The Wonderful World of Disney (TV Series) Walt: The Man Behind the Myth (2001) User Reviews

Loved it

[slayerbecca · 9/10 · 12 January 2005]

I never really knew much about Walt Disney, so I bought this film. And I think it was a great place to start. It gave a lot of background information, and you really got to see things from the point of view of the time. Instead of looking at it from 2005, I was looking at the film from the early 1900s and into the future. Walt's early life really interested me. He was basically a regular guy (aka genius) following something that really interested him.

I recommend this to anyone who wants a nice base of information about Disney. It's got that warm fuzzy feeling to it as well, but without hiding much. I think most will enjoy it.

Extraordinary

[martinadigianfelice · 8/10 · 17 February 2019]

Extraordinary is seriously the only word that can describe this documentary. I watch it again and again and again and I never like it a inch less. Wonderful!

A great man, and a good film

[alfiefamily · 7/10 · 26 February 2007]

It's fitting that "Walt: The Man Behind The Myth" since the Executive Producer is the grandson of Walt Disney. It has much of the heart and sentiment that we have come to know and expectfrom a Disney film.

There can be no doubt that not only was Walt Disney a genius and visionary, but he was also a good man who cared for children, and a good, old fashioned way of life. He touched our hearts, and stirred our imaginations, and believed that nothing was impossible.

This film tells his story from boyhood thru to his passing at 65 in December, 1966. For me, the best parts were the stories that were told by the people who worked for him in the animation departments. The way they fondly recount the ways that Disney was able to not only share his vision, but get them excited and caught up in it as well.

The movie moves along quickly, never spending too much time on any one topic. And that is the trouble. Disney was so active and so involved in so many different areas, that I came away not knowing enough about anything. There is not much in depth analysis over any one project.

Very little is actually said about the films, in terms of inspiration, casting, etc. I guess I felt that this could have easily extended to another two hours.

It touches ever so briefly on, and dispels the rumors of Disney's being a racist or anti-Semite. Beyond that there is absolutely nothing controversial about Disney's personal or business life.

He comes across as a simple man, who loved his family, his country, and felt that the world could be a better place, and he tried to make it so.

He shaped the world we live in

[anth-2 · 10/10 · 11 August 2005]

It was great seeing a more balanced biography of Walt Disney after all these years. I felt like there have always been 2 extremes: the sugary and perfect Walt who loved children, and the diabolic Communist smasher that hated Jews. Well, here's a news flash: he was human. Walt was a taskmaster, and perfectionist, but he was dedicated to entertaining people and making them laugh. This movie showed us how he was a 12-year old at heart, full of the vigor that made his cartoons great and prone to being naive when it came to labor and politics. To work for Walt was probably a roller-coaster, being "under the eyebrow" one moment when he was concentrating on a project, then elated when he dispensed a single iota of praise from his gruff businessman persona. The next second he could transform himself into a character from the storyboard he was demonstrating, brimming with energy and enthusiasm like a middle-aged Huck Finn. People have tried to villify him over the years, pecking away and trying to drag down his overly-sweet reputation perpetuated by the studio after his death. But you can say this about him: he loved children, wanted to make people laugh, and in some small way felt that by making the childhood of others happier, he was a happy child himself.

Highly Recommended

[miz bell · 10/10 · 2 June 2005]

I've always been interested in the man and have read biographies on him but it was another thing to see this wonderful film footage. He always had a camera around so there's tons of actual footage from his very early days and you get to see what a dynamic, charismatic this guy was (not just cozy "Uncle Walt" that we're most familiar w/from the TV show). It's easy to see why his employees were so committed and inspired by him. Being a Disney production (his grandson was one of the producers and Walt's daughter contributed a lot) I feared a "whitewashed" sort of thing but was pleasantly surprised by the well roundedness of it. My boyfriend who had no desire to see it was crying by the end and filled w/ a new found appreciation and even wants to see a movie made about him now. It's important to see because this was an exceptional person who risked everything time and again for his visions. He was a perfectionist w/high standards who literally created his own world (Disneyland)- not some money grubbing CEO that the name "Disney" has come to symbolize.

Walt, what a wonderful world you created for so many generations of families

[Ed-Shullivan · 10/10 · 14 October 2017]

I have always been interested in the story behind great industries, and/or persons who devoted their lives to make the world a better place. This documentary which provides great insight into both Walt Disney's early life before he created "The Wonderful World of Disney" and his latter life when he and his brother Roy (who handled the financing end of the Disney empire) created and then every year grew the Disney brand name to become synonymous with family values and highly entertaining animated and adventure cinema.

