A World Of Laughter, A World Of Tears

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Crossposted from DW under the advice of fellow board members. I'm starting off with the first few entries, and will add more later:

All of this effort on the part of Eisenhower's campaign came to a disappointing end one month before the beginning of the [1952 Republican] convention. The General suffered a minor heart attack while campaigning in Detroit, MI. While the episode never put his life in immediate danger, pre-existing questions regarding his health could not be easily swept under the table anymore. Instead, following the advice of his physicians, General Eisenhower bowed out of the campaign one week before the convention itself, but without pledging his delegates to either Taft or Dewey, his two nearest competitors. Dewey was barely up for consideration by the movers and shakers in the party: Having shown himself unable to beat an unpopular president previously, he was seen as damaged goods. Taft, while a more sympathetic character, lacked the essential charisma for the new media environment. Also, his anticommunist credentials were not considered powerful enough for the McCarthyite faction.

Eisenhower attended the convention with all of his delegates uncommitted. This threw the GOP into turmoil. After three ballots, it looked like the tide was turning towards Earl Warren, Governor of California. Eisenhower's political differences with Warren made this state of affairs unacceptable to the General. Calling together some of the most influential men in the party behind closed doors, he informed them that he was open to suggestions.

-From Supreme Commander: A Life Of General Dwight David Eisenhower, McGraw-Hill, 1973


Fact is, I wasn't even supposed to be there. I had paperwork to go through for the Committee, and the Senator knew how to crack the whip. But he also knew an opening when he saw it.

"Here's what I want you to do, Roy," he said. "Now, that son of a bitch Ike can't be seen with me after his Green Bay speech, since those boys at the Times got a hold of what he wanted to say about my crusade. But that's fine. What I want you to do is go as my personal representative. Let 'em know that Tailgunner Joe is there in spirit," He winked there. He always did that before he pulled me in close, like he was telling me a secret. "Let 'em know that I still hold the cards at this table." The fumes on his breath nearly made me drunk, but I got the message.

That's how I got to meet the general. I have to admit, even after the run-ins we had with him years later, and even though he was just out of the hospital, he was an impressive man...gravitas. That's the word I want. He sat there at the head of the table, surrounded by people whose names I'm not at liberty to reveal almost thirty years later. I'll say this much: If a bomb had gone off in that room, then the GOP would have gone out of existence as a party.

Other than the stakes we were playing for, it was like any other political get-together back then. Cigars were passed around, Cuban, and plenty of whiskey. The typical assortment of dirty jokes and fishing lies that we'd all heard dozens of times. Then business: Taft's people didn't want Dewey, and Dewey's people didn't want Taft. Neither wanted Warren. After some shouting, we all came to the conclusion that we needed someone new. Well, they came to that conclusion. I sat near the end of the table and recorded my observations.

Someone saw me writing, and asked me to start taking notes. Well, I figured, why not? I didn't have anything to say for once, and I figured there were worse things than playing secretary to my political future. They came up with the ideal candidate: An outsider, like the General, either from the world of the military or business. Strong anti-communist...a well-placed glance from me to one of our allies in the room put that at the top of the list. Well-known. Successful. Able to reach out to a major audience on television as well as radio. Smart as a whip. Already popular.

"Walt Disney," one man joked.

Now, a lot of people have tried to take credit for that joke over the years, and most of 'em weren't at that meeting. I don't remember who it was, and even though I know what the reds in the press have said about me, Mrs. Cohn's little boy isn't enough of a liar to take credit, either.

So it was just a joke at first. But if you've ever been in a meeting like that, sometimes someone'll make a joke like that just to test the waters. Then it picks up steam, and after a while, people are discussing the ins and outs of it. Me? Hell, he'd testified before HUAC as a friendly witness, and named names. Not a touch of pink on Walt. Joe was going to be like a pig in slop. They all went back and forth. You could see Dewey's lobbyists giving in, then Taft's people slowly backing down as the tide turned pretty obviously. Finally, there was a knocking sound. Made me jump. We all looked up to the head of the table, where the General was rapping on the wood.

"Make the call," he said.

-Retired Senator Roy Cohn (R-N.Y.), quoted in Magic Kingdom: America in the 50s, by Studs Terkel


"It was...interesting."

Ward Kimball leans back in his chair, fingers steepled, as he looks to the ceiling as if the memories are playing across its stucco surface. Railroad ephemera surround him, along with several of his more famous creations. By the tone of the man's voice, you'd think that he was speaking of a movie he'd seen once, or a pleasant song he'd heard, perhaps one he'd played on the trombone in the corner. But no, this is Ward Kimball, one of Walt Disney's famous "Nine Old Men" animation team, and a witness to a pivotal moment in history.

"Walt and I were outside the studio," he says, his brow furrowing. "He could be a bear at times, and sugar sweet at others. I'd managed to get him on a good day. He was having a cigarette, and we were talking trains. He'd been going on about the ideas for the park for years, and was explaining in detail about how he planned to have a train running all the way around it. That's when a messenger popped up out of nowhere with a telegram. Walt took it, I tipped the boy. I never saw Disney as confused as he was on that day. He read it and scowled.

"'Walk with me to the office, Ward, someone's playing a damned joke.' he said. What could I do? We went to his office. He picked up the phone and asked for a Chicago extension. He talked for a while...I wasn't really listening, instead I was glancing at some doodles of Mickey he was doing while he talked. Finally he looked up at me. I knew that look, and skedaddled out of the office to the waiting room. He walked out a few minutes later. Never seen the man quite that shook up.

"Walt walked over, shaking his head, and clapped me on the shoulder like he needed me to steady him.

"'Well, Ward,' he said after a bit. 'Looks like I've got a new job offer.'"

-"Ward Kimball's World Of Whimsy", Animation Age Magazine, v.1 issue 9


"And so, my fellow Americans, I urge us to look neither solely to the future nor the past, but rather to find the best in our own spirit, and to determine with God's good will what we shall take with us on this distinctly American journey. From the past, we have the frontier spirit. From our own minds and hearts, we have the gift of fantasy and imagination to create our own destiny. And with these American traits, we shall build the world of tomorrow upon these shores, until every city is a shining example of democracy, every town a community where god-fearing citizens may live in peace and prosperity, every street the Main Street where industrious merchants may sell their wares unimpeded by the corruption of those who claim to represent their workers, or the heavy burdens of an onerous government.

"In the eternal struggle for justice and freedom in America, towards a more perfect union, we have but one goal that unites us in brotherhood: To make this nation not only great, for great it is, but to create in our land the happiest place on Earth."

-Excerpt from Walter E. Disney's speech accepting the Republican nomination for President.


STEVENSON GRABS DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION, SLAMS GOP PICK

CHICAGO-Gathered in the same city where their political rivals met only a few weeks ago, delegates of the Democratic party listened as their nominee Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois took the opportunity to denounce the Republican Party for their nomination of famed businessman, artist, and entrepreneur Walt E. Disney as their standard-bearer.

