Disney's Prop Culture explores all the creativity and innovation that brings the studio's films to life. Hosted by artifact historian Dan Lanigan, the docuseries spotlights industry veterans who discuss their craft and how their behind-the-scenes experiences translate to real life.
Overall, Prop Culture season 1 focuses mostly on the beauty of collaboration. Lanigan flies around the world to investigate the whereabout of certain props and exudes pure joy while talking about movies with cast and crew members. Prop Culture season 1 devotes an entire episode to the pure artistry of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the relevance of Rick Moranis' head gear in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Plus, the Prop Culture season 1 finale will please Jim Henson fans with all kinds of wonderful stories about the making of The Muppet Movie, and there's also a hilarious episode about Charles Fleischer's collective voice performances in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Prop Culture season 1 isn't about jaw-dropping celebrity tales or juicy Hollywood secrets. Instead, it's about the blood, sweat, and tears of efficient and elite prop design, and how the art itself benefits a larger piece of work that becomes a part of pop culture. Here are the biggest reveals in Prop Culture season 1 on Disney+.
The Mary Poppins Carousel Inspired Disneyland
The first episode of Prop Culture season 1 chronicles the making of the 1964 Disney classic Mary Poppins. English costume designer Tony Walter fondly recalls working with his wife, Julie Andrews, and gets emotional when being presented with one of her character's outfits. Choreographer Dee Dee Wood also discusses a penguin-themed dance sequence, and TV host Erin Andrews comes face to face with the movie's "carpet bag." But the biggest ah-ha moment comes when actress Karen Dotrice (Judy Banks) visits Los Angeles' Griffith Park and learn about the backstory of a merry-go-round. Lanigan reveals that the location not only inspired a Mary Poppins sequence, but also inspired the premise for Disneyland. According to Prop Culture, Walt Disney came up with the family-friendly theme park idea while seated on a bench and watching his children spin in the carousel.
The Tron Helmets Were Completed Days Before Filming Began
In a Prop Culture episode about the 1982 film Tron, actor Bruce Boxleitner describes wearing his skin-tight costume as a "lewd act." Lanigan also speaks with director Steven Lisberger, who remembers the film's poor reviews while acknowledging that his concepts foreshowed the future. Designer Syd Mead also reveals that it was his idea to have characters turn at right angles at top speed while driving. As for the actual props, four digital animators meet up to swap stories about creating the first digital world in movies. Tron concept designer Richard Taylor reveals that the character helmets weren't quite innovative but rather based on hockey helmets. In fact, the helmets didn't even have a design a week and a half before principal photography was scheduled to begin. Ultimately, Taylor used masking tape for a basic look and finished one helmet per night. The black tape design marked where a neon glow would be added later during animation.
The Pirates of the Caribbean Aztec Chest Is Part Of Disneyland Ride
While investigating props from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Lanigan travels all the way to St. Vincent, a filming location for the 2003 franchise-starter. He finds out that Disney gave literal props to local business owners and that Johnny Depp's bandana was inspired by Howard Pyle's illustrations from the late 19th century. Lanigan also visits the place where it all began, Disneyland, where Disney imagineer John Gritz reveals that the original Aztec chest from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is now part of the original theme park attraction. He also states that one last piece of Aztec gold was found in a false bottom, which is rumored to be the blood-stained coin that receives a close-up in the film.
The Chronicles of Narnia Snow Set Was A Surprise
Lanigan researches The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and meets with makeup artist Howard Berger. Together, they inspect a head bust of James McAvoy's Mr. Tumnus and the specifics of the costume design. Later, Lanigan chats with writer-director Andrew Adamson, who reveals a fun fact about the film's set design. When Lucy Pevensie arrives in Narnia, Adamson hoped to elicit a genuine reaction from young actress Georgie Henley. And so he created a hidden set that Pevensie would react to for the first time while filming. In the final cut, there's a mixture of reality and fantasy, a moment that connects to the adventure premise of Prop Culture on Disney+.