Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince

After reading the sanitized biographies of Disney, I knew this one would have all the speculative dirt the others omitted. Granted, we all have dirt in our lives, just how much of it is true is as good a guess as anyone reading any of the celebrity gossip magazines. The research was good and the observations candid without always being conclusive. It leaves you knowing less than the whole, but no one can no anyone wholly, can they?

The man that brought the world Mickey Mouse and Goofy has been the subject of a number of biographies. Most of these don't cover the dark areas that "Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince" do.

While not a mudslinging piece, "Hollywood's Dark Prince" covers parts of Uncle Walt's life that didn't get mentioned in "The Musketeers" or "Wide World of Disney", including his father's abusive behaviour towards him, his anti-union activities, including forcing staff to take unpaid leave, claiming the work of others as his, and, most intriguing, the claim that he was actually ten years older than claimed and was the daughter of a Spanish cleaning lady.

Disney also didn't seem to consider his daughters as much chop, not appointing them to the board, show more thus ensuring that the Disneys lost control of Disney. A complicated fellow, Walt Disney. And if Eliot is right about his Spanish cleaning lady claim, then he is a mysterious chap as well. show less

You would have to be naive to think Walt Disney was as perfect as his portrayal over the years. Any man in Hollywood with that much power had to have a dark side. This book tells Walt's story along with all the dark stuff we all want to hear. I don't feel like it sensationalized anything, just told it like it was - warts and all. Overall a very interesting, readable and fascinating book.

Bit of a bore really.

EXCELLENT CONDITION!