World
100 years of Disney: The businessman behind the magic factory
The Walt Disney Company is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Although Walt Disney was originally a cartoonist, it’s his business vision that defined his lasting – and often magical – legacy.
Disney movies have been an iconic mainstay in popular culture for the past century, with millions – if not billions – of people having seen at least one of the company’s world-famous animated films.
The adventure began in Hollywood on 16 October 1923, when Walt Disney signed a contract for a series of silent half-live, half-animated shorts: Alice’s Wonderland. The date marks the beginning of Walt Disney’s success –and of his eponymous company.
Animator and entrepreneur
Walter Elias Disney, born in Chicago in 1901, developed a taste for drawing in his childhood.
Originally called the Disney Brothers Studio, then the Walt Disney Studio, Walt and his brother Roy Disney worked tirelessly to build the company we still know and love 100 years later.
Another central figure in Walt Disney’s early career was cartoonist and animator Ub Iwerks. His most iconic work is none other than Mickey Mouse.
Disney’s most famous mascot was ironically not drawn by Walt Disney himself, although he’s the one behind the concept, and lent him his voice.
Mickey Mouse also showed Walt Disney how there was a great deal of money to be made around a flagship character. He sold licences for commercials and launched the production of merchandising.
Although drawing and animation are how he entered the business, Walt soon understood that his talent lay elsewhere.
“He eventually realised his greatest skill was not being the animator himself, but in pulling together a crew that could help him realise his stories and visions,” explains Louis Louise Krasniewicz, an anthropology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Walt Disney: A Biography.
In the 1920s and 1930s, a crew of nine core animators emerged – the Nine Old Men, as Disney himself would call them.
Walt surrounded himself with highly skilled animators, demanding the best from them and all of his employees.
‘That’ll do’
“I don’t want to say he was bad to work for, but he demanded excellence,” said Aaron H Goldberg, author of several books on the Disney enterprise.
According to Goldberg, Disney was known for putting people in challenging positions and pushing them out of their comfort zone to bring the best out of them – like tasking animators with writing a song for a film when they had never previously done it.
“He was very intense,” said Goldberg, “and he was not very forthcoming with credit. If you did a great job, you weren’t necessarily going to hear ‘you did a great job’. But the phrase that he used to love was, ‘that’ll do’.”
Walt Disney prided himself on his staff coming together as one big family, with himself as the father figure.
He considered that only the core of outstanding workers, like the Nine Old Men, should get privileges and high salaries, while the rest had to prove they were worthy of more than the bare minimum.
He didn’t see the 1941 strike coming. Why, after all, would such a big and united family be unhappy?
But the artists working at the studio felt otherwise, in part because they had yet to get their share of the massive revenues generated by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated film produced by the studio in 1937.
ADVERTISEMENTThe strikers demanded better benefits and higher salaries, as they were earning below the national average.
Refusing to admit that his management style was the problem, Walt Disney added fuel to the fire during a speech he made while meeting with the strikers:
“I have always felt, and will always feel that the men that contribute the most to the organisation should enjoy some privileges,” he said. “My first recommendation to a lot of you is this: put your own house in order, you can’t accomplish a damn thing by sitting around and waiting to be told everything.”
The eccentric idea of Disneyland
After the strike was resolved by the creation of a union, the studio went back to its usual business. However, the Second World War forced Disney into producing propaganda films.
Even on US soil, which was almost entirely spared by combat, people deserted theatres. Although today considered Disney classics, movies such as Dumbo (1941) or Bambi (1942) were a commercial failure at the time of their release.
ADVERTISEMENTSuccess came back after the war, while at the same time a somewhat extravagant idea emerged in Walt Disney’s unconventional mind: a theme park.
Although commonplace across the world nowadays, amusement parks were not widespread back in the 1940s.
Walt Disney imagined a place where children and adults could meet their favourite Disney characters, while enjoying a whole day of fun activities in a place where everything reminded them of their childhood.
