Editing The Walt Disney Company (section)

=== 1923–1934: Founding, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse, and ''Silly Symphonies'' ===
{{Multiple image
| total_width       = 350
| align             = right
| perrow            = 2
| image1            = Walt Disney 1946.JPG
| alt1              = Publicity photo of Walt Disney from the Boy Scouts of America. Disney was given an award by them in 1946.
| image2            = Roy O. Disney with Company at Press Conference.jpg
| alt2              = [[Roy O. Disney]] (1893–1971), the American businessman; partner and co-founder of The Walt Disney Company with his brother Walt Disney. This 1965 photograph shows Roy Disney and his brother with Florida's Governor [[W. Haydon Burns]] (1912–87), announcing plans to create a Disney theme park in the state. [[Walt Disney World]] opened in 1971. Located just southwest of [[Orlando, Florida]], the attraction grew to become the largest resort in the world, covering 47 square miles (122 square kilometers) and encompassing four theme parks, two water parks, a wilderness preserve, and numerous hotels.
| footer            = Walt Disney (left) and his brother Roy O. Disney (right) co-founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923, which later became the Walt Disney Company.
}}

In 1921, American animators [[Walt Disney]] and [[Ub Iwerks]] founded [[Laugh-O-Gram Studio]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=Mackenzie |date=May 22, 2021 |title=Walt Disney Didn't Actually Draw Mickey Mouse. Meet the Kansas City Artist Who Did |work=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.kcur.org/history/2021-05-22/walt-disney-didnt-actually-draw-mickey-mouse-meet-the-kansas-city-artist-who-did |url-status=live |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426061339/https://www.kcur.org/history/2021-05-22/walt-disney-didnt-actually-draw-mickey-mouse-meet-the-kansas-city-artist-who-did |archive-date=April 26, 2022}}</ref> Iwerks and Disney went on to create short films at the studio. The final one, in 1923, was entitled ''[[Alice's Wonderland]]'' and depicted child actress [[Virginia Davis]] interacting with animated characters. While Laugh-O-Gram's shorts were popular in Kansas City, the studio went bankrupt in 1923 and Disney moved to Los Angeles, to join his brother [[Roy O. Disney]], who was recovering from [[tuberculosis]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pitcher |first=Ken |date=October 1, 2021 |title=50 years ago: Roy Disney made Walt's dream come true |work=[[ClickOrlando]] |url=https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-parks/2021/10/01/50-years-ago-roy-disney-made-walts-dream-come-true/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015054002/https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-parks/2021/10/01/50-years-ago-roy-disney-made-walts-dream-come-true/ |archive-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> Shortly after Walt's move, New York film distributor [[Margaret J. Winkler]] purchased ''Alice's Wonderland'', which began to gain popularity. Disney signed a contract with Winkler for $1,500, to create six series of ''[[Alice Comedies]]'', with an option for two more six-episode series.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hayes |first=Carol |date=April 28, 1985 |title=Cartoon Producer Recalls Early Days |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/28/nyregion/cartoon-producer-recalls-early-days.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427000830/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/28/nyregion/cartoon-producer-recalls-early-days.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Rockefeller|2016|p=3}} Walt and Roy Disney founded ''Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio'' on October 16, 1923, to produce the films.{{Sfn|Barrier|2007|p=42}} In January 1926, the Disney's moved into a new studio on Hyperion Street and the studio's name was changed to '''Walt Disney Studio'''.{{sfn|Gabler|2007|p=98}}
[[File:Oswald jump.svg|thumb|upright=.8|alt=Black and white rabbit in pants jumping|One of Disney's first animated characters Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which Disney regained the rights to in 2006. The initial run of Oswald shorts by Disney have all entered the public domain as of January 1, 2024.]]

