Defying the Disney Image: The Testimony of Walt Disney Essay

Tracey Mollet’s view over Disney’s positive influence is interesting. I understand how she feels like these positive and happy ending stories shed light on a depressing time in America. In my opinion it also glorified the idea of the existence of “American dream” and what exactly it looks like. Her article gave me an idea of the effects and importance of history in any social matter: especially in the literary form. Walt Disney personalized fairy tales tailored it for the American

The name was eventually changed to The Walt Disney Studios. By the end of 1927, the Disney brothers created a total of 56 Alice comedies, which proved Walt as a producer and built up his animation studio that rivaled others in the business. In 1928, their company took a hit when almost all of their animators jumped ship and went to work for Universal Pictures. It was projected that Walt Disney’s animation career was over, but he kept fighting and it taught him to never give up control of his creations. Though the tale of how he came about isn’t clear, Mickey Mouse debuted on November 18, 1928. From that day, the Walt Disney Studios took off with the creation of Snow White in 1937 and Pinocchio and Fantasia in 1940. However, the studio took a break from movies after Pearl Harbor in order to aid in the war effort by converting the studio into a wartime industrial plant. After the war, Disney reconquered the title of leader of animation and rest is history. With the opening of Disneyland and the premiere of The Mickey Mouse Club in 1955, the company has only flourished. In 1963, there was the first use of audio-animatronics at Disneyland and Walt began the foundation of a project that would lead to Disneyworld. However, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 1966 and passed in December; therefore, unable to see his plan play out. Walter Elias Disney was a small-town boy who turned into a

The production Snow White alone produced “...over $8 million during its release -- about $130 million today.” (Source F). Without the talent and skills of his animators, Walt Disney would not have been able to gather this amount of proceeds. Disney could afford to treat his animators with greater respect as reflected in their paychecks. A captain of industry helps create jobs. As would follow with all of Disney’s financial success, did that make him a captain of industry? Disney may have opened a variety of job opportunities for the public, but it did not necessarily qualify him as a captain of industry. Just as a sweat factory employed its unhappy workers, many Disney employees felt similar oppression. This led to the rally call of a strike. The day of the strike, “…Walt Disney … found the entrance to his studio ringed with a mob of 300 picketers and reporters” (Source E). This rebellion, the Disney Strike of 1941, was considered the biggest in the history of the cartoon industry. It affected a guild of 800 members and lasted for over nine weeks (Source E). The efforts of the strike forced Disney to heed the demands of his disgruntled employees. Their strike was effective, and it gave workers the chance to be paid more, and to be treated

Walter Elias Disney was an American animator, voice actor, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is known as a national cultural icon, and became famous around the world for the American animation industry. Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney quickly developed a love in art and drawing. He moved to Hollywood in the early 1920’s and set up the Disney Brothers studio with his brother Roy O. Disney. He made characters like Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dumbo, and Bambi. In the 1950’s Disney opened up Disneyland, an amusement park that focuses on his creations. Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his lifetime and died of lung cancer in December 1966. However, there are two key facts about Walt Disney that stand out, the fact that people accuse him of being

Walt Disney was a very influential man to the entertainment industry. He made animation a whole new type of entertainment. Although Walt went through many struggles and problems, he pushed on and eventually saw results for all his hard work. Many hardships got in Disney’s way such as unsupportive parents and even bankruptcy; Walt pushed on through, always creating, working hard, and persevering to accomplish his dream.

On December 5, 1901, Elias Disney and Flora Call Disney gave birth to a man who would eventually change our world by the creation of a little mouse. Walter Elias Disney, who was also known as “Walt,” was born in a small town in Chicago, Illinois, by a father who was an Irish-Canadian descent, and his mother who was a German- English descent. Walt was one out of five children, four brothers and a sister. Their names were Herbert Arthur Disney, Raymond Arnold Disney, Roy Oliver Disney, and Ruth Flora Disney. Walt was the oldest one out of the five. While he attended school, he was introduced to Walter Pfeiffer, who decided to show Walt vaudeville and the art of making movies. Walt decided to drop out of high school, at the age of sixteen, to join the army. He was rejected to join because he was too young of age. He and a friend decided to join the Red Cross, where Walt was an ambulance driver during World War II. In 1919, Walt moved to Kansas City to begin a career in art, and worked for the newspaper, as a newspaper artist. He met Ubbe Iwerks, and he and Disney soon made their own commercial company called, “Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists.”

