Childhood Journey and Family
Walter Elias “Walt” Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois to Elias Disney and Flora Call Disney. His father was Irish-Canadian and his mother was German-American. Walt Disney was a television producer and showman. He was the ingenious create of classic cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and of the “happiest place on Earth”, Disneyland.
School Life & Interests
When he was only four, his family shifted to Missouri. Walt began to take an interest in drawing and painting from a very young age. He would sell his drawings to his family and neighbors. In 1911, his family moved once again to Kansan City. There, Walt attended the Benton Grammar School. He met Walter Pfeiffer in Kansan, who introduced him to stage plays and motion pictures. Walt started taking classes to learn art at the Kansan City Art Institute.
Struggle in Chicago
In 1917, Disney moved to Chicago and attended McKinley High School. He worked as a cartoonist for his school newspaper. Along with this, he started to study photography and drawing. He took night courses at the Chicago Art Institute. At the age of sixteen, Disney dropped out of school.
During World War I
He enrolled to join the army during World War I, but was underage. However, he forged a fake birth certificate and joined the Red Cross. He worked as the driver of an ambulance for the Red Cross and completes his service in 1919.
Journey of Disney
Disney began his professional career in 1919 when he moved back to Kansan City. He wanted to become a newspaper cartoonist. That year he got a job at the Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio where he created advertisements for newspapers, magazine and movie theatres.
In 1920, he found another job with the Kansan City Film Company. He took an interest in animation and decided to become a cartoon artist. After he’d learned animation, he left the job of start his own company. He collaborated with Fred Harman , with whom he’d worked at the Kansan City Film ad Company.
Their first project, Laugh-O-Grams was very successful. The cartoon became so popular that Disney launched the Laugh-O-Grams Studio. Next, they create the short subject called Alice in Cartoon land. It was a seven-minute-long film. But the company struggled financially and finally shut down in 1923.
Disney Brothers Studio
The same year, Walt and his brother started the Disney Brothers Studio in Hollywood. They began to make short animated cartoons, and even signed a deal to make more Alice cartoons. In 1927, the studio released the series, Trolley Troubles featuring the character Oswald.
Universal Pictures & Mickey Mouse
Lucky Rabbit. However, in 1928, Disney came to know that Universal Pictures had trademarked Oswald. But instead of loosing heart, Disney began working on creating new cartoon characters. He timeless to the world in 1928,in a movie called Steamboat Willie. The first two animated movies were not that popular because they were silent films. However, in the third movie, he gave his own voice to the character. It was an instant hit. The cartoon became a star. The Mickey Mouse Club as well as merchandise and comics were soon created for children.
Silly Symphonies
In 1929, Disney released another series called Silly Symphonies. The characters in the movie were Mickey’s friends. Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Mickey’s girlfriend Minnie Mouse. The first Silly Symphonies cartoon made in color was called Flowers and Tress.
The Three Little Pigs
In 1932, it won an Oscar. In 1933, he made another cartoon, The Three Little Pigs. Its song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf’ became an anthem for the Great Depression. It was the second animated short film to have an Academy Award for ‘Best Animated Short Film’ in 1934.
White and Steven Dwarfs
The same year, Disney began working on his feature film Snow White and Steven Dwarfs. That movie was released in 1937 and won a total of eight Academy Awards. With his unceasing success, Disney brought about an era which is known as the ‘Golden Age of Animation’.
Most Famous Movies of Walter
In 1949, Disney released many full-length animated movies like Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. By the 1950s Disney once again started to direct cartoon films. His first release was Cinderella in 1950, followed by masterpiece like Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Treasure Island, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmations. In 1925,
Love Life & Last Moment of Life
In 1925, Walt Disney married Lillian Bound. The couple had two children. Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, at the age of 65, due to lung cancer in Los Angeles, California.