Arts & Culture

A Mouse at the Muehlebach
Thank You Walt Disney

(left to right) Thank You Walt Disney co-chairman John Shipp,
Thank You Walt Disney board member Lori Baerg, Walt Disney’s
first film star Virginia Davis, Mayor Kay Barnes and Thank You
Walt Disney co-chairman Butch Rigby—at the Thank You Walt Disney
fund-raising event—One Magical Evening—Walt’s 100th on Jan. 26.

“Walt Disney’s first movie star Virginia Davis delighted guests at Thank You Walt Disney’s fund-raising gala on Jan. 26 at the Muehlebach Hotel in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The evening celebrated Walt Disney’s 100th birthday and Thank You Walt Disney Inc. The $65,000 raised at the gala will go toward the rebuilding and restoration of Walt Disney’s first animation studio, located at 31st and Forest.

Davis was a surprise guest for the nearly 500 people who attended the event, One Magical Evening—Walt’s 100th. This was Davis’ first return to Kansas City after 79 years. The four-year-old Davis left Kansas City with her family in 1923 to follow Disney to Hollywood to star in his “Alice Comedies,” one of the first motion pictures to feature a live actor interacting in a cartoon world.

At the beginning of the gala, Kelsey Cooper, portraying a young Davis, was brought on stage by Thank You Walt Disney board co-chairmen Butch Rigby and John Shipp. Shipp asked Cooper if she would ever like to return to Kansas City. After answering “yes,” the real Virginia Davis was escorted on stage. Mayor Kay Barnes welcomed Davis to Kansas City and recognized her for her special place in Disney history.

Honorary event hosts Hilary and R. Crosby Kemper III and board president David Disney thanked guests for supporting Thank You Walt Disney Inc. Guests enjoyed an elegant dinner and a one-of-a-kind Disney retrospec-tive, followed by dancing to the Dave Stephens Orchestra. The retrospective, organized by board member Lori Baerg of Prizm Productions, featured live actors who interacted with on-screen animation and singing and dancing by the Miller Marley entertainers.

The Thank You Walt Disney project began in June of 1994 to honor Walt Disney’s life and career in Kansas City. By restoring his Laugh-O-Gram Studio, the organization will preserve and present the Disney story while celebrating the dreams and accomplishments of Disney and other animation pioneers, including Ub Iwerks, Friz Freleng, Carl Stallings, Hugh Harmon and Rudolph Ising.

In April of last year, the organization held groundbreaking ceremonies at the Laugh-O-Gram Studio building.

Over the summer, the walls of the roofless two-story structure were stabilized with steel beams anchored into the street and sidewalks, especially the facade facing 31st Street. Rubbish and collapsed beams were removed from its interior. One of Disney’s second-floor offices was saved and will be restored. A new roof will be installed this year.

Long-range plans call for the Laugh-O-Gram building to be restored to its appearance in 1922-23, when Disney and his animators occupied the offices on the second floor. It will feature a working animation lab, employing early and present-day technology. Plans also include educational exhibits and a small theater where original Laugh-O-Gram cartoons and other early films can be shown.

Meanwhile, fund-raising efforts continue to move forward. Walt Disney’s heirs have pledged up to $450,000 with which to match locally raised money. The single largest contribution to date is $73,720 donated by Time Warner Cable from hookup fees collected last year. The largest Gala donation was from UMB Bank for $10,000.

A 13-member board of directors is in place, and film critic Leonard Maltin, Diane Disney Miller (Walt Disney’s daughter), Walt Disney Miller (his grandson) and Leslie Iwerks (Ub Iwerks’ granddaughter) are members of a national advisory board.

Individuals and families can support the organization by becoming a member of the Laugh-O-Gram Club. A $25 individual donation or a $40 family donation provides members with a quarterly newsletter on the project’s progress, a member I.D. badge and knowledge of upcoming events. Call 816.474.7100 or access the Web site at www.laughograms.com for more information on Thank You Walt Disney Inc.