MAN AND THE MOUSE PIONEERING FOUNDER OF A MULTINATIONAL EMPIRE LEFT A LEGACY OF CREATIVITY, INSPIRATION AND LOVE.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

Walt Disney left many things behind when he died 35 years ago: an unparalleled legacy in the field of animation; an enormously successful movie studio; the world's most famous theme park and a family that loved him.

But these days, the name of this most singular of creative men is more likely to conjure up the image of a corporate giant that is The Walt Disney Co. and all of its worldwide entities rather than the man who started it all.

``He was essentially a very inspirational kind of guy,'' said Richard Greene, co-author of the new Walt Disney biography, ``Inside the Dream: The Personal Story of Walt Disney.'' ``Unlike most creative people who achieve fame and success in one area, whether it's film, animation or theater, Walt achieved success in all of them. In one area following the next, he was a pioneer.''

On the occasion of Walt Disney's 100th birthday Wednesday, his family, in particular his daughter Diane Disney Miller, wants the world to know more about the man behind the corporate name.

``I think his is an inspirational story really,'' Miller said. ``Here's a man who did almost all that he wanted to do. He was a thoroughly good and decent human being, and he enjoyed life.''

By the time Miller was born in 1933, her father had already made his mark in Hollywood with the release of the animated short ``Steamboat Willie,'' featuring a future icon by the name of Mickey Mouse. But it was 1937's ``Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' - the first full-length animated feature in color and first commercially successful film of its kind - that really made Walt Disney a major force in the entertainment business.

He had put all of his studio's money and his personal funds behind this risky project, which was referred to at the time of its production as ``Disney's Folly.'' But it went on to usher in a new form of movie entertainment, won an Academy Award (one regular-sized statue and seven miniature ones) and proved its endurance once again when it was released for the first time on DVD this fall to robust sales.

``Walt oversaw every minute detail of the project at a time when critics told him it would never work,'' Greene said. ``But more than 60 years later, it's still such a potent draw.''

In the decade after the debut of ``Snow White,'' such enduring animated classics as ``Pinocchio,'' ``Fantasia,'' ``Dumbo'' and ``Bambi'' were released by Disney.

During those years, the Disney family, which included his wife, Lillian, and daughters Diane and Sharon, lived in a home in Los Feliz Hills, not far from Disney's Burbank studios.

``He came home, he brought scripts to read, but we didn't have a lot of animation around the house,'' Miller said. ``When we were little girls, we'd go to the studio in Burbank at least one day out of the weekend and follow him all around the animation building. We were so aware of what was happening there.''

When she was 5, Miller, now 67, got her first peek at ``Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.''

``I remember being in a soundstage in the old studio seeing it, and when the queen turned into a witch, I remember screaming and crying, and someone took me out of the studio,'' she said. ``Dad didn't change a thing.''

Of Disney's live-action films, Miller said her father was most proud of 1964's ``Mary Poppins'' which won several Academy Awards, including best actress for Julie Andrews.

Miller will be among the family members who will be attending a tribute to Walt Disney from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday. She was the force behind a documentary about the life of Walt Disney, ``Walt: The Man Behind the Myth,'' which will be rebroadcast on the A&E cable channel Saturday. The program originally aired on ABC this fall.

``The film was made because I really wanted people to know him,'' Miller said. ``His own family was important to him at all levels, and I think people must have had a hint that he was that kind of guy just from his work. What dad wanted to do was entertain people and make them laugh. It grew from being the classroom entertainer in school to experiences in vaudeville. That was always his focus, to bring fun and to bring joy.''

Co-producers of the documentary are Richard Greene and his wife, Katherine, who also co-authored the new book.

``One thing that struck me in doing years and years of research was how much his family loved him despite his working so much,'' Katherine Greene said. ``He was a fun, warm and interesting person who was interested in them. His children describe him as being very generous and the kind of father who would just play and play and play.''

As the decades wore on, the Disney empire grew and Walt Disney continued to look for new ways to entertain people and to challenge himself. In the 1950s, he not only oversaw the premiere of the classic ``Disneyland'' and ``Mickey Mouse Club'' television series, but also the opening of a theme park built in the middle of an Anaheim orange grove. He called it Disneyland and 46 years after its opening, it remains one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world and is the model for the modern-day theme park.

``I think, in all honesty, what has retained the interest in the man is the power of his creations and specifically those things he personally oversaw the creation of,'' Richard Greene said. ``It has retained so much impact.''

Katherine Greene said Disney's self-confidence gave him the courage to continue to try new things throughout his life.

``He could have stopped at any point but he was never satisfied,'' she said. ``He was always most proud of the project that he was most currently involved in. He had a willingness to take risks, incredible determination and a strong desire for quality.''

