Walt's Field Day

Today it is exactly 80 years ago that Walt Disney's Snow White wrap party was held at Lake Norconian, in Norco, just north-west of where the 91 and the 15 freeways meet. As we could read on Mike Barrier's pages a few days ago, the work-week was reduced to 5 days, 40 hours, and a two week vacation was announced for August 1938. Here then is the program for the June 4th 1938 festivities. Only listed are the official ones. The unofficial activities are what made this bash so infamous...
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Mike Barrier has previously (in 2006) published a version that was missing the middle pages. Be sure to check the September 6th and 14th postings for much more information! Above scans of Chet Vandagriff's copy (I believe he was family of one of Lillian Disney's sisters) are the complete set. This is said to have been the first time Mickey was drawn (by Ward Kimball) with pupils in his eyes...

Courtesy of Mike Van Eaton, here is the extra info given to the participants. It includes a complete list of staff members who reserved rooms for the event!
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The person who wrote the list did not know all the names well and made a few spelling mistakes - Ollie Johnson, Chuck Otterstrom...

So... what if you won an event? Well, you'd receive a trophy, like this one, that was offered at Hake's Auctions two years ago.
Bud Rickert...< Click on it!
Background painter Douglas "Bud" Rickert won the Boating Race...

Comments

  1. DavidJune 5, 2008 at 6:46 AM

    Hans - another outstanding post! Any idea what the trophy sold for?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hans PerkJune 5, 2008 at 10:16 AM

    Thanks David - I got explained by Hake's folks that the trophy did not sell at the Hake's auction, but was sold privately by the consignor at a later date for an "undisclosed amount" (meaning that they just do not know).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jenny LerewJune 5, 2008 at 12:35 PM

    That's the coolest stuff EVER! Oh, my.

    Thanks so much for collating it all here!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Floyd NormanJune 8, 2008 at 9:44 PM

    I talked with Disney old timers about that weekend bash after "Snow White" many years ago. Some old guys seemed embarrassed, and tried to avoid the subject.

    I can only gather it must have been one heck of a party if they're still embarrassed after all these years.

    ReplyDelete
  5. DaveJune 10, 2008 at 11:48 AM

    Thanks for this greta blog.

    I'm wondering if you know of any source there may be online as to who the artists were for the walt Disney records that have come out over the past years? Thanks.
    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  6. Snow White SanctumMay 23, 2012 at 9:02 AM

    A terrific post. Thanks for posting the pics of the program guide.

    It must have been what heck of a party.

    ReplyDelete

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