Walt Disney

Walt Disney (http://www.leadership-with-you.com/images/waltdisney.jpg)

Walt Disney once said: "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them" (Brainyquote). Sometimes, one quote can summarize a person's life well, as is the case in this instance. Walt Disney was an animator whose works revolutionized the animation medium he worked in. His road to fame, however, was not easy. Disney faced difficulties and hardships on his road to success. Nevertheless, he made it past the challenges to become the most famous animator of all time. In the end, Disney's struggles and success in overcoming obstacles inspired others to follow their dreams. He inspired a new generation to change the world and that is why I believe Walt Disney was a hero.

Steamboat Willie, the cartoon that started it all (http://back2retro.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/steamboat-willie.jpg)

Throughout his career in animation, Walt Disney looked to innovate his medium. Following the release of The Jazz Singer, which was the first film to include sound, he was inspired to develop his own cartoon with sound. That short was a: "Mickey Mouse cartoon equipped with voices and music, entitled Steamboat Willie," (B. Crowther). Walt Disney was the first man to create a cartoon with sound, a feat that would go on to revolutionize animation. Without sound, almost all cartoons today would not be possible. Walt Disney's advancement not only created new job opportunities, but also inspired others to be leaders in their own industries. His success showed others that if a small-time animator from Chicago could revolutionize animation, then perhaps they could go on to be successful and influential. Sound in animation was not the only improvement Disney pioneered. "The first feature-length animation, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), paved the way for the Disney brand of family-oriented celluloid fantasies targeting children as their primary audience." (W. Darity). Snow White initiated the Disney companies' shift to marketing movies to children. These films incorporated societies' morals and ideals that would shape children's ideas of right and wrong. Simply put, Disney's movies taught kids how to become better people. Walt Disney's achievements over the years have both inspired people to follow their dreams, and taught ethics to the next generation of children who would work to make their world a nicer place to live.

Crowther, Bosley. "Walt Disney." 2010. Biography.com. 13 Dec 2010, 04:09 http://www.biography.com/articles/Walt-Disney-9275533.

Darity Jr., William A." Disney, Walt." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 409-410. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.

Disney, Walt. Brainyquotes. 9 Jan. 2011. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/walt_disney.html

Smith, David R. "Disney, Walt." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar160740&st=walt+disney

Disney, during the first years of his career. (http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/images/purchase/walt-disney_united-artists.jpg)

All of Walt Disney's innovations, however, were not easily come by. Throughout his career, Disney was often challenged with dilemmas he had to face using only his determination and will. In the first part of his career, he did not have a stable job. "In 1923, Disney moved to Los Angeles to become a film producer or director. When he failed to find a job, he returned to producing cartoons. He set up his first studio in the back half of a real estate office. For several years, Disney struggled to pay his expenses." (D. Smith). Walt Disney, like many famous people, started life on a bumpy road. He had little money and was always on the verge of bankruptcy. However, with his tenacious spirit, Disney managed to struggle through the challenging early years of his career to become the world-famous animator he is known as today. His never-give-up personality inspires those whose lives have been fraught with difficulty. After fighting through his tough beginnings, things began to settle down for Disney. However, hardship was never too far behind. "A strike by Disney animators in 1941 was a major setback for the company. Many top animators resigned, and it would be many years before the company produced animated features that lived up to the quality of its early 1940s classics. Disney's foray into films for the federal government during World War II helped the studio perfect methods of combining live-action and animation; the studio's commercial films using this hybrid technique include The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Saludos Amigos (1942), The Three Caballeros (1945), Make Mine Music (1946), and Song of the South (1946)." (W. Darity) Even during the "reign" of Disney when it appeared that nothing could go wrong; another crisis reared its head. He was able to combat the strike with sheer will and determination. After creating WWII propaganda films for the country, he had enough money to make movies. But even with the aid given to him by the U.S. government, his resources did not allow him to create normal animated classics as he had been doing for the past 17 years. Despite this, he did not back down. Disney instead made cartoons where animation would be plastered over live-action movies of real people. Disney's leap over the hurdle once again gave people a reason to praise Disney as a role model who regularly demonstrated that a little hard work and resolve can go a long way. Even with his numerous setbacks, Disney managed to keep kicking and to this day inspires individuals to pursue their aspirations and fight through hardships they are bound to face on the way to fulfilling their dreams.

Disneyland (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2303/2326432973_17e99ac714.jpg)

Walt Disney, the man who was known for creating Mickey Mouse and countless other famous cartoon characters, was also an inspiration to countless people across the globe. Disney's imagination, innovation, and determination roused others to change the world. But Disney was a true hero not for the fact that he inspired people, but for what he inspired people to do. Disney was able to take an entertainment medium and use it to teach people that if they work hard enough, they can change the world for the better. And as Disney himself said, any dream is possible, as long as you work to achieve it.