After producing ''Alice'' films over the next 4 years, Winkler handed the role of distributing the studio's shorts to her husband, [[Charles Mintz]]. In 1927, Mintz asked for a new series, and Disney created his first series of fully animated shorts, starring a character named [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]].{{sfn|Rockefeller|2016|p=4}} The series was produced by [[Screen Gems|Winkler Pictures]] and distributed by [[Universal Pictures]]. The Walt Disney Studios completed 26 Oswald shorts.<ref name="BBCOswald">{{Cite news |date=December 3, 2022 |title=Could Oswald the Lucky Rabbit have been bigger than Mickey? |work=[[BBC]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19910825 |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320053849/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19910825 |archive-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref>

In 1928, Disney and Mintz entered into a contract dispute, with Disney asking for a larger fee, while Mintz sought to reduce the price. Disney discovered Universal Pictures owned the [[intellectual property rights]] to Oswald, and Mintz threatened to produce the shorts without him if he did not accept the reduction in payment.<ref name="BBCOswald" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Drew |date=September 5, 2020 |title=The Incredible True Story of Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |url=https://collider.com/disney-oswald-the-lucky-rabbit-history-explained/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120215735/https://collider.com/disney-oswald-the-lucky-rabbit-history-explained/ |archive-date=November 20, 2021}}</ref> Disney declined and Mintz signed 4 of Walt Disney Studio's primary animators to start his own studio; Iwerks was the only top animator to remain with the Disney brothers.{{sfnm|1a1=Susanin|1y=2011|1p=182|2a1=Rockefeller|2y=2016|2p=4}} Disney and Iwerks replaced Oswald with a mouse character originally named [[Mortimer Mouse]], before  Disney's wife urged him to change the name to [[Mickey Mouse]].<ref name="TimeMickeyHistory">{{Cite magazine |last=Suddath |first=Claire |date=November 18, 2008 |title=A Brief History of Mickey Mouse |url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1859935,00.html |url-status=live |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410182052/http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1859935,00.html |archive-date=April 10, 2022 |access-date=April 26, 2022 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Parkel |first=Inga |date=July 4, 2022 |title=Disney could lose Mickey Mouse as 95-year copyright expiry nears |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/disney-mickey-mouse-copyright-expiry-b2115373.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706170645/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/disney-mickey-mouse-copyright-expiry-b2115373.html |archive-date=July 6, 2022}}</ref> In May 1928, Mickey Mouse debuted in test screenings of the shorts ''[[Plane Crazy]]'' and ''[[The Gallopin' Gaucho]]''. Later that year, the studio produced ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'', its first sound film and third short in the Mickey Mouse series, which was made using [[synchronized sound]], becoming the first post-produced sound cartoon.<ref name="ribuneCinephoneT" /> The sound was created using Powers' [[Cinephone]] system, which used [[Lee de Forest]]'s [[Phonofilm]] system.{{sfn|Feilding|1967|p=187}} [[Pat Powers (businessman)|Pat Powers]]' company distributed ''Steamboat Willie'', which was an immediate hit.<ref name="TimeMickeyHistory" />{{sfn|Davis, Amy|2019|p=9}}<ref name="Distributors" /> In 1929, the company successfully re-released the two earlier films with synchronized sound.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lauren |first=Baltimore |date=June 24, 2017 |title=Rare First Appearance Mickey Mouse Animation Art Up For Auction |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/recent-updates/first-appearance-mickey-mouse-auction/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430183150/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/recent-updates/first-appearance-mickey-mouse-auction/ |archive-date=April 30, 2022 |access-date=April 27, 2022 |website=[[Bleeding Cool]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Barrier|2003|p=54}}

