COLEGIUL NAŢIONAL „NICOLAE BᾸLCESCU”

ATESTAT DE COMPETENŢᾸ LINGVISTICᾸ

LIMBA ENGLEZᾸ

BRᾸILA, 2018
The Disney Empire
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Motivation………………………………………………………………………………...4

Walt Disney – the man behind it all…….……………………………………….............5

Biography………………………………………………………………………......5
Disney after Walt’s death………………………………………………………………...7
The Disney Creation……………………………………………………………………....9
Chronological list of the most representative films……………………………..….9
Characters and animated movies that made history……………………………….11
Mickey Mouse………………………………………………..........11
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs………………………………. 12
Cinderella…………………………………………………….…….13
The little mermaid……………………………………………….....14
Beauty and the Beast…………………………………………….....14
A few things you might now know about Walt Disney……………................................16
Webliography……………………………………………………………………………...17
 Motivation

<<If you can dream it, you can do it>>, is, with no doubt, one of the most representative and
powerful quotes that Walt Disney ever said. Up to this day, millions of people „build” their
lives around this idea that has inspired generations in a row.
I wholeheartedly believe that each individual has great power within himself and, to me, Walt
Disney and the creations he brought into the world throughout his life are the best example to
illustrate this. Each of us has the potential to change something, to live the life that we desire,
and all we have to do in order to achieve that goal is to believe.
I am part of a generation that grew up watching some of the most classic Disney creations.
For a child, the ideas that were portrayed in movies, with fearless characters that, despite the
challenges they were forced to face, ended up <<living happily ever after>>, were extremely
powerful and thought provoking.
When they think of <<Disney>> as a whole, most people associate it with childhood and
happy memories. But besides being a true symbol for children all around the world, this
creation is forever going to be defined by its deepest meaning: that everything we desire is
one dream away. Just like Pocahontas thought us to listen to our hearts and be true to
ourselves and the story of the <<Beauty and the Beast>> showed us that there is much more
to someone that the looks, we can create our own ideal life by learning each lesson we are
being offered.
Because of that and many other reasons, The Disney Empire has forever changed the
approach that people usually have when it comes to cartoons. Everybody now knows that this
popular form of entertainment can lead to a better development of a child, when done the right
way. And for me, Disney stories are the perfect way to teach the difference between good and
evil, between failure and lessons.
Therefore, I chose this topic because I believe a better world starts with ambitious people.
Growing up watching brave Disney princesses that are not afraid to fight for their ideals, to
show the world who they really are despite the universal set of rules society had at the time
and still does to this day, definitely had an immense impact on my personality, one that I
believe every child should experience.

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 Walt Disney – the man behind it all
Biography

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, to his father Elias Disney, and
mother Flora Call Disney. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a girl.
Walt had very early interests in art, he would often sell drawings to neighbours to make extra
money. He pursued his art career, by studying art and photography by going to McKinley
High School in Chicago. Despite the family’s limited possibilities and his father’s reluctant
attitude regarding his son’s choice of career, Disney followed his passion for nature and
wildlife, supported by his mother and brother, Roy.
During the fall of 1918, Disney attempted to enrol for military service. He was rejected
because he was under age, only sixteen years old at the time. Instead, Walt joined the Red
Cross and was sent overseas to France, where he spent a year driving an ambulance and
chauffeuring Red Cross officials. Once Walt returned from France, he began to pursue a
career in commercial art. He started a small company called Laugh-O-Grams, which
eventually fell bankrupt. With his suitcase, and twenty dollars, Walt headed to Hollywood to
start anew.
His talents were first used in a silent cartoon entitled Plane Crazy. However, before the
cartoon could be released, sound was introduced upon the motion picture industry. Thus,
Mickey Mouse made his screen debut in Steamboat Willie, the world’s first synchronized
sound cartoon, which premiered at the Colony Theater in New York on November 18, 1928.
On December 21, 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated
musical feature, premiered at a Theater in Los Angeles. The film produced at the unheard cost
of $1,499,000 during the depths of the Depression, the film is still considered one of the great
feats and imperishable monuments of the motion picture industry. During the next five years,
Walt Disney Studios completed other full-length animated classics such as Pinocchio,
Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi.
After the great success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt and Roy bought their
parents, Elias and Flora Disney, a home close to the studios. Less than a month later Flora
died of asphyxiation caused by a faulty furnace in the new home. The terrible guilt of this
haunted Walt for the rest of his life.
Walt Disney’s dream of a clean, and organized amusement park, came true, as Disneyland
Park opened in 1955. As a fabulous $17-million magic kingdom, soon had increased its
investment tenfold, and by the beginning of its second quarter-century, had entertained more
than 200 million people, including presidents, kings and queens, and royalty from all over the
globe. But this success did not stop Walt Disney from creating other films. Averaging five or
six releases per year during this period, the studios stayed busy as well. The 1950’s and
1960’s brought to life classics such as Sleeping Beauty (1959) and One Hundred and One
Dalmatians (1961).

