Our story begins in the year 1901. The date is December 5. Christmas is coming soon, so everybody is happy and magical. But on this date, something else happy and magical happened. Elias Disney and Flora Disney had their fourth child, after Roy, Herbert, and Ruth Disney. They named him: Walter Elias Disney. Walt’s was a strict, religious man who often physically abused his children. He was a building contractor. His mother didn’t work. Soon after Walt was born, his father took over a farm in Marceline, Missouri. This is where Walt developed his love for animals.
When the farm failed, the Disneys moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Walt worked selling candy for the train. Walt dropped out of high school when he was sixteen, and attempted to join the army. He was rejected due to his age. Instead he worked for the Red Cross, where he drove an ambulance for a year.
Walt worked as a newspaper artist to making commercials for the Kansas City film Ad Company. Around this time, Walt began experimenting with a camera and doing hand-drawn cel animation. So he decided to open his own animation business. From the ad company, he recruited Fred Harman as his first employee. Their cartoons, called Laugh-O-Grams, began being screened in theaters. They became hugely popular, so Walt opened his own studio, called Laugh-O-Grams. Walt and his brother, Roy, moved to Hollywood. Walt married an artist by the name of Lillian Bound.
Walt created the iconic cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. This was the character that starred the first ever all-sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie. Little known fact: Walt was the voice of Mickey. In 1937 Walt Disney Studios created the first full-length animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It produced a staggering $1.5 million, an incredible feat for this time period. It was the Great Depression.
Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955 and began making plans for Walt Disney World before he died in Burbank, California on the date of December 15, 1966.
Walt Disney preferred pencil and ink, as they were ideal for animating. This artist is sometimes associated with the start of successful animated movies. This artist’s most famous works include: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mary Poppins, and Steamboat Willie. My two favorite pieces are Mickey Mouse (the character itself) and Donald Duck( the character itself). Walt faced very little struggles; he was a very successful man. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a hardship or two. In 1927, a few of Disney’s employees stole the rights to the character Walt created before Mickey Mouse: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. He also faced some bankruptcy before he became a big shot. And in 1941, a strike occurred between many of the Disney animators. Many of them resigned, so it took a while for Walt to get back up on his feet.
So that’s the life of Walt Disney. Amazing, isn’t it?
I like the way you told his story with a perky optimism--the way I've always perceived the artist himself. Someday people will telling the story of how you got your start as an animator, way back when you drew in sidewalk chalk in front of Kickapoo High School... :)
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