4. Dumbo

Through the stories of ten of his greatest works, Mel Giedroyc examines the life of Walt Disney, a much mythologised genius. A man to whom storytelling was an escape from an oppressive father and a respite from periods of depression.

His name is truly iconic, but how much do we really know about this titan of the entertainment industry? Who was the real Walt and why did a man who moulded Western pop culture in his image end up on his deathbed, afraid that he’d be forgotten?

In this episode, Mel examines the seismic impact of World War Two on Disney’s company. We’ll hear how soldiers swarmed Disney’s LA studio and discover that Disney animations made a remarkable contribution towards the war effort.

Dumbo is a film with a controversial legacy, with problematic racial language and instances of cartoon blackface. Mel uses the troubling elements of Dumbo as a launching point for a wider examination of Walt’s views on race and the accusations of racism that have followed him over the decades.

Walt Disney: A Life in Films is produced by Novel for BBC Radio 4