I was fully engulfed in learning from this documentary all I could about the history of Walt Disney and the film proved to be worth every minute of film time. Walt passed away at a relatively young age of 65 from lung cancer but his Disney production company was the recipient of 26 Academy Awards, which is a record he holds all by himself.

I laughed, I listened in awe, and I cried in some scenes as Walt's life was not without his own personal tragedies. Although some viewers may see this Disney produced documentary as self promoting the Disney brand, I for one would have loved to have been involved in producing this documentary as in my personal opinion, there are far and few in between who had to overcome so much adversity and with so many financial constraints, but yet Walt persevered and he created an empire with the Walt Disney brand that will eventually go down as one of the most influential companies that denotes family values and a quality of cinema that is unsurpassed by even the big box office CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) films of this century.

My hat is off to this documentary and I thank the producers for providing a well crafted documentary that explains in some detail (without going into the nitty gritty of the financial deals) the life and the family man, Walt Disney, who loved trains.

I give the documentary a perfect 10 out of 10! Thank you Walt for providing myself and my family so many decades of wonderful entertainment. Ms. Shullivan and I also recently visited Disneyland in California and although we are well past our mid life point we had a hoot!

A Magical Experience

[StreepFan126 · 2 October 2002]

I usually don't find documentaries all that entertaining, but this one sure was. It had the Disney touch all over it. It is so interesting to see how Walt Disney came up with his ideas, and how his tem, made them happen. I even cried when it got to the point where Walt Disney died. I heared that this is going to be shown every year now around Walt Disney's birthday, so watch for it.

Wonderful reminiscence of Walt Disney

[davidtav · 10/10 · 26 January 2007]

Speaking as a fan and amateur historian of Walt Disney, this is quite an amazing film about Walt's life. There is so much in this film about Walt that isn't easily found in the books written about him.

I'm so happy that Walt's daughter Diane and the Family Foundation decided to create this film to preserve Walt's history. And it's emotional to see the interviews of his friends, family, employees and business associates who all thought so much of this unique man.

I've watched this many times with many different types of people, and everyone has been interested in this documentary.

HIGHLY recommended for those who love history, or Walt Disney! As I used to say when I was a "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" Tour Guide at Disneyland - "There aren't many individuals in the history of the world who have touched so many people in the countless ways that Walt Disney did."

Keep Moving Forward

[Hollywood_Yoda · 10/10 · 18 September 2023]

If you are a fan of Walt Disney, his work, or just of documentaries in general, don't pass this one up. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wish you could have known him. He is Walt Disney, the man who started an empire with a mouse named Mickey. The film tracks Walt's life from his birth in 1901 until his death in 1966. The film delves into Walt's work life and his personal life; the moments he shared and the moments too personal.

The Man Behind the Myth is the most intimate documentary on Walt, and the most personal, as made with the help of his still living relatives (at the time) and his employees (including some of the original 9 Old Men). You may walk away with a new perspective on Walt, or the Disney company after watching and realizing he was just a man, and not a God.

PR movie

[sspezzati · 1/10 · 1 December 2018]

A perfect PR movie product. Wouldn't bother watching it.

Great TV documentary and Fun for All Children at Heart

[oscar-35 · 29 May 2008]

I forgot about this film until I was reviewing tapes in my video library for a friend. This documentary was nominated by the TV Academy for 'Outstanding Non-Fiction Special' years ago. I got a screening copy sent out to me being an TV Academy member. Commemoratring the 100th anniversary year of his birth, the film offers the most intimate look at this artist. It was a great treat to watch because it literally followed the Disney family from their earliest origins through the present day formation of the mega corporation(2001). The liberal use of family photos and private film footage gives us a real insightful look into the genius and risk-taker of Walt Disney. Outstanding info on the building of the TWO studios and TWO amusement parks by the Disney folks. If you are a fan of Disney films and TV shows, this will be a must-have documentary. This film also clears up the many Disney urban myths about all things Disney. And, NO, Walt Disney was not frozen for future re-animation after his death. Walt was quietly cremated according his wishes and the wishes of the his family. After seeing this memorable docufilm, it is very obvious that our world, society, and mankind has wonderfully benefited by the efforts of Walt Disney. This film was produced by descendants of the Disney clan. This is a labor of love and you can sense that in this loving film tribute.

One of the most depressing films.

[bdn-23937 · 8/10 · 18 November 2018]

A great look at the life of Walt Disney. From his birth to his untimely death. By the end I was crying. Highly recommended.