WALT DISNEY

In 1923, Walt Disney arrived in Hollywood, CA with little more than a suitcase. It wasn't long before he and his brother Roy started Disney Brothers Studio and began producing cartoons. In 1928, Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in Steamboat Willy. Mickey would become one of the most recognizable characters in American pop culture, starring in hundreds of cartoons and launching Walt Disney's successful place as an animator in Hollywood.

Disney released the world's first full-length animated feature, \fISnow White and the Seven Dwarfs\fP, in 1937. The success of Snow White allowed Disney Studios to continue producing animated feature films, including such classics as \fIPinocchio\fP, \fIBambi\fP and \fICinderella\fP. The studio released 19 animated features during Walt Disney's lifetime. After his death in 1966, they continued to create movies. To date, Disney Studios has released more than forty animated features.

Walt Disney was once quoted as saying, "I never called my work an `art.' It's part of show business, the business of building entertainment." Many people have disagreed with his assessment, however. Art museums around the world have held exhibitions of original Disney artwork, and cels from Disney cartoons or animated films sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars today.

Although Disney has diversified and now produces live-action movies, television programs, theme parks and Broadway musicals, to many people the name Disney is synonymous with "animated feature." Almost forty years after the death of its founder, Walt Disney Studios continue to entertain audiences around the world with creative and innovative animated movies.

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