Walt Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, and international icon. Disney is famous for its influence in the field of entertainment during the twentieth century. Walt Disney helped to make motion pictures what they are today with creations such as Mickey Mouse. After being involved in business and technological developments in the field of animation, Walt Disney started his Walt Disney Productions, which later became one of the best-known motion picture producers in the world.
Walt Disney was born on December 5 th, 1901 at 2156 N. Tripp Avenue in Chicago’s Hermosa community area to parents Flora Call and Elias Charles Disney. Walt Disney’s father had emigrated from Canada where he was born as Elias (Elias’ nickname was “Lash”) Christien LeJeune and used to work as a carriage trimmer. Walt Disney’s mother had English and German ancestry and worked for a time as a seamstress. Walt Disney also had two elder siblings: Roy Oliver, called “Roy” orBuddy”, (born 1903), and Ruth (born 1905).
In 1906 Walt Disney’s family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. Walt Disney attended school at Marceline Elementary School. Walt Disney did not do really well in school, especially with math. Walt Disney was also not exceptional in sports but Walt Disney did like sketching and would often spend time watching the trains pass through town. Walt Disney even claimed to have been inspired by the train engineer “to get [him]self into the newspaper business.
In 1911 Walt Disney’s family moved again this time to Kansas City, Missouri where Walt Disney began attending Benton Grammar School where Walt Disney first met Walter Pfeiffer who was two grades above him Around 1913 while attending Benton Grammar School Walt Disney got into very serious trouble after Walt Disney and some other boys had thrown rocks at a baby. Walt Disney’s father was furious, even though the parents of the baby Walt Disney threw the rock at were not going to press charges.
Sometime later Walt Disney enrolled in another elementary school where Walt Disney met Walter Pfeiffer again who became Walt Disney’s lifelong friend, until his death in 1991. In 1917 Walt Disney started working with Red Cross as an ambulance driver during World War I. During this period Walt Disney contracted scarlet fever which Walt Disney was nearly killed from it. This would be something that would bother Walt throughout the rest of Walt’s life and cause him many problems such as insomnia.
After he was discharged Walt Disney returned to Kansas City and began working for the local newspaper, The Kansas City Star, as a cartoonist. Walt Disney also attended night school at the Kansas City Art Institute. Walt Disney also had many jobs such as owning his own newspaper route and running a studio in New York where Walt Disney worked with Walter Pfeiffer on commercial art projects. Walt Disney was even hired by Universal Pictures Company to animate commercials for filmstrips that were screened in theaters during silent pictures.
On January 31 st, 1925 Walt Disney married one of Walt’s former classmates, Lillian Bounds. Walt Disney met her when he was 12 years old and she was 9; they had kept in contact over the years while Walt did different jobs. Walt Disney and Lillian had two daughters, Diane (born in 1933) and Sharon (born in 1936). After Walt Disney became successful Walt built a home for Walt’s parents to live in North Hollywood, California. Walt Disney continued working throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s with Walt Disney taking a course on film animation at Columbia University.
In 1923 Walt Disney came up with the ideas of Mickey Mouse when Walt Disney went to a company named Laugh-O-Gram Studio which was located at 2441 Kings Highway, Missouri which employed children. Walt Disney worked there as an advertising cartoonist. In order to convince his superiors that they should consider investing in the art of animation, Walt showed them “The Alice Comedies” from 1923 which Walt Disney and Walt’s second wife, Lillian Disney, worked on. Walt Disney and his brother Roy had to fire all of Walt’s employees as Walt moved the company to California in order to work on “Alice Comedies”.
However, Walt was not allowed to use the same name so Walt used his own name which later evolved into “Walt Disney” as he became successful. Walt would go on to build a studio where Walt created many well-known animated characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse, Tinker Bell from Peter Pan, Bambi, and many more. In March 1937 Walt Disney went to Europe for a business trip regarding some of Walt’s newest ideas including a new theme park. While visiting Marne-la-Vallee in France Walt Disney learned that Walt’s friend and animator, Ub Iwerks, had died in January of that year.
Walt Disney returned to the United States by ship on October 23 rd, 1940. Walt Disney was later informed about the attack on Pearl Harbor which would lead Walt to make many war films such as “Victory Through Air Power” (1943) and “The Three Caballeros” (1945). Walt Disney also served as part of the U. S. Army where Walt helped make training films for soldiers during World War II . After this Walt made several animated TV programs including The Mickey Mouse Club (which debuted in 1955, ending a year later), Zorro, and Davy Crockett (which Walt Disney died during the filming of).
Walt Disney even launched his own weekly television show in 1954. Walt Disney made several theme parks throughout Walt’s lifetime. Walt first began working on the idea of Disneyland with Walt Disney showing some sketches to TV executives which would lead Walt to make many trips to Europe and Asia for inspiration on upcoming projects including one trip where Walt Disney even visited the United States Department of Defense . Walt Disney was fascinated with technology and Walt even developed a love for jets which Walt would pilot frequently until Walt retired from piloting in the 1960s.
Walt’s fascination with aviation led Walt to make many films on the topic including “The Wind and the Lion” (1975) and “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975). Walt Disney died on December 15 Joseph, 1966 at St. Hospital after suffering from lung cancer. Walt was very successful during his lifetime not only for his creativity but also because of Walt’s ideas that were considered ahead of his time, such as The Mickey Mouse Club which was created 14 years before MTV.