"We stand today at a crucial moment in our nation's history," the nominee stated in his acceptance speech. "We face domestic uncertainty as we attempt to secure rights for Americans as a whole without trampling upon the rights of Americans as individuals. On foreign shores, a nation claiming devotion to the rights of workers instead turns to dreams of empire. In Korea, our brave soldiers and sailors fight and die in the name of keeping the world safe for democracy, and not allowing a continent to fall to the madness of a few.

"At this time, in this moment, when the nation cries out for serious leadership, who did our colleagues in the Republican party nominate? Was it a general who could lead us to victory abroad while ensuring domestic security? It was not. Was it a statesman skilled in diplomacy and the workings of Washington? It was not. Was it a man who could stand atop the tide of history, guiding us towards greatness? It was not.

"To the American people, I say this.

"You asked for wisdom, and you were given glib charm.

"You asked for leadership, and you were given a nickel show.

"You asked for strength, and you were given a cheap joke.

"You asked for a man to represent America, and you were given Mickey Mouse.

While Governor Stevenson's speech received a positive response, there have been questions regarding the party's ability to adapt to what many observers are calling a "curveball of a candidate".....

-Associated Press bulletin, 8/26/52


CONFIDENTIAL

ANIMATION DEPARTMENT TO BEGIN WORK ON PATRIOTIC SHORTS FEATURING MICKEY, DONALD, GOOFY, AND ENTIRE STABLE OF CHARACTERS ASAP. MARRY THE DAMNED MOUSE AND THE FLAG. WALT MAY NOT BE RUNNING THINGS AROUND HERE FOR NOW, BUT WE'RE NOT LETTING THE BASTARDS SLAM HIM AND MICKEY AT THE SAME TIME. DESTROY AFTER READING, DO NOT REDISTRIBUTE.

ROY O. DISNEY

-Internal memo of Disney Corporation, August, 1952


Further proof of the capitalist tendency towards corruption of the political system can be seen by the American Presidential election of 1952. Anti-union businessman Walt Disney ran against Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. After accepting the nomination of his slightly less odious political organization, Stevenson commented that a man known best for creating a cartoon mouse was hardly qualified to lead such a powerful nation. Rather than respond directly to these accusations, Disney exploited his workers to create fascist propaganda, which he then placed in every movie theater in the country. Also, his financial influence over the news media was enormous, and he leveraged this influence to undermine the independence of editorial pages across the country, and slant supposedly "objective" news coverage in a manner favorable to him.

-University essay by "Laura B.", recovered from her psychiatric file in 1980 during a class-action suit against the government on behalf of hundreds of former college students committed to asylums under the 1960s mental hygiene acts.

More later.
 
DISNEY MAKES ANOTHER ELEPHANT FLY - GOP Surges In Polls.

-New York Daily News Headline, 9/13/52

"While we would be loath to accuse Mr. Disney of using his influence over the corporation he founded to promote his own candidacy, the recent spate of Disney cartoon shorts promoting patriotic ideals do come close on the heels of Mr. Stevenson's mockery of his opponent's credentials."

-Sacramento Bee editorial, 9/15/52

The month of October was make-or-break time for the Stevenson campaign. With Walt Disney ahead in the polls, and Vice-Presidential candidate Everett Dirksen effectively neutralizing many of the experience arguments put forth by the Stevenson camp, the Democrats decided on a bold strategy: Convinced that Disney's California lead was weaker than the newspapers were predicting, Stevenson made a mad dash along the Golden State, giving speeches during a grueling week at the from the third of October through the tenth. Political observers of the time saw this as a useless gesture, a crazed attempt at gaining media attention against his more charismatic and folksy opponent.

Despite the naysayers, Stevenson's plan seemed to work. While he was still far behind in the rural areas of the Central Valley, and the conservative Orange County, highly populated urban centers such as Los Angeles and San Francisco flocked out to hear his speeches. Even the conservative Los Angeles Times under the stewardship of the Chandler family gave grudging acknowledgment of the effectiveness of Stevenson's Hail Mary pass.

However, Stevenson's campaign didn't account for the effectiveness and adaptability of the Disney organization. Far more than the GOP itself, Disney's people took all of the imagination and marketing genius that they had originally dedicated to the benefit of the company, and focused it towards the election of a single candidate.

When Governor Stevenson returned to California later in the month for another round of campaign stops, it was already too late. Every scheduled campaign stop of his from San Diego to Crescent City was suddenly in competition with a parade being held on the Main Streets of towns across the state. Promoted by newly-created "Mickey Mouse Clubs" made up of youths between the ages of 6-15, the parades combined all of the most attractive features of a carnival, a midway, a zoo, and a day watching Disney cartoons. The Democrats cried foul, to be sure, but more than one Democratic official in the state could be seen guiltily attending these events, dragged by his children insisting on a day of fun and frolic over one of dry speeches and hoarse cheers.

The local media simply ate it up. Newspapers, radio stations, and the fledgling local television stations all gave top coverage to the Disney parades, and short shrift to the comparatively dull political news of the day. In this manner, Walt Disney became the first presidential candidate of the day to effectively promote his own candidacy in a state without ever mentioning a word about politics. Not that the implications were subtle: One of the most iconic photographs of the era is of an obviously uncomfortable Senator Richard Nixon smiling gamely at the camera, arms around two beaming tykes as he wears one of the recently-developed Mickey Mouse hats.

In an example of unintended success in marketing, the Mickey Mouse Club concept soon spread far beyond the borders of California. Requests came in from children asking how to start their own chapters from Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and nearly every other state and territory in the union. Soon after that, airmail arrived from Canada, then England, then Germany....

-Magic, Mice, and Marx: The Campaign Trail, 1952, Craig Cassidy, 1994.


"It was all very patriotic and solemn when the meetings started. First we'd have the Pledge of Allegiance, then we'd sing the Star-Spangled Banner, and sometimes we'd have a prayer. I mean, of course we looked awfully silly in those hats and sweaters, but we were just kids, for gosh sakes! Then we'd sing the song, you know the one, someone in Burbank came up with it in about an hour, I learned later: "Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me....". Then we'd have some sort of game or organized sports activity, and sometimes we'd do charades or shadow puppets. And of course the talent shows, and square dances, and hayrides every so often, and every week we got to see a Mickey Mouse cartoon! I loved it. Highlight of my life, no matter what they said about it all later on."

-Former "Mouseketeer" Barbara "Babs" Lehmann, quoted in Let Us Hold Our Banner High, Documentary Prize winner at the Cannes International Film Festival, 2002.


DISNEY IN LANDSLIDE: GOP Picks Up Senate and House Seats, Leadership Promises "New Day For America"

-Washington Post headline, 11/5/52

My fellow Americans,

I just received a phone call from Governor Adlai Stevenson.

(Scattered boos)

Please, please. As I was saying, I just received a phone call from Governor Stevenson in which he graciously conceded the presidential race to me...

