Did Disney Co. Edit Photographs of Its Founder Smoking?

Quite a few city legends and myths encompass Walt Disney and his legacy, probably the most outstanding being that he was cryogenically frozen when he died in 1966, which Snopes fact-checked and found false in 1995. 

Others embody Disney receiving a dishonorable discharge from the military during World War II, claims that he was born out of wedlock, and experiences that he left Disney executives explicit directions on the right way to run the corporate after his loss of life. The Walt Disney legend appears to have grown as imaginative because the characters he created.

Add to these rumors that The Walt Disney Firm supposedly had a longstanding apply of airbrushing out any look of cigarettes in images of its founder. The declare has circulated for years, persistently so on Reddit, like this occasion from 2013, this thread from 2017, and this one from September 2024.

(Reddit)

A person within the WDWMagic.com boards advised that the removing of cigarettes is extra widespread inside Disney properties: “Anybody who has eaten at Steakhouse 55 on the Disneyland Lodge is aware of it too. However at Steakhouse 55 they’ve airbrushed out all of the cigarettes from all of the folks within the images, not simply Walt, and in addition airbrushed out the ashtrays too.”

The looks of Disney holding cigarettes that have been later allegedly airbrushed out of images created the producer’s iconic “two-finger level” (see picture above). Guests of a Disney theme park will usually discover its staff — known as “forged members” — providing visitors instructions utilizing a two-fingered level. 

This declare drew wider mainstream media consideration in 2013 following the discharge of the film “Saving Mr. Banks,” during which Tom Hanks starred as Walt Disney himself. Throughout an look on “Ellen,” Hanks recounted this declare and alleged it was true, although we’ve got as but been in a position to confirm it. For that reason, we’ve got rated the declare as analysis in progress.

In 2015, Huffington Post cited Hanks’ “Ellen” look and reported that an unnamed Disney forged member verified “the two-finger level is a part of our coaching upon being employed in” and that not solely is it an homage to Disney himself, it is an intentional gesture to keep away from a single-finger level that could possibly be construed as impolite. 

Disney Co. has not but responded to inquiries about this coaching process, however a few of the Reddit threads included accounts of present or former forged members supporting the evaluation, with one saying: “Unsure whether it is true however I heard that Walt used to level at issues so much whereas smoking and supposedly that is the origin of the two-fingered Disney level. Kinda is sensible. Supply: I am a forged member at WDW [Walt Disney World].” 

One other said: “At present they hold the two-finger pointing as a result of in some cultures it’s rude to level with one, in order that they implement we use two fingers or the palm of your hand to point the best way, however it positively began out to cowl up his smoking habits from youngsters.”

Some images do seem like edited, such because the undated photograph of Disney exiting the Carthay Circle Theater, the place “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” premiered in 1937.

Nevertheless, a model of this picture hangs in Disneyland’s Carthay Circle Restaurant — constructed to copy the look of the well-known Hollywood theater — that clearly exhibits Disney holding a cigarette. 

(919 Raleigh)

When Disneyland opened in 1955, one of many authentic storefronts on Foremost Road, USA was The Tobacco Shop, the place guests may buy cigarettes, pipes, and different smoking equipment full with Disneyland branding. The Tobacco Store closed in 1990, turning artifacts like Disneyland matchbooks and pipes into collector’s items. Disney’s U.S. theme parks banned smoking as of Might 1, 2019.

In line with a Q&A on the Walt Disney Archives web site, Disney requested he not be photographed smoking in any respect, although there was no point out of picture manipulation:

“Walt Disney smoked Fortunate Strikes within the Forties and French cigarettes, Gitanes, later in his life, however he by no means wished to be photographed with a cigarette as he felt it set a nasty instance for kids. He was a heavy smoker, and, the truth is, died of lung most cancers.”

Regardless of Disney’s alleged request, there’s substantial photographic documentation in addition to verbal accounts of Disney’s heavy smoking behavior. 

Photographs of Disney with a cigarette in hand can be found on Getty Photos, together with a photo from 1935 with a cigarette between his fingers, one from 1945 the place he is proven lighting up, an image from 1946 the place he is strolling by means of Dublin having fun with a smoke, and another from 1951 with a cigarette burned down near his knuckles.

That is according to daughter Diane Disney Miller’s recounting of her father’s behavior to writer Neal Gabler in his ebook “Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Creativeness”:

“I simply can’t image him and not using a cigarette… He would neglect to place them out… He would gentle them and get carried away with what he was eager about and simply maintain them. Generally he would maintain them in his mouth or in his hand and get an ash on it two inches lengthy.”

In 1995, Disney Miller wrote an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times in an effort to make use of her father’s habit to remind the general public concerning the risks of smoking, saying: 

“On the finish of the Nice Warfare, he started to smoke cigarettes for a similar causes adolescents do as we speak: to represent their independence, to look older and extra subtle, to look ‘cool.’ Like so many others, he grew to become hooked on nicotine, though he by no means would have believed himself hooked on something.”

Disney additionally suffered from a persistent cough, about which Gabler wrote: 

“His hacking cough was dreaded not solely amongst his staff, who had lengthy regarded it as type of a klaxon of Walt’s impending arrival, however amongst his family. Sharon [adopted daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney] had as soon as requested him to not attend a faculty play she was performing in as a result of she stated if she heard him cough, she would neglect her strains.” 

Given the substantial proof of Disney’s smoking behavior and the ubiquity of smoking usually throughout his lifetime, it appears possible there’s some reality to the declare that many public-facing images of him have been altered sooner or later. Getting affirmation about when the apply started, whose request it was, how widespread the apply grew to become, and when — or if — the corporate stopped doing it, is ongoing.

In 2007, The Walt Disney Firm issued a statement relating to the depiction of smoking in its movies. CEO Bob Iger stated on the time: 

“The Walt Disney Firm shares your concern relating to deaths as a result of cigarette smoking. We discourage depictions of cigarette smoking in Disney, Touchstone and Miramax movies. Specifically, we count on that depictions of cigarette smoking in future Disney branded movies will likely be non-existent. In response to your suggestion, our Firm will place an anti-smoking PSA on DVD’s of any future movie that does depict cigarette smoking.”

In line with the corporate’s social impact website, the coverage reads: 

“The Walt Disney Firm actively limits the depiction of smoking in motion pictures marketed to youth. Our practices at present embody the next:

Disney has decided to not depict cigarette smoking in motion pictures produced by it after 2015 (2007 within the case of Disney branded motion pictures) and distributed underneath the Disney, Pixar, Marvel or Lucasfilm labels, which can be rated G, PG or PG-13, aside from scenes that:

– depict a historic determine who could have smoked on the time of his or her life; or

– painting cigarette smoking in an unfavorable gentle or emphasize the adverse penalties of smoking.” 

The one occasion of Walt Disney smoking in “Saving Mr. Banks,” launched in 2013, was Hanks briefly stubbing out a cigarette, although the two-fingered level made an look.