Reelz docu-series ‘Autopsy’ examines the final days of Walt Disney

Walt Disney sought to bring a smile to everyone’s face, first with his films and then with amusement parks, but the man himself spent many years dealing with pain – both physical and emotional.

At the age of 65, on Dec. 15, 1966, Disney died in a Burbank hospital, shocking the world. The cause reported was cardiac arrest brought on by lung cancer. 

This weekend, “Autopsy: The Last Hours of…” debuts the 100th episode of the series that looks and the which focuses on Walt Disney. Premiering Sunday,  Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Reelz, medical examiner and forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter seeks answers to understand what happened to this pop culture pioneer.  

Disney was a driven man. He lived on stress, pushing himself and others around him. His workaholic tendencies and a rocky business start caused a nervous breakdown during the early part of his career. The way he resolved it was to go on vacations with his wife, Lillian, but even then he never stopped thinking about the next project, or the next film idea.

After one such breakdown, a doctor suggested Disney get a hobby. He did – polo. But a 1935 accident, ended his playing days and left him with debilitating pain for the remainder of his life. Disney went to see a chiropractor instead of a doctor and the bones never mended properly, Hunter said when reviewing Disney’s file.

In addition to the physical pain, and his workaholic tendency, Disney dealt with a lot of other emotional issues, including:

• The death of his mother in 1938. Walt and his brother, Roy, purchased a new home for their parents. A month later a defective furnace caused their mother, Flora’s, death by asphyxiation. The two blamed themselves and Walt never got over it. 
• In 1941, the animators for Disney went on strike and Walt felt forever betrayed. 

One of the ways he dealt with anxiety was smoking several packs of cigarettes a day.

“We would say, that he would light one cigarette with one match in the morning and then he’d never light another match. He would light cigarette from cigarette,” Disney Legend Rolly Crump, who was an animator and designer for Disney, said during an interview.

His cough was legendary. That’s how employees knew the boss was near. When you heard that cough in the hallway, you knew he was coming it, Disney Legend Floyd Norman, who worked as an animator for Disney, said. 

While a lot of what is reviewed about Disney’s life  in the show might be common knowledge for big  big Disney fans, the show puts Disney’s life and his health – or lack of it – in perspective.

It also does a good job reviewing the last six weeks of Disney’s life and does bring into question why after Disney was given 6 months to a two years to live, he died just weeks later.

WHERE TO WATCH

Show: AUTOPSY: THE LAST HOURS OF….. WALT DISNEY
What Channel: Reelz
When: Debuts Sunday, August 9
What time: 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. PT