The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation's Golden Age

Art Babbitt, an animator who worked for the Disney studio in the 1930s and 1940s, led a union war that nearly destroyed it. He and Walt were jointly driven to elevate animation as an art form, but as America prepared for World War II, labor unions spread across Hollywood. Disney fought the unions while Babbitt embraced them, leading to angry Disney cartoon characters on picket signs and hundreds of animation artists going out on strike. Willie Bioff, one of Al Capone's wiseguys, was seizing control of Hollywood workers and vied for the animators union. Author and historian Jake S. Friedman reveals the details behind the labor dispute that changed animation and Hollywood forever in his book "The Disney Revolt".

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 12 September 2023
Publisher: Chicago Review Press

An integral chapter in Disney's history has remained largely overlooked for eighty years. Shortly after the birth of Mickey Mouse, one animator took the Disney Studio to unprecedented heights, surpassing Walt's expectations. This animator also spearheaded a union war that nearly brought the studio to its knees. Art Babbitt worked at the Disney studio for several decades, from the 1930s to 1941, alongside Walt, driven by a shared vision to elevate animation as an art form. During this period, Babbitt contributed to the creation of iconic films such as Snow White, Pinocchio, and Fantasia. However, as America geared up for World War II, labor unions began to spread across Hollywood. Disney, on the other hand, took a stand against the unions, while Babbitt embraced them. This led to a heated conflict, as angry Disney cartoon characters adorned picket signs, as hundreds of animation artists went on strike. Adding fuel to the fire was Willie Bioff, a prominent figure in Al Capone's criminal empire who was vying for control of Hollywood's workforce and sought to influence the animators' union.

Through extensive research utilizing previously lost records, including conversation transcriptions from within the studio walls, author and historian Jake S. Friedman unveils the intricate details behind the labor dispute that forever transformed animation and Hollywood.

The Disney Revolt is a captivating American tale that intertwines industry and underdog narratives, encapsulating the golden age of animated cartoons at the world's most renowned studio.

Weight: 538g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780913705179