Walt, Roy, Frank, Theodore & Larry

The point of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Travis Gergen | Unsplash

During a moment of babysitting my young grandchildren this week, I found myself caught up in an episode of “If You Give A Moose a Muffin.”

As I opened my little granddaughter’s travel bag, I pulled out a brand new Snow White gown, to which she said, “Nana I want to wear this.” To which I excitedly said, wheels churning, “maybe after we go to the park, do some art, ride your bike, we could find the original Walt Disney Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs movie!!” To which she was ecstatic, to which I sincerely believed I was playing story savior, to which I began to remember the story of our home and other homes and how so much of our life tied into well known visionaries, builders, artists, animators, musicians, architects and dreamers.

I found myself sailing down the rabbit hole of so many stories. Stories I have also told here in several links. Flailing arms, falling like Alice, life was going by in movie clips, as it often does when we are on the brink of danger or dying. But this time is was the death of something original. The vision of something timeless. Something special. As an ardent artist myself I spent years of inner turmoil over anyone changing my images.

I am six years old and dad is working for Disney ←(scroll halfway down). He rents out a projector and a reel to reel movie from work for my very first sleepover birthday party. One of the sweet perks of being a Disney employee, plus the many backlot Christmas parties. Dad, or Roy A. Gunn, would begin his years at Disney about five years before Roy O. Disney passed away. I will always remember dad saying, years ago, “Roy would roll in his grave to see where things are going.” Interesting. Dad was all about authenticity and was loaded with creativity and talent. He had met Roy Disney several times when he came to visit the guys in the welding shop on the backlot called the Mapo Division in Burbank, California. Roy Disney left Disney over creative differences.

Perhaps six was too young for Old Yeller. Sadly, six little girls went home in tears that night. The beautiful coming of age story, the sacrifice, grief, and of course, the pure unconditional love that comes with having a bond with a dog was just too much for our age.

“Now and then, for no good reason a man can figure out, life will just haul off and knock him flat.” - quote used in Old Yeller by Jim Coates, American Baseball Pitcher, New York Yankees, among other teams.

For years the original story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ←(click and read why this animated film was so important and historically successful), the age old story of good versus evil, love versus jealousy, was a timeless story that resonated through the ages. Snow White was about love. The love of her little friends and the love of a Savior, basically, in the form of a prince. There was nothing “outdated” about it and the ugly jealous Queen was clearly the “stalker.” Duh. < comment used to describe the original by Rachel Zegler, the new Snow White >

The American Film Institute ranked it among the 100 greatest American films, and also named the film as the greatest American animated film of all time in 2008.

I think the public is telling Disney they liked the original story. Apparently the trailer has over one million dislikes so far. The comments were full of disappointment.

Ouch.

A little humility from Rachel might have gone a long way.

So back to if you give Deb a muffin or a cookie or a Snow White costume. My brain was rolling on a rescue mission. Whether the kids see the new movie or not, I began to think about the man who designed the very home we were sitting in. Go with me here. In the meantime they could not take their eyes off of the original 1937 release in all it’s non-glossy format. I will admit, the wicked queen was a bit much for a four year old - so we skipped over those parts. I will also admit I don’t mind the newer glossier look of “original” movies . It’s not like they haven’t been made.

I grabbed the remote, hit pause and told them, “do you know what?” wide eyed they were listening. “The man who drew our home, called an architect, like how you draw things out on paper?, well he drew, he designed many homes. Do you know that he also designed, drew out on paper, the very home of the man who helped to create Snow White?” pointing to the screen, “NO WAY” said my seven and a half year old grandson who LOVES ART so much he says it is life.

“Yessss,” I said, “his name was Theodore Criley, Jr., and he was soooo cool. Maybe you could draw houses too someday? or maybe learn how to make a cartoon character move on the screen like that (pointing to the screen again). That’s called animation.”

“Oh that’s mazing!” screamed the youngest, “Nana can you turn it back on?” I wanna put my dress on Nana!”

Yes, I can. And sure! Mission accomplished. Maybe.

Yeah. My mind wandered off. Keep the bones of the old home.

As I looked around I knew this home called me just as it called Larry Johnson to build it. It came at a time when we would be wrapped up in the question of where our story was going. It would grow and teach us more than we ever knew. Sold to us because we were the only potential buyers that wanted to keep the old bones. Bring the movie of their life back to life without removing it’s theme song.

During nap-time for the youngest I sat with my grandson and dug further. I didn’t quite realize that Theodore Criley Jr.’s dad was a well known artist back in the day. Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Theodore Morrow Criley Sr. attended the Chicago Fine Arts Institute and studied at the University of Berlin where he would meet his wife. Theodore Sr. moved his family to Monterey, California in 1916 where he would visit the Carmel-by-the-sea Artist’s Colony and become a member. He became a watercolorist, portrait painter, and wood engraver. He also acted in Forest Theater productions, including Robin Hood in 1919, Yellow Jacket in 1920, and Pomander Walk and Twelve Pound Look in 1921. The short history here is epic!

In 1916, Criley Sr. exhibited with the San Francisco Art Association and many other exhibits.

Playwright Martin Flavin and writer James Hopper (a dear friend of Jack London!) wrote Criley’s obituaries. Hopper spoke about Criley's familiar habits and added that “He never painted a tenth as much as he wanted to paint."

I love the rich history of the original art (and music) enclaves in California and how creative energy wove its way through the genres.

I realize everything we are is carried by the example of doers that made dreams come true. For Larry Johnson and his lovely wife Elizabeth, or Liz as she was called, it was a lifetime of faith, hard work and patience. Here is the story of their home. Our home.

And the story of how we ended up in “The Johnson Home,” that Theodore Criley Jr. designed, collided here. There really are no coincidences in life as you will read. A home built by a plumber, with a flair for the artistic, in the course of 20 years. A plumber who had worked at the same colleges I worked at, later on, as a pool photographer, and saved every penny to hire a Claremont, California based architect he admired. A total dream. There is so much more. We would take it on as an art project and proudly hang the art of my husband John’s grandfather, Max Vaucher’. Another visionary story. To come to America through Ellis Island in 1928 and fulfill a dream to become a California mid century artist. Two years later Theodore Criley Sr. passed away (1930) but I’d like to think that Max knew of him. He adored the California art scene and knew all about it before arriving to the U.S.

Frank Thomas was one of Walt Disney's leading team of animators known as the Nine Old Men. His house, designed by the architect who designed our home is still known as The Animator’s House in Pasadena, California. He was also an accomplished pianist and did a little voice acting.

While wrapping up this story I was listening to a classical music playlist of Disney songs. I will often pinch myself hearing my husband John practice his double bass for an upcoming symphony concert, wondering how did I ever get so lucky. So darn blessed to be surrounded by an abundance of creative passion.

He’s not a perfect Prince - but he’s my Prince.

We will often talk about how the original integrity of a song is so important when being transposed. The preservation and respect while making it your own. We spent hour upon hour in this old cold block home, with no air or heat for over a year, sleeping on a mattress, stretching our imaginations and jumping into the minds of the original dreamers. Asking over and over again, “What would the Johnson’s do? Are we honoring them?” To this day the couple that bought our family home, built with our hands, haven’t changed a thing.

As Walt himself once said, “I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things.”

And this would be the point of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs...

Me on the right :) Disneyland 1968

As a sidenote, our youngest son, now 30, spent his high-school years at OCSA, a performing arts school in Orange County (California), where during summer break he worked as Peter Pan and sometimes a Chimney Sweep on the Mary Poppins float in the twice daily parade down Main Street Disneyland.