Gujarat Board GSEB Solutions Class 12 English Second Language Unit 2 Read 1 Unforgettable Walt Disney Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.
GSEB Std 12 English Textbook Solutions Unit 2 Read 1 Unforgettable Walt Disney (2nd Language)
GSEB Class 12 English Unforgettable Walt Disney Text Book Questions and Answers
Comprehension
1. Underline / Write five sentences that create Walt’s character.
(1) I half expect to encounter that gangly, country- boy figure, head bowed in thought about some new project.
(2) For my imaginative, industrious brother left enough projects in progress to keep the rest of us busy for many, many years.
(3) Walt was a complex man. To the writers, producers and animators who worked with him, he was a genius who had an uncanny ability to add an extra fillip of imagination to any story or idea.
(4) To the millions of people who watched his TV show, he was a warm, kindly personality, bringing fun and pleasure into their homes.
(5) To the bankers who financed us, I’m sure he seemed like a wild man, hell-bent for bankruptcy.
2. Make a list of adjectives used for Walt and classify them.
(1) Creative : matchless imagination, virtuoso imagination, musical, fertile imagination, unique creation
(2) Psychological: complex man
(3) Work-oriented : successful, stubborn, industrious, overwhelming success
(4) Ambitious : most ambitious
(5) Artistic : creative, aesthetic
(6) Others : Warm, kind personality, wild man, amazing kid
3. Write ‘Yes’ in the box if the sentence is true. Write ‘No’ if it is false and then rewrite the correct sentence without changing the underlined parts.
Example:
Walt was a warm and heartless personality who brought fun into the homes of millions of people.
Answer:
Walt was a warm and kind personality who brought fun into the homes of millions of people. No
Question 1.
Walt used to sit gloomily through the saddest cartoon, trying to focus on some way to improve it.
Answer:
Walt would sit gloomily through the funniest cartoon concentrating on some way to improve it. No
Question 2.
Walt had angrily nursed the dream of a new kind of amusement park for years together.
Answer:
Walt had quietly nursed the dream of a new kind of amusement park for years together. No
Question 3.
The success of Disneyland totally changed Walt and he remained a simple man.
Answer:
The success of Disneyland never changed. Walt and he remained the simplest of men. No
Question 4.
Young Roy was so surprised at Walt’s graphic telling of a fairy tale that he remembered all about his measles.
Answer:
Young Roy was so surprised at Walt’s graphic telling of the fairy tale that he forgot all about his measles. No
Question 5.
Millions of people flocked to see the unique creation of Walt’s imagination.
Answer:
No change Yes
Question 6.
After becoming successful in business, Walt borrowed several million dollars for the development of California Institute of Art.
Answer:
After becoming successful in business, Walt donated several million dollars for the development of California Institute of Art. No
Question 7.
Walt studied cartooning in Paris and then started a little animated cartoon company in Kansas city.
Answer:
Walt studied cartooning in Chicago, and then started a little animated cartoon company in Kansas city. No
Question 8.
Walt was only fifteen years old when he decided to try his luck in Hollywood.
Answer:
Walt was only twenty-one years old when he decided to try his luck in Hollywood. No
Question 9.
The Alice cartoons were not very successful, so Walt started a new series called Oswald the Rabbit.
Answer:
No change. Yes
Question 10.
Even on the previous night of his death, Walt was full of plans for the future.
Answer:
No change. Yes
4. Complete the sentences
Question 1.
Walt is famous in the world for ….
Answer:
Walt is famous in the world for his cartoons, nature films and feature movies.
Question 2.
To keep the rest of them busy for many many years, Walt ….
Answer:
To keep the rest of them busy for many many years, Walt left enough projects in progress.
Question 3.
Walt had impractical dreams but ….
Answer:
Walt had impractical dreams but he made them come true.
Question 4.
An old-fashioned train was one of the first attractions at Disneyland because ….
Answer:
An old-fashioned train was one of the first attractions at Disneyland because Walt never lost his love for trains.
Question 5.
Walt earned his first money by ….
Answer:
Walt earned his first money by drawing a sketch of a neighbour’s horse.
Question 6.
Edward was wide-eyed because ….
Answer:
Edward was wide-eyed because Walt’s graphic telling of the fairy tale that he forgot all about his measles.
Question 7.
Edward was disappointed because ….
Answer:
Edward was disappointed because the picture didn’t seem as exciting as when uncle Walt told it.
Question 8.
Every kid isn’t fortunate enough to have a bike of his own so … .
Answer:
Every kid isn’t fortunate enough to have a bike of his own so Walt told the story man (narrator) to stop outlining ‘your bicycle’ in the sequence called ‘How to Ride a Bicycle.’
5. Find the sentences from the text with similar meaning.
Question 1.
Walt was the central figure for all creations of the company.
Answer:
Walt was so much the driving force behind all we did from making movies to building Disneyland.
Question 2.
Disneyland is the example of his firm decision.
Answer:
The story of Disneyland, perhaps better than anything else illustrates Walt’s vision and his stubborn determination to realize an idea he believed in.
Question 3.
For a longer period of time he didn’t share his idea of amusement park with anybody.
Answer:
For years, Walt had quietly nursed the dream of a new kind of amusement park. It seemed so preposterous that he wouldn’t mention it to anyone.
