“When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are; anything your heart desires will come to you.” When one hears this familiar tune, they know they are about to experience a time of pure happiness, but who is the mastermind behind this glee, Mr. Walt Disney. Walt Disney was a critically acclaimed, U.S. motion-picture and television producer as well as a creative showman. Disney was and is still loved and adored by children and adults alike. Walt Disney’s uneasy childhood, slow rise to stardom, adulthood career struggles, world-changing creations, and post-death legacy are the key components of Disney’s fame, fortune, and life story.
Walt Disney’s not-so magical childhood led to his magical future. Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in a small town just outside of Chicago (Selden 8). Walt was the fourth son of Elias Disney, a carpenter by trade, and his wife, Flora Call, a school teacher (“Disney, Walt” 124). The Disney family moved often from town to town; one town specifically, Marceline, Missouri, Walt remembered fondly. Elias bought forty-eight acres of farmland and stocked it with many animals. These animals became young Walt’s best friends, and inspired many of the animated creatures of his future (Selden 10-11). Now, Walt’s childhood was usually happy, but not all lives are perfect. Elias was a very difficult man, and he would often give the Disney boys beatings. But as Herbert, Raymond, and Roy, Walt’s older brothers respectively, grew too old to be punished, only Walt was left to be beaten. One day, after Walt had had enough of the beatings, Walt said to Elias, “You cannot hit me, Father, not anymore.” After hearing this, Elias began to cry terminating the beatings (Selden 13). Elias s...
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... not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you,” and, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new path.”
Works Cited
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“Disney, Walt” The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Volume 4. 2007. Print.
Langer, Mark “Disney, Walt.” American National Biography Online Feb. 2000. Oxford University Press. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
Saving Mr. Banks. DVD. Walt Disney Pictures and BBC Films. 2013.
Selden, Bernice. The Story of Walt Disney Maker of Magical Worlds. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1996. Print.
“Walt Disney.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
Giroux, Henry A., and Grace Pollock. The Mouse That Roared: Disney and the End of
Back in the roaring twenties America was seeing such world-changing phenomenons such as The Great Gatsby, and penicillin, but what took the world by surprise was none other than Walt Disney and his lovable creation, Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney, throughout his entire lifetime and career, always had an idea, a spark, and a way to make things better. Even in the face of tough times, he never failed to keep his optimistic attitude and kind faith in humanity from infecting those around him. A major part of his success was due to the technological innovations that revolutionized the film industry.
As Walt grew, so did his Imagination. The more famous he got the more ideas and dreams he could make a reality. Working out of his Uncles cramped garage, in the sweltering California heat was over. Walt had begun a new chapter in his life. Now receiving countless Oscar Nominations, and being eulogized for his many movies and cartoons. Where up to this point in his life he had many role models and people he looked up to, now he was a role model to many people. Walt Disney impacted the lives of many aspiring filmmakers, and changed the movie industry.
No one can be exempt from experiencing the hardships in life. Great success comes from failures. But not everyone has great success because they do not continue on after the failures. Some of us instead give up rather than continue to venture forward to achieve our goals and dreams. With that in mind, it is important to look at what motivates humans to continue on after failures. Walt Disney like everyone else in this world had successful ventures and complete failures. But, unlike those people who just give up after failing one time. Walt Disney kept on going and he soon succeeded. Walt Disney moved forward because of his goals and perseverance in life. There were many people who talked about Disney’s life, Neal Gabler stresses Disney’s early commitment to innovation’’(Gabler, 2006, p. 121). And as Schickel notes, ‘‘Mickey would become a symbol of the unconquerably chipper American spirit in the depths of the Depression’’(Schickel,1998, p.124). In essence, as shown by his life, his thoughts on work and achievements and his thought on his career and family, Walt Disney was motivated mostly by the goals he wished to achieve that had to do with motivation for art and his family rather than the being motivated by someone with incentives or being seemingly
Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5th, 1901, in Chicago. He was the fourth of five children, having three brothers, Herbert, Raymond, and Roy, when he was born. In 1903, parents Elias and Flora added a daughter, Ruth, to the family. Elias worried about big-city life, so the Disney family moved to a farm near Marceline, Missouri, in 1906 (Jaffe 7). Walt’s job on the farm was to take care of the animals, many of which would inspire his famous characters later in life (“Walt Disney”). These beloved animals were also the subjects of Walt’s first sketches.
The Disney corporation is easily the greatest empire of entertainment in the world, thanks to the creator Walt Disney and his brother. Disney’s influence has been great within culture and society and I learned how much of an influence Disney has had through our course this semester. This influence is reflected and broadcast through the many works and readings that we examine in class. The articles gave me new knowledge about Disney that I was previously unaware of.
