The Biography of Walt Disney

Walt Disney Essay Outline

Early Life and Family

• Walt Disney's birth and family background
• His move to a farm in Marceline, Missouri, and early interest in drawing
• Family's subsequent moves and experiences during childhood

Career Beginnings in Kansas City

• Walt's pursuit of a career as a newspaper artist in Kansas City
• Introduction to cartoonist Ub Iwerks and the creation of Laugh-O-Grams studio
• Challenges faced by Laugh-O-Grams leading to bankruptcy

Move to Hollywood and Founding Disney Brothers' Studio

• Walt and Roy's move to Hollywood and establishment of Disney Brothers' Studio
• Initial distribution deal and subsequent disputes
• Development and success of Mickey Mouse character and "Steamboat Willie"

Creation of DisneyLand and Later Years

• Opening of DisneyLand in 1955 and its rapid growth
• Plans for a new theme park in Florida
• Walt Disney's diagnosis with lung cancer and passing in 1966
• Roy Disney's continuation of Walt's plans and the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971

Walt Disney Essay Example

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Hermosa, Illinois. He is the second child of Elias Disney and Flora Call Disney. He and his brother, Roy co-founded Walt Disney Productions, which became one of the best-known motion-picture production companies in the world. Walt was famous because he created Mickey Mouse and was the founder of DisneyLand.When Walt was 4 years old, his family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. While at the farm, he began interested in drawing when he was paid to draw a horse of a retired neighborhood doctor. Walt’s family moved again to Kansas City after Walt became sick and couldn’t take care of the farm. When Wallt was about nine or ten, he and his brother, Roy, worked for their father’s newspaper route. In 1910, Walt’s family moved again to Chicago while Walt stayed to finish school.

Walt moved to Kansas City to pursue a career as a newspaper artist. His brother, Roy, got him a job at the Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio, where he met cartoonist Ub Iwerks. Walt later had a studio called Laugh-O-Grams and recruited Fred Harman, and his brothers, Hugh and Iwerks. The studio was developing Alice in CartoonLand, but was soon declared bankrupt.

Walt and Roy pooled their money to move to Hollywood and Roy relocated to California. The three of them began the Disney Brothers’Studio. Their first deal was to distribute their Alice cartoons to New York distributor Margaret Winkler. A few years later, Walt found at that Margaret and her husband stolen the rights to the Alice cartoons and Walt’s animators, except Iwerks. Right away, the Disney brothers and Iwerks produced 3 cartoons featuring a new character Walt developed called Mickey Mouse. The first 2 cartoons failed to be distributed, but the third cartoon” SteamBoat Willie” became a hit since it had sound and had Walt voice as Mickey. From then on Walt, Roy, and Iwerks made many movies.

Walt’s DisneyLand was opened in 1955. In a very short time, the park increased its investment tenfold and entertained many tourist all over the world. Few years after the opening, Disney began planning on building a new theme park in Florida. In 1966, while the new theme park was in construction, Walt was diagnosed with lung cancer and died on December 15. Disney was cremated, and his ashes interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. After Walt’s death, Roy carried on Walt’s plans to finish the theme park in 1971. After the park was finished, the park was named after Walt, Walt Disney World.

Works Cited

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