Behind the Mike

I’m such a sick puppy. I need a hobby on my rare day off. There I was on Thanksgiving Day, channel surfing and trying to improve on a menu that included the likes of the Detroit Lambs and the Dallas Cowgirls. Even the most avid football fan can only take so much of that kind of pain.

So I surfed to AMC, my go-to channel during rainy days and crappy TV schedules in search of my favorite go-to movies. Let’s face it; every week isn’t sweeps week. But I found refuge on AMC in the form Top Gun, Godfather I, Godfather II, The Untouchables and such.

It’s pretty sad when you know the lines from every movie and you recite them before the character has a chance to open his mouth. “I feel the need… the need for speed,” the speed provided by Top Gun.

A speaker buddy of mine, Danny Cox, was a fighter pilot. I recall fondly that he and I were doing a sales rally in Columbus, Ohio in 1986 shortly after Top Gun hit the theaters. Danny is known as the “Accelerationist,” a word that he concocted to brand his presentation style. He spent ten years flying supersonic all-weather fighters in the United States Air Force. In addition to this he was a test pilot and air show pilot as well as a speaker to civilian organizations in surrounding cities that were hard hit by sonic booms. He was internationally known as “The Sonic Boom Salesman.”

Danny once described to me that landing on an aircraft carrier was much like putting a postage stamp on your living room floor and envisioning your path accordingly. Top Gun wasn’t the only the only go-to movie Thanksgiving week. Tom Cruise brought the movie to life, as he does so many movies.

Another great flick involving Cruise during turkey-week was A Few Good Men. The most compelling scene was unquestionably Cruise’s encounter with Col. Nathan Jesup, played by the incomparable Jack Nicholson. The movie focuses on the trial of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine. Jack Nicholson is at the center of one of the most famous movie courtroom scenes ever. When Lieutenant Kaffee, played by Cruise, questions Nicholson’s character, demanding the truth, Nicholson famously retorts, “You can’t handle the truth!”

And who doesn’t like The Godfather series. Many fans call it their all-time favorite flicks. “We’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse” is but one of the scores of lines that people repeat daily. On another occasion, Michael Corleone’s wife Kay questions her husband about his business: “All right. This one time I’ll let you ask me about my affairs.”

The list goes on and on. “My credit good enough to buy you out?” or “You straightened my brother out?” One of the funniest scenes is when Marlon Brando slaps around movie star Johnny Fontane, his Godson, and challenges him: “You can act like a man!”

When the family is planning Michael Corleone’s murder of a corrupt police captain, Sonny Corleone’s famous line to his crew was: “Hey, listen, I want somebody good – and I mean very good – to plant that gun. I don’t want my brother coming out of that toilet with just his —k in his hands, alright?”

Equally humorous was the arrival of the fish in a vest signifying the death of Luca Brasi: “It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.” And the funniest line of all was when Peter Clemenza kills Paulie in the car. “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”

No question about it, I need a hobby. It’s not just the Godfather that has those great memorable lines. Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry character has one of the most often quoted lines, “Go ahead make my day.” And Kevin Costner’s line in Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” Or Cool Hand Luke’s wonderful line, “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” And Tom Cruise’s performance as Jerry McGuire, “Show me the money!” or “I’ll be back.” (The Terminator) or “Life is like a box of chocolates” (Forrest Gump).

Way too much television for yours truly. I need a hobby.

My wife Christine and I had a rare free afternoon together so we decided to head to a movie at Downtown Disney where there are a plethora of theaters that offer the latest greatest flicks. That particular day we got to enjoy the Disney movie “Enchanted,” for which I had to render my “man-card” according to my son, Christopher.

I bumped into my buddy Lenn Millbower, who, at the time was part of the Disney magical experience. We both marveled at how actress Amy Adams captured all the essence and mannerisms of a Princess in the movie.

I’ve always admired the way that Disney does its business. Just for the heck of it, I’ll sometimes float around the grounds of Disney or Downtown Disney and I’ll intentionally throw a piece of paper on the ground just to see how long it will stay there before one of the mega-trained Disney employees arrives to collect it. Trust me; it’ll be a short wait.

Part of the reason is, save the great textile giant, Milliken & Company, of Spartanburg, SC, there may not be a better trained work force on the planet. Milliken, with whom I’ve done considerable work over the years, requires 40 hours of continuing education out of each of their employees every year just to keep your job.

People like my dear friend and speaking colleague Lenn Millbower are the core of training that makes Disney magical.

Lenn is a creative and dynamic instructional designer and facilitator who spent considerable time with Disney Learning Solutions, the Disney University, the Disney Institute and Walt Disney Entertainment. An accomplished arranger-composer, Lenn is skilled in the psychological application of music to enhance learning.

Today, Lenn has retired from Disney and now runs Offbeat Training, an organization dedicated to enhancing the enjoyment of learning through the infusion entertainment-based techniques that maintain attention, foster retention and increasing better results.

The author of four books, Lenn is a guru in training circles. CLOUT Creator Inventory is his behavioral self-assessment tool for training teams. His book

Show Biz Training is the definitive book on creative techniques of the entertainment industry. He wrote Cartoons for Trainers, a popular collection of 75 cartoons for every training situation. His book, Training with a Beat: The Teaching Power of Music, is the foremost book on practical usage of music in learning situations.

To me, some of the coolest things Lenn has done in his career are to train-the-trainers who train all new costumed Character Performers at Disney. When I retire, I want to be a Disney character. What an awesome way to enjoy retirement.

No matter how hard you try, you can’t tick a Disney Character off. I’ve tried. The closest I got was trying to get a picture with Mickey with a beer in my hand. Mickey doesn’t do pix with drinkers. Walt would flip in his grave (if he’s in one) if he knew that Minnie was cozying up to an inebriated guest. It ain’t gonna happen folks. You either put the beer down or no picture. Just another Disney standard on which they will not veer.

Lenn’s train-the-trainer job was challenging because he had to write the manuals that trainers would use to convey message to the characters. He would not only have to take the author’s version of what was written and interpret it, he would then have to vicariously train the character through the trainer whom he was training. Easy you say? Not!

It’s not just about training them on what to say and how to say it. It’s about training the character how to stand, gesture and move. In short, it’s about synchronizing the entire process for the very best results. It’s also about training the character what “not to say.”

Every time you see Snow White or Cinderella or Mary Popkins do their magic, you are a witness to the by-product orchestrated by Lenn Millbower and his cronies. Easy you say? What about when some kid asks Snow White if she likes apples? Get real gang. It was an apple that put Miss White to sleep. She doesn’t want to go there. Lenn’s job was to put words in Snow White’s mouth. “Oh, I much prefer gooseberry pie.”

So the next time you’re enjoying some of Disney’s magic, remember my buddy Lenn Millbower.