Walt Disney: The Animator

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to use this just as he was the first to use sound. While the Depression gripped the country, Disney’s studios flourished because he used color. The different colors, which were better than everyone else’s black and white shorts, offered the American people an escape when they needed it most (Barrier). Disney’s next big achievement was the creation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Disney started planning in 1934 and critics called it “Disney’s Folly” because no one expected it to produce any money. The critics were proved wrong and it was the most successful picture of 1938 and earned over $8 million on its initial release (“Walt Disney”).

Animation during World War II:

During the war, Disney’s studio was contacted by all branches of the military and the government. He made different films for each branch. He created training films; Aircraft Carrier Landing Signals; homefront films; Der Fuehrer’s Face and Victory through Air Power; and troop morale boosters; Prelude to War and America Goes to War. The U.S. government also sent Disney and other artists to South America as part of the state’s Good Neighbor Pact and financed the movie Saludos Amigos (“Walt Disney”). The movie influenced South American culture and captured the Latino feel of South America. The movie introduced two new characters, José Carioca and Pedro, who were both Latin centered characters. It also had three familiar characters: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, who were in shorts focused in other countries such as Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina. The movie and characters were a success and audiences in both countries were “amazed by the authenticity, the humor and the charm of the characters” a coordinator said in an interview (Barrier).

Disney designed insignia for soldiers, posters and newspapers ads, and propaganda for the war effort. The insignia for soldiers boosted morale and brought humor to units. Disney and fellow artists created over 1,200 unique insignia throughout World War II. Disney said “The insignia meant a lot to the men who were fighting. I had to do it...I owed it to them.” (‘Walt Disney”). The ads and propaganda supported the war and attacked the Axis power in Europe. Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse were the leaders in many ads and they had a whole army of characters that represented different aspects of the war effort, e.g.,industry, Red Cross, war bonds and chemical warfare (Lesjak). Donald Duck was the first real wartime hero who was recognized around the nation. He was in all of Disney’s wartime films and after his first film, Donald Gets Drafted, he became the symbol of American military service (Watts).

Animation after World War II:

The first two feature length films after the war were disappointing to the studio and to critics. Pinocchio and Fantasia cost more than what it made and the storylines were not accepted well with critics or audiences. The post war period in Europe cut off most revenue from overseas so sales were down from there (Barrier). Disney also tried his hand at making full length feature films that mixed both live action scenes and animation (“Walt Disney”). During the previewing of the movies (So Dear to My Heart,1949; Pollyanna,1960 and Those Calloways,(1965) Walt Disney cried because they reminded him of his hometown, Marceline. “So Dear was especially close to me. Why that’s the life my brother and I grew up with as kids out in Missouri. The great racehorse Dan Patch (figure in the movie) was a hero to us. We had Dan Patch’s grandson on my father’s farm” Disney admitted to a reporter once (Watts).

Walt Disney was the first Hollywood studio executive that embraced television. His shows, The Mickey Mouse Club and Walt Disney Presents would become staples in households for years to come. The Mickey Mouse Club would run for many years and was watched by millions of children around the nation. Walt Disney Presents was not just a source of profit but also a promo for his work. Walt Disney hosted the show in which he talked about his creations and animations, toured Disneyland and showed off his studio in California (“Walter Elias Disney”).

Disneyland

Known as the “Happiest Place on Earth” Disneyland is a dream trip any child dreams about. Disney created Disneyland as a theme park where his employees could spend time with their children. It opened on July 17, 1955. The opening day was caught on camera and was hosted by Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan. On opening day there were over 50,000 people in attendance. Nowadays people from all over the world come and visit Disneyland. A second theme park was in the works when Walt died. His brother Roy was in charge of the construction after Walt died. The Walt Disney Resort was built in Orlando, Florida and was opened October 1, 1971. Over the years other parks have been built around the world but none compare to the original park. The parks are located in Japan, England and China. The highest attendance was reached last year at the Walt Disney Resort in Florida. Over 19 million people visited the park. Disneyland parks are open 365 days a year. The only days the park has not been open are the national mourning day after JFK was shot, after the Northridge earthquake in 1994 for safety concerns, and after 9/11 (“Walt Disney”).

Walt Disney’s Legacy

The mouse ears of Mickey and his voice are known and recognized by people all around the world today. The “avuncular gentleman with a warm chuckle, a small mustache, and a large imagination became a universal symbol of the United States”(Watts). The creation of Mickey and gang influenced the animation world and changed how animations were created. Disney’s innovations include the first cartoons with sound, the first full length animated film and theme park. His creation of Mickey Mouse changed the animation world and he soon passed Felix the Cat as the most popular cartoon character in the world (“Walt Disney”).

His feature length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs earned him 1 full size Oscar and 7 mini-statues (“Walt Disney”). The film was also selected for preservation in the National Film Registry and was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress. It was also named the greatest American animated film of all time in 2008 by the American Film Institute(“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”). Walt Disney also holds the record for the most Academy Awards received (26 awards)(Staff, Legacy.com).

The final productions in which Disney played an active role in were The Jungle Book (1967), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968). Walt

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