Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade captivates with the story of Walt Disney – a leader in the American animation industry.

Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966) was born in Chicago. When he was four, his family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. It was a happy childhood for Walt. He liked to ride on pigs which often meant landing in mud. After school, he fished and skinny-dipped. In winter, he went sledding or skating on a frozen creek. From childhood, he had a natural nag for entertaining people. He liked attention and liked being the class clown. Once, he caught a field mouse, made a leash for it, and paraded his new pet around the classroom. He also had some talent for drawing which at times got him in trouble, especially after drawing with the tar on the side of their white house. 

When his father became sick, the family moved to Kansas City where Walt had to pitch in. At nine, he started delivering papers. 

In school, he wasn’t doing well. Instead, he was thinking of ways to make his classmates laugh. He also liked drawing funny characters or animal in the corner of the pages making it appear as moving while flipping the pages. These were his first cartoons.

Walt attended High School in Chicago where the family returned, but again he was bored in all of his classes. The only thing he liked was drawing cartoons for the school newspaper. After a year, he dropped out of school. At the time, he didn’t know what he wanted to be, but he certainly had faith in himself. 

At night, he took art classes. He bought himself a movie camera. 

When he applied for a job at the post office, he was told that he was too young. He went home, put on a man’s hat, drew a mustache on his face and went back to the post office where this time, he got the job. He knew how to find a solution to a problem. 

When he moved back to Kansas City, he teamed up with another artist. They got jobs at the Kansas City Slide Company. Here, Walt learned all about animation. This was life changing for him. After creating his first cartoon, he sold it to the Newman theatres, and started up a small company. 

He recruited artists to help him make cartoons. He promised to share any money earned from the cartoons. But he went bankrupt. Kansas City was not the center of entertainment business. He moved to Hollywood. 

With his brother Roy, they formed the Disney Brothers Studio. They were doing well with Oswald cartoons which in a way got stolen from him. Then, in secret with a few trusted people, Walt created a new character – a mouse. Mickey Mouse was born. Then, came Donald Duck.

As popular Mickey Mouse is today, at the time of its inception no theater wanted to show mouse cartoons. But Walt wasn’t someone to give up. Once, he added soundtracks, the audience fell in love with Walt’s characters. Then, Mickey Mouse Club was created and sprang up all over America.

Walt was always looking for the next big idea, pushing the boundaries. Up until then, cartoons were short. His next goal was a full – length movie. It took him years to create Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He borrowed more than one and a half million dollars for this project. Snow White was called a masterpiece and won a special Academy Award. 

In the following years, he produced: Fantasia, Pinocchio, and Bambi. 

And he continued to face challenges. There was WWII which affected the sales in Europe. Then, his employees went on strike. His following movies weren’t as successful.

When he spent time with his two daughters, playing and goofing around, it gave him his next idea of an amusement park. Thus, Disneyland was born in Anaheim, California. Even with age, he never slowed down. He had too many ideas to quit working.

At sixty-five, he died of lung cancer. He didn’t get to see the opening of Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida.

This biography illustrates a man who believed in himself and the characters he created. Despite many obstacles, he persisted with what he believed in. 

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 7-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.

Source: Grosset & Dunlap, 2012

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Never Give Up believing in Yourself

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, he had a natural nag for entertaining people.

·         He liked attention and liked being the class clown.

·         He had some talent for drawing. To improve it, he took evening classes.

·         In school, he wasn’t doing well. Instead, he was thinking of ways to make his classmates laugh.

·         He liked drawing funny characters or animal in the corner of the pages making it appear as moving while flipping the pages. These were his first cartoons.

·         While in HS, the only thing he liked was drawing cartoons for the school newspaper.

·         After a year, he dropped out of high school. At the time, he didn’t know what he wanted to be, but he certainly had faith in himself.

·         While working at the Kansas City Slide Company, he learned all about animation. This was life changing for him.

·         After creating his first cartoon, he sold it to the Newman theatres, and started up a small company in Kansas City which went bankrupt due to location.

·         Thus, he moved to Hollywood, with his brother Roy, they formed the Disney Brothers Studio.

·         His Oswald cartoons got stolen from him but this didn’t stop him. Afterwards, came his most successful characters: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

·         Walt was always looking for the next big idea, pushing the boundaries. Up until then, cartoons were short. His next goal was a full – length movie. It took him years to create Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was called a masterpiece and won a special Academy Award.

·         In the following years, he produced: Fantasia, Pinocchio, and Bambi.

·         He continued to face challenges. There was WWII which affected the sales in Europe. Then, his employees went on strike. His following movies weren’t as successful.

·         When he spent time with his two daughters, playing and goofing around, it gave him his next idea of an amusement park. Thus, Disneyland was born in Anaheim, California.

·         Even with age, he never slowed down. He had too many ideas to quit working.

 

 

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney