1 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: This episode of news World, we're going to talk about 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: one of my favorite people, Walt Disney, a truly exceptional 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: American who impacted on the lives of millions and millions, 4 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: not just here in the United States but all around 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: the world. Partner. Reason I've always liked Walt Disney is 6 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 1: that his life was complicated. It wasn't predictable. You know. 7 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: Wald had two failed businesses in Kansas City before moving 8 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: to Hollywood with forty dollars in his pocket and a 9 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: suitcase of clothes and drawing supplies. Walt created Mickey Mouse 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: only after he lost the rights to Oswald the Rabbit 11 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: when he was contracted to create shorts for someone else. 12 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: Then made Walt decide to create characters himself rather than 13 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: contracting on projects. Walt created Steamboat willing with sound after 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: the Jazz Singer was released. And I've seen Steamboat Willie 15 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: many times at Disney World where they show him regularly. 16 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: It's amazing the beginning of what became an empire. Walt's 17 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: first animated film, snow Way in the Seven Doors, was 18 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: a commercial success, which was great because Walt had put 19 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: the entire company on the line to make the film 20 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 1: something By the way that he would do again in 21 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: developing Disneyland. To see what an extraordinary American odyssean Walt 22 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: Disney was, you have to go back to his early life. 23 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: In nineteen oh one, Walter Elias Disney was born in 24 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: Chicago to Elias and Florida Disney. In nineteen o six, 25 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: the Disney family moved to Marcelina, Missouri, where Walked grew 26 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: up on a farm and developed a strong interest in drawing. 27 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: In nineteen ten, due to poor health, Walt's father sold 28 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: the farm, and in nineteen eleven the family moved to 29 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: Kansas City, Missouri, where Walt rose every day at three 30 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: thirty am to deliver newspapers on his father's paper route. 31 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventeen, the Disney family moved to Chicago, where 32 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: Walt started drawing pictures for his high school newspaper and 33 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: attended evening classes at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. 34 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighteen, Walked wide about his age to be 35 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: accepted into the American Ambulance Corps and served in France. 36 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: Following the end of World War One in nineteen nineteen, 37 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,839 Speaker 1: returned to the US, moved to Kansas City, and got 38 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: a job at the Pestmon Reuben Commercial Arts Studio for 39 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: fifty dollars a month. In nineteen twenty Wald met who 40 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: E Works and formed Earworks, a Disney commercial artist. The 41 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: company failed after one month, so Walt and new Works 42 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: got job of the Kansas City Slide Company and discovered animation. 43 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: While keeping his day job, Wald created Newman Laughograms, which 44 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: produced advertising and topical shorts and story cartoons. In nineteen 45 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: twenty two, Wald incorporated Laughogram Films with fifteen thousand dollars 46 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: in backers, but one year later the business went bankrupt. 47 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: In nineteen twenty three, despite his two previously failed business endeavors, 48 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: Wald moved to Hollywood. Here's Wald talking about coming to 49 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: Hollywood for the first time with forty dollars in his 50 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: pocket and his suitcase of drawing materials. Well, I came 51 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: to Hollywood and arrived here in August nineteen twenty three 52 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: eight with forty dollars in my pocket and coat and 53 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: a pair of trousers that didn't match. And one half 54 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: of my suitcase had my shirts and underwearing things. The 55 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: other half had my my drawing materials was a cardboard suitcase. 56 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: At that After a walk landed in Hollywood. He attempted 57 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: to get a job in the film business, who was unsuccessful, 58 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: so he started to draw and finally landed a contract 59 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: for twelve Las comedies. He did the first six of 60 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: his own, and then got some of the people we 61 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: worked with in Kansas City to come out. After that 62 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: was successful, he eventually created with his brother Roy Disney 63 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: Brother's studio. Here's Walt talking about his first year in Hollywood. Well, 64 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: I tried to tried to get a job doing anything 65 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: I could in the studio so I could learn. I 66 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: was a little discouraged with the cartoon at that time. 67 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: I felt at that time that I was getting into 68 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: