The Walt Disney Company: Difference between revisions

In 1928, to recover from the loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney himself created [[Mickey Mouse]]. Disney's first sound film ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'' is a cartoon with Mickey released on November 18, 1928. It was the third Mickey Mouse cartoon, behind ''[[Plane Crazy]]'' (released six months earlier) and ''[[The Gallopin' Gaucho]]'' (made earlier, but released after). It was also the first cartoon to feature [[sound film|synchronized sound]].<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1928/steamboatwillie.html Disneyshorts.org]</ref> Disney used [[Pat Powers (businessman)|Pat Powers']] Cinephone system, created by Powers using [[Lee De Forest]]'s [[Phonofilm]] system. ''Steamboat Willie'' premiered at B. S. Moss's Colony Theater in New York City,<ref>[http://www.shubertorganization.com/theatres/broadway.asp Broadway Theater Broadway | The Shubert Organization]</ref> 1691 Broadway, between 52nd and 53rd streets, now [[The Broadway Theatre]]. Disney continued to produce cartoons with Mickey Mouse and other characters, and began the [[Silly Symphonies]] series. In 1932, Disney signed an exclusive contract with [[Technicolor]] (through the end of 1935) to produce cartoons in color, beginning with ''[[Flowers and Trees]]'' (1932). Disney released cartoons through Powers' Celebrity Pictures (1928-1930), [[Columbia Pictures]] (1930-1932), and [[United Artists]] (1932-1937). The popularity of thesethe shortMickey filmsMouse series and the Silly Symphony series allowed Disney to plan for his first feature-length animation.