famous payzants

i like to read the credits in movies. not sure why, but it's something i've always done. my lifelong infatuation with the entertainment industry has led me to be endlessly curious about all the different jobs that go into making a movie, and i have quite a useless knowledge of directors, screenwriters, producers, musicians, etc. floating around in my head. b has always teased me about this random talent, but once in a while it pays off.

jack is realllllly into dumbo (which is a pretty weird kids' movie, if you think about it -- so much serious subject matter for a cute baby elephant!) and we watch it once in a while. one day i was just reading the credits, per usual, and i noticed a payzant! amazing. my maiden name is definitely NOT a common one, so any time i see it pop up i'm instantly intrigued. 

i forgot about it until my mom came to visit, and i mentioned it to her. while we were in hawaii, she did some sleuthing -- and it turns out this charles payzant was an art director for walt disney studios in the 1940s. he even has an IMDB page! he worked on movies like dumbo and fantasia and lived in southern california until he died in 1980. we're not quite sure how we're related to him just yet, but my dad remembers visiting his home in orange county as a kid. as someone who LOVES everything disney, this was an awesome little discovery to make. i have new respect for that dumbo movie, that's for sure. :)