(Loud cheering)

...and, more importantly, to you, all of you who have worked so hard and so tirelessly to re-establish on our nation's shores our values of individual liberty, the work ethic, and the constant progress towards a bright future, one that our founding fathers envisioned in which we would all have the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

For far too long, we have been held hostage to the aims of those well-meaning souls who have said that the American working man must sacrifice his hard-earned money to the whims of the bureaucracy, even if it means putting less food on the table for his family. To those who have said to the successful entrepreneur that he must be punished for his success, so that those who have not shown the same spirit, the same courage, the same ability may eat, live, and play as he does. I say, no more!

(Cheers)

A new day is dawning in America, my friends. A new day. These social experiments in which we have entangled ourselves, we have seen where they inevitably lead. We have seen it in the totalitarian empire of the Soviet Union. In the fields of China, now sadly lost to the world. And even now, we fight it on the hills and in the rice paddies of Korea, where at this very moment our fighting men are laying down their lives in service to the noble ideal of democracy and freedom.

While we shall continue to press on in the service of freedom internationally, we cannot relax our eternal vigilance at home. It has been conclusively proven in congressional hearings that fifth columnists within the United States itself have taken advantage of our system to rise to high ranks within our government. Therefore, my first order of business as your president....

(Cheers)

...my first order of business will be a thorough review of all personnel in the State Department and other governmental institutions to ensure that their loyalty to our country is unquestioned and beyond reproach. In this administration, there will be no room for the fellow-traveler, the foreign sympathizer, the dupe of alien interests.

My second order of business, once we are confident in our diplomatic security, will be to address the Korean conflict in a manner that leaves no doubt as to our moral and military superiority.

My third order of business will be to ensure the superiority and constant progress not only of our scientists and manufacturers, but also of our consumers. To that end, I am proposing tax and other incentives to our businesses so that they will be able to provide the highest-quality goods at the lowest possible prices. I will additionally propose to congress that we select certain communities that most exemplify the American spirit as test grounds for the latest in technological wonders, to be held up as inspirations for the rest of the country

My fourth order of business involves a prodigious leap of imagination, to the heavens themselves. I propose that we accelerate our exploration of space....

-Excerpted from President-Elect Walter E. Disney's acceptance speech, delivered in Burbank, CA, 11/4/52

And so, my kids and kidettes, let's poke our ever-so-nosy noses into the house the mouse built: Exclusive! It seems that while the (head) cat's away, the mice will play! Even though big bro Walt is off to be our fearless leader, keeping us safe from the pinks and the punks, Roy boy has having a hard time casting off the shadow of the man upstairs (and we don't mean God, though some in Burbank don't see the difference!). No, instead Roy's moving ahead with Walt's big plans for some acreage down in the land of Orange, in the Nazi-lovin', beer-swillin' town of Anaheim! Think they can get the military tots in the mouse ears to build it for lollipops and Mickey's autograph? Would anyone say "boo" if they tried? Hollywood Dirt says no way, my lovelies, since that company is now connected from the bottom up! However, since the kids have to be in bed by nine, it's more likely that they'll use scab labor, with a payoff to mob boss o' bosses for L.A. Mickey Cohen to keep the unions on the QT....

-"Hollywood Dirt" column, Celebrity Secrets, December, 1952
 
Yes, its here! :)

Yeah, had to wait for my registration to be approved.

More:

"My God...to think that this is going to be in the hands of the man who did 'Steamboat Willie'"

-Harry S Truman, 1/7/53 to an anonymous aide immediately before announcing that the United States successfully tested a Hydrogen Bomb on 11/1/52. Quoted in "Geopolitical Ramifications of the Uncontrolled Dissemination of the American Image In The Media In The Atomic Age," by the Rand Corporation.

"It begins with a single idea. By holding on to this idea, the America we dream of shall come to pass."

-From the inaugural speech of President Walt Disney

ALL EMPLOYEES ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT TO LOYALTY SCREENING SESSIONS. YOUR IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR WILL INFORM YOU OF THE TIME AND DATE OF YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT. PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME AND BE PREPARED TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS FULLY AND HONESTLY.

-Memo to State Department employees, 1/23/53


It was such a thrill! President Disney had all of these important places that he could visit, all these large towns, and he decided to visit our sleepy little housing development in Nassau County instead! We all gathered at the local park to hear him, and of course the children in the mouse ears got to stand in front as an honor guard. Little Billy Rawlings got to hold the flag, and let me tell you, he was beaming for weeks! President Disney got up there, with all sorts of Secret Service agents around him, and he gave his speech. The President said that Levittown was the ideal community for the new America, and that we would be an inspiration to the whole country.

That's when we found out that we were going to be the first "community of the future". What an honor! It was like winning the sweepstakes! All of a sudden, we had trucks pulling up to our homes with a brand new garbage disposal, and a modern television set, and a hi-fi, and all sorts of new gadgets! And of course the Mickey Mouse clubs just took off like gangbusters after that, with every child wanting to join.

Our own Timmy joined up after that, and we were pleased as punch with the values that he was learning. It was on the very first day that he came back from a meeting that he told us he wanted to be an FBI agent when he grew up, since the local field office has sent around an agent to give a lecture on the dangers of Communism. Pretty soon, he was seeing Reds around every corner and under every bush!

-Madge Evans, quoted in Levittown: The Future Is Now


As Americans, we should all be supporting the President. Thank the stars that we've found one so easy to support. President Disney is the first political figure in years who truly seems to comprehend the possibilities inherent in space exploration, and how vital it is that we stay several steps ahead of the Russians and their allies in our scientific and technological progress.

-Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein, personal correspondence with fellow author L. Ron Hubbard

"It is with great honor that find myself once again called to serve my country. I shall do my duty faithfully and completely, and entrust that each and every one of you shall do the same"

-General Douglas MacArthur (Ret.), addressing his staff upon his confirmation as Secretary of Defense.

Joe was ready to dance when Disney got the job. His power had been slipping for a while: The newspapers were on his ass, and his old friends in the Senate suddenly had other things to do when Joe wanted to get together for a drink. So when we suddenly got someone he saw as one of "our boys" in the Oval Office, it was a real triumph. And he was right. Unlike the insiders who claimed to know better, Disney had no problem being seen with McCarthy, or inviting him to the White House for private conferences. The senator's stock was rising from his association with the president, and the president's stock was rising among the anti-red crowd from his association with Joe. What's that word? Symbiotic, yeah.

Joe came back one day from one of these conferences with a funny gleam in his eye. He said "Roy, we're gonna talk about your future here. Now, I know you don't plan to get hitched anytime soon, and I know why." Which, uh, had to do with my enjoying the bachelor life. "But I'm saying this, my friend: Get yourself a girl now, and get her to the altar lickety-split. If you manage to get married soon enough, I've got a real future for you."

-Retired Senator Roy Cohn (R-N.Y.), quoted in Magic Kingdom: America in the 50s, by Studs Terkel.


