Walt Disney on the Civil War (1956)

On May 30, 1956 this episode of Walt's TV show aired (Behind the Scenes with Fess Parker) to advertise the release of Walt's latest big budget film, the Great Locomotive Chase.

The Great Locomotive Chase was filmed in Cinemascope and a very ambitious project. There were only a few Cinemascope lenses in existence at the time and only very prestigious productions were produced in this format then. The film told the true story of when Union spies were sent behind enemy lines to cut off Confederate communications as they stole a train headed north. The story evenly portrayed the Americans on both sides of the war and this TV episode demonstrated the great lengths Walt always went to in order to ensure historical accuracy in his films. This is also a story that doesn't end happily but Walt knew it was an important story for families to hear. In many cases, the stories Walt dramatized in film were either the first time they had ever been told in cinema or they became the definitive cinematic versions.

In this excerpt is Walt's intro for this TV episode where he talks about how he knew veterans from both sides of the Civil War when he was a boy. The theme of Walt's intro and the film is about the nation healing and coming together. It's a message just as timely for today. You also see Walt show the well-worn copy of the book the film is based on from his family library when he was a boy. If you've not seen the Great Locomotive Chase it's a film worth seeing.

Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.