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 Picture 1. Walt Disney painting in his studio Picture 2. Disney at Disneyland’s
opening day
Prior to his death on December 15, 1966, Walt Disney took a deep interest in the
establishment of California Institute of the Arts, a college level, professional school of all the
creative and performing arts. Of California Arts, Walt once said, “It’s the principal thing I
hope to leave when I move on to greener pastures. If I can help provide a place to develop the
talent of the future, I think I will have accomplished something.”
After his death, the Disney legacy was carried on by other creators that followed Walt’s
vision and continued to help the company grow.

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 Disney after Walt’s death

In November of 1966, Walt went to the hospital to have some tests run on “the old polo injury [that
had been bothering him for months” When doctors did not allow him to go home unless he had an
emergency surgery, he demanded to be released immediately.
Walt and his wife Lillian decided to take a trip to Palm Springs in hopes of a bit of recovery and
relaxation. The trip would be cut short though, when Walt collapsed and was taken back to St.
Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, California. From his hospital bed on December 14, 1966, he discussed
more plans for the Florida Project with his brother, Roy. The next morning, he had passed away.

Picture 3. Cover of <<Paris Match>> magazine, announcing Walt’s death

24th of December, 1966

By the 1960s, the company had developed a diversified foundation, with the Disney brand
firmly established in a wide range of film products (live action and animation), as well as
television, theme parks, and merchandise. The Disney firm also benefited from a policy of re-
releasing its popular (already amortized) feature films every few years, reaping additional
profits with minimal additional expenditures. For instance, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
was re-released in 1952, 1958, and 1967, amassing an additional $50 million.

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 With some success, Roy Disney, Donn Tatum
(previously, vice president of administration), and
Cardon E. Walker (formerly in marketing) served
as the management team until 1971. Film releases
included The Jungle Book (1967), Winnie the
Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968)—the
beginnings of a franchise that would become
especially lucrative during the 1990s—and The
Love Bug (1968). Roy Disney saw Walt Disney
World in Orlando, Florida, open in October 1971,
but he died a few months later.
After Roy's death, Tatum moved into the
chairman position and Walker became president.
By this time, however, the company had become
even more oriented to recreation and real estate
Picture 4. Roy O. Disney at the opening of than entertainment, exemplified by the theme
Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, 1971 park expansion (Tokyo Disneyland opened on 15
April 1983).

However, the successful era seemed to be over for Disney. Part of the reason why could have
been the new management’s wrong idea that clinging to the past would bring just as much
recognition as it did before Walt’s death. The attempts to reproduce the classic Disney films
and avoiding the changes that were being adopted by the rest of the industry brought <<The
Disney Empire>> on step closer to failure.
Moreover, the company seemed to be moving into new media outlets at a leisurely pace. By
the early 1980s, much of the film industry had started to adjust to the introduction of cable
and home video as new opportunities for distribution of theatrical motion pictures, plus
opportunities for new investments. The Disney Company made a few moves in this direction,
with the launching of the Disney Channel in April 1983, and an adult-oriented film label,
Touchstone, inaugurated in 1984 with the release of Splash. However, by the mid-1980s,
most analysts agreed that the company's management was basically "sitting on its assets,"
trying to "do what Walt would have done" and not doing a very good job of it.
Finally in 1984, Disney's uninspired management was challenged by a group of outside high-
profile investors and eventually lost control of the company. A group of corporate raiders who
recognized the value of the enterprise started accumulating huge blocks of Disney stock and
jockeying for position to take over the company. In the end, the billionaire Bass brothers of
Ft. Worth, Texas, invested nearly $500 million in Disney, preventing a hostile takeover and
the possible dismantling of the company. Bass Brothers Enterprises ended up with nearly 25
percent of the Disney stock, enough to control the company and to appoint their own
managers.
When the new ownership and management team took over in 1984, the Disney Empire
extended its reach more widely than ever. It was clear that the end of Disney had been
successfully avoided and everything seemed to have been going the right way once again.
Disney continued to release numerous productions that were eventually awarded with ones of
the most recognized prizes in history.
Walt’s death marked a new chapter in the company’s development, and that way, the legacy
that he had left behind is still keeping his memory alive to this day, in 2018.

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 The Disney Creation
Chronological list of the most representative films

1930s -1940s
 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - December 21, 1937
 Pinocchio - February 7, 1940
 Fantasia - November 13, 1940
 Bambi - August 13, 1942
1950s
 Cinderella – February 15, 1950
 Alice in Wonderland – July 28, 1951
 Peter Pan – February 5, 1953
 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - December 23, 1954
 Sleeping Beauty – January 29, 1959
 Zorro the Avenger – September 10, 1959
 Third Man on the Mountain – November 10, 1959
1960s
 Mary Poppins - August 29, 1964
 Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. - July 29, 1966
 The Jungle Book - October 18, 1967
1970s
 The Aristocats - December 24, 1970
 The Million Dollar Duck - June 30,1971
 Robin Hood – November 8, 1973

1980s
 The Little Mermaid - November 17, 1989
 Popeye - December 12, 1980
 Return to Oz - June 21, 1985
 The Journey of Natty Gann - September 27, 1985
 One Magic Christmas - November 22, 1985

1990s
 Beauty and the Beast – September 23, 1991
 The Mighty Ducks - October 2, 1992
 Aladdin - November 25, 1992
 The Muppet Christmas Carol - December 11, 1992
 The Adventures of Huck Finn - April 2, 1993
 Hocus Pocus- July 16, 1993
 The Santa Clause  - November 11, 1994
 The Jungle Book - December 25, 1994

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  Pocahontas - June 23, 1995
 101 Dalmatians - November 27, 1996
 Mulan – June 5, 1998
 Tarzan - June 18, 1999
2000s
 Atlantis: The Lost Empire, June 3, 2001
 The Santa Clause 2 - November 1, 2002
 Treasure Planet - November 27, 2002
 The Jungle Book 2 - February 14, 2003
 Ice Princess - March 18, 2005
 Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert - February 1, 2008
 High School Musical 3: Senior Year - October 24, 2008
2010s
 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - May 20, 2011
 Cars 2 - June 24, 2011
 Winnie the Pooh - July 15, 2011
 The Muppets - November 23, 2011
 John Carter - March 9, 2012
 Frozen - November 27, 2013
 Beauty and the Beast - March 17, 2017
 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - May 26, 2017
 Cars 3 - June 16, 2017
 Coco - November 22, 2017

Picture 5. Illustration of the all-time favourite Disney character

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 Characters and animated movies that made history

1. Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a funny animal cartoon character and the mascot of The Walt Disney
Company. He was created by Walt Disney at the Walt Disney Studios in 1928. An
anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves,
Mickey is one of the world's most recognizable characters.

