2,000 at Memorial for Disney’s Wells

More than 2,000 people packed into a sound stage on the lot of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank on Monday afternoon to pay a final tribute to company President Frank G. Wells, who was killed April 3 in a helicopter crash while on a ski trip.

During the three-hour memorial, a studio orchestra played some of Wells’ favorite songs from the studio’s animated features, a choir from First African Methodist Episcopal Church sang and several colleagues, close friends and family members--sometimes choking back emotion--eulogized Wells.

Michael Eisner, Disney’s chief executive officer, introduced the many speakers. “If we’d invited everyone, this tribute would have gone through the night and beyond,” he said.

Eisner said that the Friday before Wells’ death “Frank was in a great frame of mind” because he had just decided to sign another seven-year contract to stay with the company.

Wells and Eisner took the reins at Disney 10 years ago and are credited with turning the studio around, both financially and creatively.

The program included a slide presentation that showed Wells’ many facets, from influential businessman and community leader to adventurous outdoorsman. He quit as Warner Bros. president in 1982 to scale the highest summits on each continent and failed only to reach the top of Mt. Everest.

Actor-director Clint Eastwood, a friend and business associate, remembered the time when he and Wells were at odds over a point in a movie deal.

“Let’s play tennis for it,” Eastwood remembered suggesting.

“His eyes narrowed and his eyes squinted, even more than me,” said Eastwood, whose trademark squint is legendary. “I knew that I was in for the tennis match of my life.”

Eastwood had accompanied Wells on the ski trip to Nevada’s Ruby Mountains but had left for his Carmel home about an hour before the crash.

“I’ll go on other adventures, but it won’t be quite the same. I’ll miss you, pal,” Eastwood said as he left the podium.

Carrying skis onto the stage, Wells’ son, Briant, also addressed the crowd, asking them to join in singing with him “Hey Jude,” a Beatles song that Wells loved to sing.

Roy Disney, actor Robert Redford, actress Candice Bergen and several other of Wells’ close friends from the entertainment industry spoke at the memorial, as did Warren Miller, a documentary filmmaker and one of Wells’ ski partners.

“I can see him standing on the summit,” said Miller, choking back tears, “saying, ‘C’mon you guys, hurry up. This powder snow won’t last forever.’

“You’re wrong, Frank. It will.”