Question 4.
It should be unique.
Answer:
It should look like nothing else on this earth.
Question 5.
Walt entertained himself with Disneyland / enjoyed Disneyland as strangers did.
Answer:
Walt used to wander through the park, gawking as happily as any tourist.
Question 6.
Everyone has an inborn childlike playfulness, ability to rejoice in little things and the power of imagination.
Answer:
”… that precious, ageless something in every human being which makes us play with children’s toys and laugh at silly things and sing in the bathtub and dream.”
6. Write one sentence to show significance of these in Walt’s life.
1.Trains
Answer:
Walt never lost his love for trains.
2. Alice in Cartoonland
Answer:
Alice in Cartoonland did not make much.
3. Mouse
Answer:
Mickey, Walt’s mouse, only the first successful product of his matchless imagination and ability to make his dreams become a reality.
4. Imagination
Answer:
Walt was a genius who had uncanny ability to add an extra fillip of imagination to any story or idea.
5. Shortage of finance ………
Answer:
To bankers who financed him, he seemed like a wild man, hell-bent for bankruptcy.
6. Bicycle
Answer:
During one story conference, the story man was outlining ‘your bicycle’ in a sequence called ‘How to ride a bicycle’. There he started, “Now when you get on your bicycle…” Walt corrected it ‘Change your bicycle to a bicycle.”
Tick mark the sentences / phrases nearest in meaning.
Question 1.
I half expect to encounter that gangly, country- boy figure, head bowed in thought about some new project.
(a) The narrator misses him.
(b) The narrator praises him.
(c) The narrator talks about Walt’s habit.
Answer:
(c) The narrator talks about Walt’s habit.
Question 2.
He was a genius who had an uncanny ability to add an extra fillip of imagination to any story or idea.
(a) He could twist any story.
(b) Through his art, he would add in beauty to any story.
(c) He was an imaginative writer.
Answer:
(b) Through his art, he would add in beauty to any story.
Question 3.
Walt was a complex man.
(a) He was not easy to understand.
(b) He had difficult thoughts that he could not express.
(c) Different people understood him in different ways.
Answer:
(a) He was not easy to understand.
Question 4.
It didn’t seem as exciting as when Uncle Walt told it.
(a) Walt presented the story better than the movie could.
(b) The movie seemed better than the story told by uncle orally.
(c) Walt could not make the story as he wished.
Answer:
(a) Walt presented the story better than the movie could.
Question 5.
Whatever it is I’ve got, don’t get it.
(a) He didn’t want any one to succeed as much as he did.
(b) He didn’t want any one to suffer from the same disease.
(c) He suggested others not to enter into his profession.
Answer:
(b) He didn’t want any one to suffer from the same disease.
Question 6.
The rest is a history…………..
(a) The world knows what happened then onwards.
(b) The world knows history of Walt.
(c) Walt was a history maker.
Answer:
(a) The world knows what happened then onwards.
8. Give arguments to prove these
Question 1.
The final judgement was always unquestionably his.
Answer:
Walt always valued the opinion of those working with him. He listened to the opinion of others patiently. He did like people to always agree with him. If he did not appreciate the disliked view of a critic he would finally do what he wanted.
Question 2.
Walt was a complex man.
Answer:
A complex man is a person who is different to be understood. It was not easy to judge the outcome of his imagination. Yet the result was appreciated by all.
Question 3.
Success never changed Walt.
Answer:
In spite of failures Walt continued working on his ideas. ‘Mickey’ brought a big change in his fortune. It helped him go for a studio and then came the Disneyland and then the Disney world. But success never changed him. For him celebration was to have a burger and chili at some restaurant.
Question 4.
Walt Disney’s influence will never be finished.
Answer:
Walt Disney’s influence would never be finished. Even on his deathbed he was full of plans for the future. The future generations will continue to celebrate what he once described as ‘that precious, ageless something in every human being which makes us play with children’s toys and laugh at silly things and sit in the bathtub and dream.’
9. Answer the following questions:
Question 1.
Write three sentences about personality of Walt.
Answer:
Walt was a very simple person with highly imaginative ideas. He was highly industrious and had many projects on hand. He possessed a complex character. He was a genius who had an uncanny ability to add an extra fillip to any story or imagination. He was a warm kindly personality, bringing fun and pleasure to all.
Question 2.
What was Walt for different people ?
Answer:
According to his brother, Walt was imaginative and industrious. The banker thought he was a wild man hell-bent for bankruptcy. To his brother he was an amazing kid full of impractical dreams.
Question 3.
Write a few sentences about Walt’s journey from ‘horse’ to ‘mouse’.
Answer:
Walt earned his first nickel by drawing a sketch of his neighbour’s horse. He studied cartooning in Chicago. He started an animation company in Kansas City, which flopped.
At the age of 21, he tried his luck in Hollywood. He started a cartoon series called Alice in Cartoonland. It did not make much. Next was Oswald the Rabbit. Here he was deceived. The next was Mickey Mouse which met with astonishing success. He then never looked back.
Question 4.
Why did Walt say, ‘Change your bicycle to a bicycle’ ?
