Happy Birthday, Walt! (Unreleased Audio of Walt -- 1937)

To celebrate Walt Disney’s 110^th birthday, we here at DHI are kicking it back old school.  We—meaning Paul—has uncovered an unreleased 1937 radio interview with Walt Disney.  The interview was conducted by NBC radio veteran, Elza Schallert on March 12, 1937.  Ms. Schallert was a career entertainment correspondent for the LA station.  The interview touches on the production of “Snow White” and also another famous birthday—that of Donald Duck.  Throughout, Walt is personable and candid, bubbling with good humor.  It is also an interesting glimpse at the company as it transitions from shorts to its first feature-length film.  We—meaning I—cleaned up the audio as best we could.  (The original source had degraded over the decades—really degraded.  But earbuds will bring the audio back to life.)  And so, here on December 5^th , we offer up a recording that hasn’t been heard by the public for nearly 75 years.  Enjoy.

Todd James Pierce & Paul F. Anderson

PS We do ask that if you’d like to repost this audio or reuse it in any way to please drop us a note first.