Mickey first appeared in the short Plane

Crazy, debuting publicly in the short film
Steamboat Willie (1928), one of the first
sound cartoons. He went on to appear in over
130 films, including The Band Concert
(1935), Brave Little Tailor (1938), and
Fantasia (1940). Mickey appeared primarily
in short films, but also occasionally in
feature-length films. Ten of Mickey's
cartoons were nominated for the Academy
Award for Best Animated Short Film, one of
which, Lend a Paw, won the award in 1942.
In 1978, Mickey became the first cartoon
character to have a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame.
Picture 6. First appearance of Mickey in
<<Plane Crazy>>, 1928

Up to this day, Mickey still remains a symbol for

Disney along with the rest of the characters that took
part in the productions that feature him, Minnie, Pluto,
Donald Duck, Daisy etc. Considering that he was
created no sooner than 90 years ago and kids all
around the Globe still enjoy following him in his
adventure, his legacy will probably never die.

Picture 7. Representative image of the classic

Mickey

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2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The Disney legacy owes its very existence to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This
production set a standard by which all animated feature films are still judged and was a major
stepping stone in Disney’s path to becoming Hollywood’s greatest producer of family
entertainment.
In the spring of 1934, Walt Disney chose <<Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs>> to be the
most ambitious project up until then. No one had ever attempted to tell a full length story in
one animation before.
There is no secret that Walt Disney risked his personal fortune and the future of his studio to
create Hollywood’s first full length animated feature film. It was a turning point in his career
and it is considered to be one of the most important films in cinema history.
The release of Snow White in 1937 had an immediate impact. For the first time ever, movie
related merchandise was available the day the movie opened. It even got to the point where it
influenced women’s fashion. Snow White earned more than 8 million dollars worldwide in its
original release, in the days when a child could watch a movie in a theatre for around 20
cents. In fact, this movie was seen by more people than any other production up until that
time.
The story of Snow White goes back to the 1812 Grimm Brothers’ collection of fairytales.
What really motivated Walt’s decision was a silent version of the tale that he saw in 1916.
Nearly 20 years after he saw that version, Walt Disney was well established, producing
cartoons in his own studio and employing hundreds of people. One night, in 1934, he gathered
his key artists to unveil his brave plans. He interpreted the whole script to them, acted all the
parts and even indicated the songs that were going to be used, showing that the whole picture
was already developed in his own mind.
The technique they used to create the animation was a Disney original. Using a story board
where individual, sequential sketches were pinned up and looked at by the artists. That way,
the whole story and the details could be seen and moved around for a more accurate plot.

Picture 8. Snow White in Disney’s vision Picture 9. Walt Disney and the story board

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After the long lasting, process, 3 years later, the animation was a complete success, and the
hard work and dedication behind the incredible artwork seemed to have been worth it.
The tale of kindness, humbleness and true love is still watched by children today and will
forever remain a crucial point in the history of animated entertainment.

3. Cinderella
If the movie "Cinderella" had lost money, historian Christopher Finch suggests that it would
have been the end of Disney animation, or at least Disney feature animation. But the
production was a success. As a cost-saving device when making Cinderella, the filmmakers
shot the entire film in live action, blew up the images, and traced right over them to create the
animated film. Some animators liked it and others didn't, according to the film's special
features. 

Even though the live action shots were used as guides, however, the Disney artists didn't
mindlessly trace over them — they infused them with drama, taking each image further than
reality alone could take them.
The plot consists of the story of a girl that has to face the unjust attitude of her step mother
and sisters. The end is, just like usual, a happy one, portraying the poor girl finding true love
in the arms of a prince.
The details are universally known, just like the lesson behind the tale: real princesses always
have a kind heart and no one can control the good things that come your way the moment you
deserve them.

Picture 10. Scene in Cinderella

4. The little mermaid

The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt
Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the Danish fairy

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tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid tells the story of a
beautiful mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human.
The 28th Disney animated feature film, The Little Mermaid was released to theatres on
November 17, 1989 to largely positive reviews, garnering $84 million at the domestic box
office during its initial release, and $211 million in total lifetime gross worldwide. The Little
Mermaid is given credit for breathing life back into the art of Disney animated feature films
after a string of critical or commercial failures produced by Disney that dated back to the
early 1970s.

