World War One Walt

In observance of Memorial Day, internationally-respected Disney Historian Jim Korkis has provided the following insight into Walt’s Red Cross service. 

Walt in his Red Cross uniform.During World War II, many employees of the Disney Studio left to join various branches of the armed forces. When Card Walker came up and told Walt that he was leaving the Studio to join the Navy, Walt first tried to talk him out of it and then eventually said, “You’re a lucky guy. I’d like to go myself.”

Walt was either too young or too old when the United States went to war, and as a result was never a member of any of the branches of the armed forces. However, Walt grew up in a time when it was an honor and an obligation as an American to serve your country. 

“Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life,” Walt stated during World War II, and while Walt never served in the armed services, he was always one of the strongest supporters of Americans in uniform, even as a teenager in Kansas City, Missouri.

During World War I, Walt drew patriotic cartoons for his high school newspaper. Those drawings displayed his passionate support for the troops, and included helpful suggestions like buying saving stamps or eating less so more food could be sent overseas for the troops. A caricature of The Kaiser usually took the brunt of Walt’s youthful fervor, as did people who Walt felt were “slackers” since they hadn’t joined up to fight the Huns.

Walt’s older brother, Roy, joined the Navy on June 22, 1917. “He looked so swell in that sailor uniform,” remembered Walt. “So I wanted to join him.” Walt’s other two older brothers, Ray and Herbert, served in the Army, in the newly-formed American Expeditionary Corps.

Walt and a friend, Russell Maas, tried to enlist, but Maas was rejected because his eyesight was poor, and Walt didn’t want to go without his friend. Deflated, they got jobs at the Post Office together. Then Maas found out that the Red Cross Ambulance Corps would accept volunteers as young as 17. They applied as the “St. Johns Brothers,” and were rejected, so the boys planned to sneak  away to and sign up. Russell’s mother found his packed suitcase and called Walt’s mother, and they stopped their sons from running away.

While Walt’s parents were not happy about Walt’s plans to go overseas, they reluctantly allowed him to sign up when he pleaded, “I don’t want my grandchildren asking me ‘Why weren't you in the war? Were you a slacker?’”

In one of his early artistic endeavors, Walt altered his birth date on his passport application from “1901” to “1900” so that he could go and serve his country. The Walt Disney Archives has that famous document, and once you know to look at the date closely, the forgery is obvious.

The two boys received uniforms and reported to Camp Scott, which was a temporary encampment at a burned out amusement park near the University of Chicago. Mechanics of the Yellow Cab Company taught them how to repair motors, assemble and disassemble cars, and drive vehicles over rough terrain for two weeks, and then the boys got two weeks of rough military drills.

An influenza epidemic struck Chicago and Walt became so sick he was released to go home so his parents could take care of him, since so many people going to the hospitals were dying. By the time Walt recovered, his unit had sailed without him, so he joined another company awaiting transport to France. While waiting for that unit to be shipped out, the war ended—but they decided to ship out 50 men the following day to aid in the occupation. Walt was number 50 and was shipped out.

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Fighting the War with Ink and Paint: Recap

On Saturday, May 21, Disney historian Paul F. Anderson presented “World War II: Fighting the War with Ink and Paint.” The lecture, which opened with a rousing blast of “Reveille,” included slides and rare film clips about a little-known but fascinating chapter in the Disney Studio history between 1941 and 1945. WDFM Volunteer  Catherine Graham shares with us highlights from this public program.

Paul Anderson at the Museum. Photo by Hillary Lyden.Anderson began his chronicle of Walt Disney’s contribution to the war effort with important historical context, an era Walt called “The toughest period of my whole life.” In the early 1940s, the Studio was in deep financial trouble, so much so that Bank of America was considering a freeze on funneling funds to the Studio. In addition, revenues from overseas dried up overnight after Germany’s attack on Poland. The Studio was at a turning point. “Imagine if Walt had closed up shop in 1942,” Anderson said.  

What saved Disney? “It all started with a mouse; it continued with a rivet,” Anderson mused.  The short film, Four Methods of Flush Riveting, was commissioned from nearby Lockheed Aircraft as a training film for its workers.  Disney animators were put to work illustrating the aerodynamic drag created by standard rivets, then the comparative efficiency of rivets installed level with the surfaces of the aircraft. The film, clips of which were shown during Anderson’s presentation, went on to teach workers exactly how to install these important little thingamajigs. Anderson observed how easy such animation would be today given computer-generated graphics. But in 1941, the same hand-crafted concept art and cel painting used for Disney features was utilized.

Soon, word caught on and the government and military started commissioning more films like The Winged Scourge (about the malaria mosquito), and Food Will Win the War (for the Department of Agriculture). Studio production grew from an average 30,000 feet per year to 300,000.  After the United States entered the war, the entire Studio went into patriotic overdrive. Blood drives were held on the lot. A Victory Garden was planted in the alfalfa fields on the backlot. To help lift morale in the local canteens and hospitals, employees put on volunteer Disney Camp Shows, which were USO-style live entertainment utilizing the musical, magical, and juggling skills of the staff. 

© Disney

The day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the military moved onto the Disney Studio lot. Anderson observed that at the time, the West Coast seemed vulnerable to attack. The military took over the sound stages, which could be used even during blackout periods for truck repair and other war-related activities. The artistic geniuses at Disney went to work to camouflage the entire studio with a scrim made of balsa wood. Anderson showed “before and after” slides, depicting how the Studio looked from the air, first as a typical movie lot then as rolling hills and farmland. Underneath, grounded airplanes and military activity was kept hidden.

Much of the film produced during the war effort was classified Top Secret. Military police were posted at each entry, and high-level security clearance was required to enter the grounds. Anderson showed a clip of a now-amusing “need to know basis” training film, revealing the formula for making glue: a live-action film involving two pairs of hands and a rotary egg beater.

In movie theaters, audiences were treated to familiar Disney characters starring in the shorts shown before the main feature. As a patriotic gesture, Walt donated the services of Donald Duck, Pluto, and Goofy to show the importance of paying federal taxes in a timely fashion, how to save cooking grease, and encouraging carpooling to save gasoline for the war effort. According to Anderson even Walt was known to carpool.  

While most of the war-effort films produced by most Hollywood studios were made for profit, Disney films were made at cost (sometimes less, to the consternation of Roy Disney, in charge of Studio finances). Always budget-conscious, footage already in the can was recycled. For example, when animation of rain was needed, the thunderstorm footage for Bambi was utilized.

Anderson concluded his presentation by emphasizing Walt’s personal creative and patriotic contribution to the war effort, calling him “an inspirational leader.” He used his fame to encourage all Americans to do their part.  For the scrap metal donation effort, he contributed a pair a decorative lawn deer sculptures, creating a photo opportunity to help spread the word that there was such a program. He also contributed a series of  syndicated newspaper articles featuring his photograph, again using his familiar visage and image as everyone’s favorite uncle (other than Uncle Sam, of course)—not for profit, but because it was the right thing to do.