The Walt Disney Company since 1923 till present

Abstract

We do not go to the cinema to watch a cartoon; we go to watch a Disney production. The popularity of this company is such that Disney is not merely the symbol of animated films; it has become a synonym of them. With five theme parks (located in Florida, California, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris), nearly 150 series or animated films, many shops open worldwide, and several television channels, The Walt Disney Company has become one of the largest, if not THE most important business of animation.

Despite the death of the creator Walt Disney, his name has endured through the years, surrounded by know-how and glory, modernity, innovation and dreams that began in the 30s. What then, was the evolution of the Walt Disney Company, in terms of creating that business strategy? To answer this, we shall see in the first part, the genesis of Disney and the stages of creation, and in the second part, we will study its corporate strategy to revive the declining economy.

Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in a modest home in Chicago. Everyone knows him as the greatest designer in the world, but in reality he was a cartoonist and an animator, who directed many of his productions and did not write the scenario. Mr. Disney was ultimately a visionary; a "self-made man," who had a cult quality. He always tried to maintain quality in his productions, and was able to recognize talent in his employees. Before becoming the great man he is in our memories, Walt Disney began his career like everyone else, at the bottom of the ladder.

During the First World War, his brother Roy enlisted in the Army. Walter wanted do the same, but because of his age, he could not. He thus entered the Red Cross, which took him to France to live. On his return to the United States, he met Ubbe Iwerks who was also called “Ub”, a great artist who would play a very important role in the life of Disney.

Together they decided to start their own company, the Iwerks-Disney Studio in 1920, which was a failure. Disney had to apply for a job, and was hired by a company, the Kansas City Slide Company, which became the Kansas City Film Ad. This company made small animated advertisements with humorous commentaries on local events in Kansas City. These advertisements were played at local cinemas. Disney was able to create commercials which were a little more personal and ambitious, and managed to sell them to the Newman Theater, a local cinema.

In the following months, he created several humorous animated sequences related to "modernized" fairy tales for the Theatre, which were called the Newman Laugh-O-grams. Disney then surrounded himself with a team including Ub Iwerks, Rudolph Ising, Hugh Harman and Walker, Carmen Maxwell, and Red Lyon. Unfortunately, his stories did not work; Disney had the idea of producing a series in which a girl would evolve into a real animated world.

Disney did not have time to broadcast his film, and the company the Laugh-O-grams Inc. went bankrupt. Not one to give up, Walter went to Hollywood with his brother Roy and set up an animation device in his uncle's garage. He managed to sign a contract with the New York distributor Margaret J. Winkler for a series of Alice Comedies.

Tags: Disney production¸ Florida, California, Hong Kong, Tokyo, stages of creation, First World War, Kansas City Slide Company, Carmen Maxwell, Newman Laugh-O-grams, Margaret J