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Walt Before Mickey
- Disney's Early Years, 1919-1928
- Narrated by: Al Kessel
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
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Publisher's summary
Walt Before Mickey is a look at Walt's decade-long career before he became an international sensation with the creation of Mickey Mouse in 1928.
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Almost everything you know about Mickey Mouse is wrong: He wasn’t Disney’s first star; Steamboat Willie wasn’t his first movie; Mickey wasn’t a nice guy - and Walt Disney didn’t invent him. In 1928, two very different best friends invented Mickey Mouse. And the success tore them apart. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks’ friendship is a story of betrayal, love, war, money, power, tragedy, intrigue, humor, despair, and hope. You’ll love them both - when you don’t want to drop anvils on their heads.
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Wasted money and wasted time
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Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke's wife on the eponymous show; she was a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when screenwriters James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network executives replied: "Americans won't watch television about New York City, divorcées, men with mustaches, or Jews." But Moore and her team were committed, and when the show finally aired, in spite of tepid reviews, fans loved it.
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They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play.
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Fabulous book about Rodgers & Hammerstein!!!
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Here is the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Doctor Dolittle, and Bonnie and Clyde - and through them, the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood and America forever.
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In this mixture of cultural and social history that is both scholarly and vastly entertaining, Eyman dispels the myths and gives us the missing chapter in the history of Hollywood, the ribbon of dreams by which America conquered the world.
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From the New York Times best-selling author Marc Eliot comes the definitive biography of one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful actors, producers, and directors in the history of American motion pictures. Marc Eliot examines the ever-exciting, often tumultuous arc of Eastwood's life and career, from his days as a disaffected college dropout, to his rise to fame as the archetypal loner, to his acceptance into the pantheon of the Academy as a multiple Oscar Award winner.
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Gay marriage is at the forefront of America's political battles. The human story at the center of this debate is told in Double Life: A Love Story, a dual memoir by a gay male couple in a 50-plus-year relationship. With high profiles in the entertainment, advertising and art communities, the authors offer a virtual timeline of how gay relationships have gained acceptance in the last half-century.
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Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their silly little sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. NBC executives didn't think anyone would watch either, but they bought it anyway, hiding it away in the TV dead zone of summer. But against all odds, viewers began to watch, first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly 40 million Americans were tuning in weekly.
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This bad narration is making me thirsty...
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What listeners say about Walt Before Mickey
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Chris Piner
- 06-09-20
Historian Detail
This was an informative history for the real historian, not so much for the casual Disney buff. Tons of detail here showing good research and writing. Narration is best on a faster speed. I can’t say I’m a fan of Kessel’s change of voice when he’s quoting someone (especially Walt). I avoided this one for a long time because of the narrator as I had heard him several times before. I would say this is probably his best. Overall though, it’s a good book and I found interest in it.
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- Casey
- 07-10-17
It's All in the Details
If you are wondering whether or not you should listen to Walt Before Mickey, you should keep a couple of things in mind.
1. The book is nothing like the film that was released a few years ago. The film, is much more dramatized than the book.
2. Can you appreciate detail? This book is not lacking for details but some of them may feel unnecessary to you as a listener. Street addresses are listed frequently both for the places where Walt would have set up his various shops but also for houses and apartments where people lived and even restaurants where they ate.
Want to know how much Walt paid for his first suit or how much Ub Iwerks was earning per week when he first joined Walt out in California, then you'll enjoy this book.
Personally, I like details but even for me this sometimes felt like a bit too much. At times it felt like one of those term papers that needed to hit a specific number of words and came up short so less important things were added.
But when you're not getting hit with addresses, locations in relation to other locations and dollar amounts the story flows pretty well. When the author's eye for detail works to his advantage is when he mentions specific dates that things occurred, it helps you to keep track of where you are in the timeline.
As for the narration...
This is the first chance I have had to listen to something narrated by Al Kessel. I have to say that while Mr. Kessel has narrated in several genres, his natural voice lends itself well to nonfiction work. There is something in his voice that gives it a natural quality of authority. In other words, he always sounds like he knows what he's talking about.
While I found myself at times wishing that the author would stick to the story I was never bored by Kessel's narration. It was very easy to listen to and when Kessel would speak a quote from Walt Disney he would deepen his voice a bit. Listening to recordings of Walt used on the audio commentary for Snow White, I thought this was a good choice and I thought of those recordings when I heard Kessel speak as Walt.
I can't tell you whether or not you should listen to Walt Before Mickey. As my title for this review suggests it really is all in the details. I enjoyed it overall but did have moments where I'd heard enough addresses of places I'd never visit. Though if you're asking me if I enjoyed listening to this overall, I would say yes, as I did learn a few things and liked the narration.
*****Disclaimer*****
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Robin G Kindle Customer
- 07-14-17
Really Interesting
Really enjoyed this book was interesting to hear about Walt's life. Narrator's voice was excellent and really felt "involved" in the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Christian Halverson
- 01-31-23
story’s about the man behind the meth
I wish, audible and writers in general made more books like this, and the one by Neil Gaber.
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1 person found this helpful
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- charris1980
- 07-27-22
Couldn’t Finish
Just a little too dry and each person got a huge history. Even initial investors. Very dry but hey if you want as much detail as you can including city addresses then this is the book for you.
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