Answer:
Walt involved himself in everything. During a story conference, the storyman was outlining a sequence called ‘How to ride a bicycle’, He referred to an incident saying ‘when you ride your bicycle’ Walt at once commented, ‘it is not possible for every kid to own a bicycle’ so he changed ‘your’ to ‘a’.
Question 5.
“I fertilize that field with it.” What do ‘that field’ and ‘it’ refer to here ?
Answer:
A friend once asked Walt what he would do with all the money he had got after the success of Mickey. At that time, Walt said that he would fertilize (develop) that field (his studio) with it (the money).
Question 6.
What inspiration do you get from the last days of Walt?
Answer:
Even in his last days Walt was an inspiration to others. On his deathbed he was full of plans for the future. One should never give up efforts till the last moment is what we learn from the life of Walt.
Question 7.
List creations of Walt. Write one or two sentences about each.
Answer:
Sketch of neighbour’s horse helped him earn his first nickel. Alice in Cartoonland failed. The animated-cartoon company in Kansas City also flopped. Series called Oswald the Rabbit was better but the distributor copy-righted it.
Mickey Mouse was a great success. Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida was a great success making his imaginative idea come true. He donated land for the California Institute of Art.
(A) Additional Questions and Answers
Answer the following questions:
Question 1.
What fate did Walt’s cartoon Oswald, the Rabbit meet?
Answer:
Walt’s cartoon series Oswald, the Rabbit was doing better, but Walt went to a New York distributor for more money and he ran into trouble. The distributor copy-righted Oswald and took over the series himself.
Question 2.
‘Walt had an ability he could turn on for any occasion, large or small’. Illustrate.
Answer:
Once Walt’s nephew had measles. Walt came and told him the story of Pinocchio. Walt’s telling the story was a genius performance. His eyes riveted his listener, his moustache twitched expressively, his eyebrows rose and fell and his hands moved with the grace of a musical conductor. Young Roy was so wide-eyed at Walt’s graphic telling of the fairy tale that he forgot all about his measles.
Question 3.
Write about the fulfilment of Walt’s dream of Disneyland.
Answer:
Walt wanted to create something ‘which should look like nothing else on the earth’. And in July 1955 Disneyland opened. Since the first day, millions of people flocked to see the unique creation of Walt’s imagination. Like a kid with a big, shiny toy, Walt used to wander through the park, staring as happily as any tourist.
Question 4.
What was the effect of Disneyland’s grand success on Walt?
Answer:
Even the overwhelming success in the Disney’s fortunes did not change Walt. He remained the simplest of men. He hated parties, and his idea of a night out was just a burger and chilli at some little restaurant.
Question 5.
Describe Walt’s end of life.
Answer:
In the midst of all activities, Walt was stricken with a fatal illness. Although desperately ill and hospitalised, he was as full of plans for the future as he had been all his life.
Question 6.
What notion in Walt’s mind motivated him to create the Disneyland?
Answer:
Walt firmly believed that precious, ageless something in every human being which makes us play with children’s toys and laugh at silly things and sing in the bathtub and dream. This notion motivated him to create Disneyland and Walt Disney’s influence will never be finished.
(B) Short notes
1.Write short notes focussing on the questions:
Question 1.
Walt’s Mickey Mouse and Disneyland
- Mickey Mouse in 1928
- made a history in 1968
- product of Walt’s matchless imagination
- Disneyland a story of Walt’s unmatched vision and determination
- in July 1955 it opened with a bang
- nothing else like Disneyland on earth
Answer:
Walt’s Mickey Mouse and Disneyland:
Walt made a cartoon film Mickey Mouse in 1928. On reaching its 40th year, the cartoon made a s history. 100 million watched a Disney TV show, nearly a billion read a Disney book or magazine and almost ten million visited Disneyland.
Mickey was the first successful product of Walt’s matchless imagination and ability to make his dreams become reality. The story of Disneyland illustrates Walt’s vision and his stubborn determination to realise an idea he believed in.
For years Walt had quietly ( nursed the dream of a new kind of amusement s park. In July, 1955 Disneyland opened. Since that first day, millions of people have flocked to ( see the unique creation of Walt’s imagination. As Walt had dreamt Disneyland proved to be “like I nothing else on the earth”.
Question 2.
Walt’s Childhood and Beginning of his Careera tall country-boy figure -made sketches of animals
- earned first nickel for a horse’s sketch
- cartooning company
- decide to try his luck in Hollywood
- came to Los Angeles
- borrowed $ 500 and made Alice in Wonderland
- then Oswald
- distributer cheated
Answer:
Walt’s Childhood and Beginning of his Career: Walt was a tall, country-boy figure. He could be found with head bowed in thought all the time. In his childhood Walt sketched animals at the apple orchard and weeping willows at their old farm. Walt was greatly fond of trains. The money Walt had made was a nickel for a sketch of a neighbour’s horse.
He studied cartooning in Chicago, and then he started a little animated cartoon company in Kansas City. It flopped. Walt, just 21, decided to try his luck in Hollywood and, came to Los Angeles. He was carrying a cheap suitcase that contained all his belongings.
Walt and his brother Roy Disney borrowed $ 500 from an uncle, and Walt started a cartoon series s called Alice in Wonderland. It did not click. Then he made a better one-Oswald the Rabbit. The distributor copy-righted Oswald and took over the series himself. This is how he began his career full of struggle.
