Roy E. Disney Dies at Age 79-- Archive Interview Online

Interview Description:
Roy E. Disney was interviewed for two-and-a-half hours plus in Burbank, CA. He described the early history of the Disney company and the role that his father, Roy O. Disney, and uncle Walt Disney, had in its creation and early years. He related his childhood recollections of some of Disney’s work including the company’s first feature-length animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He talked about his first job out of college, in guest relations at NBC. He then described his work as an editor, starting with his apprenticeship on the 1950s television police drama Dragnet. He chronicled his work from assistant editor to producer/director of Disney’s “True-Life Adventures” series, explaining the approach to these documentary films. He recalled the opening of the Disneyland theme park and its coverage for television. He outlined Disney’s entrance into television series with Disneyland on ABC, and touched on a number of the projects he worked on under the show’s banner. He described the turmoil in the executive suites at Disney in the 1980s and the company’s return to glory in animation movies, for which he played a large part. He talked about his efforts in 2003 to change the direction the studio was headed and the 2005 appointment of Robert A. Iger as President and CEO. Finally, he expressed his views of both his father and Walt Disney’s legacy to the Walt Disney Company. The interview was conducted by Jennifer Howard on November 5, 2007.