No matter how one feels about fairy tales, Disney has definitely managed to touch us, one way or the other. A game-changer in the world of entertainment, the founder of the Disney empire needs no introduction. His story however is awe-inspiring and nothing less than a fairy tale in itself.A strong believer and advocate of stories, Walt Disney once famously said, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”However, his story began on a rocky note. The empire that is today known as Walt Disney Co. started as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923.
Its first series of films, Alice’s Wonderland, debuted in the same year. Later the studio created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. But with major flaws in the contract, which was signed recklessly, the Disney brothers lost their rights to Oswald.It was on the evening of this unfortunate day that Walt Disney started doodling a cartoon on a piece of paper while travelling back home in the train. The cartoon was the iconic and beloved Mickey Mouse.
In 1928 the studio released Steamboat Willie. The film was the first cartoon starring Mickey Mouse. It was not only the birth of the most famous cartoon character, but in the true sense this film gave rise to Disney’s legacy. It was Walt who first gave voice to the character of Mickey Mouse.It was his efforts that made it possible for a animation film to win an Oscar for the first time. The film was Flowers and Trees (1937). When Disney decided to come out with a film that ran a length of a feature film, everyone called it Disney’s folly. However, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs was to surprise everyone. The critics, the public and the Oscar committee loved it equally.
A list of successful films followed and not even a flop like Fantasia (1940) could stop him. In 1955, he took a step that changed the world of Disney forever. He built Disneyland, which still remains a favourite destination among children and adults alike. He even ventured into films that combined live-action with animation with fantasy music film like Mary Poppins (1964).
Walt Disney died at the age of 65, on December 15, 1966, leaving behind a great legacy and an endless list of awe-inspiring characters. The Disney empire has gone on to acquire comic-book giant Marvel, Star Wars creator Lucasfilm, and Pixar; and that most definitely is a grand happily ever after a company has ever seen.