The Two Sides of Walt Disney

Behind his wholesome public persona, Walt Disney had a darker side. This exclusive clip from the PBS special “American Experience: Walt Disney,” airing at 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 14 and 15, takes a look at both sides of the legend. Photo/video: American Experience/WGBH.

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[likeitsgoldn]

He'd probably roll over in his grave if he's seen what the Disney Channel has become.

[chloella]

Walt does get a lot of hate, but it is nice that he was able to acknowledge his flaws

[Dive-Bar-Casanova]

My mom worked for him, talked to him weekly for 44 years and said he was a good person.
That's all that matters.

[wishesever]

Wow in seven years He got angry and pissed off twice. Wow. Please. The guy was a genius at imagination and making something a family can share together. Priceless

[spicybunzentertainment]

That's it? That's his darker side? He's a businessman.

[UFGator]

Walt Disney was a perfectionist who probably expected everyone to be the same way. Most of his employees respected and admired him. There are always some people, in a huge corporation like his, that will have something negative to say about their boss and unfortunately this video only reflects their negative opinions about Walt Disney. For me, all we have to do is watch and admire what he accomplished. Kids around the world love everything that he created and to me that is the bottom line. This man was a creative genius who was way ahead of his time, I doubt there will ever be another one like him.

[Alicia-K]

I worked for Disneyland years ago. I was told that some of the cast members were acting up and Walt fired their manager instead of them, saying that he was not doing his job to manage them. He was a wonderful businessman! He had a vision and carried it through to completion. He also knew where weaknesses were and dealt with it at the source rather than the surface.

[JonathanGrahamVideo]

He doesn't sound like a very bad boss. He just had high expectations for his employees. Is that a bad thing?

[appletile]

I am now 66 years old, I have lived longer than Walt Disney did. He made my childhood better and my life to. That you Walt for all those wonderful memories, dreams and feelings. I often wish upon a star cause I know it makes no difference who you are. R.I.P.

[mikeclifford]

Why is anyone surprised Walt had a dark side? EVERYONE has a dark side and last I checked, Walt was human.

[jhibbitt]

this pretty much sounds like the typical actions of a boss in charge of one of the worlds wealthiest companies because if they weren't like this then it wouldn't be one of the wealthiest

[katherinesage]

A genuine American Original. Genius on MANY counts. Distinguished. Dedicated. I live down the lane from the House of Mouse and am reminded everyday of his presence.

[robertjromero]

What can I say, me and my mom spotted him just a few years before his passing at Disneyland and I asked if he would take a photo with me and my cousin, and he did. He could have said, "No I'm sorry".

[zulalsozer]

The man worked hard for children, giving them wonderful films made with the imagination. We see only half of this in Turkey. Especially in new productions, such a thing is almost non-existent. Walt, like most businessmen, wanted everything to go perfectly.
Walt Disney is a legend in every way and My hero.

[jordonveatch]

Lol this is considered a "dark side"? Oh, please.

[leftyfourguns]

He was clearly a perfectionist and had a hard time accepting the fact that not everyone is the same way and you can't always achieve your vision with 100% clarity. But as hard as he was on the artists apparently he regularly awarded them with financial bonuses when they met or exceeded his expectations. Nowadays standing out as an exemplary employee either gets you fired or double the work load with no increased pay.

[JONNOG]

To quote Jafar from Aladdin."You've heard of the golden rule haven't you??? Whoever *Has* the Gold. Makes the rules!" *Maniacal wheezing*

[CalaveraCandy]

He was a perfectionist. I've heard he was hard to work with but he knew what he wanted and, hey, it showed in his work.

[antifagoat]

Walt Disney was a man. Humans aren't perfect. In fact we're often quite bad to others and even ourselves. That doesn't mean we can't be a part of making good things. It also doesn't mean we should forget Walt's flaws or how many people held him up on the way to the top. See him as a man, not an idol, and you'll see all the ugliness that makes up a real person - which is kind of beautiful in its own way.

[adikaranuh]

Hes running a billion dolar company, of course he has to be like that