“The secret in writing for [Disney] was to keep the dialogue simple and in character,” - Jack Speirs John J. "Jack" Speirs was an American writer, lyricist, director, producer, and screenwriter, who worked on Disney's anthology series for the company as well as several nature features for nearly 25 years.
Speirs was born in Cox Mills, West Virginia and attended Polk Creek Elementary School. He spent one week enrolled in high school before leaving with only an eighth-grade education. Despite this setback, he developed a passion for writing and began submitting articles in various outdoor and sporting magazines as well as writing episodes for radio dramas, such as I Fly Anything, Defense Attorney, and other detective genres after moving to California.
His career with Disney began in the early 1950s where, in 1954, he approached Walt Disney with an idea to split the format of a proposed TV series into segments spotlighting the four primary realms of the soon-to-open Disneyland: Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Disney liked the idea, and Speirs went on to write the show’s introductions for the next 12 years along with several episodes. He also screenplays for features, such as Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar, King of the Grizzlies, The Bears and I, and A Tale of Two Critters.
Outside of Hollywood, Spiers and his wife were outspoken activists in his Lake Sherwood community. He and others fought hard to prevent the former movie star hideaway from intensive urban development. Managing the lake during the 1940s, Spiers and other homeowners fought against the Dayton Realty Co. to take back their homes and community and succeeded.
He was also a member of the Directors Guild of America and a talented songwriter as well, Speirs wrote lyrics for several Disney projects and collaborated with top songwriters and composers from Hollywood and the world of country music.
He died of natural causes at his Lake Sherwood home.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1954–1972 | The Magical World of Disney | Writer |
| 1967 | Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar | Screenplay Lyrics: "Talkin' About Charlie" |
| 1970 | King of the Grizzlies | Screenplay Lyrics: "The Campfire is Home" |
| 1974 | The Bears and I | Narration written by |
| 1977 | A Tale of Two Critters | Director Producer Writer Lyrics: "Travelin' On" |
| 1979 | Footloose Fox | Director |
| 2001 | Walt: The Man Behind the Myth | Interviewee |
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