Beyond the decor replicating his studio’s biggest hits, Walt Disney’s ambition was to recreate the place he most cherished: Marceline, a small Missouri town where he spent five years as a child.
The memories he created from that time, filled with farm animals and typical daily activities of an early 20th century mid-western American town, inspired his parks’ Main Street.
ADVERTISEMENTOver the years, rumours have claimed that Walt Disney’s unconventional idea was rejected by over 300 investors – but that he persevered and pushed for his $17 million family-friendly dream theme park to be born.
The first Disneyland Park opened in 1955 in California. Back then, a ticket cost $1 (roughly $11 or €10 today) for adults and $0.50 for children, but that only entailed the park’s entrance. Each of the 35 rides cost an additional $0.25 for adults, $0.10 for kids.
It was an immediate success, with the one million visitors threshold reached not even two months after the park’s opening.
The one and a half hour opening ceremony was broadcast live on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States, which at the time was the longest live programme to ever have aired.
Four decades later, The Walt Disney Company would acquire ABC, adding it to the impressive list of entities owned.
ADVERTISEMENTFrom a family-owned animated films studio to a massive international conglomerate
Walt Disney died from lung cancer in 1966, meaning The Walt Disney Company has spent more years without than with him during its 100 years of existence.
His brother Roy Disney, who had been Walt’s business partner since the early hours of the company, took over. Like his brother, Roy was a businessman – but he didn’t share Walt’s creative mind.
Roy Disney continued his late brother’s work, including plans to open the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. However, Walt’s absence was soon felt in the creative department.
Roy Disney took on a different approach, wishing to increase the production of live-action movies, such as The Million Dollar Duck or Scandalous John, whose legacy speaks for itself.
Roy Disney died in 1971, just two months after the opening of Florida’s Disney World. Since then, The Walt Disney Company has never again been led by a member of the Disney family.
ADVERTISEMENTThe entertainment giant it has since grown into was worth $203.63 billion in 2022 (€191.6 million). Disney theme parks have opened in four additional locations: Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The Walt Disney Company has bought several well-known studios, meaning a diverse set of previously separate iconic series and household names now fall under the Disney banner.
It purchased Lucasfilm, known for the Star Wars saga; Marvel Studios, renowned for its superhero films; and Twentieth Century Home Entertainment (formerly Twentieth Century Fox), the home of the US’s most famous family: The Simpsons.
It also acquired many other companies from the news and entertainment industry, such as the American sports cable channel ESPN and National Geographic.
The company owns cruise lines, real estate companies, holiday resorts and many more. In short, The Walt Disney Company has grown into a gigantic international conglomerate, a far-cry from the tight-knit firm that the father of Mickey, Donald and Goofy first envisaged a century ago.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat would he think of it if he could see it today?
“When you look back at those years before his death in 1966, it was very much a family company, a family business. Nowadays, it’s so big and it’s so vast. But I think overall, he would probably be happy,” said Aaron H Goldberg.
According to Louise Krasniewicz, while Disney may have exploded in size compared to when Walt was at the reins, places such as the Disneyland parks still carry that family-oriented spirit from the early years of the company. And it’s not all:
“The main thing that Walt introduced to media productions was the idea of marketing-related merchandise,” she said. “So I think he would be very pleased about that aspect of the company today.”
World
Michael J. Fox Joins Coldplay on Guitar During Glastonbury Headlining Set, Little Simz Makes Appearance to Debut New Song
Go, Johnny, go! Coldplay brought Michael J. Fox onto the Glastonbury stage on Saturday night to play guitar during the group’s headlining set.
“The main reason we’re in a band is because of ‘Back to the Future,’” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin shared after the performance. “So thank you to Michael, our hero.”
Before launching into “Humankind,” Martin freestyled lyrics to point out members of the crowd — this included Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis and Fox. Fox played with the group for the song and stuck around for a performance of “Fix You” too.
“With his Chuck Berry riff and the way he punched Biff: ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Michael J. Fox,” Martin announced as the actor took the stage. Fox, who has been battling Parkinson’s Disease since 1991, was wheelchair bound for the performance.
