Walt's Time

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Walt's Time: From Before to Beyond is a 252-page autobiographical, full-color book by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. It was edited by Disney Imagineers Bruce Gordon, David Mumford and Jeff Kurtti and was published in 1998 by Camphor Tree Publishers of Santa Clarita, California. Bruce Gordon did the book design and layout.

Contents

General outline

The book is divided into three major sections.

Section One: "Walt's Time"

The first section, "Walt’s Time", describes the Shermans’ years with Walt Disney at The Walt Disney Company starting with their first composition, Annette Funicello’s "Strummin’ Song", and continuing through 1967's The Jungle Book .

Section Two: "Al's Time"

The other influential person in their life, their father, Al Sherman, himself a well-known songwriter in the 1930s and '40s, is covered in the middle section, "Al's Time." This part of the book discusses Al's life from coming to America as a Russian immigrant to becoming a successful songwriter for famous musicians including Louis Armstrong, Al Jolson, Lawrence Welk and Maurice Chevalier. This section also talks about the Shermans' early days growing up in Beverly Hills, their college years, Robert's tour in World War II and their early, separate careers. The section ends where the first section starts, their first meeting with Walt Disney.

Section Three: "Our Time"

The final section of the book, “Our Time,” deals with the Shermans' life after Walt Disney and includes many more Disney projects including Winnie-the-Pooh and Epcot. This part also includes their many and varied non-Disney projects, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , Snoopy Come Home and Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer : A Musical Adaptation. The section concludes with their work on Disneyland's 1998 New Tomorrowland. The book also includes appendices with a song list, video list and some notes on their unpublished material. Walt's Time also includes a preface by then Walt Disney Company's vice-chairman Roy E. Disney, a foreword by the Vice Chairman of Walt Disney Imagineering Marty Sklar, and an introduction by Disney film historian Leonard Maltin. Also included are afterwords by each of the three editors as well as a thorough discography and videography. [1]

Publishing details

Walt's Time was published by Camphor Tree Publishers in December 1998 (hardcover, ISBN   0-9646059-3-7)

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"Step in Time" is a song and dance number from Walt Disney's 1964 film Mary Poppins which was composed by the Sherman Brothers. The choreography for this song was provided by Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood. It is sung by Bert, the chimney sweep and the other chimney sweeps on the rooftops of London. It is similar to the old British music hall song "Knees Up Mother Brown".

"You Two" is a song from the 1968 film musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The song also appears in the 2002–2005 stage musical version. It was written by Robert and Richard Sherman. The song is sung by a single–widower father, Caractacus Potts to his two twin children. An inventor by trade, Potts sings the song against the backdrop of his eccentric inventor's workshop. The melody from this song was also used in counterpoint several times with the melody of the title song, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".

"The Roses of Success" is a song and musical number from the popular 1968 motion picture Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In the film, it is sung when Grandpa Potts is caught in the Vulgarian inventors' workshop and is forced to modify a car that floats or face the consequences. The other imprisoned inventors sing this song in the hopes that they might cheer up the despondent Grandpa. He is cheered up and sings along, but in the end the car collapses. The song is also featured prominently in the 2002 and 2005 stage musical versions of the film. In American TV broadcasts of the 1968 motion picture, this song is often cut to fit into a two-hour time slot. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers.

"Posh!" is an up tempo song and musical number from the popular 1968 Albert R. Broccoli motion picture, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It is written by the songwriting team of Sherman & Sherman. It makes reference to the myth that the word "posh" is an acronym for "Port Out, Starboard Home". In the film it is sung when "Grandpa Potts" is being carried away in his outhouse. He sees the situation as serendipitous until he finally meets his kidnapper, Baron Bomburst in Vulgaria.

"Lovely Lonely Man" is a song from the 1968 musical film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It was written by Richard & Robert Sherman and sung by Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious. In the song, she pines for eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts at her family's estate after she has an outing with the inventor and his children in the eponymous car.

