Age of Fairy Tales: Happy Birthday Disney

The Walt Disney Company is 100 years old and it all started with a mouse

It all started with a mouse, as he notes in one of his most famous quotes. Walt Disney. And how far this little mouse has come since its founding on October 16, 1923. Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, one of the craziest, most brilliant, amazing and magical entrepreneurial adventures in history. Nothing more than a mouse on the starting line, but 100 years later Disney it’s still a dream factory. Unforgettable adventures, iconic characters and the inevitable happy ending have nurtured generations and generations of children, remaining etched in the hearts of adults who often just need a musical intro to feel wrapped up in the comfortable blanket of their comfort zone.

But let’s take a step back. Although it seems unlikely today, there was a time when “Disney” was just a family name: Walter Elias, a boy born in 1905 in Chicago and raised on a farm in Missouri. A childhood that was not at all golden: Walt He was the fourth of five brothers, worked hard in the fields from a very early age, and when the family moved to Kansas City after selling the farm, due to typhoid fever that his father contracted, the child began to wake up in the middle of the night to go and deliver newspapers in front of school. But his passion from the very beginning was comics: at the age of 7 he sold his sketches to neighbors, and at 15 he was already participating as a cartoonist for the school newspaper. Village voice. He did not get along with his father and did not tolerate his authoritarian behavior: so in 1918 he left home to join the army. In order to leave, he had to falsify his date of birth in his passport: until 1919, he worked as an ambulance driver in the armed forces. Upon returning to Kansas City, he began an internship at an advertising agency, where he met Ub Iwerks, American animator and special effects specialist. It was a real encounter with history, because this is where it all really began: Disney AND Iwerks They worked together several times, chasing each other from one employer to another, until in 1923. Walt

He’s his brother Roy they moved to Hollywood and founded Disney Brothers Studio. In 1924, he also jumped on board. Ub Iwerks and from the genius of the boys it was born Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Perhaps we would never have what we have today if not for the misfortune: the main customer Disney got the rights to Oswald and the company suffered a major setback. To try to save the situation Walt he changed the features of the rabbit: he shortened the ears, rearranged the tail, rounded the muzzle. AND DisneyLike Master Geppetto, he found himself for the first time looking at the creature that would become like his son: a little mouse to whom he named Mickey. Mickey Mouse was a revolution. His first appearance took place on May 15, 1928, but the boom came a little later, when sound was added to the adventures of the most beloved mouse in cinema. Walt Disney voiced Mickey Mouse himself until 1947: and this humble, largely underrated little animal conquered, step by step, all of Hollywood, then America and, finally, the whole world.

In 1932, Mickey Mouse was joined by Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto in a series of short films collected under the title Happy symphonies. In 1937, the time came for the first feature film: Snow White and the Seven Ships. The merit of the unfortunate charming princess was that she demonstrated that cartoons can constitute an independent film genre. They changed her Pinocchio, Dumbo AND Bambiand then little by little all the other titles entered history, such as “Disney Classics“

During this century Disney He took home 26 Oscars, as well as various international awards and recognitions: he is by far the most awarded person in the history of cinema, a star in the Hollywood firmament so bright that he is often considered the inventor of hand-drawn animation. It is unthinkable to tell the story of his company, which during this time became Walt Disney Company, without even painting a picture of my life. Disney he was a visionary, a dreamer. He is considered in every sense a hero of the twentieth century, an American symbol of the “self-made man,” the man who single-handedly realizes his dreams.

Success Disney so it certainly has to do with the genius of its founder – and the people who worked with him on the front lines – but it also depends on the stories being told. Not just stories: tales with the power to define people and societies, control beliefs, inspire dreams. Telling stories is a difficult job, but it is also a superpower that must be used correctly: the one who tells the story has in his or her hands the power to influence the imagination and thinking of little minds that may one day find themselves at the top of society. . These stories help you grow up. As he said well Gilbert Kate ChestertonBritish writer and journalist, fairy tales”Children are not taught that dragons exist because they already know it.” Fairy tales”they teach children that dragons can be defeated” A lesson that is banal only at first glance: a fairy tale is a lesson in history, civic education, rights, and humanity. If told correctly, it can instill values ​​that will forever be part of your baggage, developing and maintaining the emotional intelligence that humanity is often surprisingly lacking.