Roy Disney, now chairman of Walt Disney Animation, began working for his uncle after graduating from college in 1951. His father, Roy, was Walt's older brother and original partner in the movie business.

``I have two sets of memories,'' Disney said. ``One set is as a kid when he was my dad's younger brother, my favorite uncle and great storyteller. He loved kids. He was fun to be around. There were two other brothers as well and the four Disney boys would all come over to have brotherly croquet matches in the backyard.''

It was during the 25 years that the nephew spent working on nature films like ``The Living Desert'' and ``The Vanishing Desert'' that he experienced firsthand the high standards of Walt Disney, the boss.

``I got no points for being related,'' Disney said. ``He was plenty tough on me and everybody. He was so quick at picking up mistakes or problems. It just comes down to genius and he clearly had that even at the beginning of his career.''

Toward the end of his life as he privately battled lung cancer, Roy Disney said, his uncle became more impatient in wanting to get things done, including plans to build a new theme park and experimental prototype city in Florida.

Walt Disney died in 1966 at the age of 65.

``None of us realized (the illness) was creeping up on him as long as it was,'' Disney said. ``In those final years, he was an especially tough boss and he didn't suffer fools. He expected the best out of you.''

Roy Disney will mark his uncle's 100th birthday at festivities at Walt Disney World in Orlando, where the tribute program ``Walt Disney: One Man's Dream'' made its debut Oct. 1. A more low-key celebration will take place on that day at Disneyland in Anaheim.

``I hope that he is looked at as a person as opposed to as a symbol of something,'' Disney said. ``It's really the person that creates the symbol. As you look back on his body of work, it's always been about the goodness within the human soul and the notion that hopefulness and happy endings and the joy of life is enormously important to each of us.''

100 YEARS OF WALT DISNEY

1901: Walt Disney is born on Dec. 5 in Chicago, Ill.

1923: Walt Disney arrives in Hollywood and the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio is born.

1928: ``Steamboat Willie'' is released, the first release starring Mickey Mouse.

1930: Mickey Mouse comic strip debuts and first Mickey Mouse book is published.

1934: Donald Duck makes his debut in ``The Wise Little Hen.''

1937: ``Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' is released, the first full- length animation movie.

1940: Disney Studio moves to lot in Burbank and both ``Pinocchio'' and ``Fantasia'' are released.

1941: ``Dumbo'' is released.

1942: ``Bambi'' is released.

1949: Walt Disney Music Company is formed.

1950: ``Treasure Island,'' Disney's first completely live-action movie is released. Disney's first television special, ``One Hour in Wonderland,'' also airs.

1953: ``Peter Pan'' is released.

1954: The Disneyland television series premieres and runs for 29 years under several different names and networks.

1955: Disneyland opens in Anaheim. Television's ``Mickey Mouse Club'' has its first airing.

1964: ``Mary Poppins'' is released.

1966: Walt Disney dies.

1971: Opening of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

1982: Epcot Center opens next to Walt Disney World.

1983: Tokyo Disneyland  opens.

1983: Disney channel makes its debut.

1984: Michael Eisner and Frank Wells become chairman and president of Walt Disney Productions.

1986: Walt Disney Productions changes its name to Walt Disney Co.

1987: First Disney Store opens in Glendale.

1989: Disney/MGM Studios theme park opens in Orlando, Florida.

1992: Disneyland Paris opens.

1994: ``Beauty and the Beast'' stage show opens on Broadway. ``The Lion King'' is released.

1995: Agreement reached to purchase Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion. Disney Online, Disney's Internet division, is formed. ``Pocahontas'' is released.

1996: The Walt Disney Co. completes purchase of the California Angels baseball team, two years after launching The Mighty Ducks hockey team, both in Anaheim.

1997: ``The Lion King'' stage production opens on Broadway.

1998: The Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World theme park opens.

2001: Disney's California Adventure theme park opens in Anaheim next to Disneyland. Disney completes purchase of the Fox Family Worldwide cable operation.

CAPTION(S):

9 photos, box

Photo:

(1) no caption (Walt Disney)

(2) Walt Disney spent many an early morning strolling through Disneyland, the theme park he designed and built in Anaheim, Calif., that he called ``The Happiest Place on Earth.''

Walt Disney Productions

(3) Walt Disney was awarded the most Oscars of any individual - a total of 20, including these four in 1954.

(4) Despite all the hard work Walt Disney put into founding and running a multinational entertainment giant, his children describe him as being very generous and the kind of father who enjoyed playing.

(5) Walt Disney discusses a scale model of Disneyland's Matterhorn, a replica of Switzerland's famous mountain.

(6) no caption (Steamboat Willie)

(7) no caption (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

(8) no caption (Disneyland)

(9) no caption (Mighty Ducks)

Box:

100 YEARS OF WALT DISNEY (see text)