(C) Reading Comprehension
Read the following extracts and answer the questions:
(1) I met him at the station. He was carrying a cheap suitcase that contained all of his belongings. We borrowed $ 500 from an uncle, and Walt started a cartoon series called Alice in Cartoonland. It was tough going.
Walt did all the animation, and I cranked the old fashioned camera. The Alice cartoons didn’t make much of a splash, so Walt started a new series called Oswald the Rabbit. Oswald did better but when Walt went to our New York distributor for more money he ran into trouble.
Questions:
(1) Whom did the writer meet at the station ?
How can you say that the man he met was not rich?
(2) Why had Walt to start the Series Oswald the Rabbit ?
Answers:
(1) The writer met Walt at the station. When the writer met Walt at the station, he saw that Walt, he was carrying a cheap suitcase that contained all of his belongings.
(2) Walt had to start the series Oswald the Rabbit because the first cartoon series that he had made, did not make a good business.
(2) The rest is a history. Walt’s mouse, Mickey, celebrated his 40th birthday in 1968, and a happy 40th it was. A quarter of a billion people saw a Disney movie in 1968, million watched a Disney TV show, nearly a billion read a Disney book or magazine and almost ten million visited Disneyland. And Mickey, as Walt used to say, started it all.
Questions:
(1) How was the 40th birthday of Mickey a happy day?
(2) In what different ways was the production of Walt enjoyed?
Answers:
(1) The 40th birthday of Mickey in 1968 was a happy day because on that day a quarter of a billion people saw a Disney movie, 100 million watched a Disney TV show, nearly a billion read a Disney book or magazine and almost a ten million visited Disneyland.
(2) The production of Walt, i.e., Disney along with its Mouse, Mickey was enjoyed by people in many different ways. They saw the movie, watched the TV show, read the book or magazine and visited Disneyland.
(3) The story of Disneyland, perhaps better than anything else, illustrates Walt’s vision and his stubborn determination to realize an idea he believed in. For years, Walt had quietly nursed the dream of a new kind of amusement park.
It would be a potpourri of all the ideas conjured up by his fertile imagination. But the idea of sinking millions of dollars into an amusement park, even Walt’s kind of amusement park seemed so preposterous that he wouldn’t mention it to anyone. He just quietly began planning.
Questions:
(1) What does the story of Disneyland illustrate ?
(2) How was Walt’s dream of amusement park?
Answers:
(1) The story of Disneyland illustrates Walt’s vision and his stubborn determination to realise an idea he believed in.
(2) Walt’s dream-amusement park would be a mixture of all the ideas generated by his fertile imagination.
(4) The overwhelming success of Walt’s “crazy idea” triggered a dramatic about-face in the Disney fortunes. Yet success never changed Walt. He remained the simplest of men. He hated parties, and his idea of a night out was a burger and chilli at some little restaurant. His only extravagance was a miniature railroad that ran around the grounds of his home.
“What do you do with all your money ?” a friend once asked him. Pointing at the studio, Walt said, “I fertilize that field with ? it.” And it’s true that Walt ploughed money back into the company almost as fast as it came in.
Questions:
(1) Was there any effect of the overwhelming success of Disneyland ? Explain.
(2) What did Walt do with the money he earned abundantly?
Answers:
(1) The overwhelming success of Disneyland s brought about enormous fortunes to Walt. But still he remained the simplest of men. He hated parties, and his idea of a night out was only a burger and chilli at some little restaurant.
(2) Walt earned enormous money from his production of Disneyland. He would invest it back into the company, i.e., the studio she had established, almost as fast as it came in.
(5) As far back as I can remember, Walt was drawing. The first money he ever made was a nickle for a sketch of a neighbour’s horse. He studied cartooning in Chicago, and then started a little animated-cartoon company in Kansas city that flopped.
Questions:
(1) How much money did Walt earn from his sketch?
(2) Where did Walt start animated-cartoon company?
Answers:
(1) From his sketch of a neighbour’s horse Walt earned a nickle.
(2) Walt started a little animated-cartoon company in Kansas city.
(6) For my imaginative, industrious brother left enough projects in progress to keep the rest of us busy for many many years. Walt was a complex man. To the writers, producers and animators, who worked with him, he was a genius, who had an extraordinary ability to add an extra stroke of imagination to any story or idea.
To the millions of people who watched his TV show, he was a warm kindly personality, bringing fun and pleasure into their homes. To the bankers who financed us, I’m sure he seemed like a wild man, hell-bent for bankruptcy. To me he was my amazing kid brother, full of impractical dreams that he made come true.
Questions:
(1) What did the writer think about Walt ?
(2)The bankers thought that Walt
Answers:
(1) The writer, i.e., Walt’s younger brother-Roy Disney – believed his brother, Walt to be an imaginative and industrious person. He also believed that he was a complex man.
(2)The bankers thought that he was a wild man. They took him to be a bankrupty.
(7) The apple orchard and weeping willows stand green and beautiful at our old farm, Where Walt sketched his first animals. I recall how Walt and I would snuggle together in bed and hear the haunting whistle of a locomotive passing in the night. Out Uncle Mike was an enginer, and he’d blow his whistle-one long and two shorts-just for us.
