ANITA TORRES FISH

Anyone who has actively researched the life of C.S. Lewis undoubtedly knows he was a multifaceted and vivid writer with strong convictions, and a specific purpose when it came to his literary works. Perhaps that explains why the series “The Chronicles of Narnia,” now more than 50 years old, have never been out of print. While many are baffled by his success, others recognize the enduring popularity and longevity of his works has to do with his commitment to telling stories with clarity and simplicity.

The C.S. Lewis Readers’ Encyclopedia shares an excerpt from a letter written by Evelyn Underhill in 1941, in response to her reading of Lewis’ “The Problem of Pain.” She describes Lewis’ “remarkable” ability for making ideas come alive as his “capacity for giving imaginative body to the fundamental doctrines of Christianity.”

Since 1967, four years after Lewis’ death, television networks, playwrights and film producers have tried to pull from the pages of his novels the creative genius that draws the attention of even those who are typically apathetic to religion. Perhaps this is where Disney comes into the picture.

Talk of Disney’s involvement goes back to 1954 when Jane Douglass, an actress and playwright, approached Lewis to introduce the idea of dramatizing “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” in an animated film. He didn’t see how it could be done, notes William Griffin in his book, “A Dramatic Life.” Lewis had written on June 19 to discourage Douglass. He said “Aslan is a divine figure, and anything remotely approaching the comic (anything in the Disney line) would be to me simple blasphemy.” Lewis went on to tell her, “of course, if I should agree to what you want, I should more than ever be accused of making propaganda for Christianity.”

USA Today, in its Dec. 2, 2005, edition, reports BBC producer Lance Sieveking knew Lewis approved of a radio serial, but opposed a film version of Aslan. Lewis wrote to Sieveking saying, “anthropomorphic animals, when taken out of narrative into actual visibility, always turn into buffoonery or nightmare. At least, with photography, cartoons (If only Disney did not combine so much vulgarity with his genius!) would be another matter.”

So how did Narnia fall into Disney’s lap? Douglas Gresham first met C.S. Lewis in 1953 hen Joy Gresham, Douglas’ mother, moved to England with he and his older brother David. Douglas, then 8, enjoyed meeting the author of the Narnia tales. Joy and Lewis became good friends, and eventually married after finding out Joy had cancer. Lewis’ role as stepfather continued after her death in 1959.

When Lewis died in 1963, he left part of his estate to Douglas and David. The brothers eventually went their separate ways. Douglas, a committed Christian and consultant with the C.S. Lewis literary estate, negotiated a deal with Paramount. The deal secured a 15-year plan to create a franchise out of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” but after five years of failed attempts to make Narnia a blockbuster, Paramount was again ready to deal. Anschutz Film Group, a family-friendly movie company, and Walden Media backed by Philip F. Anschutz, a conservative billionaire, were impressed with the spiritual underpinnings of Narnia and purchased the rights to the franchise in 2001. When approached by Anschutz executives, Disney hesitated, but after a two-year lapse, eventually recognized Narnia’s potential, based on 90 million book readers, and came in as a partner to distribute and sell Narnia with the film maker, Walden Media Company.

So what happened to honoring the wishes and memories of the steadfast and disapproving Lewis? Lewis’ stepson, along with those involved in making the film, are confident the author would be proud of what director Andrew Adamson contributed. Adamson, who claims to have been a Narnia fan since childhood, is said to have the ability to blend live action and computer graphics with an uncanny, even understated elegance that never allows the visual elements to overpower the deep simplicity of the story — or the very human conflicts at its center (U.S. News & World Reports, Dec. 12, 2005). Dennis Rice, a spokesman for Disney, believes if Lewis had lived in the world of 2005, he would have had a different view, recognizing that digital technology would serve to enhance characters like Aslan and the faun, Tumnus.

That is, unless Lewis had teamed up with the American Family Association and other groups on the religious right, who until last summer had been part of a nine-year Disney boycott. A man of conservative values, Lewis believed Christian dogma had to be faced honestly whether likable or not, and would have probably joined forces in protesting Disney for gay-oriented events at its theme parks (which are still alive and well), in addition for its ownership of Miramax, a company which released the likes of “Priest” and “Bad Santa” before the founding Weinstein brothers exited in September.

Perhaps the fact that Disney has joined forces with Motive Marketing, the company behind promoting “Passion of The Christ” to publicize the film through Christian entities would lessen the ruffling of Lewis’ feathers. Since Lewis’ sights were set on the love he had for the fairy tale form, rather than on fairy tales being the most effective medium to convey Christian truths to children, somehow I doubt Motive’s involvement would have won him over. However, Lewis might have agreed with Disney executives that while the movie is determined to stay true to Lewis’ Christian roots, it is not going after any particular fan base at the cost of another.

“I don’t want to sound greedy or sound like a producer saying ‘we’re for everybody,’ ” producer Mark Johnson told USA Today. “But we are. That’s the genius of C.S. Lewis. The story works on so many levels.” Additionally, he said, “you will find Christian symbolism in the movie only if you found it in the book. That’s fair enough, though you will find it if you look closely — or are told to.”

Join me next week for the final journey through ‘The Wardrobe.’