Roy Williams, January 1960
I have a pair of extra-fun scans for you today - both featuring Roy Williams, aka "The Big Mooseketeer", drawing Disney characters and signing autographs for children in Frontierland. Roy was hired by Walt in 1930, and was not only an artist but a prolific "gag man". Director Jack Kinney, a friend of Roy's, described him as a "big fat balding hot-headed unpredictable bastard", but hugely admired his prolific talent, saying that he could "sit down and grunt out a few pounds of gags as if it were nothing".
Roy gained a certain level of fame once he became a part of the Mickey Mouse Club TV show, which had ended its four-year run in 1958, but I believe the show was still being shown in syndication in 1960. Former Mouseketeer Lonnie Burr called Williams "a warm guy, who liked kids, always had time for kids, and always helped us any way he could."
I've had opportunities to acquire some of Roy's sketches/autographs, but somehow never bit. So I scrounged two examples from the Internet, these are typical of what he produced. I assume he would ask each child who their favorite character was, and probably knocked one of these out in a matter of seconds.
8 comments:
Major-
Good 'ol Roy 'Mooseketeer' Williams, as it says on his shirt. I'm rather fascinated by the two young lads in the 2nd image - the one in the white shirt with his snappy yellow bowtie; and standing in front of him, the fella with the red-black-white patterned shirt and a box of Good and Plenty candy stuffed in his front right jeans pocket - the colors almost matching his shirt. (There must be a backstory...)
And the lady standing between them appears to be carrying a Rolleiflex Automat Model 3 TLR 6x6 Camera. Very nice.
Thanks, Major.
Ha! "...hot-headed unpredictable bastard". Funny how those endearing qualities never revealed themselves on the MMC show. I wonder if they had to do a few re-takes to keep it a 'family show'? Probably not, I'm sure Roy was a professional who knew what was expected of him, and acted accordingly. Interesting dress on that girl; it's covered with 'wiener dogs'! One of the ears on Roy's 'Mouse ear' hat is dog eared.
In the second pic, I like how everyone is watching intently as Roy sketches some Disney characters.
Sketches: I guess it makes practical sense that Roy didn't blacken Mickey's ears. nose, and forehead. It would've taken too much time and it also would've looked scribbly. Pluto forgot to shave this morning.
Nanook, Ha! I didn't notice the Good & Plenty. Like you said, it looks the same as his shirt.
A little something different today. Thanks, Major.
It looks like little Belinda folded her Mickey drawing in half, thereby reducing it in value by at least $1,000.....if not more. Poor foolish little Belinda.
So I'm assuming these drawings were free back then? Today, Disney would have one of their artists positioned in the Disney Gallery, and they would be charging hundreds of dollars per drawing. And the line of waiting guests would go out the front gate, and all the way through Downtown Disney.
JB, it looks like this is from the time when the ears on the Mouse Ears were still made of cloth, rather than plastic.
Thank you, Major!
Cute kids and a kind generous man.
Great pics with some historic value too.
Thanks Major!
JG
Roy was a very colorful character whose life and success was greatly influenced by Walt himself. It's a long read (in today's thinking) but absolutely fascinating. BTW the quality of these pictures is absolutely stunning. KS
https://mouseplanet.com/the-true-story-of-roy-big-mooseketeer-williams/7392/#google_vignette
Nanook, are you saying that I should wear a yellow bow tie? GOOD IDEA! As for Good and Plenty, nice observation, but the candy is a “no” for me (black licorice, arg). Wow, that Rolleiflex is pretty fancy!
JB, imagine Roy on the MMC suddenly exploding in anger at Cubby and Karen?? “You damn kids, pipe down or I’ll murdalize ya!”. When I saw that dress with the dog print I thought of Melissa, who would have probably loved it. It does look like one of Roy’s mouse ears is a bit ragged, is that by design? I’m sure he could get another new hat if he asked. Though it does make sense that Mickey’s ears were not inked in, it’s surprising that Roy spent so much time putting “whiskers” on Pluto.
TokyoMagic!, ha, it’s funny, I really do cringe when I see old photos of people holding folded guidebooks and such. I think Roy’s drawings generally fetch under $100, though I’m sure there are exceptions. And yes, the drawings were surely free to any wide-eyed kid. No upcharge! (When did the word “upcharge” enter the lexicon?). I can’t say for sure, but I think there were plastic “headband style” mouse ears early on, but the traditional MMC ears look like they were cloth.
JG, from all accounts, Roy loved working for Walt. I believe he was laid off for a couple of years, which broke his heart; he came back to the studio eventually.
KS, thank you for that link! I’ll definitely read the article a bit later. I’m glad you liked these pix!
Ah, the days when Disney celebrities could turn up at the park as scheduled entertainment. The Mouseketeers and Guy Williams were under contract, so easy enough to schedule them. Wally Boag BECAME a Disney celebrity when he settled in at the Golden Horseshoe. Others would show up to shoot bits for the television hour and maybe ride in a parade, usually to plug something.
The Firehouse Five Plus Two was a well-known Dixieland band composed mostly of current Disney artists. They appeared on Disneyland TV shows and recorded a live album at Disneyland. Officially it was an off-hours thing -- members like Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnson were too valuable as animators to send to the park on company time. Did they ever have a regular gig, or just occasional appearances?
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