D23 Presents the 20th Anniversary of Disney�s The Rocketeer
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Exactly twenty years after its gala premiere, The Rocketeer returned to Hollywood’s historic El Capitan Theater for a special one night showing, presented by D23. It was fitting location, as The Rocketeer was the film that opened the Hollywood Boulevard movie palace following its restoration and renovation by the Walt Disney Company.

Eager fans lined the sidewalks and alleyway next to the theater. Among them were a number of Cliff Secords, in costumes of varying degrees of authenticity. Music of the 1940s filled the air as the crowd made their way through the El Capitan’s ornate lobby and into the seats of the eye popping Moorish Revival auditorium. There, music was provided by the mighty Wurlitzer organ. With the final notes of the live concert hanging in the air, the organ console slowly sank out of sight, and Steven Clark, head of D23, took the stage.

Clad in a Bulldog Café t-shirt, Clark began his welcoming comments by noting that the staff of D23 included many huge fans of The Rocketeer. He referred to the film as, “Disney’s modern day film classic.” As the twentieth anniversary approached, the decision was made to create a new digital print of the 1991 film, and to screen the print on the anniversary of the film’s premiere.

Clark went on to point out that the mother and sister of Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens were in the audience. He then asked director Joe Johnston to offer a few words of welcome.

Johnston prefaced his comments by ruefully noting, “I knew that people would eventually like this movie.” He asked the crowd how many had seen The Rocketeer in its first two weeks of release. He chuckled as he admitted that he had last seen the film in 1991, at the El Capitan Theater. “I want to thank all of you for coming down tonight,” he went on, “It’s very special to me.” He also acknowledged another guest in the audience, Bill Campbell who played the title role. “He looks just like he did 20 years ago,” said Johnston, “And it’s really irritating.”

The lights dimmed, and the crowd cheered as the simple opening titles for Disney’s The Rocketeer filled the big screen. Specific screen credits elicited cheers and applause, before everyone settled in to enjoy the adventures of Cliff Secord, the young stunt pilot who must battle gangsters, Nazis and G-Men with the aid of a mysterious rocket pack.

Following the film the audience enjoyed a panel discussion with several key members of the film’s creative team. It consisted of director Joe Johnston, title star Bill Campbell, screenwriters Paul De Meo and Danny Bilson, special make-up artist Rick Baker, and artist William Stout, a close friend of the late Dave Stevens, creator of The Rocketeer for the comics. Moderating the panel was writer/director Kevin Smith, who declared, “This is geek nirvana for a geek like myself!”

Smith first marveled that he was in the presence of: Joe Johnston, the creator of Star Wars’ At-At, as well as the armor for Bobba Fett; Rick Baker, who showed us all what werewolves look like as they turn into werewolves; the creators of the Flash TV series; and William Stout, who created all the album art for the Firesign Theater. As for Bill Campbell, Smith said, “He may be prettier than Jennifer Connelly.” Finally, he lauded the memory of Dave Stevens.