Eisner's Farewell Letter

[YoHo]

Actually, most of what I just suggested comes from Disney War, not this website. Or my interpretation of that book. I'm not just throwing it out there, rather I'm making an interpretation based on the evidence in the book. And I personally never said either was a genius, just that he was a good manager. And again, that Source would suggest that Wells and Eisner were about as good of friends as Eisner and Ovitz. With all the issues that entails.

Their friendship is irrelevent.

As for the man from Miami, I plan to keep all the Rum drinks for myself. What kind of self respecting pirate would I be if I didn't?

 

[SnackyStacky]

Most of what Eisner did would have been done by ANYBODY. He tapped the resources within Disney that were ALREADY THERE. The boom of VHS - and Disney classics locked in a vault. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that those need to be sold.

47 square miles of property with 2 parks and 2 resorts? There again - no genius is required to expand the property.

Yeah - he expanded the company, and built profits. But ANY halfway-intelligent entertainment executive would have done the same thing. Why were the corporate vultures circling Disney? Because the assests were sitting there - COMPLETELY unused. They were worth a fortune.

 

[DancingBear]

What type of person would jsut call someone and idiot in public I htink we all need to grow up if you would do this..that is unreal..and uncalled for..

I'm not sure I understand your response. I said it would be shameful to call Eisner an idiot in public, in person, in front of his family; I just said it's not shameful to express such an opinion on an internet discussion board.

 

[DancingBear]

Yes Yoho, that's fine and well but it's just the line spread here on the DIS. Where is the fact? Where is the irrefutable proof that Wells was the genius and Eisner the ego?

I agree that Eisner's ego was Job's-like...That has been proven in many places but Wells accomplishments (aside from the Clint Eastwood coup) are not.

Many people like to disparage Eisner while elevating Wells when all that I know indicates that Wells and Eisner were very, very GOOD friends...Not just associates, but friends. How does this wash with the view of Wells/Eisner here on the DIS?


Oh and Yoho, keep the G man away from the rumrunners if you see him soon.

I honestly don't remember any posts making Wells into some sort of genius. Personally, I've said for a long time that Eisner and Wells together made a good team, but that Eisner's worst tendencies, which undoubtedly existed prior to Wells' death, became unchecked and destructive when Wells was no longer around. I think it has as much to do with being in a shared power situation as with Wells' personal strengths.

 

[manning]

"we can't afford to build Splash Mountain"----Eisner the genius

"We can't afford to NOT build Splash Mountain" ----- Frank Wells

What a difference one word makes!!

 

[raidermatt]

Give us the facts on Wells please. Not just the internet/DIS board innuendo that has turned Wells into a genius of epic proportions, of dare I say it, Walt proportions, but real facts on what he personally accomplished.

Pete, c'mon now. As has been pointed out already, noboby has compared Wells to Walt, and certainly nobody has called him a genius of epic proportions.

Where is the irrefutable proof that Wells was the genius and Eisner the ego?

Again, he wasn't a genius, but that aside... irrefutable proof? If we only discuss things that we have irrefutable proof about, there won't be very much discussion, will there?

Since nobody is saying Wells was a genius, obviously there isn't going to be much proof that he was. But there is a lot of opinions from people who worked with him that he was a solid business executive who dealt with people pretty well. We also know that those putting together the Disney team wanted him to be CEO, not Eisner. They did want Eisner for his Hollywood "clout", and Eisner only agreed to come to Disney if he were the CEO. Wells then agreed to be the #2 guy, though he still reported to the Board, not to Eisner.

Then there's the timing of Disney's success followed by its struggles largely coinciding with Wells' death and Eisner subsequent power consolidation.

And are you really questioning the size of Eisner's ego? I'm not saying that an ego automatically makes someone a bad CEO, because it doesn't, but how many people have to comment on the man's ego before you are convinced? Even his supporters acknowlege it. We had a judge recently put it into a ruling, despite the fact that the legal decision itself was in Eisner's favor.

 

[Peter Pirate]

When have I ever even suggested that Eisner doesn't have an ego to rival Jobs or Trump, for example? He does, always has had, probably always will.

Does it have to be spelled out in so many words that Wells reputation is considered to be nearing the hallowed ground around here? Geez, just remember the posts over the years... Hardly anything good can be said about Eisner without someone, or two or three to chime in that "well Eisner did accomplish some good things when Wells was around?" Or many variations on the theme.

I don't contend Eisner was great, but he was good for Disney and maybe very good in the long run. I do object to the virtual free pass given to Frank Wells though. It's true that it seems Disney was running better, certainly more creatively when they were both there and that Eisner did make some bad decisions after Frank died and to be sure I give great weight to manning's example of Splash Mountain as some proof. But is there more? Can we quantify that Wells really did steer Eisner in the right direction or is it just circumstance and coincidence?

 

[raidermatt]

Your falling into the trap of "relativity".

The criticism of Eisner is so harsh, it makes Wells look flawless. Doesn't mean he was.

I don't believe that Wells "steered" Eisner in the right direction so much as he mitigated Eisner's negatives. He also was in a position to either counter decisions or make his own. But specific proof on specific items? In a world where even the official company line can't be trusted? You just have to decide who you want to believe about the dynamics of the Esiner/Wells team, then look at how things went after Wells passed, and come to your own conclusion.

 

[Epcot83]

I found this over at Mouseplanet:

Unfortunatley the drwarves didn't decide not to hold up the building the minute Michael waled in there, it could have saved the past few years of Disney big time.

But seriosly. Im glad to see him leave. Now that he is out maybe WDW will get cleaner and all taht good stuff. Bye Bye Michael!