Walter Elias Disney was born December 5, 1901. Sunday, December 5, 2022, would have been his 121st birthday.
Walt Disney was an American icon. Many consider him an American hero. He was an artist, an animator, an entrpeneur, an inventor, a Hollywood producer, and even a voice actor, He made the first full-length color film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937), in a time when everyone around him thought it was a crazy idea. It was also the first full-length animated movie.
He invented the concept of the moden theme park. Along with Norman Rockwell, he helped create the stereotypical image of American wholesomeness in the the creation of the Happiest Place on Earth: Disneyland.
Disney on TV
As “Uncle Walt” he was one of the most-beloved men in America. He was one of the first Hollywood executives who regarded televion as an opportunity rather than an enemy. From Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1959) to Walt Disney’s Disneyland (1954–58) to Walt Disney Presents (1958–61) to Disney’s Wonderful World (1979–81) to Walt Disney (1981–83) to The Mouse Factory (1972-1973) to The Disney Sunday Movie (1986–88) to The Magical World of Disney (1988–90) to The Wonderful World of Disney (1969–79, 1983–87, 1991–present), Walt Disney was part of our lives, wecomed in our home once a week or more He used his TV shows to advertise his parks and his movies, and to provide wholesome entertainment for the whole family.
To shareholders, Disney wrote that “television can be a most powerful selling aid for us, as well as a source of revenue. It will probably be on this premise that we enter television when we do.”
Disney the Philosopher
- “If you can visualize it, if you can dream it, there’s some way to do it. “
- “Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever. “
- “Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”
- “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”
- “The way to get started is to stop talking and begin doing.”
- “Around here, however, we don’t look backwrd for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Controversy
Like any great man, Walt Disney has detractors as well as admirers. For years there were rumors of sexism, racism, and anti-Semeticism. However, those who knew him personally have refuted those rumors. Certainly being born in 1901, he would have absorbed the attitudes and mores of the early 20th century.
As an entrepreneur, he did not approve of unions, and tended to take employees joining them as a personal affront. As a creative genius, he could be difficult to work with.
There have been rumors for decades that either Walt Disney’s body or else just his head was cryogenically frozen. Untrue! He died December 15, 19645, barely a week after his 65th birthday. in Burbank, California, of cancer. After he died, he was cremated and his ashes interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Glendale, CA.
He was criticized for changing and simplifying the stories he brought to life. This accusation is accurate.
Accomplishments
When contemporary cameras could not achieve the effects he wanted, Walt Disney invented a new multi-plane camera. Walt Disney holds the Guiness Book of World Records record for winning the most Oscars. He was nominated 59 times and won 22 times. He had two Golden Globe awards, and surprisingly, only one Emmy.
Happy Birthday, Uncle Walt. Your imagination,creativity, and attention to detail has been an inpiration to the whole world.
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Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
Thanks for the report! I got to admit I didn’t know much of the background of *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs* (although I am familiar with some of the original source material).
And thank you for saying “Certainly being born in 1901, he would have absorbed the attitudes and mores of the early 20th century.” So many times I see people of decades or a hundred years ago criticized because they don’t fit this week’s political correctness. We are all products of our time and culture. There are probably some things that are widely accepted now that will likely seem terrible some time in a future society. (“You mean website security used to mean you had to prove you were a human and not a robot? That burns my circuits!”)