Questions:
(1) Where did Walt sketch his first animals ?
(2) For whom would Uncle Mike blow his whistle ?
Answers:
(1) Walt sketched his first animals at the apple orchard and weeping willows at their old farm.
(2) Uncle Mike blew his whistle for Walt and his brother – Roy.
(8) Walt studied cartrooning in Chicago, and then started a little animated-cartoon company in Kansas City that flopped. I was in Los Angeles when Walt, just 21, decided to try his luck in Hollywood. I met him at the station. He was carrying a cheap suitcase that contained all of his belongings. We borrowed $ 500 from an uncle and Walt started a cartoon series called Alice in Cartoonland.
Questions :
(1) Where did Walt start a little animated- cartoon company?
(2) Why did Walt borrow some money from an uncle?
Answers:
(1) Walt started a little animated-cartoon company in Kansas City.
(2) Walt borrowed $ 500 from an uncle to start a cartoon series.
(D) Say True or False
Write whether the following sentences are True or False:
(1) Walt earned his first money by drawing a sketch of a neighbour’s horse.
(2) Walt had practical dreams and he made them come true.
(3) Walt was only fifteen-years-old when he decided to try his luck in Hollywood.
(4) The success of Disneyland never changed Walt and he remained the simplest of men.
(5) Walt’s idea of starting an amusement park seemed to be a silly idea.
(6) Disneyland is the example of Walt’s firm decision.
(7) Walt was a simple man.
(8) Walt used to say that Disneyland would never be finished.
(9) Walt was a warm and kind personality who brought fun into the homes of millions of people.
(10) Walt used to sit gloomily through the saddest cartoon, trying to focus on some way to improve it.
(11) Walt had nursed the dream of a new kind of amusement park for years together.
(12) Young Roy was so surprised at Walt’s graphic-telling of the fairy tale that he forgot all about his measles.
(13) After becoming successful in business, Walt borrowed several million dollars for the development of California Institute of Art.
(14) Success brought tremendous changes in Walt.
Answer:
(1) True
(2) False
(3) True
(4) True
(5) False
(6) True
(7) False
(8) True
(9) True
(10) False
(11) True
(12) True
(13) False
(14) False
Unforgettable Walt Disney Summary in Gujarati
સમગ્ર વિશ્વમાં વૉલ્ટ ડિઝની આજે કોઈ પરિચયનો મોહતાજ નથી. વૉલ્ટના ભાઈએ અહીં જે વૉલ્ટનું શબ્દચિત્ર આલેખ્યું છે, તે સંઘર્ષ અને સફળતાની યાત્રાની માર્ગદર્શિકા છે. આખો દિવસ વિચારોમાં ડૂળ્યા રહેતા પાતળા બાંધાના ઊંચા દેશી છોકરાની અદ્વિતીય સિદ્ધિઓની આ કથા છે. અત્યંત કલ્પનાશીલ, ઉદ્યમી એવા વૉલ્ટને સમજવો જટિલ હતો. તેની સાથે કામ કરતા લેખકો, પ્રદ્યુસર્સ કે ઍનિમેટર્સ આ વિચક્ષણ બુદ્ધિના સ્વામીને ક્યારેય સમજી શક્યા નહોતા. બૅન્કવાળા એને લોન આપતા ડરતા.
નાનપણથી જ ચિત્રકામનો શોખ એને સુંદર કાર્ટૂન દોરવા તરફ લઈ ગયો. શિકાગોમાં કાર્ટૂનિંગ શીખ્યા બાદ કૅન્ઝસ શહેરમાં ઍનિમેટેડ કાર્ટુન કંપની સ્થાપી અને એ નિષ્ફળ ગઈ. ત્યારબાદ કાકા પાસેથી 500 ડૉલર ઉછીના લઈ ‘એલિસ ઇન કાર્ટુનલૅન્ડ’ નામની કાર્ટુન સીરિઝ બનાવી. ત્યારબાદ ‘ઓસ્વાલ્ડ, ધ રેબિટ’ બનાવી, જેણે ઠીક ઠીક ધંધો કર્યો પણ પછી ન્યૂ યૉર્કના એક ડિસ્ટ્રબ્યુટરે સોદામાં એ પચાવી પાડી.
ત્યારબાદ એને જે પારસમણિ હાથ લાગ્યો એ ‘મિકી માઉસ’, જેણે આકાશની ઊંચાઈઓ બી. 1968માં 25 કરોડ લોકોએ ડિઝની મૂવી જોયું, 10 કરોડ લોકોએ ડિઝની ટીવી શો જોયો, અન્ય 25 કરોડ લોકોએ ડિઝની પુસ્તક અને સામયિક વાંચ્યાં અને લગભગ 10 લાખ લોકોએ ડિઝનીલેન્ડની મુલાકાત લીધી.
