of a ride that becomes more intriguing if you read the books in order. I say that because I initially read them in a haphazard manner and while that does work, reading them in order works better since the tomes refer back to themselves repeatedly.

While not as encyclopedic with minutiae, its simply that sort of a volume, it will most certainly fill the brain of even the most knowledgeable reader with facts and details that they hadn’t run across before. Certainly LeMay seems to have read many of the abandoned scripts that others have not.

Highly recommended, it’s a must for any giant monster movie lover.

Nightcap 12/12/21Passings Lina and Mike, Kaiju Kim's Toys For Tots event, seeing Spike plus the best laid plans.....

Lina Wertmuller died this week and the world is diminished.

While Film Twitter noted her passing, I still don’t think most of them knew who she was or how she rattled the pillars of heaven. I mean she literally was one of the biggest directors in the world spoken of in the same hushed tones as Ingmar Bergman.  But a failed dailance with Hollywood and a couple of weak choices of projects had her pushed aside. Never mind she was still making interesting  and very good films.

What kills me is that several film critics who should know better, and who hold themselves out to be the grand arbiter of things cinema (and in one case feminist cinema) knew nothing of her work.  These bananas retweeted the obituary but they had no words of their own because they didn’t know who she was, how she changed cinema or what her films are.

If you want my thoughts on Wertmuller go read my into for the Quad’s retrospective in 2017 which can be found here.

---

Michael Nesmith died on Friday and so did a chunk of my childhood. He was my favorite Monkee but he was soooooo much more than a guy in a prepackaged band.

Nesmith was a business man whose Pacific Arts helped shaped music as we know it. His videos changed the world. His Elephant Parts won the first Grammy for a music video. He produced numerous films, most notably REPOMAN which gave us Alex Cox and a whole esthetic.

As much as I loved the Monkees I never wanted to see them in concert but I wanted to see Nesmith. It took me decades but I did finally saw him in a small place in Bay Shore Long Island from the second or third row. And while his version of Rio wasn’t exactly what I wanted the rest of the evening was.

My heart is broken.

He will be missed.

---

Good friend and Unseen's resident kaiju expert Kaiju Kim  is doing a streaming even on her You Tube Channel next week for Toys for Tots. 

If you don't know Kim every week she has friends come on to talk giant monsters and just about life. Next week she will be doing that plus playing games, plus doing give aways plus watching SANTA CLAUS CONQUEERS THE MARTIANS plus having surprises.

The schedule is above and the channel is here. Watch and give.

(Or if you want to give and not watch go here)

---

I went last night with BC Wallin to see Spike Lee and his brother talk about the book of photographs that he and his brother put together chronicling Spike's film career.

I had wanted to go since Brookly Academy of Music is four blocks from Spike's offices and the Lee's lived in and around the neighborhood so it would be a home coming and anything could happen.

There was some talk of making films, mostly Malcom X and She's Gotta Have it, but larely it was talking about family and growing up. It was wonderful evening if you didn't expect all movie talk. I didn't and enjoyed the hell out of it.

If there was anything really wrong it was Spike let the guy in the second row from high school ramble on a bit too much since it was clear they did know each other but traveled in different circles (and he was pushing is own memoir).

Thankfully Spike pulled it back with the talk of his friend who financed She's Gotta Have It with insurance money.

I hope that BAM puts it up on their site because Spike says some great things about anyone wanting to make a movie- Find a group of like minded people and form a film gang and just do it. as well as some other gems on other subjects.

It was good stuff on stage and after great conversation with Ben as we missed trains talking.

---

In other BC Wallin has started sending out newsletters so if you haven't signed up go here and do so.

---

I am credentialed for virtual Sundance so look for coverage.

I’ve also put for Slamdance so look for reviews  from both at the end of next month.

---

Yes I will have a review of Jim Korkis' final VAULT OF WALT book - I just may miss the self imposed December deadline- I just received it in the mail.

---

My original plan for this piece was to talk about the plan for the  end of year awards but I don't think it's happening this year in any form.

Last year because of Covid I ran a list of the films that mad us happiest over the year and then what happened was we ended up giving an award to Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff because their MADS  movie riffing seemed to be the thing keeping everyone sane.

This year with viewing still frgmented I was going to do the same thing but life has gotten in the way. I could do the announcement and I could get the post up  but I can't do the work of chasing people down  and sending out emails and such. It's a lot of work requiting time I don't have or need to spend on staying away from the web site.

That said if any of you have awards you think should be handed out send me an email or DM me on twitter and I'll see about putting something together.

Vault of Walt Volume 5

More Disney goodness from Jim Korkis.

Honestly what can I say another wonderful collection of Disney related stories probably almost no one knows. It is of course a must read for fans.

I don't know what else to say about the book that hasn't been said before . I've reviewed all the other books in the series (read my reviews here) and to say superlatives about Korkis's work would be gilding the lily. The best I can do it talk about several sections I really liked

There has been a great deal written about Walt Disney's HUAC testimony. Many people have said things about Disney's tstimony that just isn't true. Much of it was lazy people not reading the testimony and going on other people's reporting. Korkis not only reprints the testimony he puts it into context in such away that you really feel this is how it should be viewed. Its a chapter that delighted the trained historian in me.

If you read this book you'll learn everything you've ever wanted to know about the original PETE'S DRAGON. Its a kick ass making of chapter that makes me wonder what would have happened had it gone any of the various ways it might have come together.

DISNEYLAND USA THE MOVIE was an odd feature I had heard about for years. Here is a chapter that explains what the film is and why it remains in the shadows.

I was delighted to read about Disney Holiday cartoons and comics. I love the story of of TRICK OR TREAT and how Chuck Jones managed to teal Witch Hazel from Disney and not get sued. I also love reading the long piece on Floyd Norman on the writing of the Disney comics. Talk about way cool.

The piece on Robobama, or President Obama's autoanimatronic self in the Hall of Presidents is really cool. Its one of those pieces (along with a discussion elsewhere about the Will Rogers bot) where you get a sense of how amazing it is how they robots come together.

The 1960 Olympics piece is just really cool. Disney was brought in to do the entertainment and to set up the pageantry.  If you want to know the difference between doing it right (any of Disney's ideas) and doing it wrong (anyone elses') this is it.

And as a guy who used to collect 8mm films the section on Disney's 8mm film releases was a shot of nostalgia.

I just love this book. Go buy it and read it.

The book is available at Theme Park Press, Amazon and other fine booksellers.