The group also brought out rapper Little Simz earlier as a surprise guest, debuting a new collaboration. The title of the track is rumored to be “Supernova,” with the chorus prominently featuring the lyrics “and so we pray.” Burna Boy also has a verse on the song, though he was not present for the Glastonbury performance. Palestinian singer Elyanna was also on stage assisting with vocals.
Simz’s surprise appearance came after she played the Pyramid Stage directly before Coldplay. Prior to Simz coming on stage, the band ran through a slew of its biggest hits, kicking it off with “Yellow,” slowing it down with “The Scientist” and performing “Viva La Vida” with a live orchestra.
As Coldplay’s set came to a close, after playing “Sparks,” frontman Chris Martin asked the crowd to hold their hands up and send their love to “Israel or Palestine, to Ukraine or Russia, to anywhere you want.”
Earlier in the set, Coldplay welcomed Victoria Canal for “Paradise.” The 25-year-old singer-songwriter joined the band on vocals and piano.
Coldplay are Glastonbury legends — the rock band, led by Chris Martin, made its first appearance at the fest in 1999 and went on to headline in 2002 (replacing the Strokes last minute), 2005, 2011 and 2016. This year’s performance marks Coldplay’s fifth time with top billing, making the band the first act to do so.
Saturday night’s show followed last week’s news that the band’s 10th album, titled “Moon Music,” is due on Oct. 4. The first single from the record, “Feels Like I’m Falling in Love,” dropped on Friday. “Moon Music” was produced by hitmaker Max Martin, who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to the Weeknd. The album will be the band’s first since 2021’s “Music of the Spheres.”
Coldplay is currently still touring “Music of the Spheres,” and has made a considerable effort to diminish its carbon footprint, so far producing 59% less CO2e emissions than their last stadium tour. Having surpassed $810 million in revenue, the “Music of the Spheres” run has become the third-highest-grossing and second-most attended tour of all time. The trek is set to end in November in New Zealand.
Formed in 1997 at University College London, Coldplay’s current lineup includes lead singer Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making them one of the bestselling music acts of all time.
World
French right in commanding position as 'fed up' voters prepare to send Macron message in elections
FRANCE – When the French go to the polls this Sunday, the result will likely reflect an unprecedented move to the right in what could lead to the most conservative parliament since the country was liberated in WWII, experts say.
The reasons come down to unhappiness with immigration, a weak economy, a cost-of-living crisis and dissatisfaction with the current centrist government, especially among younger voters.
“Right now, France is seeing its biggest shift to the right,” Matthew Tyrmand, adviser to conservative political candidates and parties across Europe told Fox News Digital. “This is democracy at work—the people are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.”
RIVALS BLAST MACRON FOR FEARMONGERING AFTER FRENCH PRESIDENT WARNS ‘CIVIL WAR’ ON HORIZON
Marine Le Pen, President of the National Rally group in the National Assembly, joins Jordan Bardella, President of the National Rally (Rassemblement National), at the final rally before the recently held European Parliament election on June 9th (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Tyrmand continued, “The people of France are fed up with their cloistered Parisian leadership living high on the EU hog while their cities burn, youth unemployment remains high, crime continues to rise, racially motivated attacks and violence on native French persists.”
It’s the same factors that led the right-leaning National Rally to win 31.4% of the votes, the largest share of any French party in the European Union elections earlier this month. That National Rally, which was founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen in 1972, has reinvented itself over the past few years under the leadership of Le Pen’s daughter Marine, and now aided by the 28-year-old president of the party, Jordan Bardella.
Unfettered immigration, which totaled more than 320,000 last year plus undocumented migrants, has many French voters worried. “It’s more to do with instability and violence than about immigrants taking away jobs from the French,” says Leo Barincou, a Paris-based senior economist for Oxford Economics. “You have crimes that made headlines that were immigrant-related; That’s what’s pushing the rejection of immigration.” Some of those events included terrorist attacks, murders and assaults. Another factor swaying voters against more immigration is the cost imposed on taxpayers for social benefits,” he told Fox News Digital.
