I'd like to start a new biographical series about famous American entrepreneurs that were titans of their industries. This idea came to me after recently watching a documentary on perhaps one of the most iconic American businessmen of all time, Walt Disney. While I'd like to categorize Walt as a movie icon, and that he certainly is, his legacy goes beyond just movies. He was ultimately a businessman who created an entertainment conglomerate based around his animations. His name has become synonymous with classic animated films and fairy tale destinations. The empire that he created throughout his career continues to thrive to this day. His franchise is considered an American staple in the likes of McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, or Walmart.
It seems the name Disney is often more recognized for its movie production business rather than the person behind it all. Walt Disney was the perfect example of an American capitalist who rose to the top thru his innovative and ambitious character. By 1920s he moved to Hollywood to establish his iconic Walt Disney studios. He used groundbreaking animated techniques to lead Hollywood thru a Golden Age of animation thru the 1930s-1940s. He was not only an animator but also a voice actor most famously known for creating and providing the voice of Mickey Mouse.
By the 1950s he was a highly acclaimed producer and studio executive and began to expand his empire. He first opened his iconic amusement park, Disneyland in 1955 in Anaheim California. He later began television productions and live drama films such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Mary Poppins. He always demanded the best out of his staff, and while there have been accusations that he was antisemitic these claims cannot be justified. He died in 1966, at the age of 65, due to lung cancer, however his franchise continued to grow after his death. To this day Walt Disney Studios remains one of the iconic leaders in movie production and entertainment.
Walt's Early Life
One thing I like to understand in this study of famous American entrepreneurs is whether these moguls were born into wealth or paved their own path. In the case of Walt he was raised by a middle class family. His father Elias was a real estate businessman with limited success and moved the family from Chicago, Santa Fe, Kansas City, and back to Chicago. As a child, Walt displayed a great interest in cartoons and drawing. He stayed committed to his paper route for 6 years which demonstrated his hunger for business. His patriotism was demonstrated in WWI when he tried to join at the age of 16, and later was able to land a job as an ambulance driver at the end of the war.
Following the war he was able to land some work as an illustrator for a newspaper in Kansas City and also became an apprentice at an animation studio. During this time he acquired his interest in animation which was a new technology that merged video with illustrations. In 1921 Walt opened an animation studio with a friend called Laugh-O-Gram Studio and produced various short advertisements for theaters and businesses. In 1923 Walt produced a 12 minute feature film Alice's Wonderland however it was not enough to earn them profits and the company went bankrupt.
Move to Hollywood
In 1923 Walt moved to Los Angeles where his brother was living to further his business interests in animation. At the time New York City was the center of the cartoon industry however Hollywood was on the rise as the center of the movie industry. Walt was able to sign a contract for the production of more of Alice Comedies, which lead him to establish his Disney Studio with his brother Roy. In 1925 he hired an ink artist, Lillian Bounds, and married her later that year. They had two children together and remained married until Walt's death in 1966.
In 1927 film producer, Charles Mintz requested new material from Walt, which lead to the creation of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. However before this series could take off, Walt had financial disagreements with Charles Mintz which lead to the eventual collapse of this partnership. In response however Walt developed the character of Mickey Mouse, which was a similar peppy personality as Oswald. It was in 1928 that Disney released one of his first major iconic animations, Steamboat Willie, which introduced the character of Mickey Mouse as well as the first sound animation. (The film Jazz Singer was the first film to incorporate sound in 1927).
Throughout the 1930s Disney continued to produce Mickey Mouse films and introduced new groundbreaking musical animated films such as The Skeleton Dance (1929) and The Flowers and Trees (1932) which won Walt his first Academy Award for animation. Walt also won an Honorary Academy Award in 1932 for his creation of Mickey Mouse. A year later the Disney studio released The Three Little Pigs which won him another Academy Award and is considered one of the most significant animations of all time. By this point Walt Disney has established himself as the undisputed leader of animation in Hollywood.
Golden Age of Animation
However Walt was just beginning at this point and was always looking for ways to challenge himself as well as the industry. This is no doubt what made him so successful, his constant ambition to innovate. In 1934 he began a four year project on the feature animated film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This became one of Disney's most ambitious costly projects, introducing color animation with multi-plane camera techniques introducing depth to his animation. While many in Hollywood dubbed it as Disney's folly the film actually became one of the most successful films ever produced at that time, collecting high revenues and more Academy awards.
Following the success of Snow White, by 1937 Walt Disney has introduced a Golden Age of Animation. His studio released two more ambitious animated projects Fantasia and Pinocchio in 1940, Dumbo in 1941, and Bambi in 1942. Each of these films went on to win numerous Academy Awards however performed poorly in the box office due to the onset of World War II. Due to the outbreak of war, Walt halted his animated projects and began propaganda and training productions to aid the United States military against Germany.
Other Projects and Disneyland
After the war Disney's business interests continued to expand beyond just animation. He produced several more successful feature animated films, Cinderella in 1950, Alice in Wonderland in 1951, and Peter Pan in 1953. However also began producing live action films such as Treasure Island in 1950, Robin Hood in 1952, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1954. He also began investing in the new medium of television and partnered with ABC in 1950. Together they aired The Wonderful World of Disneyland in 1954 which consisted of animated shorts catered for children.
One of Walt's most ambitious projects was the development of an amusement park that would embody the many fairy tales that he produced. In 1955 this vision became a reality with the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This amusement park consisted of various theme areas such as Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland. There was also rides, venues, and numerous attractions that brought thousands of visitors on a daily basis. To this day Disneyland has become a fantasy destination for children and families alike.