After the release of ''Steamboat Willie'' at the [[Colony Theater (Broadway)|Colony Theater]] in New York, Mickey Mouse became an immensely popular character.{{sfn|Barrier|2003|p=54}}<ref name="TimeMickeyHistory" /> Disney Brothers Studio made several cartoons featuring Mickey and other characters.{{sfn|Susanin|2011|p=261}} In August 1929, the company began making the ''[[Silly Symphony]]'' series with [[Columbia Pictures]] as the distributor, because the Disney brothers felt they were not receiving their share of profits from Powers.<ref name="Distributors">{{Cite news |last=Gabler |first=Neal |date=September 12, 2015 |title=Walt Disney, a Visionary Who Was Crazy Like a Mouse |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/business/media/walt-disney-a-visionary-who-was-crazy-like-a-mouse.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427125843/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/business/media/walt-disney-a-visionary-who-was-crazy-like-a-mouse.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref> Powers ended his contract with Iwerks, who later started his own studio.{{Sfn|Barrier|2007|p=75-78}} [[Carl W. Stalling]] played an important role in starting the series, and composed the music for early films but left the company after Iwerks' departure.<ref name="SillySymphonies">{{Cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=J.B. |author-link=J.B. Kaufman |date=April 1997 |title=Who's Afraid of ASCAP? Popular Songs in the Silly Symphonies |url=https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.1/articles/kaufman2.1.html#anchor186879 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Animation World Magazine]] |volume=2 |issue=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518230103/https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.1/articles/kaufman2.1.html#anchor186879 |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |access-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref>{{Sfn|Barrier|2007|p=77}} In September, theater manager Harry Woodin requested permission to start a [[Mickey Mouse Club]] at his theater the Fox Dome to boost attendance. Disney agreed, but David E. Dow started the first-such club at [[Elsinore Theatre]] before Woodin could start his. On December 21, the first meeting at Elsinore Theatre was attended by around 1,200 children.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lynn |first=Capi |date=December 23, 2019 |title=Here's how Salem kids formed the first ever Mickey Mouse Club in the nation in 1929 |work=[[Statesman Journal]] |url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/12/23/disney-first-mickey-mouse-club-elsinore-theatre-salem-oregon/2664130001/ |url-access=limited |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-date=April 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430183139/https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/12/23/disney-first-mickey-mouse-club-elsinore-theatre-salem-oregon/2664130001/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|p=51}} On July 24, 1930, Joseph Conley, president of [[King Features Syndicate]], wrote to the Disney studio and asked the company to produce a Mickey Mouse comic strip; production started in November and samples were sent to King Features.{{sfn|Kaufman|Gerstein|2018|pp=84–85}} On December 16, 1930, the Walt Disney Studios partnership was reorganized as a corporation with the name Walt Disney Productions, Limited, which had a merchandising division named [[Walt Disney Enterprises]], and subsidiaries called Disney Film Recording Company, Limited and Liled Realty and Investment Company; the latter of which managed real estate holdings. Walt Disney and his wife held 60% (6,000 shares) of the company, and Roy Disney owned 40%.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=342}}

[[File:Excerpt from Steamboat Willie (1928), used as part of Walt Disney Animation Studios Logo.gif|thumb|left|Excerpt of ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'' (1928), the first Mickey Mouse sound cartoon.]]

The comic strip ''[[Mickey Mouse (comic strip)|Mickey Mouse]]'' debuted on January 13, 1930, in ''[[New York Daily Mirror]]'' and by 1931, the strip was published in 60 newspapers in the US, and in 20 other countries.<ref name="MerchandisingHidndustan">{{Cite news |last=Iyer |first=Aishwarya |date=January 18, 2020 |title=A look back at Mickey Mouse, as the comic strip turns 90 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/a-look-back-at-mickey-mouse-as-the-comic-strip-turns-90/story-EaDCtAbJwfOE7EDcuJ3AqJ.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427211554/https://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/a-look-back-at-mickey-mouse-as-the-comic-strip-turns-90/story-EaDCtAbJwfOE7EDcuJ3AqJ.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref> After realizing releasing [[Merchandising|merchandise]] based on the characters would generate more revenue, a man in New York offered Disney $300 for license to put Mickey Mouse on [[Notebook|writing tablets]] he was manufacturing. Disney accepted and Mickey Mouse became the first licensed character.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rivkin |first=Mike |date=April 3, 2021 |title=Antiques: The Life and Times of Mickey Mouse |work=[[The Desert Sun]] |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2021/04/03/antiques-life-and-times-mickey-mouse/4825003001/ |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507010745/https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2021/04/03/antiques-life-and-times-mickey-mouse/4825003001/ |archive-date=May 7, 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|p=52}} In 1933, Disney asked [[Kay Kamen]], the owner of a Kansas City advertising firm, to run Disney's merchandising; Kamen agreed and transformed Disney's merchandising. Within a year, Kamen had 40 licenses for Mickey Mouse and within two years, had made $35&nbsp;million worth of sales. In 1934, Disney said he made more money from the merchandising of Mickey Mouse than from the character's films.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 23, 2020 |title=How Mickey got Disney through the Great Depression |work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/how-mickey-got-disney-through-the-great-depression-1.3462981 |url-status=live |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428014231/https://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/how-mickey-got-disney-through-the-great-depression-1.3462981 |archive-date=April 28, 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|p=55}}

