In just one week, I am launching a new weekly podcast! Alongside my cohost, Meagan Bojarski, we will be dedicating an episode to every single theatrically released feature film released by Disney starting in 1937 with the Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons and leading up to…well as far as we can go.
This has been an idea in my mind for several years, and I originally wanted to do it as a scripted podcast, but quickly discovered that writing, recording, and producing a scripted podcast is truly a ton of work (I have no idea when Rosalie actually works on her Cinematic Crypt, but I imagine it’s in the witching hours when the rest of us are asleep). So rather than let this project languish inside my skull, I decided to re-imagine it.
Each episode will still have the same sections I originally envisioned: Conception, Production and Innovation, Release, and Legacy. These sections will have a ton of facts and stories from the making of each film, highlighting Walt Disney’s contributions but also those of the people working for him, the artists, directors, actors, and technicians that made Disney what it was.
So why this project? There’s a few reasons. First is that Disney is one of the most impactful forces on the shape of pop culture worldwide for the last 100 years (if you don’t know, they are celebrating their centennial this year, so launching now also works well). In my own childhood during the high point of the Disney Renaissance, they were as ubiquitous as they ever have been. I have distinct memories of holding a copy of Disney Adventures magazine in the Pathmark checkout as the Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle version of “A Whole New World” played over the store’s radio. Their presence in culture has shifted away from being held up by new animated films in the last 20 years, relying on Disney Channel programming and brand management of Star Wars and Marvel to have maybe an even bigger hold over culture than ever before.
But how did we get here? That’s one of the questions we hope to answer in this show. How did Walt Disney himself become an icon? How did his need to constantly innovate shape the company’s output? How did the studio shape the medium of animation? There’s a lot to explore on these topics.
At the same time, there are also hundreds of live action movies in the Disney catalogue that are often overlooked. Massive hits like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Treasure Island, as well as later movies like The Mighty Ducks and The Big Green. Including these in this project is very exciting for me, because it will also touch on the careers of Hayley Mills, Kurt Russell, Jodie Foster, and many others.
Overall, our goal is for this podcast to be both informative and fun, while also being critical and thoughtful. There’s a lot to be critical of, especially in the early years, but there’s also a lot worth celebrating. This is going to be a long-term passion project, and I am very excited to share the first few episodes with you starting next Tuesday!