Disney continued a string of successful animated films with the release of Lady and the Tramp in 1955, Sleeping Beauty in 1959, One Hundred and One Dalmatians in 1961, and the Sword in the Stone in 1963. He also oversaw the musical production of Mary Poppins in 1964, a film that went on to garnish 13 Academy Award nominations. By 1966 however Walt grew very sick from cancer and died at the young age of 65. However his legacy carried on to become one of the most iconic film franchises in not only America but the world. To this day he holds the record for most Academy Awards at 22 Oscars. His name has become synonymous with entertainment, fantasy, and one of the most iconic American brands.
It seems the name Disney is often more recognized for its movie production business rather than the person behind it all. Walt Disney was the perfect example of an American capitalist who rose to the top thru his innovative and ambitious character. By 1920s he moved to Hollywood to establish his iconic Walt Disney studios. He used groundbreaking animated techniques to lead Hollywood thru a Golden Age of animation thru the 1930s-1940s. He was not only an animator but also a voice actor most famously known for creating and providing the voice of Mickey Mouse.
By the 1950s he was a highly acclaimed producer and studio executive and began to expand his empire. He first opened his iconic amusement park, Disneyland in 1955 in Anaheim California. He later began television productions and live drama films such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Mary Poppins. He always demanded the best out of his staff, and while there have been accusations that he was antisemitic these claims cannot be justified. He died in 1966, at the age of 65, due to lung cancer, however his franchise continued to grow after his death. To this day Walt Disney Studios remains one of the iconic leaders in movie production and entertainment.
Walt's Early Life
Following the war he was able to land some work as an illustrator for a newspaper in Kansas City and also became an apprentice at an animation studio. During this time he acquired his interest in animation which was a new technology that merged video with illustrations. In 1921 Walt opened an animation studio with a friend called Laugh-O-Gram Studio and produced various short advertisements for theaters and businesses. In 1923 Walt produced a 12 minute feature film Alice's Wonderland however it was not enough to earn them profits and the company went bankrupt.
Move to Hollywood
In 1923 Walt moved to Los Angeles where his brother was living to further his business interests in animation. At the time New York City was the center of the cartoon industry however Hollywood was on the rise as the center of the movie industry. Walt was able to sign a contract for the production of more of Alice Comedies, which lead him to establish his Disney Studio with his brother Roy. In 1925 he hired an ink artist, Lillian Bounds, and married her later that year. They had two children together and remained married until Walt's death in 1966.
In 1927 film producer, Charles Mintz requested new material from Walt, which lead to the creation of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. However before this series could take off, Walt had financial disagreements with Charles Mintz which lead to the eventual collapse of this partnership. In response however Walt developed the character of Mickey Mouse, which was a similar peppy personality as Oswald. It was in 1928 that Disney released one of his first major iconic animations, Steamboat Willie, which introduced the character of Mickey Mouse as well as the first sound animation. (The film Jazz Singer was the first film to incorporate sound in 1927).Throughout the 1930s Disney continued to produce Mickey Mouse films and introduced new groundbreaking musical animated films such as The Skeleton Dance (1929) and The Flowers and Trees (1932) which won Walt his first Academy Award for animation. Walt also won an Honorary Academy Award in 1932 for his creation of Mickey Mouse. A year later the Disney studio released The Three Little Pigs which won him another Academy Award and is considered one of the most significant animations of all time. By this point Walt Disney has established himself as the undisputed leader of animation in Hollywood.
Golden Age of Animation
However Walt was just beginning at this point and was always looking for ways to challenge himself as well as the industry. This is no doubt what made him so successful, his constant ambition to innovate. In 1934 he began a four year project on the feature animated film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This became one of Disney's most ambitious costly projects, introducing color animation with multi-plane camera techniques introducing depth to his animation. While many in Hollywood dubbed it as Disney's folly the film actually became one of the most successful films ever produced at that time, collecting high revenues and more Academy awards.Following the success of Snow White, by 1937 Walt Disney has introduced a Golden Age of Animation. His studio released two more ambitious animated projects Fantasia and Pinocchio in 1940, Dumbo in 1941, and Bambi in 1942. Each of these films went on to win numerous Academy Awards however performed poorly in the box office due to the onset of World War II. Due to the outbreak of war, Walt halted his animated projects and began propaganda and training productions to aid the United States military against Germany.
Other Projects and Disneyland
After the war Disney's business interests continued to expand beyond just animation. He produced several more successful feature animated films, Cinderella in 1950, Alice in Wonderland in 1951, and Peter Pan in 1953. However also began producing live action films such as Treasure Island in 1950, Robin Hood in 1952, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1954. He also began investing in the new medium of television and partnered with ABC in 1950. Together they aired The Wonderful World of Disneyland in 1954 which consisted of animated shorts catered for children.
One of Walt's most ambitious projects was the development of an amusement park that would embody the many fairy tales that he produced. In 1955 this vision became a reality with the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This amusement park consisted of various theme areas such as Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland. There was also rides, venues, and numerous attractions that brought thousands of visitors on a daily basis. To this day Disneyland has become a fantasy destination for children and families alike.Disney continued a string of successful animated films with the release of Lady and the Tramp in 1955, Sleeping Beauty in 1959, One Hundred and One Dalmatians in 1961, and the Sword in the Stone in 1963. He also oversaw the musical production of Mary Poppins in 1964, a film that went on to garnish 13 Academy Award nominations. By 1966 however Walt grew very sick from cancer and died at the young age of 65. However his legacy carried on to become one of the most iconic film franchises in not only America but the world. To this day he holds the record for most Academy Awards at 22 Oscars. His name has become synonymous with entertainment, fantasy, and one of the most iconic American brands.
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