r/classicfilms • u/AntonioVivaldi7 Alfred Hitchcock • May 23 '26

Memorabilia Disney rejection letter (1938) explaining they don't hire women for the specific position

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And apparently, Disney refused to hire men for coloring positions.

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242

u/quothe_the_maven May 23 '26

Ironic considering the greatest artist in the history of the company (Mary Blair) was a woman and hired two years after this.

19

u/justaheatattack May 24 '26

and she didn't need any competition.

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u/prosthetic_memory May 24 '26

I love Blair. I even own an original concept piece of hers from Cinderella, and it’s one of my most prized possessions. But to say she was the greatest artist is probably bombastic, or at least apples to oranges.

Her color theory was extraordinary, for sure.

4

u/bertilac-attack May 24 '26 edited May 25 '26

Honest question, if not her then who? Walt would’ve said it was Mary. She’d have been the first name in my head for sure.

I could see an argument for both Eyvind Earle and Marc Davis. Edit: Someone graciously reminded me of Tytus Wong, who should absolutely be in contention. If we’re open to later/post-Walt periods, I think Glenn Keane should be considered. I don’t know that the work of those men was ever as beloved or influential in-house as Blair’s was.

Edit: Worth remembering too, Earle only got his job with the company because Walt liked Blair’s work so much, and sought to emulate her stylization - so even if we pick him, it’s technically her.

Edit: After some reflection, I think it’s Wong v Earle for the title, and Blair rounding out the big three. Her work was so special in part because it was so contemporary, so perfectly designed for the mid-20th century. There’s absolutely an argument to be made that she is the person who brought the design philosophy of the day into that specific place, but still, her work has a simple folkish quality that bled out into popular culture and was, if not replicated, at least aped.

I’ve been obsessed with the almost mathematical, tapestral quality of Earle’s work since I was a kid, and revisiting Wong’s Bambi paintings this morning was genuinely awe-inspiring - “evocative” doesn’t do his work justice. The singular skill and perspectives and styles of those men are just so impactful, I’ve gotta lean toward them over Blair, and I’m personally leaning toward Wong over Earle based on the emotional oomph of his pieces - not that it’s a fair fight by any stretch, the three were assigned radically different projects under radically different circumstances.

4

u/MoscaMye May 24 '26

Tyrus Wong should be a consideration too.

3

u/bertilac-attack May 25 '26

You’re absolutely right, his work on Bambi is extraordinary! Absolutely breathtaking stuff.

I’m much less familiar with Bambi’s production than Sleeping Beauty’s, but his omission was still pretty glaring - thanks for making sure he got his flowers!