Dick Cook (Powerhouse Hollywood Executive & Former Studio Chief) on His Journey from Disney Ride Operator to Running Walt Disney Studios

Send Kevin a Text Message In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger , host Kevin Goetz sits down with Dick Cook, the former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios known as "the filmmaker's Chairman." From his humble start as a Disneyland train operator to running one of Hollywood's most successful studios, Dick shares how his Bakersfield roots and team-oriented leadership helped deliver some of Disney's most loved and profitable films, including Finding Nemo , The Lion King , National Treasure , and Pirates of the Caribbean . From Bakersfield to Disneyland (01:42) Dick shares how a 17-year-old with railroad experience landed a job operating Disney's steam train and monorail, setting the stage for an extraordinary career journey. Small-Town Values in Hollywood (06:10) Growing up in Oildale, California, Dick explains how losing his father at 12 and his mother's dedication to baseball helped shape his character. The Disruption Era (12:38) Dick discusses joining Disney during the home video and pay television revolution, when many thought it would kill the theatrical business. Learning from Legends (17:25) Dick shares insights from working with Disney visionaries like Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michael Eisner, and Card Walker. Convincing Eisner on Pirates (20:43) The inside story of how Dick had to sell Michael Eisner on Pirates of the Caribbean , an expensive pirate movie with an arthouse actor that became a massive franchise. The Team Philosophy (32:33) Dick emphasizes how success came from building loyal teams and treating the movie business as "a game" - serious work that he genuinely loved doing with people he cared about. Green-Lighting Lessons (35:54) Dick walks through his decision-making process for approving films, from budget considerations to the ancillary market. Remembering The Alamo (37:37) A candid discussion about one of his biggest missteps, how killing the protagonist at the end of the second act doomed The Alamo , and why pre-green-light audience testing might have caught the flaw. Friday Night Phone Calls (40:44) Dick recalls the excitement of Splash's surprising opening weekend success, when hand-calculated box office numbers seemed too good to believe. Dick demonstrates how humility, small-town decency, and collaborative leadership can drive Hollywood success while maintaining his integrity. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with others. We look forward to bringing you more behind-the-scenes revelations next time on Don't Kill the Messenger . Host: Kevin Goetz Guest: Dick Cook Producer: Kari Campano Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari Campano Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment) For more information about Dick Cook: Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cook IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1693424/bio/ LinkedIn: For more information about Kevin Goetz: - Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com - Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678 - How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/ - Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack: @KevinGoetz360 - LinkedIn @Kevin Goetz - Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com