I bumped into the story at left while researching a post about Jimmie Dodd (which I hope to get online tomorrow).
After reading it, I checked around the web to find out more about Hal Adelquist.
According to The Original Mickey Mouse Club site, which seems to have the most information available, Adelquist was “a long-time Disney employee, [who] had worked in Production, Personnel, and the Story Department before being assigned to the Mickey Mouse Club. He and producer Bill Walsh were charged by Walt Disney with designing and developing the show. (Adelquist was also in charge of the short-lived Mickey Mouse Club Circus at Disneyland.) Despite the [Mickey Mouse Club's] overwhelming success, Hal subsequently fell out of favor with Walt Disney, and was demoted to talent scout, before leaving the studio in 1956.”
According to Neal Gabler’s Disney biography, “…Hal Adelquist, after performing some of the most thankless tasks at the studio, decided to leave…” during Walt’s ‘dead wood’ firings in 1956. “When Adelquist obsequiously petitioned Walt to return not long thereafter – ‘I’m not particular about the type of work involved’ – Walt refused,” according to Gabler.
Adelquist is cited as an “uncredited Assistant Director” on Snow White. He held the unenviable position of personnel head at the time of the Disney studio strike. When Carl Barks left the studio, his letter of resignation went to Adelquist.
The article above is from January 20, 1977. According to the OMMC site, Adelquist died on March 26, 1981.
There’s got to be much more to this story.
