Bruce Gordon (1) (1951–2007)

Let me start this review with the following statement: This is the most prized book in my collection. I'll try not to be too biased. It is also the most expensive and one of the hardest to come by. In the Afterwords section of Walt's Time, Bruce explains how The Nickel Tour came to be:

"We talked to every publisher we could find, and heard the same story, word for word. No Commercial Potential. No audience. No Market. No Deal."

They put the book together themselves: Scanned all of the cards, show more did the layout of every page and had it printed in Italy. They lugged the books to every convention and sold them through mail-order.

"And guess what: we sold every book we printed." --p. 241, Bruce Gordon, Walt's Time - From Before to Beyond

Disneyland, the Nickel Tour is a look at the first 45 years of Disneyland's history seen through the postcards of the park. In addition to Randy Bright's wonderful Disneyland the Inside Story, The Nickel Tour stands as one of the two most comprehensive books about Disneyland's history. Where it edges out Mr. Bright' work is that The Nickel Tour does cover the past 20 years. Unfortunately, Mr. Bright passed away in 1990 and a second edition is not forthcoming. Bruce Gordon, the primary writer of The Nickel Tour, was an Imagineer and started with the Company in 1980. Mr. Gordon co-authored many books about Disney and there are several that will be published posthumously later this year. Mr. Gordon passed away in November 2007. As it stands, the second edition of The Nickel Tour will probably be the last.
The Nickel Tour is an amazing work on so many different levels: the postcard images, the photographs of attractions that weren't released in postcard form, the historical information and the writing. They begin by sharing pre-opening cards and work their way through the history of Disneyland. One of Gordon and Mumford's strengths is that they write well and can take something as simple as post cards and turn it into an epic look at a theme park. The writing never gets technical and is always filled with reverence, love and a little remorse. Occasionally, they slip in some humor. It is always fitting and they obvious love word-play. The following paragraph could have been presented as just a litany of facts, but they went a different way with it.

"On the left hand side of Main Street, we encounter the Sunkist Citrus House. Long before this view was taken, the Citrus House had actually been two separate stores, one housing "Sunny View Jams and Jellies" and the other housing the "Puffin Bake Shop." By October of 1958, Disneyland had canned the jam and jelly shop and opened a candy store in its place. It was a sweet deal until June of 1960, when the Puffin Bake Shop went stale. (It seems they just weren't making enough dough to stay in business.) And even worse, it wasn't long before everyone was beginning to sour on the candy shop next door. So the two shops were joined together, and in a dedication ceremony held with Walt on July 31, they finally became the home of the Sunkist Citrus Shop. Things were calm until 1990, when the time was ripe to spin around in a circle once more – only to find the Sunkist moving out and the Bakery moving back in! Well, that story certainly had a peel. Orange you glad we wasted all this time? Meanwhile, here's the scoop on the Carnation Ice Cream parlor: in 1997 they split from their original parlor and (having lost their Carnation along the way) floated into the home of the bakery. Then, with perfect Disneyland logic, the bakery moved into – the ice cream parlor! If that doesn't get a rise out of you, nothing will!" p. 121

The sense of history that you get from The Nickel Tour, through the postcards and photographs, has not been presented in any other form. Besides being a reference work for postcards, it is almost a wish book--one you can flip open to any page and see a favorite or long-gone attraction and dream about visiting or re-experiencing. The images are stellar and your appreciation of postcards as art and history will grow.

Bottom Line: This work was obviously a labor of love for Gordon and Mumford. It is hard to stress how important this work is in the Disney Literature. Beside being one of two major historical works about Disneyland, you get a feel for how Disneyland evolved, how Walt plussed the park and how the Disney Company moved forward after Walt. It is the most cherished book in my entire collection. If you are lucky enough to find a copy, get it. I know that many people will dismiss this book because it is about Disneyland, but without Disneyland, there would be no Walt Disney World. The history of Disneyland offers a lot of insight into the growth of Walt Disney World as well.

This book is simply amazing! show less

This is an amazing and difficult book to review; not for any reason you would expect. The text is compelling and you learn about the man and the artist. The reproductions of Ryman's art is outstanding. You understand the gift the man possessed. What makes the book so difficult to review is also what makes it so amazing--there is no eloquent way for me to describe the artwork found in this book. You have to see it to enjoy the amazing pieces of art.

The book was put together by Bruce Gordon, show more David Mumford and the Ryman-Carroll Foundation. Bruce and David also did The Nickel Tour and Walt's Time. Bruce co-edited The Art of Disneyland and Disneyland: Now, Then and Forever. This work is a love letter from Mr. Ryman's closest friends, co-workers and family to the legendary artist.

There are four major sections of the book: Odysseys (journeys he took throughout his life), Hollywood (working for major studios), Fantasy Lands & Disney Worlds (Disneyland through Disneyland Paris) and Legacy (The Ryman Foundation). Most Disney enthusiasts will undoubtedly focus on the concept artwork for the theme parks. It is very impressive to see the artwork in one place and realize how much Mr. Ryman was responsible for developing the overall feel for the lands and attractions.

