Suicide attempt?

[Mr Bill]

I was on NNDB a few minutes ago and looked up Walt Disney. Under the list of links to things Walt Disney is related to, it says Suicide Attempt (1932). This is the first I've heard of this and a quick Google search brought up nothing.

http://www.nndb.com/people/089/000027008/

Has anyone else ever heard of this?

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere myself in a lot of Disney reading...NNDB is not always accurate -- it also puts down sexuality that is questionable or based on rumor, and relies on mailed-in information from its participants. Still, if there is any truth to this, would be interesting to know.

 

[ctwhalerman]

1932 was also a very successful year for Disney, as his little cartoon studio was taking off. It was also the year he recieved an Academy Award for his creation of Mickey Mouse.

So I seriously doubt that he ever really did it, especially because in previous years and later during the 40s he would have many hard years but no one ever described him as suicidal then, so who knows.

 

[imagineer boy]

All I know is that Walt once had a nervous collapse at one point, but other than that, I've heard nothing on any suicide attempts. Walt doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do that.

 

[Buford]

just asked the Disney archives - who would know -- they have not heard of this. Walt didn't have dyslexia, either.

 

[Woody13]

The suicide rumor comes from a book by Leonard Mosley entitled, Disney's World: A Biography. Mosley offers no evidence to back up his claim.

When Walt was 31, he had a well documented nervous breakdown and he was using lots of booze too. I suppose he could have tried to off himself (Mosley says sleeping pills and booze). I doubt the story because Walt was always very methodical in his work. Had he attempted suicide, I think he would have succeeded.

However, you never know. Many suicide attempts are really just calls for help. :wave:

 

[RonAnnArbor]

And many are just drunk benders gone terribly awry...