"Colonel Hathi's March " is a song in the 1967 Walt Disney film, The Jungle Book. The song was sung by J. Pat O'Malley, playing the part of "Colonel Hathi". The song was also sung by Thurl Ravenscroft and The Mellomen, originally Terry-Thomas and Disney Chorus. The song was written by Disney staff songwriters, Robert and Richard Sherman. It is written in the spirit of a light commentary on the pointlessness of constant military drilling. A reprise version has the first appearance of Shere Khan.

"Trust in Me (The Python's Song)" is a song in the popular Walt Disney film The Jungle Book, from 1967. The song was sung by Sterling Holloway playing the part of Kaa, the snake. The song was written by Disney staff songwriters Robert and Richard Sherman. In the song, Kaa quickly hypnotizes Mowgli into a calm, soothing, relaxing trance, sending Mowgli walking along his body until he finally coils himself around Mowgli just like he did before. As the song concludes, Kaa readies himself to devour the boy, only to be stopped by Shere Khan the tiger in his search for Mowgli.

"My Own Home" is a song from the Walt Disney film, The Jungle Book, from 1967. The song was sung by Darleen Carr playing the part of the girl from the Man Village. The song was written by Disney staff songwriters, Robert and Richard Sherman. This song serves as the basis for the Sarah Brightman song "On the Nile" and was sampled in the Slum Dogz song "The Jungle Book".

"The native girl sings "My Own Home" as Mowgli watches. Singer Darleen Carr was at the Disney Studio filming Monkeys, Go Home, and we asked her to record a demo of our new song. Walt (Disney) loved the demo, and many months later, when director Woolie Reitherman said 'We need to find a voice for the girl,' Walt, with his infallible memory, replied, 'You've already got her!'"

"That's What Friends Are For (The Vulture Song)" is a song in the Walt Disney film The Jungle Book from 1967. It was sung by a quartet of "mop top" vultures who are making friends with Mowgli, the main character of the film. The song was written by Disney staff songwriters, Robert and Richard Sherman, and sung primarily by J. Pat O'Malley, Lord Tim Hudson, Digby Wolfe, and Chad Stuart. Bruce Reitherman and George Sanders both made cameo appearances in the song singing as Mowgli and Shere Khan the tiger, respectively, in different parts. In the soundtrack album, The Mellomen member Bill Lee replaced the unavailable Sanders.

"Now's The Time To Fall In Love" is a 1931 song from the Depression era written by Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths Al Sherman and Al Lewis. The song was made popular by Eddie Cantor on his weekly radio show. The song takes a positive attitude toward the plummeting prices of storebought items in financially depressed America of the 1930s.

<i>Moose: Chapters from My Life</i>

Moose: Chapters From My Life is the 459-page autobiography by the Academy Award-winning songwriter, Robert B. Sherman. "Moose is a collection of fifty-four autobiographical short stories, arranged in such a way as to express a larger narrative." The book was edited by Sherman's younger son, Robert J. Sherman, who also provided the general layout, cover art and graphic design for the book. Other than certain pages in the "My Time" photographic sections of Moose, the majority of the book, including its innovative arrangement of chapters, was created during the author's lifetime and under his personal supervision. Moose was published by AuthorHouse Publishers of Bloomington, Indiana in association with AuthorSolutions, Penguin Random House Company affiliates. First publication of the work occurred posthumously, on November 26, 2013. The majority of short stories which comprise the book, were written between 1993-2004 with one or two stories having been known to exist as early as 1945. Although early "mock-up" versions of the book were circulated among Sherman's close friends and members of his family in 2004, according to the editor's introductory chapter, "About Moose", mass publication had to be delayed "for reasons too cumbersome to delve into here." Both the book and its author were credited in the 2013 Walt Disney film release, Saving Mr. Banks which starred Academy Award-winning actors Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. Actor B. J. Novak portrayed a young Robert Sherman in the film. Several scenes from the film drew direct inspiration from Moose. This was done with the author's consent.

References

  1. "LaughingPlace.com: Review: Walt's Time: From Before to Beyond, (The #1 Site for Disney)". Archived from the original on March 29, 2006. Retrieved October 21, 2006.