The [[Waterbury Clock Company]] created a Mickey Mouse watch, which became so popular it saved the company from bankruptcy during the [[Great Depression]]. During a promotional event at Macy's, 11,000 Mickey Mouse watches sold in one day; and within two years, two-and-a-half million watches were sold.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zavaleta |first=Jonathan |date=March 20, 2022 |title=A Brief History of the Mickey Mouse Watch (Plus, the Best Mickey Mouse Watches to Buy) |url=https://spy.com/articles/gear/accessories/mickey-mouse-watch-1202839254/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418011839/https://spy.com/articles/gear/accessories/mickey-mouse-watch-1202839254/ |archive-date=April 18, 2022 |access-date=April 27, 2022 |website=Spy.com}}</ref><ref name="MerchandisingHidndustan" />{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|p=55}} As Mickey Mouse become a heroic character rather than a mischievous one, Disney needed another character that could produce [[gag]]s.{{Sfn|Gabler|2007|pp=199–201}} Disney invited radio presenter [[Clarence Nash]] to the animation studio; Disney wanted to use Nash to play [[Donald Duck]], a talking duck that would be the studio's new gag character. Donald Duck made his first appearance in 1934 in ''[[The Wise Little Hen]].'' Though he did not become popular as quickly as Mickey had, Donald Duck had a featured role in ''[[Donald and Pluto]]'' (1936) and was given his own series.{{Sfn|Gabler|2007|pp=201, 203}}

After a disagreement with Columbia Pictures about the ''Silly Symphony'' cartoons, Disney signed a distribution contract with [[United Artists]] from 1932 to 1937 to distribute them.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|pp=89, 136}} In 1932, Disney signed an exclusive contract with [[Technicolor]] to produce cartoons in color until the end of 1935, beginning with the ''Silly Symphony'' short ''[[Flowers and Trees]]'' (1932).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nye |first=Doug |date=December 28, 1993 |title=In Glorious Color |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/12/28/in-glorious-color/63c151c4-6a38-4f66-ae56-7b0db23f55ee/ |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202200217/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/12/28/in-glorious-color/63c151c4-6a38-4f66-ae56-7b0db23f55ee/ |archive-date=February 2, 2021}}</ref> The film was the first full-color cartoon and won the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for Best Cartoon.<ref name="ribuneCinephoneT" /> In 1933, ''[[Three Little Pigs (film)|The Three Little Pigs]]'', another popular ''Silly Symphony'' short, was released and also won the Academy Award for Best Cartoon.{{sfn|Susanin|2011|p=261}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Noonan |first=Kevin |date=November 4, 2015 |title=Technicolor's Major Milestones After 100 Years of Innovation |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/technicolors-major-milestones-after-100-years-of-innovation-1201346644/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215180425/https://variety.com/2014/film/news/technicolors-major-milestones-after-100-years-of-innovation-1201346644/ |archive-date=December 15, 2021}}</ref> The song from the film "[[Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?]]", which was composed by [[Frank Churchill]]—who wrote other ''Silly Symphonies'' songs—became popular and remained so throughout the 1930s, and became one of the best-known Disney songs.<ref name="SillySymphonies" /> Other ''Silly Symphonies'' films won the Best Cartoon award from 1931 to 1939, except for 1938, when another Disney film, ''[[Ferdinand the Bull (film)|Ferdinand the Bull]]'', won it.{{sfn|Susanin|2011|p=261}}