The Iconic Walt Disney Walt Disney an iconic and beloved American entrepreneur with humble origins. Disney's career and journey to success is the true example of the American dream. Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 5, 1901. Walter developed a loved for drawing at a young age and by age 18, became a draftsmen at a Kansas city art studio. In this first job in the art world is where he meets a great friend and artist Ube Iwerks. In 1920, Walt and his brother Roy opened a short-lived animation company. During this time the company strikes a deal with a Kansas City theatre to screen their cartoons, called Laugh-O-Grams. The Laugh-O-Grams cartoons become widely popular and help Disney opened his own studio in 1922. As Walt and Roy opened the new studio, more …show more content…
By 1923, however, the studio was loaded with debts and Disney was force to declare bankruptcy. Disney and Roy decided to move to Hollywood. In 1923, Walt and Roy opened a cartoon studio in Hollywood and brought Iwerks and new employees to the new studio. In 1925, the studio hires Lily Bounds, who after a short courtship marries Walt the same year. A few years later, the Disney Company gets a hard hit when Disney loses the rights of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit a famous cartoon character along with many of his employees to the distribution company Universal. Short after this the Disney studio creates a successful short-animated film called Steamboat Willy starring a mouse that became the cornerstone of the company and a famous icon of Walt Studios the famous Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse adorability and constant personality made him a popular and beloved character. Mickey also helped the Walt studio to introduce sounds to films. In the years that follow the Disney studio success continue with many more characters and animated films. In 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs open in theatres and becomes the first full-length animated film, grossing around 1.5 million