Walter Elias Disney

Walter Elias Disney (http://katrinadavid.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/keep-moving-forward)

Think of the vast and colorful empire of Disney that has captivated and enthralled our creativity and imaginations for decades. One man's determination and unwillingness to give up built this empire. This man was Walter Elias Disney. Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 5, 1901. He died in Los Angeles, California on December 15, 1966. Disney was an animator, a television/movie producer and an entertainer. He also was "famous as a pioneer of animated cartoon films and as the creator of such cartoon characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck" (Crowther). Disney had invented some of the most beloved characters in the world. Some of which we still see in our households today. He presented Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie" in 1928. Walt Disney revolutionized the animation business, paving the way for more young minds to fulfill their dreams of animating. He filled the imaginations of people everywhere;"By 1940 he'd brought sophisticated color and sound to cartoons, extended them to feature length and, with Fantasia, boldly merged classical music and abstract images" (Corliss). By the time the early 1950s had hit, Disney started plans for a huge amusement park to be built in Los Angeles, California. Disney had started his plan to embark on a journey to start an amusement park that would still bewilder children and adults decades after his death. Walt Disney was gifted, creative and a philanthropist. His uncanny ability to entertain and inspire makes him a true hero.

Walt Disney was a gifted individual in his field of imagining and making dreams come true. He drew, painted and imagined his way into the world's heart. "He possessed a vivid imagination and his drawings were beautiful, he even sold some of them to his neighbors when he was about seven years old" (Parekh). Walt Disney was a gifted individual who possessed the ability to draw and paint. He was gifted from childhood and was born to draw and paint for the enjoyment of others. There are more instances of Disney's gifted abilities. "In 1937, Disney's full-length movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, hit the movie screens. It broke all box-office records and established Disney as an innovative filmmaker. By the time he opened Disneyland in 1955 he was acclaimed as one of the most powerful men in the motion picture industry" (DeAngelo). Walt Disney was gifted in his craft of entertaining and turning everything he touched into gold. Another example would be that, "In 1954, Disney successfully invaded television, and by the time of his death, the Disney studio's output amounted to 21 full-length animated films, 493 short subjects, 47 live-action films, seven True-Life Adventure features, 330 hours of Mickey Mouse Club television programs, 78 half-hour Zorro television adventures, and 280 other television shows" (Walter Elias Disney). He produced countless numbers of entertaining movies and television programs. He had a habit of entertaining everybody, regardless of who they were. Walter Elias Disney opened a theme park, produced movies and television shows and animated beautifully. He was more than authentically gifted.

Walt Disney had also been a philanthropist. He was selfless and helped people in need out of the kindness of his heart. Walt Disney had been drawn to the Red Cross for volunteer work. "He applied for military services when he was just sixteen years old but as he was under-age, his application was rejected. He still did not leave his dream to serve those who needed him and joined Red Cross Society. Through Red Cross, Walter was sent to places where voluntary help was needed" (Parekh). His passion for the Red Cross showed that he did selfless acts of kindness and asked nothing in return. He did this act of kindness and philanthropy just for the sake of helping others. This was not the only example of his courageous philanthropy. For example, "When his brother joined the army in World War I, Disney also tried to join, but was underage. He changed the date on his birth certificate and was accepted by the Red Cross as an overseas ambulance driver" (DeAngelo). Disney wanted to join his brother, so he did the courageous act of joining the Red Cross despite the fact he was underage. Disney dropped out of high school to do this volunteer work when he was 17. He ended his high school career to serve with fellow Americans. He gave up his education for the protection of others, making him a hero. Disney sacrificed a lot to help people he didn't even know. This takes an abundance of courage and strength.

Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse (http://www.dealingwithdivas.com/almost-100/)

Disney had an overwhelming sense of creativity and passion for his imagination. He found any way he could to fill his world with his art. "While working from Red Cross, he drove ambulance, which he had decorated in a different style; he drew drawings, sketches and cartoons all over the ambulance. Wherever Walter went, he never gave up drawing, in fact he kept practicing drawing and sketching and had developed various ways to represent his ideas" (Parekh). Walt Disney was creative and imaginative. He would find any way he could to express his artistic visions to the world. His creativity was not limited to drawing. For example, "They produced cartoons, but did not have a hit until Disney come up with an idea to do a cartoon about a mouse that talked and sang.”Steamboat Willie" opened September 19, 1928, making Mickey Mouse a big star and Disney a big success" (DeAngelo). Walt Disney was creative enough to come up with a talking mouse that sang. His talent was undeniable. Disney also opened up a wildly popular theme park for his fans to enjoy the inner most workings of his imagination. "On July 18, 1957, Disney opened Disneyland, a gigantic projection of his personal fantasies in Anaheim..." (Walter Elias Disney). Walt Disney opened up a whole theme park based on his wild and vast imagination. Needless to say, his creativity was untamed. Disney showed many demonstrations of creativity and unending passion for his art and animation. He was a creative, talented person who stopped at nothing to succeed and strive in his field.

Walt Disney Productions (http://www.disnology.com/2010/08/08/walt-disney-pictures-prom-actors/)

A true hero must be a creative being, a loving philanthropist and a gifted soul. Walt Disney was born with all of these qualities. He gave up his high school career, entertained, inspired, produced and succeeded. Disney inspires me because he never at any point in time gave up. He always stayed true to his goals and dreams. He was never ashamed of his silly characters that he imagined up. He succeeded in life and improved the lives of many others. Walter Elias Disney was one of the world's few true heroes. He had many qualities most people can only dream of attaining. He was a classic American hero.

Works Consulted

Anderson, Shelly. Walt Disney. Digital image. Dealing with Divas. Web. 19 May 2011. http://www.dealingwithdivas.com/almost-100/.

Corliss, Richard. "Disney's Fantastic Voyage - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Time Magazine, 05 Dec. 1999. Web. 06 May 2011. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,35518-2,00.html.

Crowther, Bosley. "Walt Disney Biography." Biography.com. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Web. 06 May 2011. http://www.biography.com/articles/Walt-Disney-9275533?part=3.

DeAngelo, Dory. "Biography of Walt Disney (1901-1966), Film Producer." Missouri Valley Special Collections : Home. Web. 06 May 2011. http://www.kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Biographies.

Parekh, Nilesh. "Walt Disney Biography." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 05 May 2011. http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-1-2005-65214.asp. Walt Disney. Digital image. Disnology. 8 Aug. 2010. Web. 19 May 2011. http://www.disnology.com/2010/08/08/walt-disney-pictures-prom-actors/.

Walter Elias Disney." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 6 May. 2011.

Walter Elias Disney. Digital image. http://katrinadavid.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/keep-moving-forward/. Web. 17 May 2011.