KHRUSCHEV AND MALENKOV ASSUME POWER IN SOVIET UNION FOLLOWING STALIN'S DEATH

-AP Bulletin, 3/6/53

We barely had the time to catch our breath before the world demanded our immediate attention. You have to understand: Running a government is simply unlike any other enterprise in existence. First, of course, we had to get our technology bills through congress. We were worried that the President wouldn't know how things work inside the Beltway, but he was a quick study. His business acumen was invaluable in the wheeling-and-dealing that we had to do in order to get the bills passed. The South got a good chunk of the aerospace industry despite the fact that most of our scientists were in the north. Fine, they could move. Then we had to give and give to the industrialists in order to get them to sponsor our Levittown experiments, which we'd code-named "EPCOT" under orders from the Oval Office. They only wanted one thing, and that was the weakening of labor protections. Problem was, they wanted that one thing over and over again, and there was only so far that the President and Congress could go. However, we managed to get half a loaf where we were expecting none, and three-quarters where we were expecting half, and finally G.E. and Westinghouse and Ford and all the rest of the companies realized that they were saving millions in advertising what the media attention they were getting from all of the major networks and the newsreels.

Also, events were moving quickly on the international front. Stalin died shortly after the president took office, an event that caused some dark humor considering how quickly the one historical event had followed the other. Then, in June, Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England. We tried to talk the President into sending a representative, but he seemed tickled pink by the idea. "Jimmy!" he said to me. "When I was just a boy in Missouri, I used to dream of going off to foreign lands and meeting all the high muckety-mucks, and nabobs and such. Now that I'm president, what makes you think I'm going to pass up the chance?" He laughed. Disney was a serious man, to be sure, but at times like that you could see the childlike wonder that had somehow led him along a winding path to the very top of American life.

-The Truth of Fantasy: A Washington Memoir, Former White House Press Secretary James Dodd


A Mousketeer Is:

Patriotic: This means that a Mousketeer loves his country. When a Mouseketeer sees his flag, he salutes, and when he hears the national anthem, he stands respectfully. A Mouseketeer will always rise to the defense of his nation, whether the enemies be around the world or just down the block.

Reverent: A Mouseketeer believes in God, and is humble before him. He attends his church on a regular basis, and says his prayers before he goes to bed.

Obedient: A Mouseketeer obeys the law at all times, and reports it to the local policeman when he sees someone breaking the law. He understands that a safe community is his responsibility.

Polite: A Mouseketeer respects his elders, and is kind to those younger than him....

-The Mouseketeer Handbook, 1953 edition.


"White House, White Mouse. Got Hope? You Dope!"

-Graffiti spotted in Harlem, July, 1953

DISNEY PROPOSES NATIONAL SPACE AGENCY: CONGRESS LIKELY TO AUTHORIZE CREATION.

-Sacramento Bee, 8/1/53


Secretary Dulles:

Submitted for your approval and per your instructions, we have taken the liberty of terminating 153 individuals from the State Department for insufficient loyalty and/or suspected ties to left-wing and otherwise untrustworthy organizations. Additionally, 89 more employees are currently under investigation, and may be have their employment discontinued at our discretion if it is determined that they pose any type of security risk.

Our legal department has informed us that we are unlikely to be held actionable for this, as national security is at stake, and departments besides our own including Defense, Veterans Affairs, Justice, and Treasury are undergoing the same rigorous scrutiny.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acting under direct orders from Director J. Edgar Hoover, have been made available to me and my staff in order to continue to root out troublesome elements in State. This has caused some minor interdepartmental friction, but I trust that it will be resolved quickly. My experiences with my former employers at the Agency have shown me that anything is possible in the service of one's nation.

Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,

E. Howard Hunt
Undersecretary for Internal Affairs
 
Very fun and original timeline. I really like the part where Richard Nixon was 'obviously uncomfortable wrapping his arms around two toddlers with Mickey Mouse hats'.

Keep at it!! I'm looking forward to seeing more.
 
Further proof of the capitalist tendency towards corruption of the political system can be seen by the American Presidential election of 1952. Anti-union businessman Walt Disney ran against Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. After accepting the nomination of his slightly less odious political organization, Stevenson commented that a man known best for creating a cartoon mouse was hardly qualified to lead such a powerful nation. Rather than respond directly to these accusations, Disney exploited his workers to create fascist propaganda, which he then placed in every movie theater in the country. Also, his financial influence over the news media was enormous, and he leveraged this influence to undermine the independence of editorial pages across the country, and slant supposedly "objective" news coverage in a manner favorable to him.

-University essay by "Laura B.", recovered from her psychiatric file in 1980 during a class-action suit against the government on behalf of hundreds of former college students committed to asylums under the 1960s mental hygiene acts.

Oh dear, it does seem it will end in tears.
 
In many ways, Walt Disney can be considered to be the first president of the media age. Not only did he use the traditional print, newsreel, and radio outlets to full advantage for his political platform, but he also had a specific knack for television. This was shown on the one hand with his constant appearances on the relatively new medium, and on the other hand with his push to place more television receivers in more American homes. This served a purpose above and beyond Disney's visions of a space-age technological utopia: While he legally had no authority over the Disney Corporation, having handed over the reins of the business to his brother Roy, it was well-known that the President kept informed as to the progress of his corporation through a select group of unofficial advisers, and that his thoughts and opinions were sent back through the same people. This meant that anytime the Disney corporation had a financial hold or other controlling interest in an outlet, it automatically became a mouthpiece for the current administration.

Walt Disney himself also knew how to play to the cameras. When he originally visited the ruins of Waco, Texas following the decimation of the town by tornado on May 11, 1953, he contacted congressional representatives to see if emergency funds could be made available for the reconstruction of the town through his EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) program. When Congress balked at the extra expense, President Disney invited the national networks to view the rubble of the once-vibrant town, and gave a speech from the ruins in which he asked Congress for the same funds without mentioning his previous request.

Within a week, the financial outlay was approved. Waco joined Levittown, NY under the EPCOT program.

-Our American Leaders, 1995, Scholastic


Even as the Korean War meandered to a conclusion based largely on General Eisenhower's constant and welcome advice to the President, we had domestic security issues to contend with. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, already mentioned, were slated to die. President Disney was receiving international pressure for clemency for at Ethel Rosenberg at least, as many in the world community refused to believe that the United States would intentionally make orphans of their children.

The President was steadfast. As he saw it, the Rosenbergs had betrayed their nation for the false god of communism, and had to pay the ultimate penalty. I had my own, differing opinions, but I also knew to keep them to myself lest I be seen as somehow less than fully supportive of the administration. Disney was more perceptive than I thought, though.

It was June 18th. We were in the President's private office. He'd invited me to sit as we went over the press releases for the following day. The first one had to do with the Rosenbergs. He glanced at me as I read it off, then held up his hand in a signal to pause.

"You don't think that we should kill them." he said softly.

My tongue was tied. I'd thought that I had done a better job of masking my thoughts. While I don't recall exactly what I said in response, I must have come across as stammering in terror.