ડિઝની નાની વાતને પણ મોટા અવસરમાં ફેરવી શકતો. મનોરંજનને વૉલ્ટે જીવનમંત્ર બનાવ્યો. પ્રોડક્ટ બનાવ્યા પછી તેના પર એ લોકોનો મત એ જરૂર લેતો, પણ અંતિમ ફેંસલો તો તેનો જ રહેતો. ડિઝનીલૅન્ડની વાત એ વૉલ્ટની દષ્ટિ અને દઢ મનોબળનો પુરાવો છે. ડિઝનીલેન્ડ કેવું લાગવું જોઈએ ?’ એવા પ્રશ્નના ઉત્તરમાં વૉલ્ટ ખુમારીથી કહેતો, “સમગ્ર પૃથ્વી પર એના સમાન અન્ય કશું (કોઈ સ્થાન) જ ન હોય તેવું લાગવું જોઈએ.”
જુલાઈ 1955માં ડિઝનીલૅન્ડ ખુલ્લું મુકાતાં લોકોના ટોળેટોળાં જોવા ઉમટ્યાં. અદ્વિતીય સફળતા અને સંપત્તિ પણ વૉલ્ટને ચળાવી શકી નહિ. એ એ જ સાદો સરળ માનવ રહ્યો. તે જે સંપત્તિ કમાયો તે વળી પાછી તેના સુડિયોમાં જ નાખી. એનાં અન્ય ગૌરવપૂર્ણ યોગદાન – ‘મિનરલ કાઇન્ડ’, કેલિફૉર્નિયા ઇન્સ્ટિટ્યૂટ ઑફ આર્ટ’, ‘100 મિલિયન ડૉલરનું ડિઝનીલૅન્ડ’ અને ફ્લોરિડાનું ‘સિટી ઑફ ટુમોરો’ ગણી શકાય.
તે જીવલેણ રોગમાં સપડાયો તે સમયે પણ તેના શબ્દો હતા, “ભલે મને આ રોગ થયો, પણ અન્ય કોઈને આ રોગ ન થજો.” આવા રોગમાં હૉસ્પિટલમાં હોવા છતાં તેનું મગજ તો ભવિષ્યના આયોજનોમાં જ ખોવાયેલું હતું. વૉલ્ટ કહેતો કે “ડિઝનીલૅન્ડ ક્યારેય પૂરું થયું નથી અને એનો ક્યારેય અંત આવશે નહિ.”
તે દઢપણે માનતો હતો કે દરેક માણસમાં એક બાળક છુપાયેલું છે જે અજર છે. તેને રમકડાં રમવાં, મુક્તપણે હસવું અને બાથરૂમમાં કે સપનામાં ગીત ગાવાં ગમે છે. માનવમનની આ ગહનતાને પામી તેને ‘ડિઝનીલૅન્ડ’ તરીકે મૂર્તિમંત કરનાર આ સપનાંના સોદાગરને સો સો સલામ !
Glossary (શબ્દાર્થ)
ભાષાંતર
મારો ભાઈ વૉલ્ટ અત્યારે જીવિત નથી, છતાંય અત્યારે પણ 5 જેને લીધે તે સમગ્ર વિશ્વમાં જાણીતો થયો તથા તેને પ્રેમ સંપાદન થયો તે કાર્ટૂન્સ, નેચર ફિલ્સ અને ફિચર મુવીઝ જ્યાં બની હતી, તે ટુડિયોમાં તેની ઉપસ્થિતિ સતત વર્તાય છે. અત્યારે પણ હું જ્યારે ટુડિયોમાં કામ કરનારાઓની વચ્ચે ચક્કર લગાવતો હોઉં ત્યારે મને માથું નીચે ઘાલીને કોઈક નવા પ્રોજેક્ટના વિચારોમાં તલ્લીન એવા
એ ઊંચા, દેશી છોકરાનો જાણે કે) સાક્ષાત્કાર થાય છે. ચલચિત્રો બનાવવાથી માંડી મકાન બનાવવા સુધીની જે પણ પ્રવૃત્તિઓ અમે કરતા એ દરેકમાં વૉલ્ટ અમારું પ્રેરકબળ હતો. હજુય એ જીવિત ન હોય તેમ લોકો (આજેય) ડિઝનીલૅન્ડ એમ એના નામનો ઉલ્લેખ સતત કરતા જ રહે છે. જ્યારે પણ અમે નવું પિક્યર બનાવીએ કે ડિઝનીલેન્ડમાં કોઈક પાસાનો ઉમેરો કરીએ ત્યારે કોઈક તો એવું જરૂર પૂછી બેસે
છે, “મને આશ્ચર્ય થાય છે (ક) વૉલ્ટને આ (બનાવવાનું) કેવી રીતે ગમ્યું હશે?” અને જ્યારે પણ આવું થાય છે કે મને તરત જ થઈ આવે છે કે (અરે હા, આ તો એ જ છે, જેમાં તેણે આયોજન કર્યું હતું. અમે બધા વર્ષો સુધી વ્યસ્ત રહીએ એ માટે મારો કલ્પનાશીલ, ઉદ્યમી ભાઈ પૂરતું પાછળ છોડી ગયો છે. વૉલ્ટ એ એક જટિલ (ન સમજાય તેવો) માણસ હતો.
