Jim looks back at a conversation with the Disney Legend and Historian.
The Disney Archives officially opened on June 22, 1970 and this week it celebrates its 50th anniversary. When the Archives opened, David Rollin Smith was the only employee in that department.
I interviewed Dave many times and he was always helpful when I needed information for an article. Here is an excerpt from one I did with him on March 16, 2005, at the Walt Disney Story Theater in what was at the time the Main Street Exposition Hall at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. The complete interview appears as a chapter in my book How to be a Disney Historian
This interview was done on stage in the afternoon in front of more than 300 eager cast members and we discussed the birth of the Archives. To save space, I have eliminated my questions because I think you can understand what they were just from Dave's responses.
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