it too late. In other words, I thought the cartoon 69 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: business was established in such a way that there's no 70 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: chance to break into it. So I tried to get 71 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: a job in Hollywood working in the picture business so 72 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: I could learn it. I would like to have been 73 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: a director or any part of that, and there was 74 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: nothing open. So before I knew it, I had my 75 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: drawing board out and I started back to the cartoon 76 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: and I was able to secure it contract for fifth No. 77 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: Twelve of these short films, and I did all the 78 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: drawing myself. I had no help at all. I was 79 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: all alone. But I made the first six practically alone. 80 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: Then at that time I was able to get some 81 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: of the boys that had been with me in Kensity 82 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: to come out so on. From the seventh on, I 83 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: had some help, and I got by the first year. 84 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: By in nineteen twenty four, Walt had enough help that 85 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: he stopped drawing himself and focused on story development. Walt 86 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: talking about how deciding to focus on story development helped 87 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: to build the organization. And it reached a point that 88 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 1: I had so many well working with me in this 89 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: much time and attention to demanded that I had to 90 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: drop the drawing end of it myself. But I've never 91 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: regretted it because drawing was always a means to an 92 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: end with me, and so through these other boys who 93 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: were a good draftsman and artists in many different phases 94 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: of business, very talented people, I've coordinating their talents is 95 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: what has built this business. And if I hadn't dropped 96 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: the drawing end of it myself, I don't think I'd 97 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: have built this organization. While Roy and Wad established the studio, 98 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: they lived in the eighty five dollars a month that 99 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: Roy got because he was a veteran of the First 100 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,119 Speaker 1: World War. My brother was a veteran of the First 101 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: World War and he would have been hospitalized in things, 102 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: and so he was receiving a certain disability. Compensation had 103 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: mounted to about eighty five dollars a month, and we 104 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: lived on that while we established the studio. In nineteen 105 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: twenty seven, film distributor Charles Mintz contracted to Walt Disney 106 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: Studios to create a new series of animated films based 107 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: in an underdeveloped character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. As a 108 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: distributor of the cartoons, Men's owned the rights to the cartoons. 109 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: When the series became successful, Walt asked for a larger budget. 110 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: Men's asserted as trademark rights and tried to take over 111 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: a Walt Disney studio. Walt decided to abandon the character 112 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: to Mins to not lose the studio. From then on, 113 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: Walt decided to create his own characters, and Mickey Mouse 114 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: was born. I was contracting with a man for my 115 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: films and they were being released through Universal, and he 116 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: was a rather unscrupulous character, and he he thought he 117 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: could cut in and move in a little better, and 118 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: I pulled away from him and I was left alone, 119 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: and he happened to own the car. He had a 120 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: right to the character. So that was one of the 121 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: one of the big lessons I learned, and from then 122 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: on I said, there's no middleman. He contributed nothing. We 123 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: did everything. So I had to get a new character. 124 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: And I had been doing a rabbit. It was called 125 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: Oswald the Rabbit I did and started for him, so 126 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: I had to have a new character. In nineteen twenty eight, 127 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 1: walt created a Mickey Mouse and created two cartoon short 128 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: sets for him, playing Crazy and the Gallop and Ulto, 129 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: but despite Waltz's attempts to sell to a distributor of 130 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: the series, he was unsuccessful. However, after seeing Al Jolson's 131 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: The Jazz Singer had been released that fall with sinker sound, 132 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: Wald reason that if he could produce his Mickeymail's cartoons 133 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,680 Speaker 1: of sound, that alone would help sell the series. Here's 134 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: walk talking about what was a historic decision to switch 135 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 1: from silent cartoons to using sound. The first Mickey Mouse 136 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: was made silent, and while we were making the first 137 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: Mickey Mouse, sound came. So we decided that there's no 138 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: sense in making anything more silent, and we immediately switched 139 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: to sound, and we didn't have any sound equipment or 140 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: anything else, but we went ahead and made him for sound, 141 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: and we eventually got sound on him, and of course 142 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: it I think played the big part in establishing Mickey Mouse. 