|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From the first crude drawings he sold as a seven-year-old to the magical worlds he created in California and Florida, Walt Disney spent a lifetime devoted to the entertainment and enchantment of the masses.
Disney, who began his professional career as a commercial artist, discovered the art of animation and was hooked. At the age of 21, with his first crude films in hand, Disney moved to Hollywood, where he set up shop with his brother, Roy.
After a few modest successes, Disney created his most enduring character, Mickey Mouse, in 1928. With the advent of sound technology in movies, Disney was the first to use sound with animation and created the famous short "Steamboat Willie," which introduced the world to Mickey Mouse.
It was in the 1930s, though, that Disney would show the full extent of his talents and vision. He introduced Technicolor into animated films in 1932 and earned his first Oscar that same year.
In 1937, Disney would take on his most ambitious project, a full-length animated film. Disney invested $1.5 million (in the heart of the depression) in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film was such a resounding success that it bankrolled such subsequent classics as Bambi, Pinocchio, Fantasia and Dumbo.
Having revolutionized the film industry, Disney's vision and drive led him to create first Disneyland and then Disneyworld. He also embraced the medium of television. His Wonderful World of Color, the Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro were some of the most successful shows in the early years of television.
Disney never thought of himself as a "genius" or as the producer of significant art. His goal was simply to entertain.
"Somehow I can't believe there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true," he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
