"Walt: the Man behind the Myth" is the definitive story of Walt Disney as a man and creative genius. The feature-length documentary, which premiered at the Monte Carlo Film Festival, was written by two nationally known journalists, Katherine and Richard Greene, and co-written and directed by Jean-Pierre Isbouts.

“Walt,”which is narrated by Dick van Dyke, was screened at several film festivals before its television premiere on ABC in prime-time.

In the course of the production, the producers were given unprecedented access to family archives and correspondence, including hundreds of unpublished letters, sketches and other memorabilia. The film also features excerpts from over 18 hours of 16 mm "home movies", shot by Walt himself from his earliest days as a fledgling animator in Kansas City right up to the last summer of his life. It is the first time that these films, including color reels dating from the early 1930's, have been released for broadcast television.

"This film is not a whitewash," says Walter Miller, grandson of Walt Disney, "but a determined effort to provide a true, real-to-life portrait of my grandfather, in all aspects of his life." As such, the film does not hesitate to tackle some of the more controversial issues, including the myth of Walt's anti-Semitism; his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee; the studio strike of 1941; and his sometimes problematic relationship with employees. To present Walt's life and legacy as accurately as possible, the producers shot more than 70, all-original interviews including surviving members of Walt's creative team, such as animation legends Joe Grant, Ward Kimball, John Hench, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Marc Davis.

The film also draws on leading historians including Leonard Maltin, Bob Thomas, John Canemaker, Charles Solomon, and J.B. Kaufman, as well as famous legends of our time including Art Linkletter, Dick van Dyke, Chuck Jones, Ray Bradbury, John Lassiter, Dean Jones, Robert Stack and Buddy Ebsen. Both Diane Disney Miller, her husband Ron Miller and Roy E. Disney, Vice-Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, are also featured in the film. "There's never been anything like this; it's by far the largest gathering of Disney experts ever put on film", says co-writer/co-producer Richard Greene.

The result is a fascinating tapestry of Hollywood, interwoven with rare glimpses of Disney family life. Stark, black and white images of Walt testifying during the HUAC hearings alternate with crisp, color home movies of Walt teaching his young daughters, Diane and Sharon to ride their bikes on the studio lot on Sundays.

In addition to the familiar stories of how Walt conceived of Mickey Mouse and created the first feature-length animated cartoon with "Snow White", the film also reveals the lesser-known saga of how the studio faced near-bankruptcy in the wake of a strike and World War II; how Walt skimped and saved, and even cashed in his family's life insurance, in order to finance the early development of Disneyland; how the Disney Studio broke the Hollywood taboo of early television, and how, in his final days, Walt was fully devoted to building a city of the future near what is today Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Title:Walt: The Man Behind the Myth

Produced by: Pantheon Studios

In Association with: The Walt Disney Family Foundation

Written by: Katherine and Richard Greene; Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Directed by: Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Producers: Katherine and Richard Greene; Catherine Labrador

Director of Photography:Eric Trageser

Editor: Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Cast: Art Linkletter, Dick van Dyke, Chuck Jones, Ray Bradbury, John

Lassiter, Dean Jones, Robert Stack and Buddy Ebsen, among others

Featured Experts: Leonard Maltin, Bob Thomas, John Canemaker, Charles

Solomon, and J.B. Kaufman

Running length: 119:00

Available at local video retail stores, Netflicks or www.amazon.com

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