143 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: So he began to work on Steamboat. Willie particularly was 144 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: sound in mind. In order to finance the project, Walter 145 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: took out a new mortgage on the studio and sold 146 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: his beloved Moon automobile. By late July, the film was 147 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: finished minus to sound. With new sound facilities in the 148 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: West Coast, Walter had to travel to New York, who 149 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: was unimpressi he found. He then met Pa Powers, who 150 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: had developed a sound process called synaphone. Wald liked Power's 151 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: ideas and decided to record the audio with him. On 152 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: September fifteenth, the first recording session was held with a 153 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: seventeen piece orchestra. The results were terrible. The orchestra had 154 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: a difficult time following the cartoon. Wall was discouraged, but 155 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: then adding a bouncing ball to the film print so 156 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: the conductor could follow it while increasing or decreasing the tempo. 157 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: A second recording was held and the results were outstanding. 158 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: Here's Walt in a nineteen sixty three interview talking about 159 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: how he got the sounds synchronized for Steamboat Willie. We 160 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: used to have to do everything at one time, and 161 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: we used to have to run the cartoon. We'd have 162 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: the phones with the sound, the facts, we had the 163 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: people with the voices, we had the orchestra drawing, and 164 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,559 Speaker 1: everybody had the synchrome that thing right on the button, 165 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: and we had we had a way of doing it though. 166 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: We had a little kind of our little beat that 167 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: worked up and down. And there's so many of those beach, 168 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 1: you know, and they were all musicians working for me, 169 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,839 Speaker 1: so they can follow those beach and when it came 170 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: to a certain number of beats, they would go or 171 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:14,439 Speaker 1: they would go bang, or they would go this, or 172 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: they would pop out of these pop guns, you know. 173 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: Walt decided to previous Steamboat Willie at the theater when 174 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: they finished and hopes that a distributor would see it. 175 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: The owner of the Colony Theater of Broadway offered to 176 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: run Steamboat Willie for two weeks. The cartoon opened on 177 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: November eighteenth, nineteen twenty eight, and, as Walt predicted, being 178 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: the first cartoon to feature synchronized sound audiences and loved it, 179 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: and the film that glowing remarks in the press. After 180 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: the success of Steamboat, Willie Wald launched Silly Symphonies, a 181 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: series of cartoons they combined music and animation. In nineteen 182 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 1: thirty Roy and Walter decided the license mickulated merchandising and 183 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: created the Mickey Mouse Club, which passed one million members 184 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 1: a year later. In nineteen thirty three, the movie The 185 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: Three Little Pigs was released, with the original song Who's 186 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,839 Speaker 1: Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf that instantly became a 187 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: national hit. In nineteen thirty seven, Disney Studio developed a 188 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: process to shoot several levels of background to give their 189 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,839 Speaker 1: films depth. They used it in the first feature film, 190 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: snow White and the Seven dwors. Walt put the businesses 191 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: whole fortune into snow White, hoping that it would become successful. 192 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: The movie took four years to make, cost one point 193 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: five million dollars equivalent to thirty million dollars today when 194 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: you adjust for inflation. Here's Walt Disney an interview on 195 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,839 Speaker 1: how they put everything into snow White. We had the 196 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: family fortune, and we had everything wrapped up in snow White. 