"It would take more time than anybody has around the daily
news shops to think of the right thing to say about Disney.
"He was an original. Not just an American original, but
an original. Period. He was a happy accident, one of
the happiest this century has experienced. And judging by the
way it’s behaving, in spite of all Disney tried to tell it about
laughter, love, children, puppies, and sunrises, the century hardly
deserved him. He probably did more to heal - or at least soothe
- troubled human spirits than all the psychiatrists in the world.
There can’t be many adults in the allegedly civilized parts of
the globe who did not inhabit Disney’s mind and imagination for
at least for a few hours and feel better for the visitation.
"It may be true, as somebody said, that while there is no
highbrow in a lowbrow, there is some lowbrow in every highbrow.
But what Disney seemed to know was that while there is very little
grown-up in every child, there is a lot of child in every grown-up.
To a child, this weary world is brand-new, gift wrapped. Disney
tried to keep it that way for adults.
"By the conventional wisdom, mighty mice, flying elephants,
Snow White and Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy and Doc - all these were
fantasy, escapism from reality. It’s a question of whether
they are any less real, any more fantastic than intercontinental
missiles, poisoned air, defoliated forests, and scrap iron on
the moon. This is the age of fantasy, however you look at it,
but Disney’s fantasy wasn’t lethal.
"People are saying we will never see his like again."
