Born: Walter Elias Disney
Birthday: December 5, 1901
Location: Chicago, IL, U.S.
Alma mater: Chicago Academy of Fine Arts
Occupation: Animator, Director, Producer
Years active: 1919-1966
Died: December 15, 1966
Walter “Walt” Elias Disney was born in Chicago, but his family moved to Marceline, Missouri when he was just 5 years old. There, he grew up to fall in love with trains, animals, and drawing.
Walt first became interested in animation while working alongside Ub Iwerks at the Kansas City Film Ad Company where the cutout animation technique was used to produce commercials. Borrowing a camera and a book about animation, he began to experiment with cel animation at home. With these new techniques, Disney and Fred Harman formed their own company to produce the “Newman’s Laugh-O-Grams” for the local Newman Theater. Although their Laugh-O-Gram Studio went on to hire more animators, like Hugh Harman (Fred’s brother,) Rudolf Ising, and Ub Iwerks, to produce more films, it couldn’t draw enough income, entering into bankruptcy in 1923.
Disney then moved to Hollywood to join his brother Roy, establishing the Disney Brothers Studio. It was in Hollywood where Mickey Mouse sprang to life.
Walt’s use of synchronized sound on the third Mickey short, Steamboat Willie, was the first cartoon with post-produced sound. Mickey’s popularity led to more and more shorts as the DIsney studio grew. The Acadamy Award winning success of Walt’s “The Three Little Pigs” resulted in even more growth and Disney’s most ambitious production up to that time; “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
Many believed Walt’s attempt to hold audiences’ attention with animation over the course of an entire feature film would end in failure. Instead, “Snow White” went on to earn accolades and became the most successful sound picture of the year. The Disney studio began production on “Pinocchio,” “Fantasia,” and “Dumbo” until interrupted by WWII.
After the war, Disney turned increasingly more attention to building Disneyland, leaving the bulk of the animated feature production details to his “Nine old Men.” He also pushed for the establishment of Disney World and EPCOT while his studio continued to make animated features and live-action films up to his passing.
Walt Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards nominations (59) and wins (22) by an individual film producer. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors.
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