Ariel has six older sisters named Atina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina. She falls
in love with a human prince and gives up her voice to become human herself. Just like the
others, this is a tale of love and sacrifice, where the happy ending brings the protagonists
together for the rest of their lives.

Picture 11. The official release poster for <<The little mermaid>>

5. Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated musical romantic fantasy film produced
by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 30 th Disney
animated feature film is based on the French fairy tale of the same name by Jeanne-Marie
Leprince de Beaumont. Beauty and the Beast focuses on the relationship between the Beast, a
prince who is magically transformed into a monster and his servants into household objects as
punishment for his arrogance, and Belle a young woman whom he imprisons in his castle. To
become a prince again, Beast must learn to love Belle and earn her love in return before the
last petal from the enchanted rose that the enchantress who cursed the Beast had offered falls,
or else the Beast would remain a monster forever.
Walt Disney first attempted unsuccessfully to adapt Beauty and the Beast into an animated
film during the 1930s and 1950s. Following the success of The Little Mermaid (1989), Walt
Disney Pictures decided to adapt the fairy tale, which Richard Purdum originally conceived as

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a non-musical. Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg eventually dismissed Purdum's idea and
ordered that the film be a musical similar to The Little Mermaid instead.
Beauty and the Beast premiered as an unfinished film at the New York Film Festival on
September 29, 1991, followed by its theatrical release as a completed film at the El Capitan
Theatre on November 13. The film was a box office success, grossing $425 million
worldwide on a $25 million budget. Beauty and the Beast received positive reviews from
critics; it won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and
became the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
A live-action remake of the film directed by Bill Condon was released on March 17, 2017

.
Picture 12. Official release poster for <<Beauty and the Beast>>

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 A few things you might not know about Walt Disney

 He was the original voice behind Mickey Mouse

While mostly known for his skills as an animator, director and producer (not to mention
his business acumen), Disney also tried his hand at voice acting. From Mickey’s inception
in 1928, all the way to 1947, the mouse’s voice was provided by Disney before being
turned over to English voice actor Jimmy MacDonald. Disney loved the character so
much that he returned to the studio in 1955 to voice Mickey Mouse shorts for his
company’s television show The Mickey Mouse Club.
 He was determined to produce a feature-length animated movie, even when everyone
thought the idea was crazy
When word got out that Disney planned to turn Snow White into a feature film, industry
insiders were convinced his efforts would fail, calling the project “Disney’s Folly.” His
detractors were almost correct. Disney did in fact run out of funding during Snow White‘s
production, and was forced to show loan officers a rough cut of the movie before he could
secure additional financing. Luckily for both Disney and his creditors, Snow White turned
out to be a smashing success. The film earned over $8 million during its initial release —
about $130 million today.
 He could be the US government’s best friend
Not only did a young Disney attempt to help America on the field of battle, but he also
helped several federal agencies throughout his career with animation. He created training
films for the US military, propaganda films urging Americans to pay their taxes, and
multiple anti-Hitler shorts meant to boost US morale at home. Disney also helped the
State Department improve relations with South America by making a 1941 goodwill tour
(featuring a specially made movie entitled Saludos Amigos), and later aided NASA by
developing documentaries about the space program.
 He won more Academy Awards than anyone else in history
Disney holds the record for most individual Oscar wins (22) and nominations (59). In
1932, at the fifth Academy Awards ceremony, he earned his inaugural award, in
the best short subject (cartoon) category, for “Flowers and Trees,” which used the new
three-strip Technicolor process. Disney went on to win the same category at the next
seven Oscar ceremonies.
 Disneyland was the product of his own boredom.
He came up with the idea for a new kind of amusement park as he sat on a bench and
watched his children ride a merry-go-round in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, wishing there
were a place children and adults could enjoy equally, together. That park bench is
currently on display in Disneyland’s Opera House.

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 Webliography

https://www.biography.com
https://www.delightful.life
https://disney.wikia.com
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.filmreference.com
https://www.history.com
https://www.justdisney.com
https://www.phactual.com

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