The Disney Revolt

The Great Labor War of Animation's Golden Age

By: Jake S. Friedman

Narrated by: Adam Verner

An essential piece of Disney history has been unreported for eighty years.

Soon after the birth of Mickey Mouse, one animator raised the Disney Studio far beyond Walt's expectations. That animator also led a union war that almost destroyed it. Art Babbitt animated for the Disney studio throughout the 1930s and through 1941, years in which he and Walt were jointly driven to elevate animation as an art form, up through Snow White, Pinocchio, and Fantasia.

But as America prepared for World War II, labor unions spread across Hollywood. Disney fought the unions while Babbitt embraced them. Soon, angry Disney cartoon characters graced picket signs as hundreds of animation artists went out on strike. Adding fuel to the fire was Willie Bioff, one of Al Capone's wise guys who was seizing control of Hollywood workers and vied for the animators' union.

Using never-before-seen research from previously lost records, including conversation transcriptions from within the studio walls, author and historian Jake S. Friedman reveals the details behind the labor dispute that changed animation and Hollywood forever.

©2022 Jake S. Friedman (P)2022 Tantor

History

Great book to learn about the history of the Disney Studio and its animators. I would definitely recommend it to any fan of the history of the Disney company.

Insightful story on union & Disney

Easy to listen to and thoughtful chapter breakdown

Fortunate to hear author talk @ SF Cartoon Museum

Disney had greater potential

Walt Disney could have extended the golden age for animation if he had been honest about sharing the profits from Snow White. He was a smart man. It is hard to understand this mistake.

Dark Side of Disney Revealed

I have known Jake Friedman since we were in kindergarten. Growing up, Jake always draw and I would color in his drawings. We joked that one day we would both get jobs at Disney. I am so proud of Jake that he did realize this childhood dream when he was interview for a special on ABC for Snow White. In this book, Jake shows there was a dark side to being a Disney employee and sometimes the apple you pick could be poisonous. I do encourage you to take a bite and learn all about The Disney Revolt.

Had to force myself to finish it.

The subject had a lot of promise, but I found the book to ramble and become tedious for my taste. Initial impression was that the book was off to a slow start, and that it would pick up momentum. It did not.