Meet Disney Legend Bob Gurr at the Premiere of His New Movie
Untold millions have had the times of their lives onboard Bob Gurr's ride vehicles at Disneyland, cowering from his King Kong at Universal Studios or marveling at the sinking pirate ship he built on the Las Vegas Strip. He created a flying saucer that flew above the Coliseum at the close of the 1984 Olympics, the most-viewed event in TV history. The 93-year-old designer is the subject of a new documentary premiering April 26 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Bob Gurr: Living By Design showcases the Disney legend who is also a pilot, a sailor and a Burning Man enthusiast, with boundless energy and a curiosity that has inspired him since he was a kid.
The L.A. native is excited for a red-carpet premiere at the 100-year-old movie house he frequented before becoming one of the first Disney Imagineers. 'I had all of Glendale to go snooping around,' Gurr says. 'My father gave me money to go see movies and I saw The Wizard of Oz when it first came out.' He's also notoriously picky about movies. 'I would say it takes me longer to select a movie for the evening than it takes to actually watch it,' he says. 'I like to see really good work. Really good work the way Walt Disney used to do stuff. I'm sorry but I'm spoiled. I don't see a movie to kill time. I'm busy all the time.'
Gurr is considered one of the most influential designers in theme park history. As Disneyland approaches its 70th anniversary this summer, ride vehicles he designed for the park in the 1950s and 60s are still popular favorites.
'I'm busy every day,' he says. 'I just love being interested in everything.' Walt Disney himself recruited Gurr soon after he graduated from ArtCenter College of Design to design a car for his new theme park in Anaheim and Gurr's Autopia, Monorail and submarines have been transporting us into lands of fantasy ever since. 'I have 124,000 followers on Instagram,' he says. 'That would fill a stadium someplace!'
Bob Gurr: Living By DesignSaturday, April 26Alex Theatre, Glendale
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