Each land in Disneyland is covered (except Mickey's Toontown) and we see the progressions that Mr. Ryman makes in his own artwork for the company. The early work for Disneyland is a little more focused on specific areas whereas the latter works seem to be more sweeping and carry more emotional weight.

The other section of the book refer to Mr. Ryman's non-Disney career. He spent a few years travelling Europe and Asia before doing studio work and he even spent a few years painting portraits of the performers and clowns for the Ringling Brother's Circus. After his Disneyland and early Magic Kingdom work, he travelled through Europe and Asia again. He never really left Disney; they called him back to work on concepts for Epcot, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland (The Indiana Jones Adventure).

There is so much more fantastic art throughout the whole book. The few pieces I have shared are just a few of the Disney-related works. So much of his life's work is more about emotions and feelings than realistic portrayal. In the book, his most powerful statements are from the time he spent painting the Pacific Coast near his home. He effectively captured the mood and feel of the rocky shores. I have read a few criticisms about the book--namely that there is too much sub par art and not enough Disney-focused art. Personally, I was fascinated with all of Mr. Ryman's art. Not only did it tell of his life, but it shed some light on the influences that were present in his work. Whether it was mood, shadows or vistas; you could immediately sense that you were viewing an artist that was meant to do his work.

Bottom Line: I thoroughly enjoyed this dedication to Herb Ryman. This book isn't for every Disney Geek, but those enthusiasts with an interest in concept art and a look at the development of a Disney artist will treasure it. The artwork is astounding and there were some surprises within the pages. As is, the book is out of print and you should expect to pay street prices well above the release price. Although it isn't as spectacular as The Nickel Tour or as comprehensive as The Art of Disneyland, you do see where Mr. Ryman excelled and where his influence was most prominent. If you can snag a copy of it, you will not be disappointed.

Originally posted at www.imaginerding.com show less

Walt's Time - From Before to Beyond by Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman. 1998, 252 pages.

The Sherman Brothers need little introduction to Disney fans. Prolific composers of music for films and theme park attractions, they have written some of the most memorable songs in Disney history.



This book, which looks at their long career, finally saw the light of day after the Sherman Brothers met Bruce Gordon and Dave Mumford. Just like The Nickel Tour, publishers felt that there was no show more commercial appeal in this book. Bruce and David had self-published The Nickel Tour and thought that they could do the same with Walt's Time. The Sherman Brothers, after shopping the book around since 1981, had worked with Jeff Kurtti to have a majority of it written. Bruce and Dave met with Jeff and they agreed to self-publish. The Sherman Brothers were thrilled to work with Bruce, David and Jeff.

The book was created to resemble a scrapbook of their career. It starts with their first day on the Disney lot where they land the title song for the Parent Trap while auditioning a song for the Horsemasters. It then launches through the highlights of a majority of their Disney work. The middle section is dedicated to their father, Al and looks at everything that he published and his successes. During the section on their father, they look at their family history and how Al Sherman influenced his children. It is obvious from Walt's Time that the Sherman Brothers were profoundly influenced by their father and Walt Disney. When the brothers speak of either man, the text is filled with love, gratitude and wonder.

The third section details more of their work with the Disney Company, before and after Walt's passing. It also looks at the body of work they have done since leaving the company. Stage productions, theatrical work and animated films make up the bulk of their work in the '70's, 80's and 90's.

The Brothers spend a lot of time discussing their interactions with Walt Disney and how Walt was an amazing and optimistic person. The song There's a Great, Big Beautiful Tomorrow was inspired by Walt Disney. Their proudest moments include It's a Small World and Mary Poppins. They wrote the songs for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after receiving Walt's blessings to work on the outside project. Albert Broccoli (producer of the Bond movies) also owned the rights to Fleming's children's novel about the car. Broccoli brought the idea to Walt, who declined saying he had too much on his plate and wanted more creative control. After the success of Mary Poppins, Broccoli gathered most of the creative team that had worked on Mary Poppins. The Brothers were also involved with two of the biggest animated films of the 60's as well: The Jungle Book and Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.

Obviously, the Sherman Brothers' influence has been felt greatly in the theme parks. The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room, Magic Highways, Magic Journeys, Makin' Memories, Astuter Computer Review, the Best Time of Your Life and Miracles From Molecules.

Looking at everything the Sherman Brothers have done is a tad bit overwhelming!

Bottom Line: I enjoyed this book and was completely astounded by how prolific the Sherman Brothers actually are. The book is designed beautifully and features awards, personal recollections and photos from every period of their career (just like a scrapbook!). This is book is clearly for music fans, fans of the Sherman Brothers and fans of Disney films from the 1960's. show less

-DELUXE NUMBERED BOXED LIMITED EDITION