book matters / 41 As a child, the best part of my day was TV time after school. Especially the fairy tales that I, like most children, consumed eagerly and was thrilled to see portrayed on television. This was the ‘70s, and I was far away in Asia, and someone would inevitably say, “Such amazing animation could only be from America.” I never paused then to wonder, How do they make these? This book clears a lot of that up. Nathalia Holt takes us from the 1930s to present day through the world of Walt Disney Studios, specifically into the lives of the lesser-known women artists behind the scenes. Many stellar women were on the payroll but greatly underpaid. Their vast contributions were overshadowed and never credited on screen, but they still persisted despite workplace harassment, resentment from male colleagues and the deeply entrenched sexism at the studio and in society. Her book offers an eye-opening view of the studio’s successes and struggles through the crash of 1929, the Great Depression, World War II and the tech nological advances and overhauled labor laws that greatly transformed the composition and the skillsets of the departments. We are introduced to the famed Ink & Paint Department, composed mainly of women artists, very few of whom would be promoted to better po sitions. We get to see this world through a handful of standout women who broke into the boys’ club, including Bianca Majolie, Retta Scott, Grace Hun tington, Sylvia Holland and Mary Blair. We are privy to their artistic perspec tive that brought fluid grace, meaningful depth and novelty to the characters and the narrative, and the key role they played in getting many beloved films released, even when most of the movies were box office failures and anima tion was struggling to break even. The women did this while balancing home struggles, layoffs, unfair hiring and compensation laws and no recognition. Holt builds this story gradually, aided by personal letters and notes from the story meetings and design sessions. She takes some artistic liberties by infusing some of her own imagination into these very real, remarkable women, making it a complete and hybrid narrative of their time in Disney’s golden age. We have them to thank for the lifelike deer in Bambi, the vivid dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Fantasia, the avantgarde couture in Cinderella (and the pumpkin chariot and the glass slipper). The list is endless. And what would childhood be without any of these un forgettable memories? Anu Mahadev is happy to admire Sleeping Beauty Castle as a free human being and to outgrow her childhood dream of being a princess singing from a turret in that very castle. If you’d like to share your thoughts on gilded cages, or the book picks in this issue, please feel free to email her at amahadev@me.com The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt Little, Brown & Company, October 2019 DNF. I was completely absorbed in the lives of these tough-minded women and the chances they took in the hopes of a better future. The men are mere pawns in this story. They come and go, some with good intent, some not. But this book belongs to the women – Birdie, Meg, Charlie, Frances, Vikto ria Tartt, Polly, Picador, Lucille, Isabelle Heidelberg, Willy May, and yes even Garnett Pittman. One more standout character was Virginia Cunningham, the only female medical student in her class at Ole Miss. I totally expect this book to be on the top reading lists and book club picks for a while. It would be interesting to see how a movie adaptation could be made, if a brave film maker will take on the task! Are you passionate about our community? Do you enjoy meeting business owners? Are you looking for a flexible, part-time sales position? Matters Magazine is hiring join our team Be part of a dynamic, local business that shares the good news of our community. email your resume to: jobs@mattersmagazine.com
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