Im done!(writing my speech)
I have finished writing my speech! *happy dance* there are a lot of parts that I know I will redo! But please tell me if I have any information wrong! Keep in mind that we are not allowed to read our speech and we do not have to turn one in so the grammar might not the best! (I have really bad grammar)
Walt Disney True American Idol
Walt Disney was a true American Icon: he symbolizes the oldest of American stories, rags-to-riches. His open mind and persistence for perfection have reshaped our American culture. Whether it is the animated movies, live-action movies, television, parks, and yes cartoons his effect is still felt today.
Since Walt Disney led a very interesting and fruitful life I will speak mainly of his animated movies and Disneyland.
First a little background, Walter Elias Disney was born into a modest Chicago household on December 5, 1901: to the parents of Elias Disney and Flora Disney. Walt’s childhood was full of frequent moves, to Kansas and Missouri. Missouri had the greatest impact on his values, which would guide him in his personal and professional life.
While Walt was a teenager in high school he would draw for the school newspaper. Walt then joined the Red Cross -he forged his parents signature-Walt was stationed in France as an ambulance driver, he arrived in 1918 in France by the time he left the ambulance was covered in cartoons.
After jobs here and there Walt ended up in California and with help from his brother Roy, the Disney Brothers Studios was founded. After a few successful cartoon characters the key character to the Disney future success was created. Mickey Mouse; premiered in Steamboat Willie in 1928. Mickey was later joined by Donald Duck who in the late 1930s to the early 1950s was more popular than Mickey, Goofy, and his trusty side-kick Pluto.
With the growing success of the Disney cartoons: Mickey Mouse cartoons and the Silly Symphonies, Walt wanted to do something that would make his animation studio supreme. His idea, a full length animated movie. So came about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White was an immediate success.
Snow White led to what some call the most productive and imaginative era of Disney animation. Movies that followed were: Pinocchio, which followed the adventures of a wooden puppet in his travels to become “a real boy” with the help of Jiminy Cricket who was appointed Pinocchio’s conscience by the Blue Fairy. Following Pinocchio came “The Grand Experiment” of Fantasia. Fantasia mixed grand orchestral pieces with imaginative illustrations. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice relit the craze of Mickey Mouse who by 1938 was over shadowed by Donald Duck. In Fantasia’s initial release the film was a major flop, but when it was re-released Fantasia was a great success and is often referred to as a movie ahead of its time. Dumbo and Bambi were the last of the animated movies from the Disney Studios golden era. The reason why the era ended was: the studio workers went on a long and tiresome strike and WWII.
After WWII things were not the same as they were in the golden era of the studios. But Disney had many ideas that he wanted to work on…mainly his dream park where cleanliness, friendliness, fantasy, and education would mix together harmoniously.
This of course is Disneyland. In order for Walt’s dream to come to life he had to acquire the financial support. Roy Disney wouldn’t let Walt use the Studio money to build Disneyland. SO Walt went to the three major television studios to see if they would sponsor Disneyland and in return Disney would produce a weekly television show. NBC declined, CBS declined, ABC the smallest of the three saw the true potential of the situation. So with ABC on board Disneyland began construction and Walt fulfilled his agreement with the television show Disneyland where each week Walt would introduce the show.
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955 to a live television audience. Disneyland contained separate distinct “lands”: Mainstreet, which was modeled after his hometown in Missouri, Tomorrowland where ideas of the future could be explored, Fantasyland where one could meet some of the many famous Disney characters, Frontierland where the old west is revisited, and Adventureland where the jungle is only a boat ride away (Jungle Cruise).
After the success of Disneyland, Walt wondered if a Disneyland in the east would be profitable, the 1964 World’s Fair was he opportunity to find out. Companies that wanted to have a display in the world fair wanted to have an attraction that would bring in the crowds. So a few companies came to Disney and asked him if they could build these attractions for them. The attractions that were built had never been seen before they included: “It’s A Small World” which took boats along a journey through different countries all linked together one song sung by animatronic children, this attraction was sponsored by UNICEF and Pepsi-Cola. The Magic Skyway where GM cars were shuttled along in clear tubes around the General Motors exhibit. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln where a life size animatronic of Abraham Lincoln would speak to the audience this attraction was sponsored by the state of Illinois. Finally Carousel of Progress that followed a family through the decades on a stage that stood still and the audience revolved around it, this attraction was the most popular of the Disney Worlds Fair attractions, which was sponsored by General Electric. The World’s Fair was a major success for the Disney Company, it tested the eastern market with good results and it gave people on the east coast a taste of the Disney magic when it comes to attractions.
Now it was time to find a location for his new park and his dream of a model community. They found this location in central Florida near Orlando, Disney bought 43 square miles of land, which is double the size of Manhattan Island. Walt wanted to build his dream city first, his dream city that was called EPCOT, which stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. EPCOT would contain an easy to use mass transit system and comfortable easy living. EPCOT would also be used as a tourist attraction showing tourists the future of city living. To help people understand his dream of EPCOT Walt filmed a television show explaining what his plans for the “Florida Project” were.
Unfortunately two weeks after the taping of the show Walt Disney was admitted to the hospital where his ongoing poor health caught up with him. In his last days Walt would stare at the ceiling hallucinating while he would talk about his Florida Project. Walter Elias Disney passed away on December 15, 1966. The Florida project as Walt knew was put on hold and five years later the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World was opened. Walt’s older brother Roy made his brothers dream a reality, by doing this his health like his brother’s had declined, Roy died a few short months after the opening of the Magic Kingdom.
Walt Disney is a legend, a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity is based upon the ideas his name represents: imagination, optimism, and self-made success in the American tradition. Walt Disney did more to touch the hearts, minds, and emotions of millions of Americans than any other man in the past century. Through his work he brought joy, happiness, and a universal means of communication to the people of every nation. Certainly our world shall know but one Walt Disney. (paragraph from
http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/read/walt/waltbio_p7.html)
thanks for reading