"It's okay, Jimmy." he said softly and sadly. I took the risk of glancing at his eyes for a split second. They were slightly bloodshot, with thick dark circles under them, showing how little sleep he'd managed to get since he'd moved into that house. "I know that you have your doubts about this." With that, he reached into a desk drawer, pulling out a thick sheaf of letters and documents.

"You're in good company," he said. With nimble fingers, he turned over the first letter. I saw the red seal. "The Pope." he mumbled, placing it to the side. "Here's Einstein, and a number of other scientists. Nobel Peace Prize winners. Clergy. Doctors. Politicians. And thousands of citizens just like you." He looked at me sharply. "You can always be honest with me, Jimmy. And I'll always be honest with you. The fact is this: These two people, given all of the benefits of the finest system of government in the world, and trusted with the most sensitive secrets of that government, chose to sell out their country in the most insidious manner possible. For that, there is no punishment great enough. Death is all that we have. And that, Jimmy, that's why tomorrow they're going to be led down a hall, and hoods will be placed on their heads, and a switch will be pulled, and they will die as thousands of volts of electricity are shot through them. And that's why tomorrow," He seemed to steel himself. "Someone is going to have to walk up to their children, and kneel down, and try to explain to those two poor boys that they don't have a mother or father anymore."

The strength seemed to leave his body, and he slumped, dismissing me with a wave of the hand. I left. Closing the door behind me, I heard a slight sound, and thought that it was a hiccup, the result of stress and overwork.

It was only some hours later that I realized that I'd heard a sob.

-The Truth of Fantasy: A Washington Memoir, Former White House Press Secretary James Dodd


When asked what the major factor was in the North Koreans' willingness to call for an armistice, an anonymous diplomat said "Officially? MacArthur scared the living hell out of the bastards after he got Defense. Unofficially? Their leader's kid is a cartoon freak, and didn't understand why they were fighting Mickey and Donald."

-The Korean War: A People's History, McGraw/Hill

"...and all the ships at sea. Washington! The Kinsey Report, controversial bestseller, has been banned from the White House. Any employee found with it in his office is subject to serious disciplinary action. Two secretaries have already been reassigned! Broadway! The Caine Mutiny Court Martial is scheduled to open...."

-Walter Winchell's weekly radio broadcast, September, 1953


While this newspaper thoroughly agrees that Governor Warren will be a fine choice as Chief Justice during a time in which our nation faces such great challenges, this selection does raise questions regarding President Disney's independence from the Eisenhower wing of the Republican party. It is well-known in Washington circles that despite the political differences between the military man and the Governor, it was General Eisenhower and his advisers who suggested Governor Warren's name to the President....

-Los Angeles Times Editorial, 10/6/1953


I set up my shop that day, just like I did every other day. I'd been selling Playboy for about a week as a favor to Hef, who I'd known for a while as a customer. I suppose that it was about 3 p.m. or so on Friday, shortly after the local schools let out. Was standing outside the shop and having a smoke break. That's when they all came down the block, ears bobbing above their heads, all fresh-scrubbed and beaming. They'd been around for about a year, the Mouse Clubs, almost right after the whole nonsense got started in California during the elections.

Anyway, I didn't think much of it. They were singing their theme song real loud, so I figured it was just some sort of impromptu parade, like kids will do. But then I saw the signs they were carrying: "Stop the Filth", "Keep Our Neighborhood Clean", "A Mouseketeer is Pure", and all that garbage. They stopped right in front of my stand. One of 'em took a photograph, I saw it later, of my expression at the time. Downright comical I looked, with a cigarette dangling out of my ugly mug, and my eyes nearly popping out of my head. This one girl walks up to me and says "Mr. Jablocki, my name is Mary Beth Goodling, and I represent the local Mickey Mouse Club. We have heard that you are selling obscene material at this stand, and we ask you on behalf of the youth of this neighborhood to stop it immediately." They all cheered. Well, I sputtered and said that I'd call her parents, but it turned out that her parents were across the street applauding. So I called the cops, but they said that as long as they weren't blocking my doorway, there wasn't a thing that they could do.

I tried to sell them over the weekend, but hell, even my stubborn streak only goes so far. Finally gave up when I found out that pretty much every newspaper and magazine stand outside the ghettos was getting a bunch of apple-cheeked kids politely telling people that they were visiting a house of perversion if the store was selling Playboy. I'll tell you, when Mrs. Panek down that block heard that when she was coming by to pick up her Good Housekeeping, she nearly fainted right there on the street! So I gave up, and handed all the issues off to the club, and they thanked me real politely and said that they'd burn 'em right away.

Course, I saw a couple of the boys stuffing copies under their sweaters when they thought that no one was looking, so I guess maybe they weren't so innocent as all that.

Poor Hef never spoke with me again. He went back into advertising, I heard, and never tried to start another magazine. Said that the times just weren't right for it, and that America was what he called "Incurably puritanical".

-Oscar Jablocki, retired Chicago newsstand owner, quoted in Let Us Hold Our Banner High, Documentary Prize winner at the Cannes International Film Festival, 2002.
 
Very fun and original timeline. I really like the part where Richard Nixon was 'obviously uncomfortable wrapping his arms around two toddlers with Mickey Mouse hats'.

Keep at it!! I'm looking forward to seeing more.


Thanks! What a lovely welcome to the board.
 
When asked about the claims that President Disney's administration was, as claimed by Governor Adlai Stevenson, "The Eisenhower Administration with the Disney brand", White House Spokesman James Dodd replied "While General Eisenhower has provided invaluable advice to this administration along with many other prominent leaders in political, military, and civilian life, he and the president do politely differ on certain issues relevant to the American public. As we all know, the General has lobbied for an extensive highway system to be built as part of the nation's infrastructure. President Disney approves of this, but believes that a national mass transportation system must be part and parcel of this effort, whether it involves an expansion of our existing train system, or a more advanced technology. Towards this end, he has instructed the Department of Transportation to press for research into how such a project may be accomplished at the lowest cost and greatest benefit to the American people."

-Washington Post, 12/15/1952


7:00 p.m.: Entrance of President and Mrs. Disney. Remarks to the nation by President Disney.

7:15 p.m.: Lighting of White House Christmas Tree.

7:30 p.m.: Performance of Christmas standards by entertainer Bing Crosby, backed by Mickey Mouse Club choir.

-White House Christmas Celebration Program, December, 1953


And so with the moral mouse malcontents popping their peepers over the scandalous salacious pics of one Miss M., it seems that her days of winsome wedded bliss will wait! Joey D., he of the furious fans, has decided that his best gal's appearance in the late and unlamented Playboy skin mag out of Chicago means that he has a choice between a shining reputation (read: money!) or a sinful honeymoon (read: sex!), and a man can always use the former to get more of the latter, but not the latter to get more of the former outside of the lavender crowd! Also, the Terrible Tots are joining forces with the Catholic League to boycott each and every film that Miss M. appears in, saying that she sets a "bad example" for the youth! Look, kiddies! It's a falling star!