લેખકો, પ્રદ્યુસરો તથા ઍનિમેશન ફિક્સ બનાવનાર એ તમામ માટે એ એક વિચક્ષણ પ્રતિભા હતો, જેની પાસે કોઈક વાર્તા કે વિચારમાં કલ્પનાશક્તિથી કશુંક વિશેષ ઉમેરવાની અસાધારણ ક્ષમતા હતી. જે લાખો લોકો તેના ટીવી શો નિહાળતા એ તમામ
માટે તેમના ઘરોમાં મનોરંજન અને ખુશી લાવનાર, એક હૂંફ આપનાર, કરુણાસભર વ્યક્તિત્વ હતો. મને ખાતરી છે કે તેને નાણાં ધીરનાર બૅન્કર્સને એ દેવાળું કાઢવાની પૂરેપૂરી શક્યતા ધરાવનાર ઉદામ વ્યક્તિ લાગતી. મારા માટે તો એ એક અદ્ભુત ભાઈ હતો, જેણે બિનવ્યવહારુ સપનાને સાકાર કરી બતાવ્યાં.
જ્યાં વૉલ્ટે સૌપ્રથમ પ્રાણીઓના સ્કેચ (રેખાચિત્રો) બનાવ્યાં હતાં, એ સુંદર, લીલીછમ સફરજનની વાડીઓ અને હર્યાભર્યા ઝાડવાં ધરાવતું અમારું જૂનું ફાર્મ (વાડી) આજે પણ છે. મને યાદ આવે છે (ક) વૉલ્ટ અને હું કેવા પથારીમાં એકબીજાને લપાઈને સૂતા અને રાતે પસાર થતી ટ્રેનની ડરાવી દેતી સીટી સાંભળતા.
અમારા કાકા માઇક એન્જિનિયર હતા; એ ફક્ત અમારે માટે એક લાંબી અને બે ટૂંકી સીટી વગાડતા. વૉલ્ટનો ટ્રેઇન્સ પ્રત્યેનો પ્રેમ (લગાવ) ક્યારેય ઓછો થયો નહિ. વર્ષો બાદ, ડિઝનીલેન્ડમાં એક જૂના જમાનાની ટ્રેન એનાં શરૂઆતનાં આકર્ષણોમાંની એક બની.
ભૂતકાળની વાત મને યાદ છે કે વૉલ્ટ ચિત્રો દોરતો. સૌપ્રથમ જો એણે પૈસા મેળવ્યા હોય, તો તે પડોશીના ઘોડાના રેખાચિત્રમાંથી મળેલા 5 સેન્ટ હતા. તે કાર્ટૂન બનાવવાનું શિકાગોમાં શીખ્યો, અને પછી તેણે કૅન્ઝસ શહેર નજીક એક નાનકડી ઍનિમેટેડ કાર્ટૂનની કંપની શરૂ કરી, (જોકે) તે નિષ્ફળ ગઈ.
જ્યારે વૉલ્ટે માત્ર 21 વર્ષની વયે હૉલિવુડમાં તેનું નસીબ અજમાવવાનું નક્કી કર્યું ત્યારે હું લોસ એન્જલિસમાં હતો. હું એને સ્ટેશન પર મળ્યો. એ વખતે તેની પાસે તેનો તમામ સરસરંજામ ભરેલી એક સામાન્ય સૂટકેસ હતી. અમે એક વડીલ પાસેથી 500 ડૉલર ઉછીના લીધા અને વૉલ્ટે “એલિસ ઈન કાર્ટુનલૅન્ડ’ નામની એક કાર્ટુન-શૃંખલા શરૂ કરી. આગળ વધવું ઘણું જ કઠિન હતું.
વૉલ્ટ તમામ ઍનિમેશન કરતો અને હું પેલો જૂની શૈલીનો કેમેરા ચલાવતો. એ એલિસ કાર્ટુન્ને બહુ કાંઈ ધાડ ન મારી. તેથી વૉલ્ટે ‘ઓસ્વાલ્ડ, ધ રેબિટ’ નામની એક નવી શૃંખલા ચાલુ કરી. ઓસ્વાલ્ડ પ્રમાણમાં સારું કર્યું પણ જ્યારે વૉલ્ટ વધારે પૈસા માટે અમારા ન્યૂ યૉર્ક | (ખાતેના) ડિસ્ટ્રિબ્યુટર પાસે ગયો ત્યારે એ મુશ્કેલીમાં મુકાઈ ગયો. ‘ પૂછ્યું, “ભાઈ તેં આ કેવા પ્રકારનો સોદો કર્યો?” વૉલ્ટે સ્વીકાર્યું, “આપણને હિસ્સો (ભાગ) મળ્યો નહિ.
ડિસ્ટ્રિબ્યુટર ઓસ્વાલ્ડના માલિકીના હક લઈ લીધા અને હવે એ શૃંખલા (સીરિઝ) પોતે ચલાવશે.” આશ્ચર્ય વચ્ચે, વૉલ્ટ જરા પણ નાહિંમત દેખાયો નહિ, એણે ઉત્સાહભેર કહ્યું, “આપણે એક નવી સીરિઝ ચાલુ કરવાના
છીએ.” “એ એક ઉંદર વિશે છે, અને આ વખતે આ ઉંદરને આપણો કરી લઈશું.”