197 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: In fact, the banker, I think was losing more sleep 198 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: than I was. And fortunately they the allway and we 199 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: put it in, premiered it and everything else. Why, everything 200 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: was fine and the banker was happy. It was a 201 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 1: remarkable success, and according to the Guinness Book of World Records, 202 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: snow White is the highest grossing animated movie at the 203 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: domestic box office when you adjust for inflation. After the 204 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: success of snow White, Wald meets composer Leopold Stikowski and 205 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,319 Speaker 1: they agreed to collaborate over movie who went animation to 206 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: classical music and started to work on Fantasier. However, when 207 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:30,319 Speaker 1: Disney released Pinocchio and Fantasia in nineteen forty, neither philm 208 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: was commercially successful. A year later, Disney released Dumbo, which 209 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: was a modest commercial success. After that, the animators at 210 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: the studio went on straight and unionized. Walt decided to 211 00:13:44,040 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: go on a good will tour in South America in 212 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: the early nineteen forties. Walt Disney, with Sam Wood and 213 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 1: Leo McCarry, found that the Motion Picture Alliance for the 214 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: Preservation of American Ideals. According to the organization's statement of 215 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: principles quote in our special field of Motion pictures. We 216 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: resent the growing impression of this industry is made of 217 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: and dominated by communists, radicals, and crackpots. We believe that 218 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: we represent the vast majority of the people who serve 219 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: this great medium of expression, but unfortunately it has been 220 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 1: an unorganized majority. This has been almost inevitable. The very 221 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: love of freedom of the rights of the individual make 222 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: this great majority of reluctant to organize. But now we must, 223 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: or we shall meanly lose the last best hope on earth. 224 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: We refuse used to permit the effort of communist, fascist 225 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: and other to toolitarian minded groups to pervert this powerful 226 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: medium into an instrument for the dissemination of out American 227 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: ideas and beliefs. We pledge ourselves to fight with every 228 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: means that organized command any effort of any group or 229 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: individual to divert the loyalty of the screen from the 230 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: free America that gave at birth, and to dedicate our 231 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: work to the fullest possible measure to the presentation of 232 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: the American Sea, its standards and its freedoms, its beliefs, 233 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: and its ideals as we know them and believe in them. 234 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: Close quote. In nineteen forty two, Disney released Bambi, which 235 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: was not commercially successful. In nineteen forty four, Disney rereleased 236 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: Snow White, which was a success aout office. In nineteen 237 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: forty six, Walt, who had provided Mickey Mouse's voice for 238 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: nearly twenty years, reassigned the role. Here is Walt in 239 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: a nineteen fifty nine interview telling how he made the 240 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 1: voice and why he decided to give it to someone else. 241 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: In the early days, Walt Disney himself was the vice 242 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: of Mickey Myes. Mister Disney, can you still make a 243 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: noise at Mickey Myes? Well, yes, uh huh can you 244 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: make that noise for us? Now? Well? Uh? Making you 245 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: talk something like this, you know, kind of a false shutter. 246 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: Of course, he's an old mouse now in the false 247 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: definitely lowell. In nineteen forty six, Song of the South 248 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: was released, which enjoyed commercial success. In nineteen forty seven, 249 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: Walt testified before the House on American Activities Committee on 250 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: the role of communist agitation in the nineteen forty one 251 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: animated strike. Here is Walt in his House testimony, explaining 252 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: his feelings on the Communist Party. I don't believe it's 253 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: a political party. I believe it's an un American thing. 254 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: And the thing that I was in for most is 255 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: that they are able to get into these unions and 256 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: take them over and represent to the world that a 257 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: group of people that are in my plant, that I 258 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: know are good one hundred percent Americans, have to are 259 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: trapped by this group, and they represented to the world 260 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: of supporting all of those ideologies and it's not so. 261 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: And I feel that they really ought to be smoked 262 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: out and shown up for what they are so that 263 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: all the good free causes in this country, all the 264 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: liberalisms that really are American, can go out without this 265 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: team of communism. That's my sincere feelings on it. In 266 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: nineteen forty eight, Disney premiered Seal Island, the first of 267 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: the true life adventure series and one of the film 268 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: industry's earliest nature documentaries. In nineteen fifty, Cinderella became Disney's 269 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: first commercially successful animated features. In Snow White at Disney 270 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 1: released Treasure Island, their first all live action film. In 271 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty three, Wald created the Buena Vista Film Distribution Company. 