Posted on 07/28/2017 5:17:50 PM PDT by EveningStar
Marty Sklar had only just graduated from UCLA, and here he was shadowing Walt Disney, his demanding new boss.
The fledgling writer was unsure how to make himself useful, but he had a mind to scribble down some of the maxims Disney laced into conversation.
“Know your audience.” “Tell one story at a time.” “Wear your guests' shoes.”
Long after his mentor's death, Sklar recognized the treasure-trove of wisdom he had started compiling at Walt Disney's elbow in the late 1950s. He distilled it all into "Mickey's Ten Commandments," a widely circulated creed that remains a touchstone in the theme park industry.
The commandments were a cornerstone of Sklar's own 54-year career at Walt Disney Co., where he led the creative development of the Burbank company’s parks, attractions and resorts around the world, including its ventures in the cruise business, housing development and the redesign of Times Square in New York.
Sklar died Thursday in his Hollywood Hills home. No cause of death was given. He was 83.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
ping
Nice to learn about him.
I’ve always loved the work of Mary Blair:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Blair
http://community.digitalmediaacademy.org/14722-a-tribute-mary-blair-artist
http://theartofjordank.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-art-of-mary-blair.html
I was a first grader when Disney died. My grandmother told me that God needed him upstairs to entertain the children in Heaven.
The people who worked directly with Disney who are still living are becoming less and less
I know a very well known second generation Imagineer, recently retired. He and his sister just attended an event recently and I believe Sklar was there.
RIP.
I never met him in person, just talked to him on the phone
He was a True Disney Believer and a Big Honcho, he never talked down and he really enjoyed/loved the whole Disney Concept.
The few short times I spoke with him I realized he was a very Good businessman, he sold his Product more than I was Selling him, in our Project discussions he told me that when Walt was in the Hospital that he had folks come in and draw his ideas on the ceiling and to even a little Vendor on the phone like me... He convinced me I could be part of Walt’s Dream.
I learned a lot from him in a short period of time and he was a very good guy even though we didn’t do the big project that I Bid so many times or any other projects for that matter. He was a Super Salesman, he didn’t even have to try, he Believed, I learned so much just by listening to him. Maybe if I listened closer (or had some $)I would have Paid money to get one of the jobs. He was THAT good.
RIP Marty, Thank You, you are one of the “GOOD GUYS” in any Disney Movie.
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