-"Hollywood Dirt", Celebrity Secrets, December 1953


MOUSE MAKES HOUSE AT CBS-Disney Corp. To Bring "Disney's Wonderful World" to Network

-Variety, 3/1/1954


"It is therefore with a heavy heart that I submit this resignation. For far too long, we of the fifth estate have been forced to answer to the moneymen, to those who would betray the public trust in the name of the almighty dollar. Despite your protests of your desire to avoid legal action, it is obvious to those of us who make it our business to notice such things that your refusal to allow See It Now to broadcast our investigation of Senator McCarthy reeks of political opportunism and the odious scent of financial incentive...."

-Resignation letter of Edward R. Murrow to CBS President William Paley


"Mr. and Mrs. Stanely Weinberg of New York, N.Y. are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Priscilla to Mr. Roy Cohn of Washington, D.C. The wedding ceremony will be on June 6th at the home of the bride. The couple plans to reside in Georgetown, where the groom currently makes his residence as a staff attorney for Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI)."

-Social Page, Washington Post, 3/15/53



Shortly following the [Puerto Rican Independence] attack on Congress, security clamped down hard in the White House. Guards who would once wave me through the gates on sight would now politely stop my car, ask for my identification, and check it closely before allowing me to proceed to work.

My major concern beyond my job was the state of the President himself. It wouldn't be too much to say that I saw him as a sort of father figure; The man seemed to invite such through his demeanor and general kindness to those in his immediate circle. However, as the year progressed, I grew concerned for him. The pressures of the office were not too great for this man, and yet he visibly aged before my eyes.

Two major issues preoccupied the President during the early part of the year: The first was the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Now, I hadn't thought of the Negro issue much previous to my entering politics, and while I was somewhat well informed regarding the various actions and boycotts taking place around the country, I didn't see this as something that would effect my life in a direct manner.

President Disney took a longer view than my own. His major concern was that this would lead to complications regarding what he saw as the uneasy mix of two essentially different cultures. A product of his time and his place, the President had little contact with the Negro population. He was especially sensitive to accusations of racism since the negative reaction of the NAACP to Song Of The South in 1946. However, while not an ardent segregationist at the time, he did see the potential for trouble on the horizon in the form of clashes between the white and black populations.

"That damned Warren laid down the law," he snorted to me once. "Let him enforce it."

Then, of course, Senator McCarthy decided that he wanted to stir up some trouble....

-The Truth of Fantasy: A Washington Memoir, Former White House Press Secretary James Dodd


Neither Prissy nor I wanted the traditional marriage. She stayed in New York with her parents and concentrated on her charity work. I stayed at my townhouse in Georgetown. Most days I spent with the Senator working on research for the committee. Recently, we'd uncovered evidence of communist sympathizers in the United States armed forces. Our initial feeling was that this had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the light. With the assistance of my friend David Schine, who had been so helpful during my tour of American Embassies and Consulates in Europe, we managed to put together what I thought would be a powerful indictment of the current and past military leadership.

The White House caught wind of what we were doing rather quickly. That's when the Senator was invited to one of the President's informal get-togethers in the Rose Garden. He and Joe sat and talked for quite some time while I cooled my heels near the appetizers and made small talk with various Washington hostesses. Finally, the Senator came back and whispered in my ear.

"The Army hearings are off," he told me. "Don't worry, we've given all of the evidence to MacArthur, and he'll take all the necessary steps. The president says he's concerned about the effect this would have on the morale of the Army. Bullshit. He's concerned about the effect this'll have on his camera-loving ass. But Roy, this ain't about him, or me. It's about your future. I'm not planning on running again, and it's time that you started thinking about where you're going from here."

I took a look at Joe. My friend and mentor was beginning to show the signs of too many late nights, too many sips from the flask that he always had on his person. His eyes were yellow, his nose a permanent state of red. I wasn't a doctor, but it was pretty obvious to anyone looking that he didn't have too many more years ahead of him.

"Understood, Senator," I told him. "Just tell me where I go from here."

"Well, Roy, first you're packing your stuff into a box," he replied. "You've got a new job waiting. Just a temporary berth for you, since I've got a deal that you're moving up right quick."

-Retired Senator Roy Cohn (R-N.Y.), quoted in Magic Kingdom: America in the 50s, by Studs Terkel


ROY COHN WILL BE LEAVING SENATOR MCCARTHY'S OFFICE TO TAKE A NEW POSITION AS ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE WHITE HOUSE. WE ALL WISH HIM WELL.

-Internal Memo to the staff of Senator Joe McCarthy (R-WI)
 
Way better than most celebrity president TL

So if the Mickey Mouse Club become like the Hitler Youth, I'd hate to see how Britney Spear turn out in that time line

Damn it they took on playboy! They have no honor, however I will say this will probably horribily backfire because now the youth no longer have any way to handle horniness into masturbation
 
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Way better than most celebrity president TL

So if the Mickey Mouse Club become like the Hitler Youth, I'd hate to see how Britney Spear turn out in that time line

Damn it they took on playboy! They have no honor, however I will say this will probably horribily backfire because now the youth no longer have any way to handle horniness into masturbation

Yes. Because before Playboy, youth masturbation was nonexistent! My God, Falwell and the rest were right!

Heh.

Okay, more:

"And, oh Lord, we are truly grateful for President Disney, who has so courageously insisted upon your acknowledgment in our nation's pledge so as to boldly state that the forces of atheism and communism have no place within our country's borders...."

-The Reverend Billy Graham, opening invocation of the first national Mickey Mouse Club convention, 7/4/54


ACLU Lawsuit Against Mickey Mouse Clubs Thrown Out of Court: Justices Defend Right of Free Speech of "Private Organizations"

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Supreme Court awarded a victory to the Mickey Mouse Club youth group on Thursday, stating that while President Disney's former company may have sponsored their creation, his lack of any official standing within the society means that the group must be considered a private organization, allowing it to continue public protests against materials deemed obscene or politically undesirable by the organization's leaders.

In a stinging dissent, Chief Justice Earl Warren stated that as the group is named after a character originally created by President Disney in his former capacity as a private citizen, and now inextricably linked with his name, the protests carry with them a de facto "seal of approval" from the current administration.....

-Los Angeles Times, 7/11/54


"The recent testing of an atomic weapon by the Soviet Union shows that despite their supposed desire for peace and amity, their true motivation is to expand their military power until the entire world falls to their totalitarian madness. The President has therefore asked congress to approve an increased military budget for next year, with an eye towards improving our defensive capability in the case of an atomic war. Currently, we are behind in our capabilities. The President has stated that this is unacceptable.

"Additionally, the President has instructed that our space exploration research be placed under military jurisdiction for the time being. The Soviets have indicated an enthusiasm towards exploring this frontier, and we cannot allow them to stake a claim before America does. Towards this end, President Disney has asked members of the scientific community to take part in a joint advisory panel with several noted futurists in order to create a plan for our future beyond this globe."