272 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty four, Disney contracts with ABC Television to 273 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: produce a one hour television program in exchange for a 274 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: five hundred thousand dollars investment for Disneyland. Walt then used 275 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 1: the money to buy two hundred and forty four acres 276 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: of lab near Anaheim, California. In nineteen fifty five, Disneyland 277 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: opened and after two months had over one million visitors. 278 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: Walt introduced The Mickey Mouse Club on ABC. In nineteen sixty. 279 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: Walt Disney served as head of Pageantry of the nineteen 280 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: sixty Winter Olympics. In nineteen sixty one, Walt and Royal 281 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: established plans to create the California Institute of the Arts 282 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: through the merger of two financially discressed schools. Nineteen sixty four, 283 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: Mary Poppins Is released and later nominated for thirteen Academy Awards. 284 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: Walt received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Johnson. 285 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: Wald was against discrimination and defended the Sherman brothers, who 286 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: created the music for Mary Poppins in a meeting when 287 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: one of Walt Disney's lawyers made an anti Semitic statement. 288 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:14,199 Speaker 1: In an interview, Robert Sherman said quote, he hated to 289 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: see people mistreated or discriminated against. One time, Richard and 290 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: I overheard a discussion between Walds and one of his lawyers. 291 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: This attorney was a really bad guy, didn't like minorities. 292 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: He said something about Richard and me, and he called 293 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: us these jew boys writing these songs, while Walt defended us, 294 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,919 Speaker 1: and he fired the lawyer. In nineteen sixty five, Walt 295 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 1: Disney Studio purchased land in Orlando, Florida for Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, 296 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 1: Walt died one year later before disney World was finished. 297 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: After his death, Walt left forty five percent of his 298 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: estate to his wife and daughters, forty five percent to 299 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: the Disney Foundation, and the last ten percent to be 300 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:11,119 Speaker 1: divided with a sister and her children. I think the 301 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: story of aut Disney's important at almost every level. The 302 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 1: work ethic, getting back up when he failed, not being 303 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: afraid to go out and start again and again and again. 304 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,239 Speaker 1: The pioneering ability to think of new things, to use 305 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: sound for the first time, to bring in a philharmonic 306 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: orchestra to create basically one of the most advanced movies 307 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: of his time. In Fantasier. Disney was a tremendous pioneer. 308 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: He was deeply committed to his audience, to the American people, 309 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: and he believed that he had a medium that could 310 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: do good around the world. He loved children, he loved nature, 311 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: and he contributed enormously to people being closer to both 312 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: nature and to find entertainment. Disney, for a very long 313 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: time was a seal of good, clean, family entertainment and 314 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: Walt I think Frankly would be a little disturbed by 315 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,679 Speaker 1: some of the things that Disney does today, But I 316 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: think he also would have said that times change, people 317 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: move on. Remember, this is a guy who began with 318 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 1: almost no hope of about the future, who went bankrupt twice, 319 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: who kept moving around, and then finally everything fell into 320 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: place and began to work. I think that he is 321 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: truly an exceptional American, and I believe that he's somebody 322 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 1: we can all learn from in terms of our own 323 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: approach to setbacks, our own approach to dreaming big, our 324 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: own approach to believing that we can in fact achieve 325 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: remarkable things. You can read more about Walt Disney's amazing 326 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: life on our show page at Newtsworld dot com. News 327 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: World is produced by Game of Street sixty and iHeartMedia. 328 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: Our executive producers de Wie Myers, our producer is Guarnzie Sloan, 329 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the 330 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the 331 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: team at Gagwish three sixty. If you've been enjoying news World, 332 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate 333 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 334 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners 335 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: of news World can sign up for my three free 336 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: weekly columns at gamers three sixty dot com slash newsletter. 337 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,439 Speaker 1: I'm new Gigwich. This is news World.