Walt Disney Studios just named Alan F. Horn as Chairman of the Company.  Mr. Horn joins Disney after a distinguished career as a film executive, but the interesting twist is that, at 69, this gentleman came out of retirement to accept the position. The New York Times quoted Mr. Horn as saying, “I found myself with a lot of free time and there aren’t many chairs like this in the movie business so I had to say yes.”

Horn is an experienced executive who still has a great deal to offer the film industry. According to news reports, before his retirement from Warner Brothers, Horn was responsible for leading the Harry Potter series, The Hobbit, The Perfect Storm and a host of other successes.

One of the statements that delighted me about his work is that he is “notably not excited about making crude comedies.” While Warner Brothers may have felt that he was out of sync with today’s modern audiences in his reluctance to do so, I think it’s wonderful that a major film company has appointed someone who just might bring some class––or even refinement––back to the industry.

Horn will have a full plate in his new role at Disney, but it seems he is more than up to the challenge.  He quipped that his first priority in his new position was to, “Get to know everybody at the studio and get a chair and a couch. Somehow that strikes of great wisdom––and it seems to me that is what industry needs today. If you don’t know the people you work with, how can you succeed? The need for a couch and a chair for people to sit on also strikes me as a most civil approach.

Going “back to work” after retirement isn’t right for everyone, but it’s wonderful that we have the freedom to do so if we wish to do so. My husband has a favorite “T” shirt; it says, “Old Guys Rule”. It’s nice to know that’s a true statement when we want it to be. Congratulations Mr. Horn and to Disney Studios for making such a wise choice.
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Editor's Note: Visit Nora's Blog at www.surviveyourhusbandsretirement.com

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