Mitsuo Natsume : The Forgotten Imagineer

"Mitsuo was one of the sweetest men I've ever worked with. His work was always so detailed, exact, precise and meticulous. We worked together on the early models of the Ford Pavilion for the NY World's Fair." - Rolly Crump1





Mitsuo Natsume, 1971

Mitsuo Natsume was born in Burbank, California on May 21 1927. His parents were Japanese immigrants from Wakayama who had a vegetable farm in Glendale prior to World War II. During the war he, his five siblings and parents were placed in Manzanar War Relocation Center. He graduated high school there.

Known as "Mitsu" or "Mits" to his friends and colleagues he was trained at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. During that time he worked at a record pressing plant for Mercury Records.

Following Otis, Mitsuo was hired by Columbia Pictures where he worked in the art department. He disparagingly referred to himself as "The highest paid valet in Hollywood" as the studio boss would throw his car keys when he arrived saying "Natsume! Park my car!"

Not that his artistic talents went unnoticed by his boss. He asked Mits to build a model of an extension to his house. Mits took a photograph of this model to a job interview at WED Enterprises where they were convinced that they were looking at a photograph of a real house.





House Extension Model

He was employed by WED in the Model Shop where he worked for a decade. One of his early projects was the Ford Pavilion for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

New York World's Fair 1964





Mitsuo Natsume Working on Ford Magic Skyway Model





New York World's Fair Ford Pavilion 1964

While Disney artists were seldom individually credited, the ceiling ornament has elements that recur in Mitsuo's designs. He would later use optic fibers, new at the time, to create similar decorative fixtures for lighting effects.

Space Mountain





Space Mountain Model, Arrow Development Track "A concept model of the exterior of Space Mountain was constructed in the WED Model Shop by a wonderful sculptor who is always referred to as Mitsu." - George McGinnis2





Space Mountain Model Detail, Arrow Development Track

This early model of Space Mountain was based on original sketches by John Hench and was built around a track design by Arrow Development. Later, the ride engineering was brought in-house and became an enclosed track rather than moving in and out of the building.

Note the "energy wheels" that control the speed of the vehicles.





Space Mountain Model Left Detail, Arrow Development Track

Tomorrowland 1967



