[July 17, 2015] During the Great Depression, a young man 30 years of age was flirting with the idea of creating a full-length movie with only cartoon characters. This had never been done before and was considered a risky financial endeavor. Many called it “Disney’s Folly” because it would surely fail. Instead, using new techniques and overcoming the objections of his family and colleagues, Walt Disney produced the first animated, full-length, color feature in 1937 called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
When we speak of people with vision, we often discuss great politicians or military leaders. Walt Disney however proves to be an exception and achieved things few could even dream. The success of Snow White began an era known today as the “Golden Age of Animation”. Snow White was followed by Pinocchio, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Dumbo, and others. These animations were seen by hundreds of millions of adults and children around the world and are still popular today.Walt Disney was a gifted innovator who prized quality in his craftsmanship. He was also fond of doing things that others could never imagine. Two of my favorite quotes from him are:
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney
Seventy years ago today, July 17, 1955, his amusement park called Disneyland was opened in California. Like his cartoons and animated movies, the Disneyland park became a sensation. Costing $17 million, it soon brought staggering profits. Currently, it hosts more than 14 million visitors a year.1
To think that all this began with a young man who wanted to produce cartoons. Walt Disney had to overcome many obstacles along the way to consistently achieving success. But he overcame them all to produce one of the most successful enterprises in the world; certainly one that has given us better entertainment than anyone else.
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1. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/disneyland-opens