Jimmy
Johnson may not be a name that comes immediately to mind when one things
of the Walt Disney Company, but was an integral part of the fledgling
company from the time he was hired as an assistant publicist in 1938 until
his retirement in 1975. Johnson
chronicles this period and his work in establishing the Disney Music
Company in his memoirs, Inside the
Whimsy Works, written around the time of his retirement, but not
published by his family until now.
The
book covers the several years Johnson worked for Disney in a variety of
positions, ranging from mailboy to the head of Disney’s musical
department. This allows him to
give an holistic look at the Disney Company, creating a memoir in which
the company itself is the focus rather than its famous leader or his older
brother, Roy, with whom Johnson worked more closely. The company,
therefore, comes across as an actual entity with workers of all levels,
rather than a management company that makes decisions and causes things to
magically get done. Even when Johnson moves into management, he
demonstrates how hands on he is, such as his descriptions of making sure
the music store in Disneyland was properly stocked.
Johnson’s
writes in a chatty and friendly style that invites the reader in, but he
has a tendency to jump around a little, which means that the timeline of
his tenure at Disney is not always entirely clear, made a little more
convoluted by the fact that some individuals keep popping up as Johnson
moved around the company. Johnson
also has an humility concerning his role at Disney, so even as he
describes major innovations he brought about for the company and the way
it did business, he makes it sound as if he was just a bit player.
For
the most part, Johnson refrains from saying anything negative about
anyone, so it is sometimes difficult to read between the lines to get a
full understanding of some of his business relationships, but his
descriptions of Oliver Bradshaw Johnston, with whom he worked in
Accounting and Character Merchandising, demonstrates that there were turf
issues and close-mindedness. If
Johnson is to be believed, Johnston was out to build his own fiefdom
within Disney and had delusions of his own competence.
Given Johnson’s take on Johnston, the latter’s lengthy career
with the company doesn’t entirely make sense given how quickly Fred
Raphael was let loose when the Disney brothers felt he was looking out for
himself rather than the company.
Johnson also spends a good deal of time
discussing the original Mouseketeers, specifically Annette Funnicello and
his role in helping build her career by spotlighting her and working out
record deals for her. Johnson
does spend part of the book wondering about the vicissitudes of luck that
make one person a star while overlooking other, more talented people, and
uses Funicello as an example, pointing out other Mouseketeers, such as
Darlene Gillespie of “Cubby” O’Brien, who he felt were more talented
than Funicello, but who didn’t connect with the audience in the same
way.
The
Disney Music department may not have the recognition the films or the
parks do, but, as Johnson describes, it has been an integral part of
Disney from its founding. Johnson was instrumental in its creation
and his memoir gives incredible insight into its formation and
functioning. Written in 1975, the work obviously can't cover the way
the division currently works, but with the rise of Annette Funicello,
Disney's teen star-making ability is clearly demonstrated and the document
serves an excellent historical purpose, while being an enjoyable and
entertaining book to read.