તે પછી જે બન્યું એ ઇતિહાસ છે. વૉલ્ટના ઉંદર – મિકીએ 1968માં તેનો 40મો જન્મદિવસ મનાવ્યો, અને એ 40મો જન્મદિવસ અત્યંત આનંદપ્રદ હતો.
1968માં આ ડિઝની મૂવી 25 કરોડ લોકોએ જોઈ, 10 કરોડ લોકોએ ડિઝની ટીવી શો જોયો, લગભગ 25 કરોડ લોકોએ ડિઝનીનું પુસ્તક કે સામયિક વાંચ્યું અને લગભગ 1 કરોડ લોકોએ ડિઝનીલૅન્ડની મુલાકાત લીધી અને વૉલ્ટ કહેતો હતો તેમ, આ બધી શરૂઆત મિકીએ કરી.
વૉલ્ટની બેજોડ કલ્પનાશક્તિ અને ક્ષમતાથી સપનાને વાસ્તવિકતામાં તબદીલ કરી દેનાર ‘મિકી’એ એકમાત્ર તેની પ્રથમ સફળ કૃતિ હતી. આ ક્ષમતાને એ કોઈ પણ નાના કે મોટા અવસરે કામે લગાડતો. એક વાર જ્યારે મારા દીકરા રૉય એડવર્ડને ઓરી નીકળ્યા હતા, ત્યારે એણે (વૉલ્ટ) એ સમયે જેના પર કામ કરી રહ્યો હતો એ પિનોશિયોની વાર્તા એને (મારા દીકરાને) કહી.
વૉલ્ટે એ વાત જ્યારે એને કરી ત્યારે એ એની કાબેલિયતનો પરિચય હતો. તેની નજર તેના શ્રોતા પર બરાબર જડાયેલી, તેની મૂછો સ્પષ્ટપણે વંકાયેલી, તેના ઉપરનીચે થતાં ભવાં અને એના હાથ કોઈ વાદકવૃંદના સંચાલકની મોહક અદાથી આમતેમ હલનચલન કરી રહ્યા હતા.
નાનકડો રૉય વૉલ્ટની એ પરીકથા નિરૂપવાની શૈલીથી એટલો બધો પ્રભાવિત હતો કે એ તેના ઓરીનું દર્દ સંપૂર્ણપણે વિસરી ગયો. પાછળથી, જ્યારે એણે પૂર્ણ થયેલ ચિત્ર જોયું, તો એ આશ્ચર્યપૂર્ણ રીતે નિરાશ થયો. તેણે કહ્યું, ‘આ તો અંકલ વૉલ્ટે નિરૂપ્યું હતું, એટલું ઉત્તેજનાપૂર્ણ દેખાતું નહોતું.”
જે લોકો વિનોદ સર્જવાનું કાર્ય કરે છે, તેવા ઘણા લોકોની જેમ વૉલ્ટે પણ આ દિશામાં ગંભીરતાથી કામ કર્યું. સૌથી વધારે રમૂજ પેદા કરનાર કાર્ટુનની સામે હજુ કઈ રીતે સુધારી શકાય એ ઇરાદાથી ગંભીરતાથી ઘણી વાર બેસી રહેતો.
વૉલ્ટ એની સાથે કામ કરનાર અન્યોના મતને જરૂર મહત્ત્વપૂર્ણ ગણતો પણ નિઃશંકપણે અંતિમ ફેંસલો તો તેનો જ રહેતો. એક વાર, દેખીતી નાખુશીથી એક નવા કાર્ટુનને નિહાળ્યા બાદ, વૉલ્ટે (તેના માટે) લોકોના એક જૂથનો અભિપ્રાય માગ્યો. એક પછી એક તેઓ વૉલ્ટની ખામીઓ શોધવા લાગ્યા.
તેણે સડાક દઈને ચોપડાવી દીધું, “ઠીક છે, વૉલ્ટ’ કહેતા રબર સ્ટેમ્પ હું લાવી શકું છું.” ત્યારબાદ ચકરડું ફેરવ્યું અને જે વિચાર્યું હતું એ પ્રોજેક્ટર ચલાવનારને કહ્યું. પેલા માણસને ખ્યાલ આવી ગયો કે મતભેદ ઠીક છે. તેણે કહી દીધું, “મને લાગે છે કે તમે બધા ખોટા છો.” વૉલ્ટે માત્ર મુખર સ્મિત કર્યું. એણે સૂચવ્યું, “તું માત્ર તારા પ્રોજેક્ટરનું ધ્યાન રાખ.”
વૉલ્ટ બધી જ બાબતોમાં પોતાની જાતને સાંકળતો. મિકી માઉસ ક્લબ ટીવી શોની એક વાર્તાસભા દરમિયાન, વાર્તા કહેનાર, હાથમાં | (નકશો, ચિત્ર) દર્શાવવાની લાકડી લઈને ‘સાઇકલ સવારી કેવી રીતે કરવી’ નામની એક શ્રેણીનું સંક્ષેપમાં વર્ણન કરી રહ્યો હતો. એણે શરૂ કર્યું, “હવે જ્યારે તમે તમારી’ સાઇકલ પર સવાર થાઓ છો …” વૉલ્ટે તેને અટકાવ્યો. તેણે કહ્યું, ‘તમારી સાઇકલને બદલે (માત્ર)