Walter Elias Disney was always seen as a very imaginative and outgoing person at any point in his life. Walt loved life and would make appearances at Disneyland all the time to make sure employees were being kind and courteous to the guests while managing to talk and ride rides with children that looked up to him. Never in his life would Walt give up on something, which made him very stubborn at times, but a good businessman with the guidance of his brother, Roy. All of these traits made Walt Disney into one of the greatest entrepreneurs the world has ever seen, and some say he even helped shape the 20th century.

The history of how The Walt Disney Company came to be started from a small individual who enjoyed drawing and used art as a way to escape reality, his name was Walt Disney. After the World War 1 ended, Disney went to Kansas City where he later created an animated company that went bankruptcy. Walt Disney moved to Hollywood where he met M.J Winkler a distributor, Disney become part of her production partner. (The Walt Disney Company) In 1927 Disney created a series where the distributor copyright the main character and Disney only made a few hundred dollars, therefore Disney decide to leave and created that same series with a different name which was Mickey Mouse. Disney decided to go with his brother Roy and created Mickey Mouse films. When Disney wanted to put out Steamboat Willie many film producers did not like the film’s idea until Pat Powers decided to release the film in theaters. The film gave Disney enough money to start on other projects which later those project turn out to be such as the amusement parks, merchandise, etc. In December 15, 1966 Walt Disney died from Lung Cancer, Disney’s brother Roy made sure that Disney’s believes and philosophy about the company would still be passed on by the company 's employee. (The Walt Disney Company) The company kept going which has become of the greatest companies that are socially responsible and sustainable.

He was a person that worked way too much, and had everything he wanted. Whatever Walt dreamed came true, or in other words he didn’t let anything get in his way. Why do you think Walt was such a hard worker? Would you ever let something get in your way to achieve your dreams? How would you achieve your dream?

According to Eliot, Disney also used the unions and the media to his advantage. Disney used the strikes as an excuse to lay off a large number of people, stating that the union's requirements for payment were out of his budget, to keep everyone working. Eliot also states that Disney used Donald Duck, who was created during this time, as an outlet for his frustrations with the government and the unions. Elliot views Disney’s politics at the time as a creative attempt to gain popularity and respect with the government.

Seventeen animation artists were ushered out of Disney Studios in Burbank, California on May 28th, 1941; they were then fired for being part of the Screen Cartoonist Guild.1 Once the news spread to the other eight hundred plus artists and four hundred plus Disney workers, many were outraged and further gathered together to make derisive posters and stir up compelling speeches to support of their fellow colleagues. On May 29th, 1941 three hundred employees went on strike.2 The few loyal to the Disney Corporation gathered with management in hopes to quickly put an end to the strike, however it was just the beginning. The Disney Studio Strike was acrimonious, lasting five weeks and ultimately shattering the benevolent image Disney Studios portrayed to the rest of the world.3 Many people associate the Disney Corporation with a lighthearted atmosphere and Walt Disney with the image of an artistic mastermind; so what happened to cause his workers to deceive him and go on strike?

Disney Productions is one of the leading entertainment businesses, bringing tremendous profits not to mention the joy it brings many people. It has not always been this easy for Disney however. It took the mind of one man to bring it to what it is today, and that’s mans name is Walt Disney. Walt Disney’s life was devoted to the arts and entertainment almost from birth. However, Walt’s fortunes and fame didn’t take form until his creation of Mickey Mouse.

Walter Elias Disney, commonly referred to as Walt Disney, was born on December 5th, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois (Walt Disney Family Museum, 2012). His father Elias Disney was an Irish-Canadian and his mother, Flora Disney, was of German and English descent. His family settled in a village known as Norton Disney in the country of Lincolnshire at the time of birth (Disney, 2000). At the age of four, Disney and his family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri, which is where he developed his love for drawing. At the time he paid a retired Doctor by the name of “Doc” Sherwood to produce images of his horse, Rupert. Later on his interest grew to train development in

Walt Disney has inspired millions of people across the globe through his success, films and dreams. His bold legacy has lived on past his grave and millions of people have and continue to find joy in his magical works, but how many know his story and how his great legacy came to be? How did he get to where he finished?

Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966) was the man who brought entertainment for the entire family into the homes of the people across the globe. He was both an entertainer and an entrepreneur, ensuring the long term success of his business and his entertainment efforts. Through today, Walt Disney remains a symbol of film making, creation and entertainment innovation.