Disney was
founded on October 16, 1923 – by brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney – as
the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, and established itself as a leader in the
American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film
production, television, and theme parks. The company also operated under the
names The Walt Disney Studio and then Walt Disney Productions. Taking on its
current name in 1986, it expanded its existing operations and also started
divisions focused upon theater, radio, music, publishing, and online media.
The Walt
Disney Company started in 1923 in the rear of a small office occupied by
Holly-Vermont Realty in Los Angeles. It was there that Walt Disney, and his
brother Roy, produced a series of short live-action/animated films collectively
called the ALICE COMEDIES. The rent was a mere $10 a month. Within four months,
the ever-growing staff moved next door to larger facilities, where the sign on
the window read "Disney Bros. Studio." A year later, in 1925, the
Disneys made a deposit on a Hyperion Avenue lot in the Silver Lake district of
Los Angeles. Construction began on the new studio shortly thereafter. During the
next 14 years, many changes took place at the Disney studio: Mickey Mouse was
"born" in 1928, followed by Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, and the rest
of the Disney gang.
In 1937,
Disney's innovative first full length animated feature, SNOW WHITE AND THE
SEVEN DWARFS, was released to critical acclaim and worldwide success. In order
to expand and meet the expectations of his audience, Walt saw a need to
increase the size of his studio. With profits from SNOW WHITE, he made a
deposit on 51 acres of land in Burbank and began designing a modern studio
specifically for the purpose of making animated films.
Walt was
personally involved with all aspects of designing the studio. From the layout
of the buildings to design of the animators' chairs, nothing was left to
chance. His main concern was to produce a self-sufficient, state-of-the-art
production factory that provided all the essential facilities for the entire
production process.
The
Animation Building, housing the Disney Artists and animators, was planned in
the center of the lot. Across a small street were built the Inking and Painting
and the Camera buildings, where the artwork was completed and photographed.
Next to
Camera, in the Cutting building, the post production process occurred. Sound
facilities included dubbing, scoring, effects, and voice recording studios.
Many of the buildings were linked together by an underground tunnel, so even in
bad weather, the process of making animated films was not disrupted. To enhance
the campus-like setting, all of the utilities were placed underground which was
an innovation for 1940.
During the 1940s and 1950s many prominent animated features were
produced in Burbank, including FANTASIA, BAMBI, CINDERELLA, ALICE IN
WONDERLAND, and PETER PAN.
