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This article is about "Saving Mr. Banks" character. For the historical real-life counterpart, see Walt Disney.

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney is the deuteragonist of the 2013 biographical drama film Saving Mr. Banks. He is a fictionalized version of real-life founder, Walt Disney.

Background[]

Walt is the president of Walt Disney Productions, and has spent two decades struggling to acquire the film rights to the 1934 novel, Mary Poppins, from its author, P. L. Travers.

Though his studio lacks the film rights, he puts the film into pre-production in 1961, with co-writer Don DaGradi and songwriters Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman heading the creative team. He eventually manages to convince Travers to grant the film rights after opening up to her about his own traumatic childhood.

Trivia[]

  • In the film, Disney is portrayed by Tom Hanks.
  • Though based on the real Disney, several elements of the film's depiction of his relationship with Travers are dramatized and fictionalized. In reality, Disney was vacationing in Palm Springs for much of Travers' visit and was not present for much of the scenes he is depicted in.
  • Much of the dialogue between Travers and Disney in the film occurred by way of letters and telephone correspondence between the two.
  • Notably, Disney already had the film rights to Mary Poppins before Travers even arrived at the studio in Burbank to consult with the production team.
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