From this perspective, it is easy to understand why Disney stories track and interpret changes in society. Over the decades, the roles and characteristics of the main characters have changed: we have gone from the princesses of the great classics – Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty – who passively waited to be rescued by their sparkling Prince Charming so that they could get married and gain a role in society; modern princesses, strong, independent women who dare to dream and fight to make their dreams come true. On the one hand, Snow White, sleeping in a crystal coffin awaiting the kiss of true love, is a symbol of those young women who dreamed of marriage in order to break away from their family of origin and gain active participation in society (usually with motherhood); on the other hand, Elsa, a princess and a bit of a witch, independent and authoritarian, sensitive and self-searching, who winks at the LGBT+ community and represents a new type of woman: one who fights every day against the prejudices of society, against the gender gap, against sexism, physical and psychological violence, against chauvinism and patriarchy, against the toxic idea that a woman can feel complete only when a man makes her a mother. The principles have also changed: no longer alpha males, the symbol of a person who should never ask, but human beings with their own weaknesses. Through thick and thin, Disney he was able to interpret the emotions of growing children, accompanying them throughout their lives, supporting rather than demonizing change as something negative. Over the years, the approach to a very specific category of characters has also changed: villains. As mentioned, changes in society have led to changes in the storylines of some of the most iconic characters, and if we haven’t participated in them, we’ve at least been intrigued by the darkest characters in fairy tales. The villain is usually brilliant, smart, cunning, but also fragile: behind him there is often a history of pain and injustice that can explain the motives for his questionable behavior. This “why” of the villain became the nerve center of the story. Disney

rode the wave and here is a retelling of the story of Maleficent, brought to the stage by the extraordinary Angelina Jolieand Cruella, to whom the actor gives his face and voice. Emma Stone. But there is also plenty of room for the “bad guys” in the new action movie: in the 2023 version. Mermaid, Melissa McCarthy it adds dimension and depth to Ursula’s character, making her even more exciting, unpredictable and multifaceted than the cartoon version.

Walt Disney when he dreamed, he dreamed big. He decided to breathe life into his drawings, creating not only characters, but also giving real dimension to everything that revolves around them. Having realized this seemingly crazy dream, he invested in the riskiest of his ventures: Disneyland. On July 17, 1955, the world’s first theme park opened: a $17 million project covering an area of ​​1.5 square kilometers, just over 30 kilometers from Los Angeles. As we know, this will not remain an exceptional case: it will be monitored. Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, Disneyland Paristhe first European theme park, Hong Kong Disneyland AND Shanghai Disneyland. Walt He didn’t get to see any of this: he died in 1966 from lung cancer.

After death Walt DisneyThe company experienced a period of strong ups and downs. In addition to fame and strong roots, her marketing strategy saved her: in 2006. Disney purchase Pixargathered under his tutelage between 2009 and 2011 Marvel Entertainment AND LucasFilm, LLC. Finally, in 2017, he acquired 20th Century Foxalong with channels ForexTo National Geography and 60% streaming service Hulu. This latest acquisition was driven by a clear market strategy: Netflix began to dominate the market thanks to know-how Hulu and an almost unlimited product portfolio, for which we now have Disney could be counted on, it was launched in 2019 Disney+streaming service, marking the studio’s transformation into a global giant.

Roberto Gagnorhistorical screenwriter Disneyhe defined “originals“classics” because, to quote Calvin“,they never finished saying what they wanted to say” Gagnor During the aforementioned interview, he mentioned Mickey Mouse and his friends, but his vision can be extended to the entire universe. Disney: These stories touch on what is “universal and human” in each of us, and that is what makes them timeless and timeless, even when they blow out 100 candles. The age of fairy tales, adventures, dreams come true and to be realized, hopes and fairy dust. After all, we know that anyone who can dream can learn to fly: even a little mouse. Happy birthday, Walt Disney Company.

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