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Walt Disney was uniquely adept at art as well as commerce, a master filmmaker who harnessed the power of technology and storytelling. This new two-part, four-hour film examines Disney’s complex life and enduring legacy, featuring rare archival footage from the Disney vaults, scenes from some of his greatest films, and interviews with biographers, animators and artists who worked on early films, including "Snow White," and the designers who helped turn his dream of Disneyland into reality.
Part One (1901-1941) airs Sunday, March 20 at 6 p.m. - This episode explores the complex life and enduring legacy of the iconic filmmaker, from his early days creating Mickey Mouse through the triumph of “Snow White,” the first full-length animated film. Born in 1901 in Chicago, Walter Elias Disney grows up determined not to be like his father, an imperious man whose business ventures frequently ended in failure. When Walt is four years old, the family moves to a small farm in Marceline, Missouri, a place he would go on to immortalize as the symbol of idyllic childhood.
An artist and cartoonist in his youth, Walt Disney is only 17 when he returns from World War I and moves to Kansas City, landing a job as a commercial artist and soon starting his own animation studio. Although Laugh-O-Grams goes bankrupt, Disney is undeterred, moving to Los Angeles to join brother Roy and break into the booming Hollywood movie business.
Before long, the Disney Brothers Studio is churning out a new short every 16 days. In 1928, “Steamboat Willie” premieres, making Mickey Mouse the newest Hollywood celebrity; Roy sees another stream of revenue in Mickey’s popularity — licensed merchandise.
Disney then focuses on his next obsession: creating the first-ever feature-length story-driven cartoon based on the tale of Snow White — a huge artistic and financial gamble. Disney is determined to elevate animation to the level of dramatic feature films. His perfectionism slows the pace of production, but the gamble pays off. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” grosses $8 million in its first year — the equivalent of more than $100 million today.
Walt Disney develops plans for “Bambi,” “Pinocchio,” and “Fantasia,” the film that excites him the most. With three major films in production simultaneously, the studio nearly doubles the number of full-time employees and Disney builds his new dream studio in Burbank. But while audiences and critics praise “Pinocchio,” ticket sales are slow. To make matters worse, critics are divided over “Fantasia” and the film is a financial failure.
By 1940, the Screen Cartoonists Guild has organized every studio except the Walt Disney Studio. Believing he has the right to run his company as he sees fit, Disney alienates the workers, who overwhelmingly vote to strike. On May 29, 1941, Disney has to drive through a picket line with more than 200 workers — some of whom are his most trusted animators. Surprised, angered, and feeling betrayed, Disney is devastated.
Part Two (1941-1966) airs Sunday, March 20 at 8:30 p.m. - This episode continues to explore the life and enduring legacy of Walt Disney, as he makes films such as “Cinderella” and “Mary Poppins,” and realizes his dream project, Disneyland.
With the coming of World War II, funding for feature films dries up and the studio is faltering. When “Bambi” is released in 1942, reviews are mixed and the film doesn’t recoup its costs. The company faces a mountain of debt. Soon another wave of union organizing takes place in Hollywood, and studio bosses are determined to fight back. Along with a dozen other Hollywood executives and celebrities, Walt Disney testifies before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 as one of the “friendly witnesses.”
In the latter half of the 1940s, Disney travels to England to launch a series of live-action films and visits Alaska, where the Academy Award-winning nature documentary “Seal Island” (1948) is shot. The studio begins production on “Cinderella,” but Disney, nearing 50, is beginning to physically wear down.
When “Cinderella” premieres in 1950, the film is a critical and box-office hit, but Walt Disney is more interested in a personal obsession: building scale model trains first at his studio and then in his backyard in Holmby Hills. The project leads to his most wildly audacious idea: the creation of Disneyland, a living movie and three-dimensional make-believe world where real people can experience adventure. To fund Disneyland, Disney exploits the growing medium of television, making a deal with ABC to create a weekly television series that provides much of the $5 million needed for construction.
When the gates open on July 17, 1955, visitors flood in; nearly half of America watches a live telecast of the events. Disneyland draws a million visitors in its first ten weeks; soon there are five million per year and Walt’s creation has become a must-see. By 1960, Disney stands atop one of the world’s most profitable entertainment enterprises. The steady stream of revenue from Disneyland means he’s free from interference from his bankers, for the first time in his 40-year career. But whether he’s making improvements on his theme park or overseeing his TV shows and the half-dozen movies his studio is producing every year, he seems more interested in his legacy than in taking the artistic risks that made him famous.
Debuting in the summer of 1964, “Mary Poppins” is based on one of Walt Disney’s children’s favorite books. A novel about a dysfunctional family, it is Disney’s most deliberate refashioning of his own hard-hearted father story. The film becomes a box-office smash and is nominated for 13 Oscars, giving Disney his first and only nomination for Best Picture.
In 1965, news breaks that Walt Disney is planning another project on a massive scale in central Florida: the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or EPCOT. He does not live to see its creation, passing away at the age of 65 on December 14, 1966, from lung cancer. He had built a media and entertainment company that still stands today, won more Academy Awards than anyone in history, created a cinematic art form, and invented a new kind of American vacation destination. His death is front-page news around the world.
A Sarah Colt Productions film with the participation of Arte for AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and you can follow @AmExperiencePBS on Twitter. HASHTAG: #WaltDisneyPBS
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE has launched a tumblr to explore how animators, CEOs, filmmakers, and others have been inspired by Walt Disney. Submit your own story at becauseofwaltdisney.tumblr.com
Walt Disney Preview
"An unprecedented look at the life and legacy of one of America's most enduring and influential storytellers. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 and 15 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience."
Finding Rare Archival Footage
"This recently re-discovered footage of Walt Disney and colleagues at a party was shot by Art Babbitt
The Creation of Mickey Mouse
"After losing control of his first animated star
Interview: Working for Walt Disney
""Walt had a very interesting way of complimenting you
Interview: Musical Storytelling
"In this original interview
"The Story of "Dumbo"
"Walt Disney's fourth animated feature film
Construction of Disneyland
"Walt Disney’s plans for Disneyland's 160-acre building site in Anaheim
Visitors to Disneyland
"Disneyland attracted one million visitors within the first 10 weeks after its grand opening in July 1955. It also became a top destination for foreign dignitaries visiting the United States. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 & 15 on PBS American Experience."
