Walt Disney was one of the most influential and innovative figures in the history of animation and entertainment. He created some of the most beloved and iconic characters, such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and produced groundbreaking films, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia. He also founded the Walt Disney Company, which is now one of the world’s largest media conglomerates, and built two theme parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney World, that have become popular destinations for millions of visitors. In this article, we will explore the life and legacy of Walt Disney, from his humble beginnings to his lasting impact on the world.
Early Life and Career
Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, to Elias and Flora Disney. He was the fourth of five children, and had three brothers and a sister. His father was a carpenter, farmer, and building contractor, who moved the family frequently in search of better opportunities. When Walt was four years old, they settled on a farm near Marceline, Missouri, where he developed a love for drawing and nature. He later said that Marceline was his inspiration for the Main Street, U.S.A., section of Disneyland.
When Walt was nine years old, his father sold the farm and moved the family to Kansas City, Missouri, where he bought a newspaper route. Walt had to wake up early every morning to help his father deliver papers, which affected his school performance and health. He also attended art classes at the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design, where he learned the basics of drawing and painting.
In 1917, when Walt was 16 years old, he dropped out of high school and joined the Red Cross as an ambulance driver during World War I. He was sent to France, where he spent a year driving wounded soldiers and decorating his ambulance with cartoons. After the war ended, he returned to Kansas City and worked as a commercial illustrator for various newspapers and magazines.
In 1920, Walt met Ub Iwerks, a talented animator who became his lifelong friend and collaborator. They formed a small studio called Laugh-O-Gram Films, where they produced short cartoons based on fairy tales. However, the studio went bankrupt in 1923 due to financial difficulties.
Walt decided to move to Hollywood, California, where he hoped to find more opportunities in the film industry. He was joined by his brother Roy, who handled the business side of their new venture. They set up a studio in their uncle’s garage and called it Disney Brothers Studio (later renamed The Walt Disney Company). They hired Ub Iwerks as their chief animator and started making animated shorts for various distributors.
The Rise of Mickey Mouse
In 1927, Walt created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character that became popular among audiences. However, he lost the rights to Oswald when he discovered that his distributor had secretly hired away most of his animators and planned to produce Oswald cartoons without him. Walt felt betrayed and decided to create a new character that he would own completely.
He came up with the idea of a mouse named Mortimer, but his wife Lillian suggested that Mickey sounded better. He drew Mickey himself and gave him a cheerful personality and expressive features. He also provided the voice for Mickey in the early years.
The first Mickey Mouse cartoon was Plane Crazy (1928), which was inspired by Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight. However, it failed to find a distributor because it was silent at a time when sound films were becoming popular. Walt then made Steamboat Willie (1928), which was the first cartoon with synchronized sound. It was a huge success and launched Mickey Mouse as a star.
Walt continued to produce Mickey Mouse cartoons with sound and color, such as The Band Concert (1935) and Fantasia (1940). He also introduced other characters that became part of Mickey’s gang, such as Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and Daisy Duck. He also created Silly Symphonies , a series of musical cartoons that featured different characters and stories in each episode.
The Golden Age of Animation
Walt had a vision of making animated films that were longer than shorts and had more complex plots and characters. He wanted to elevate animation to an art form that could rival live-action films in terms of quality and appeal.
He began working on his first feature-length animated film in 1934: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). It was based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm and featured seven distinct dwarf characters with names like Doc , Grumpy , Happy , Sleepy , Bashful , Sneezy , and Dopey . It also had songs written by Frank Churchill , Larry Morey , Paul Smith , Leigh Harline , Ned Washington , and others.
The production of Snow White was a huge challenge and a financial risk for Walt and his studio. It took three years and cost $1.5 million to make, which was a lot of money at the time. Walt had to mortgage his house and borrow from banks to finance the film. He also had to train his animators to use new techniques and technologies, such as the multiplane camera , which created a sense of depth and realism in the animation.
The film was released on December 21, 1937, and was an instant hit. It received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, who praised its animation, story, music, and voice acting. It also won an honorary Academy Award for Walt Disney, who was presented with one regular-sized Oscar and seven miniature ones by Shirley Temple . It became the highest-grossing film of all time until it was surpassed by Gone with the Wind (1939).
Snow White was followed by other classic animated films that are considered part of the Golden Age of Animation , such as Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). These films showcased Walt’s creativity and innovation in animation, as well as his ability to tell timeless stories that appealed to children and adults alike.
The Expansion into Live-Action Films and Television
Walt was not satisfied with just making animated films. He wanted to explore other genres and mediums of entertainment. He also wanted to reach a wider audience and diversify his income sources.
He began producing live-action films in the 1940s, such as The Reluctant Dragon (1941), which was a hybrid of animation and live-action that showed how cartoons were made at the Disney studio. He also made historical dramas, such as The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) and The Sword in the Stone (1963); adventure films, such as Treasure Island (1950) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954); nature documentaries, such as The Living Desert (1953) and The Vanishing Prairie (1954); musicals, such as Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965); and comedies, such as The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) and The Love Bug (1968).
He also ventured into television in the 1950s, when he created several shows that showcased his films, cartoons, theme parks, and personal projects. Some of his most popular shows were Walt Disney’s Disneyland , which debuted in 1954; The Mickey Mouse Club , which featured a group of young performers known as Mouseketeers ; Zorro , which starred Guy Williams as the masked hero; Davy Crockett , which starred Fess Parker as the legendary frontiersman; and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color , which showcased his films in color for the first time.
Walt used television not only as a way of entertaining his audience, but also as a way of promoting his products and projects. He also used it as a platform to express his views on various topics, such as education, science, technology, culture, and patriotism.
The Dream of Disneyland
Walt had always loved amusement parks since he was a child. He visited many parks around the world and studied their design and operation. He also enjoyed taking his daughters to parks and observing their reactions.
He had a dream of creating his own amusement park that would be different from any other park in existence. He wanted it to be a place where families could have fun together in a clean, safe, and beautiful environment. He wanted it to be a place where fantasy and reality would blend together in a seamless way. He wanted it to be a place where he could showcase his films, cartoons, characters, and stories in a three-dimensional way.
He began planning his park in the late 1940s, when he bought a 160-acre plot of land in Anaheim, California. He hired architects, engineers, artists, landscapers, and craftsmen to help him design and build his park. He also formed a separate company called WED Enterprises (later renamed Walt Disney Imagineering ) to oversee the project.
He named his park Disneyland , after himself. He divided it into five themed areas: Main Street , U.S.A., which was inspired by his childhood town of Marceline; Adventureland , which featured exotic locations from around the world; Frontierland , which celebrated the American West; Fantasyland , which brought fairy tales to life; and Tomorrowland , which envisioned the future of science and technology.