In just a few short years, The Walt Disney Studios had created multiple feature films of astounding range and style—from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Pinocchio (1940) to Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941)—that only seemed to promise more to come.
During this unique period in animation history, The Walt Disney Studios functioned as a morale-builder for both the civilian public and deployed Allied troops. Walt knew that cartoons would provide a direct yet amusing way to communicate with the American people about war-related issues and anxieties.
As well as producing films for different government divisions from 1942 to 1943, Disney was asked to create animation for a series of pictures produced by Colonel Frank Capra for the U.S. Army. This series included films such as Prelude to War and America goes to War.
“Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life,” Walt stated during World War II, and while Walt never served in the armed services, he was always one of the strongest supporters of Americans in uniform, even as a teenager in Kansas City, Missouri.
1939 Walt wins an honorary Academy Award with a unique casting: one full-‐sized Oscar and seven miniatures for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 1940 Disney releases Pinocchio and Fantasia. Fantasia is released with a new technology, Fantasound, which precedes stereo and surround sound by 20 years.
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What happened to Disney in 1941?
Three days after Disney brazenly fired Babbitt, the Disney strike began on May 29, 1941. The strike lasted for five weeks, forever tearing the social fabric of the studio. FDR sent a Federal mediator, who found in the Guild's favor on every issue. Walt left on a Latin American tour to ease tensions.
And then we come to The Princess and the Frog, the first time truly African American characters appear in a Disney animated film. They did a great job with the story and hiring wonderful African American actors.
In 1937, Walt Disney Animation Studios released its first fully animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, pioneering a new form of family entertainment.
According to the Department of Defense, Donald Duck was officially drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941, before the U.S. entered the war. On May 1, 1942, he made his first military appearance in the cartoon "Donald Gets Drafted," where his draft card lists his actual middle name, Fauntleroy.
Artists, animators, and Walt Disney himself pitched in, enlisting Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and other beloved Disney characters in the war effort. Disney partnered with several government programs to educate citizens and encourage them to do their part on the home front.
Oddly enough, the entry of the United States into World War II in 1941 helped rescue Disney's company from financial ruin. The day after Pearl Harbor, Walt Disney allowed the U.S. Army to “invade” his Burbank, California studios, making it the only Hollywood studio to ever be occupied by the military.
Disney's relationship with the military dates back to 1917, when Walt Disney's older brother Roy joined the Navy. Walt himself served a year later during World War I as a Red Cross ambulance driver when he was only 16 years old.
Disney, born in 1901, was too old to be drafted. He was, however, eager to serve his country. During World War I, he dropped out of school at the age of 16 and tried to enlist, but he was rejected for being too young.
In 1917 the Disneys moved back to Chicago, and Walt entered McKinley High School, where he took photographs, made drawings for the school paper, and studied cartooning on the side, for he was hopeful of eventually achieving a job as a newspaper cartoonist.
One thing to note, Hans Christian Andersen left out race, skin color, and character names. For the animated movie, Disney made the little mermaid white, made her hair red, and gave her a name, Ariel.
In Disney's nearly 100-year history, there has been only one Black Disney princess — Princess Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog,” a 2009 animated feature starring Anika Noni Rose.
They were given an official number in the franchise line-up based on the chronological order in which their films were released, starting with Snow White as the first and original Disney Princess, with Cinderella being the second, followed by Aurora and so on.
This Oct. 16 marks the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company. With over 200,000 employees and a market capitalization exceeding $150 billion, it is one of most successful and influential media conglomerates in the world.
The Walt Disney Company has a big birthday to celebrate in 2023. It's celebrating 100 years by throwing the biggest event yet in Disney history: Disney 100 Years of Wonder. The heart of the celebration took place at Disneyland Resort, and that's where the party kicked off Jan. 27, 2023.
It was 100 years ago that Walt Disney founded The Walt Disney Company The company has become a pop culture empire — with movies such as Fantasia and Frozen. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Disney is releasing a restored 4k version of the 1937 film Snow White.
Bob Iger, Disney's C.E.O., on how the movie business is changing. DealBook Summit 2023 - YouTube. After a three-year absence, Bob Iger returned as C.E.O. to a Disney struggling with streaming losses and a fight with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.
Walt Disney and WDP management concede and sign a contract with the Screen Cartoonist's Guild. The Disney animators' strike was a 1941 American film industry work stoppage where unionized employees of Walt Disney Productions picketed and disrupted film production for just under four months.
