One hundred years ago, the story of one of the world's most successful film companies began. From Mickey Mouse to Buzz Lightyear to Elsa, Disney has created lots of fantastic characters, but how did it happen?
Walter Disney, later known as "Walt" Disney, was born on 5 December 1901 in the US. He was very good at drawing and painting and studied cartooning at school. He worked as an ambulance driver during the First World War (1914–18) but his passion was for drawing.
When the war ended, he started to work on some short films. Los Angeles, in California, was already the centre of the US film industry, so Walt moved there with his brother Roy. The two of them decided to start their own company to produce Walt’s animations, and on 16 October 1923, the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was founded.
In 1928, Disney launched one of his most famous creations, the black-and-white film Steamboat Willie. You can watch the eight minute cartoon on YouTube – it includes the first appearance of Mickey Mouse.
Creating classics
Steamboat Willie turned Mickey Mouse into a huge star. Soon, fans could buy their own Mickey Mouse dolls, dishes – even toothbrushes. After Mickey’s success, Disney created other characters, such as Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck.
In 1934, Walt decided that he wanted to try something more ambitious – his first full-length film. He was inspired by a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm called Snow White. It took three years to make, but Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would become one of the highest grossing (money-making) films of all time.
This massive inspired the studio to tell more children's stories in animated form, which led to Bambi, Cinderella, and Pinocchio. For Walt, there was no limit to the number of tales he wanted to invent. He once said, "I don't make movies to make money. I make money so I can make more movies."
"The happiest place on Earth"
In 1955, Disney opened the first Disneyland. At first it was meant to be beside the film studio, as a place to entertain fans who wanted to visit, but Walt had such big ideas that it soon became clear the site was too small.
The company bought a larger site a few miles away and created rides and experiences inspired by Disney's films. Guests could meet their favourite characters and visit the famous castle from Sleeping Beauty. People loved it, and a second Disney park, which was even bigger, opened in Florida in 1971. There are now Disney theme parks in Asia and Europe too.
Walt Disney with Mickey.
Telling more stories
Even though Walt Disney died in 1966, his film company carried on. The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Tarzan, won lots of awards for their amazing animation and songs. There were live-action films too, including Hocus Pocus and The Princess Diaries were also a hit.
In recent times, Disney has expanded its storytelling. Encanto is about the Madrigal family in the mountains of Colombia, and Moana tells of a daring mission through the Pacific Ocean.
A new film called Wish is out in November, too. It tells the story of the wishing star, which has appeared at the start of Disney films ever since Pinocchio in 1940.
Three films you might not know
- Oliver & Company: Inspired by Charles Dickens' story Oliver Twist, this musical film follows a young cat named Oliver living in New York. A pack of street dogs invite him to join their gang, but Oliver is so cute that he soon gets adopted. He has to balance out his new life with his old friendships.
- The Sword in the Stone: This 1963 animated classic is based on the legend of King Arthur. England is in the dark ages without a king, and only someone worthy of pulling an enchanted sword out of a stone can claim the throne. An orphan named Wart, with the help of Merlin the wizard, could be just the person to do it.
- The Parent Trap: When Hallie Parker from California and Annie James from London meet at summer camp, they realise they look amazingly alike. It's not a coincidence. The two are actually twins who were separated at birth after their parents divorced. Now, the two of them set to work to get their parents back together.
Recent updates
This feature was originally published in October 2023 in The Week Junior, which is also owned by Future Publishing.
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