Walt Disney and his heroes
Walt Disney was born in Chicago, his father being Irish Canadian, his mother of German-American origin. He revealed a talent for drawing and an interest in photography early on and after service with the American Red Cross in the First World War. In 1923 he left with his brother Roy for Hollywood and for some years struggled against poverty while producing a series of cartoon films. In 1927 he had some success with the series called “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit”, but it was not until September 1928, when “Steamboat Willie” appeared, the first “Mickey Mouse” with sound, that he achieved lasting success. Mickey Mouse became a household word together with such companions as Minnie, Pluto, and – perhaps the favourite of them all – Donald Duck.
“The Three Little Pigs” and ” Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, with their still familiar songs by Frank Cherchill, immediately spring to mind. After the Second World War Disney turned his attention to real-life nature studies and non-cartoon films with living actors. After a rather unsuccessful feature cartoon “The Sleeping Beauty”, he made a triumphant come-back with the very successful “Mary Poppins”.
In 1955 he branched out into a different enterprise – “Disney-land”, a huge amusement park in southern California.
Disneyland is situated 27 miles south of Los Angeles, at Ana-heim. Of all the show-places none is as famous as Disneyland. This superb kingdom of fantasy linked to technology was created by Walt Disney.
The park is divided into six themes and there is so much to see and do in each that no one would attempt to see all of them in one visit. For extended visits, there are hotels nearby.
Walt Disney died in California at the age of 65. His works have given so much pleasure for many years to many people, young and old, in many countries.
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