Walt's Family & Friends Interview with Hayley Mills When Hayley Mills was just 12 years old, she met Walt Disney for the first time at the Dorcester Hotel in London. Hayley was accompanied by her parents, her younger brother, and a tiny white dog with a little black nose. She recalls that Walt was very attracted to the dog, and “spent some time on the floor playing with it.” This was an auspicious beginning. Hayley Mills became one of Walt’s favorite actresses. She starred in “Pollyanna,” “The Parent Trap,” “In Search of the Castaways,” Summer Magic,” The Moon-Spinners,” and “That Darn Cat!” -- in addition to a number of television productions. Following are some excerpts with an interview with Hayley done for the book, “The Man Behind the Magic.” Q. What was your first impression of Walt? Q. Did Walt ever take you to Disneyland? Q. Could you tell us a little more what Walt was like to you? Q. Did he come to the set a lot when you were working on your movies? Q. Did he make comments to you about your performance? Q. Some of the comedies worked a lot better than others. Do you have any sense as to why? Q. Did you get a sense of what subjects most interested him? Q. What was your first impression of Walt? Hayley:    I didn't find him overwhelming at all and I wasn't old enough to appreciate how remarkable it was to be shaking his hands. I found him very gentle and rather shy. Lilly was there, but my focus was very much on Walt Disney. Having been brought up on “Bambi,” “Pinocchio,” and “Snow White” -- to finally meet the man who made them was riveting. The next time we met was when we were in Hollywood. My whole family went over there. He looked after us absolutely fantastically. He got on terribly well with my parents who liked him enormously. The whole thing was a mind-blowing experience. Right from the moment that I set foot in America I was treated with remarkable affection and consideration by Walt and by the Studio. It made me feel as if I were a member of a family of extremely nice and hospitable people. I was put up in great luxury in Beverly Hills. The hotel was bursting with flowers, fruits, and sweets. The best part of it all was that he was so much a part of our own personal life -- that he became a friend. He never forgot my birthday or Christmas. Presents for my whole family would come -- a great big hamper of toys and Disney memorabilia. Q. Did Walt ever take you to Disneyland? Hayley:    It was absolutely incredible. He would wander everywhere, perfectly casually -- just like any other tourist. We never had to line up anywhere. We just went through one door after another. We were apprehended by one eager steward when we went through the back door of the Matterhorn. He was quite irate. Walt was saying ‘It’s okay. Don’t worry.’ The man was saying ‘Who do you think you are? Walt Disney?’ Walt shrugged and said ‘Well, as a matter of fact I am.’ Q. Could you tell us a little more what Walt was like to you? Hayley:    Walt never lost the quality or ability to enjoy things as a child. He never lost touch with the child who enjoys things. In his home, when we saw films in his viewing theater, there would be this perpetual squirting and gurgling noises and he would be making these big milk shakes with cream and bananas and nuts and umbrellas sticking out of them. There were huge bowls of candies and stuff. All of this was so remarkable to me at the time. One of the lovely things about him was how he was just so completely normal. He didn’t seem high-powered. There was maybe an air of remoteness -- a sense that he could be involved in things and thinking of other things all at the same time. He was very able to keep his mind running on a number of different tracks. He was a very calm and gentle person, a softly spoken man and rather shy. Q. Did he come to the set a lot when you were working on your movies? Hayley:    He would come on the set quite a lot for “Pollyanna.” He was very present in the Studio generally. He didn't just stay in his office. He wasn't a remote boss at all. It was his Studio, his Lot and he knew everybody's name. He usually came on (the set) for a little bit, chatted, and never seemed to be in a hurry. It seemed like he had all the time in the world. He was very precisely involved in every aspect. Q. Did he make comments to you about your performance? Hayley:    He didn't have any contact with me about what he wanted. He would say something was nice or well done. He didn't become a director. On the set, the director was the boss. He never came in and superseded the director. He would chat quietly. It was almost a social visit. I never saw him step into the director's shoes. (But) when I did films on location, like “In Search of the Castaways” or “The Moon-Spinners,” if they wanted to make any changes about how a scene was going to be shot, they had to stop shooting and call him personally and verify that it was acceptable to him. That was a double-edged kind of blessing. It hampered directors to check that everything you're going to do will be acceptable. But that’s why the films are very definitely Walt Disney productions. Q. Some of the comedies worked a lot better than others. Do you have any sense as to why? Hayley:    You can't guarantee that you're going to deliver something with so many creative talents involved and hit the same bell or same standard again. Each film was a different set of people and story. Who knows why one is better than another? We all strive for perfection. Sometimes, you happen to get the right collection of people together and you can't put a foot wrong. Another one with the same amount of energy and hope, it doesn't quite happen. It probably had a lot to do with the personalities of the individuals and the ways they related to Walt and the amount of autonomy they wanted. He was in England for the “Castaways” and that was (directed by) Bob Stevenson. He made many films for Walt and they had a good understanding. I had great affection for David Swift. He was absolutely wonderful with me and handled those two subjects (“Pollyanna” and “The Parent Trap”) with such a sharp, clever wit. But he found the things imposed on him ultimately unacceptable – certain aspects of working for Walt. If (directors) were prepared to work for and with Walt based on his terms and if they wanted to make films the way he wanted, that would be a reasonably happy partnership. But I think he was quite tough on the people who were in conflict with him. Q. Did you get a sense of what subjects most interested him? Hayley:    He always said his films were to remind people of the goodness in human beings. It was a celebration of human beings. They were always uplifting films, always about the positive aspects of human beings. He created a world of magic and emotion and goodness and hope and love and humor. He made you able to see … He made you look at animals and see that there's a little person in there, an identity. Some people need to be reminded of that. All his films were inspired by love. You had great love and great fear. It was an emotional experience. It was a very satisfying experience as a child and still as an adult. He tapped into something very deep -- like musicians do. There's a universal theme running through all these films and I suppose it's love and what makes us laugh and what makes us cry is the same for all people -- and they'll go on forever and ever those films.