-White House Press Secretary James Dodd, press conference, 9/21/54


Of course, the President used the term "noted futurists" because it sounded better than "pulp science fiction writers". I learned three things at grandpappy's knee: Never draw to an inside straight, never draw your weapon unless you mean to use it, and never work for Washington. However, my country needs me in a fight against the greatest menace this world has ever seen, and they have promised me time to write enough to pull in checks from the magazines....

-Personal correspondence of Robert A. Heinlein to Hugo Gernsback


"It was hard on Dad. He'd been fighting for civil rights all his life, and was especially interested in opportunities for minority children. When the Boy Scouts desegregated, he naturally assumed that other youth organizations would follow suit. The Mickey Mouse Clubs were probably the most popular organization in the country for children, so he asked for a meeting with their leadership. Nothing. No response. He went to the press. They didn't care. He spoke from the pulpit. It was like preaching to empty air. He finally decided to save his energy for boycotts and the like.

"Sure, they weren't officially anti-Negro. They let you make your own chapter for your own race. But when you looked at the white neighborhoods, you saw the kids with the ears holding all sorts of fun events and enjoying themselves, with whoever was running the local organization showing up to help out. When my brother tried to start a chapter in our neighborhood, they sent him a handbook, but said that any financial assistance would have to come from local churches and civic organizations. Fine. We got together a few dollars and some space in the church basement. Then we'd hold meetings and try to talk with the local Mickey Mouse Club representatives to get cartoons for the events, or hats for our uniforms, or anything that we needed in order to be a functioning club. We couldn't even get in the front door. Finally we gave up. Dad told us not to let it get us down, that we were still Americans, but you know what? I had to quit when I couldn't live up to 'A Mousketeer is patriotic' with any sincerity in my heart. Finally, the club just folded. We never tried again."

-Yolanda King, quoted in Let Us Hold Our Banner High, Documentary Prize winner at the Cannes International Film Festival, 2002.


COFFEE HOUSE RAID: Bohemian Artists at Vesuvio's Held On Marihuana Charges

Vesuvio's, a popular social setting for members of San Francisco's so-called "Beat" artists, was raided last night by members of the San Francisco Police Department's Narcotics division. Among the arrestees was artist Wally Hedrick....

-San Francisco Chronicle
, 1/15/55


The President had gone through about three or four Chiefs of Staff in his administration. Disney was a bright man, shrewd, but tempermental. They'd work for him anywhere between eight months and a year, then the message would go out that they wanted to pursue opportunities in the private sector, or needed to spend more time with their families, or some bullshit story like that. The fact was that Disney blew through them like crazy. Here's what I figured: You've seen the old tapes of him on the news and such. Nice enough gentleman, right? Even when the reporters would ask him the rudest questions possible, he'd wave them off with a shrug and a smile. Masterful. But, see, you can only do that for so long before you start to pay a price. The price Disney paid was that he started getting difficult to deal with once the microphones and cameras were off. He'd get short with his staff, snapping at them and asking them to do the impossible.

Me? Hell, I worked for Tailgunner Joe. I knew how to deal with difficult personalities. Stroke the ego a bit, and if they're confused about what to do next, then just come up with a brilliant idea and act like it's theirs. Child's play. Of course, Disney was used to the business world where he got things done in a snap, and Washington moves like a turtle. But there are ways around that, too....

So anyway, the last in the line had just resigned. I'd been writing speeches and playing advance man here and there for a while, biding my time. Finally, the President called me into his office. The Oval Office, not his private one. Sat there behind the desk, staring at me as I stood there calmly. Trying to make it clear who was in charge. Hah! There isn't a politico out there who can impress me with the razzle-dazzle. So he sits some more, and stares some more, and finally says "Okay, Roy. I know this is what Joe brought you in for, and you've finally got it. Chief of Staff."

I was thinking of acting surprised, but I didn't want to insult the man's intelligence, so I just nodded and said "I'll get to work immediately, Mr. President." He dismissed me with a wave, I gave the "Thank you, Mr. President," and went back to my office to pack my things.

The second call I made was to my Mom. The first was to the Senator. Hey, she brought me into this world, but he gave me life.

-Retired Senator Roy Cohn (R-N.Y.), quoted in Magic Kingdom: America in the 50s, by Studs Terkel


While I hadn't agreed with the President in all ways at all times, we had generally managed a good working relationship based upon mutual respect and (I must admit) a certain awe of the man on my part. Certainly, he'd shown himself as fallible, giving in to fits of temper, or making decisions based more upon what I saw as pipe dreams than political realities. However, I could never fault the man's sincerity or desire for the best for the American people.

Unfortunately, we now entered what I still somewhat uncharitably refer to as the "snake in the garden" years in the White House: Roy Cohn was named Chief of Staff. I am well aware that my opinions regarding Senator Cohn are well-known, and have caused me and my family to be targets of the most scurrilous attacks from the radical right. Be that as it may, I cannot be less than honest regarding Cohn's unfortunate influence over the President, and also regarding the overtly manipulative behavior he engaged in in order to gain and maintain power within the Executive branch.

Roy Cohn cut his teeth as a member of Senator Joe McCarthy's staff. While Senator McCarthy is a figure of sainthood to the right wing and a demon to the left nowadays, at the time he was seen as just another politician on the make within the Beltway. He had done us a great service by ferreting out undesirable influences within the State Department, but recent investigations of his record seem to indicate that he also managed to persecute some innocent citizens as well. McCarthy finally had overrreached when he decided to investigate "red" influence in the Army. The President had talked him out of it, and in return for the Senator dropping the subject, had agreed to take on Roy Cohn as his Assistant Chief of Staff.

Frankly, the President was outmaneuvered. It took me several years to realize that Cohn had made the job of Chief of Staff impossible from the moment that he set foot in the White House. Bills that we were attempting to push would suddenly be stalled in committee, important documents would turn up missing, and scheduled appointments would suddenly fall through at the last minute. After I left the White House to return to the private sector some years later, I learned through contacts in Washington that Cohn's fingerprints had been all over this series of events. Instead of using his influence on the Hill to promote the President's agenda, he was using it in order to score points against his own bosses.

I should note that Cohn himself pleads innocence to this day, and claims that the various COSes that preceded him left due to President Disney being difficult to work for. Bah. I worked for the man for several years, and found him to almost always be a pleasure to deal with.

The wolf was loose among the lambs, and I was spending all of my time trying not to smell like mutton.

-The Truth of Fantasy: A Washington Memoir, Former White House Press Secretary James Dodd


ROCK AND ROLL RIOT: Juvenile Delinquents Damage Theater During Movie, Police Called, Several Injured.

LOS ANGELES- Police responded to reports of a riot at the Rialto Theater in Pasadena on Monday night during a showing of the new "rock and roll" film Blackboard Jungle. Pasadena Police Department spokeman Mitch Connelly stated that two officers and an undetermined number of youths were injured in the ensuing melee.

