Disneyland Windows > Marvin A. Davis
Location: Disney Gallery, Town Square - Main Street USA, Disneyland.
In 1937, Marvin A. Davis was hired by 20th Century Fox, working as an Art Director. In 1953, a former co-worker at Fox - Richard Irvine, recruited Davis to work with WED Enterprises and Walt Disney's idea for a new theme park. A gifted architect, Davis became the Master Planner behind Walt Disney's theme park. During construction, Davis refined and developed artistic plans, designing and laying-out Disneyland's overall floor plan. Experience as an Art Director helped Davis understand and incorporate Disney storytelling and forced artistic perspective into Disneyland's construction.
After Disneyland's opening in 1955, Davis became an Art Director with Walt Disney Studios, working on the film Babes in Toyland, and television's Zorro and The Mickey Mouse Club. Davis also won an Emmy for his work on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.
In 1955, Davis married Marjorie Sewell, Bill Cotrell's daughter and Lillian Disney's niece. One of Walt's favorite nieces, Marjorie appeared in some early films for Disney, including Alice Gets in Dutch and Alice is Stage Struck. In 1926, Marjorie starred in her own Laugh-O-Gram film, as Clara in Clara Cleans Her Teeth.
Marvin Aubrey Davis retired from the Walt Disney Company in 1975. He was honored as a Disney Legend in 1994. Davis who master planned both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, died on March 8, 1998 in Santa Monica, California. His wife, Marjorie (Sewell) Davis also died in Santa Monica the next year, on Dec 23, 1999.