Smith, Caroline. “The Not So Wonderful Word of Disney.” University of Alabama Arts & Sciences Department. Retrieved 13 Dec. 2013 from < http://www.english.uga.ed u/fyc/barnett/smith2006-07.pdf>.
Disney Online. (2005). Walt’s Family and Friends, Bob Gurr. Retrieved July 19, 2005, from http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/familyfriends/bobgurr/index.html
Walt Disney had many accomplishments in his lifetime. In 1932 he won an Academy Award for "Flowers and Trees" in the best cartoon category. It was the first of 48 Academy Awards, which Disney would win in his celebrated life. Walt Disney also received more then 950 honors and citations from all nations along with seven Emmys. (“Walter Elias Disney” NP) Walt Disney worked very hard for all the awards that he received and would continue working even harder with each new project. When “Steamboat Willie” came out for the first time on September 19,1928, Mickey and Minnie Mouse were born. Walt Disney Studios was a hit. Then, when the first full-length movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was released in 1937 it broke all box-office records and Walt Disney Studios became well known nationwide. But that was just the beginning for Disney. He has more then fifty full-length movies out today. (DeAngelo NP) In 1955 Disneyland opened when Walt was 55 years old. He would not stop there. Before his death in 1966, he purchased the land for Disney World in Florida. Even though Walt was unable to see the happy faces on the people as they walked into Walt Disney World for the first time, he knew that he made all of us very happy.
Walt Disney, creator of all things “happily ever after”, renowned for his work in movies and tv, is not only a famous animator and film producer, he is also a pioneer in American history by changing the lives of many through his encouraging work in movies. Walt Disney is important to the study of American history because he created movies and tv shows that taught happiness and heartbreak to children. He taught them that being small cannot hold you back from being mighty and doing the right thing. He revealed different cultures to children, and broadened their views on the world around them. In doing this, he widened global communication and the understanding of varieties of cultures and ethnicities (4).
Walt Disney was born December 5, 1901 Hermosa, Chicago,Illinois by parents Elias Disney and Flora Call Disney. Living with four other siblings, Walt Disney grew up knowing selflessness and the power of togetherness that he used latter on in his many lines of work. Known for being a entrepreneur, cartoonist, animator, voice actor, and film producer, Walt Disney has been successful in bring joy and happiness to everyone of all ages.Disney has made large stepping stones for the animated industry along with creating beautiful long lasting entertainment for all and teaching us that with hard work and dedication we can do anything we dream of.From his humble beginnings in an old garage to building his own empire, Walt Disney has proven to be one of the most influential people even today with his many accomplishments.Some of these many accomplishments include creating something that everyone of every age can enjoy, improving the quality of animation along with creating the first full length animated movie, and opening the doors for the next generation of Disney Co. workers.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Disney: where your fantasy and dreams come to life. Disney was an idea created by the man himself, Walt Disney. He wanted to create a world where dreams can come true, which has cultivated a culture of disney fans over the web, on the television, on the radio, and in Disney parks. Additionally, Disney is such a widespread company that almost any Disney product can be found around the world. The movies, shows, even the children books created by Disney are well known. Books such as Understanding Disney written by Janet Wasko addresses the Disney company and the concept of happiness that it provides its many fans around the world. The culture of Disney is made from the happiness it brings people, but when the
“Walt Disney was a man who changed people's life, and imagined new things and never gave up on his dreams. Walt Disney inspires people not give up on their dreams just like he never did when people told him he couldn't. Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago Illinois, to his father, Elias Disney, and his mother, Flora Call Disney. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a girl.” (Brad A.)
Walt Disney and the American government had one dream in common: to provide a land that had people with different abilities and achievements. The land they sought would be rich in opportunities for different people as per their skills and expertise. They wanted to build a country that had equal distribution of resources and incomes and a land where everyone contributed to the growth of the economy despite how small their talents and skills were (Cullen, 2004). This essay discusses whether Walt Disney had the ideals of the American dream in mind and how he served as an example of the American dream. The essay focuses on his upbringing and how it shaped his attitude towards various opportunities. The essay considers Disney’s life and how it influenced
The man, the dreamer, the artist, the creator, producer, the pioneer, and the developer; Walt Disney accomplished building his own empire along with his legacy that continues to grow every day. Every individual has a story about what drives them to be the person they are today and will be tomorrow. Personally, I love his impressive movies and alluring theme parks. Walt Disney has played an integral part of my family’s life. In fact, my daughter became engaged at the end of Main Street, in a fairy-tale moment in front of the enchanted Cinderella’s Castle, in the Magic Kingdom theme park for her birthday over the holidays. Just about everyone has some knowledge of Walt Disney’s incredible endeavors. However, how many people can say that they have knowledge of the man Disney was before creating Mickey Mouse and what follows?