According to eyewitnesses, the trouble began during a performance of the song "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets, when several teenagers began dancing in the aisles of the theater. When they refused entreaties from the management to return to their seats, the projector was turned off in response, leading a pack of delinquents to begin causing damage to the theater....

-Los Angeles Times, 3/27/55


11:00 a.m.: Meetup at the Clubhouse.

11:15 a.m.: Recitation of Pledge of Allegiance. Singing of National Anthem. Singing of Mickey Mouse Club Anthem. Opening benediction led by Rev. Charles Wright, First Presbyterian.

11:45 a.m.: Review of demonstration plans.

12:00 Noon: Lunch provided by Kathy Johnson's family. Cold chicken, macaroni salad, punch, and pie. Signs handed out after eating.

1:00 p.m.: Walk to Bijou Theater. Keep your partner in sight at all times!

1:30 p.m.: Demonstration during ticket sales for first showing of "Blackboard Jungle". March and protest to continue until closing of theater, or until management agrees to stop showing film.

6:00 p.m.: Junior members return home.

10:00 p.m.: If management has taken no action, Senior members return home.

Please remember to obey all laws during the demonstration, and be polite and cheerful to passers-by. Respect your elders. If a member of the press approaches you, please politely guide him to your chapter leader or other adult associated with the demonstration. Do not give a quote of your own!

-Mickey Mouse Club "Fun Activity Schedule!" for St. Louis, MO, Club Chapter #342, 4/3/55
 
A very interesting (and original) timeline. I especially look forward to seeing the long-term ramifications of the Disney Administration's policies in greater detail.
 
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Japhy

Banned
The Rise of Roy Cohn is an interesting aspect, he'll go into the Senate after Disney is gone I guess? One wonders how he'll keep his homosexuality hidden durring the era. Or how an archconservitive will make it in a New York race.

All and all a great work and I cant wait for more, Nachos. :D
 
I am anxiously awaiting an update to this timeline.

Hey there! Good to see you again!

DOWTOWN FRACAS: Young Hoodlums Attack Mickey Mouse Club Rally, Dozens Injured.

-St. Louis Post-Dispatch headline, 4/4/55


"It is therefore the policy of this office that considering the unprovoked attack by delinquent elements of society against our membership, all Mickey Mouse Clubs will be required to encourage self-defense training, and provide qualified instructors for such, preferably trainers with a military background. If you are having difficulty finding a qualified individual in your community, please contact the Main Office in Burbank, CA for assistance."

-Nationally distributed memo to Mickey Mouse Club Leaders, 5/7/55


DISNEY MEETS WITH BIG CITY MAYORS TO PUSH FOR LOCAL MONORAIL SYSTEMS

-Washington Post, 5/8/55


Mr. President,

Thank you for your thoughtful letter. I know that I can speak for all of us in the space program when I say that your constant efforts to encourage scientific research and progress in this field have been greatly appreciated.

Per your suggestion, we have settled on "Davy Crockett" as the name of the satellite scheduled for launch next year.

My best to you and Mrs. Disney.


Sincerely,

Robert A. Heinlein
Advisor For Communication Protocol
National Space Research Council

DISNEYLAND OPENS TO GREAT FANFARE-President, Mrs. Disney among honored guests.

-The Orange County Register, 7/18/55


"For quite a while now, boys and girls across America have been joining the exciting new Mickey Mouse Clubs. Well, folks, the good folks at Disney have realized that not every child has the opportunity to share in the magic of this experience, so we're using the wonderful medium of television to bring the clubs to you personally! In just a minute you're going to meet my friends Tommy, Annette, Cubby, Darlene, and a whole bunch of wholesome, patriotic children just like you...."

Head Mouseketeer Ronald Reagan, host of The Mickey Mouse Club, first broadcast.


There were those who accused President Disney of being detached from domestic matters, especially those regarding the Negro issue. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On August 28, 1955, a young Negro named Emmett Till was killed in Money, Mississippi for the alleged "crime" of flirting with a white woman. Some say he directly accosted her with crude comments, others claimed that he simply whistled at her. Whatever the case may have been, the results were swift and deadly: Mr. Till was taken that night, killed, and sunk in the Tallahatchie River while weighted down with the fan from a cotton gin.

Mr. Till's grieving mother insisted upon an open casket funeral against the advice of her local mortician. The pictures made national news, and reached the President's desk. It was during our morning briefing that I gingerly approached the subject about how best to address this issue, if at all.

"Jimmy, my boy," he sighed. "This one weighs on me. Used to be that I didn't give the matter much thought one way or the other. Growing up in Missouri, the Negroes had their place, white folks another, and I figured that this was just the way that the world worked. Then I finally came out to California, where they're still separate, but more by their own choice. Never thought that it would make much difference if they finally got their full share of rights. Now I'm rethinking it. Take a look at this." He tossed a photograph of Till's badly mangled body into my lap, then stood and faced away from me. "That poor boy made a single stupid mistake, and paid the price for it. When something like that can happen, when one race gets the death penalty for a childish mistake towards another race, you have to ask one question: Are we really ready to live side by side as Americans?" The President seemed to shrink into himself. He'd been doing that a lot lately.

"Jimmy, I don't think that we're within a mile of being ready. I don't think that we ever will be. If I ever make the mistake of thinking that integration of anything will lead to peace and amity, all that I have to do is take a look at that picture to remind myself of the bestial depths of bigotry, and of what chaos would inevitably result."

-The Truth of Fantasy: A Washington Memoir, Former White House Press Secretary James Dodd.


Be advised that CI [REDACTED] has informed this office that the arrest of Mrs. Parks was planned in advance by Negro agitator and so-called "clergyman" Martin Luther King, Jr. Subject is currently under surveillance per orders from the office of the Director, and has been observed agitating for the creation of a communist-inspired "civil rights" group to be formed under the name "The Montgomery Improvement Association".

-Excerpted from FBI Memo, 12/7/55


SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES: TAKE THE BUS TODAY!

-Flyer distributed by Montgomery, Alabama Mickey Mouse Clubs


BURBANK, CALIFORNIA CLEARED FOR EPCOT FUNDING

-Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, 12/15/55


"...[T]hat was when they brought up the subject that had been weighing on their minds. Of course they knew the answer, or thought that they did. All the bosses were there for him. They all knew that the governor wanted the White House so bad that he could taste it, understand? So one of them, a big fat fellow, he leaned forward and said 'So, Governor, exactly when are you planning to announce?'"

And the Governor? Never heard the man cuss till that day, when he says "Go to hell. Get yourself another stooge." So they all say "Adlai!" in shock, and he just gets up in disgust and walks out of the room."

-Washington Banks, former butler to Governor Adlai Stevenson, quoted in Magic Kingdom: America In The 1950s


ESTES KEFAUVER ANNOUNCES "READINESS TO LEAD", CANDIDACY FOR DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION

-Washington Post, 1/2/56


And that's it so far...further updates later on.
 
This is an utterly fascinating and original timeline...Things are changed so fast Im not sure where things are going but Im definatley in for a ride lol btw who is Disney Vice President?
 
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