FRENCH RIVALS MACRON, LE PEN DECRY JEWISH GIRL’S GANG RAPE AS ANTISEMITIC ATTACK SENDS PRE-ELECTION SHOCKWAVE
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Paris. President Emmanuel Macron is addressing French voters on Wednesday for the first times since he has called snap national election following a crushing defeat of his party by the far-right in the European vote. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
The threat of violence may be one of the factors driving younger voters to demand deportation of some immigrants. There’s been enough passion around this topic to prompt some musicians to make a song distributed on social media sites that’s become popular among Gen-Z, people aged 11-26. Lyrics include “I won’t leave, Yes, you will leave. And sooner than you think.”
The economy under Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party hasn’t done well either. The cost-of-living crisis following the invasion of Ukraine sent inflation to 6.3% in February last year and subsequently fell to 2.1% recently. Youth unemployment remains at double-digit levels. Plus, the level of home building has trended lower over the last decade, making it more expensive for young people to rent. “If you have a cost-of-living crisis, whoever is in charge will bear the cost of that,” says Konstantinos Venetis, director of global macro at TS Lombard in London. “Inevitably, when you get complaints from voters, then whoever is waiting to come into power will have an advantage.”
Rassemblement National (RN) President and electoral list leader, Jordan Bardella poses for a selfie with supporters during a campaign rally for the European elections in Montbeliard, eastern France, on March 22, 2024. (Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images)
However, Venetis notes that France’s economy is certainly no worse than other major European Union countries, such as Germany and Italy, and maybe even better than those. “This year is supposedly the year that the economy is going to bottom out,” he says, meaning that economic growth looks set to improve. He says that’s likely to be powered by more government spending, perhaps even at an EU level.
Still, many younger voters and those who live in rural areas voted heavily for National Rally in the EU election earlier this month, and there would seem to be little reason to expect a different result this time. “There were very few places where the far right wasn’t first,” Barincou said. The places that weren’t right-leaning included Paris, which fits with a long-standing narrative that people who work in professional jobs in large urban cities tend to take a progressive political stance, he says.
AT 28, JORDAN BARDELLA SHAKES UP FRENCH POLITICS: ‘PEOPLE ACROSS FRANCE HAVE WOKEN UP’
French riot police use tear gas to disperse demonstrators during a pro-Palestinian rally at the Republique Square in Paris, France on October 12, 2023. (Photo by Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The likely passionate youth vote for National Rally may partly be driven by the youthful Bardella, who not only communicates his thoughts on TikTok but is also barely older than many in the Gen-Z cohort. “I am not too surprised he’s popular with younger voters,” says Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex in New York told Fox News Digital. “I remember young people being excited about former president Barack Obama being one of the youngest U.S. presidents.”
A National Rally-led parliament, if it were to happen, would likely not lead to France leaving the EU or the single-currency Eurozone, Elias Haddad, a senior markets strategist at banking company Brown Brothers Harriman told Fox News Digital. “If the right wing come to power, the dynamics between France and EU will be a bit more complicated but not a threat to the monetary union,” he says.
Firefighters extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and police, after the death of Nahel Merzouk, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, France. ( REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq)
Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen looks like she’s planning for a win, suggesting that Bardella, as Prime Minister, should be involved with decisions on military defense. While nominally the French president is the head of the armed forces, the constitution states, “The prime minister is responsible for national defense.”
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The French parliamentary system requires up to two rounds of voting. If one party doesn’t get an overall majority in the first vote, then the top two parties will battle it out in a second poll. The latter would occur on July 7 if required. As of Friday, polls suggested that National Rally could get 37% of the vote.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
In a major upset, Switzerland knocked out Euro 2020 champions Italy 2-0 in their last-16 match in Berlin.
Switzerland dumped reigning champions Italy out of Euro 2024 with a stunning 2-0 victory to reach the quarterfinals for the second time in their history.
Murat Yakin’s supremely well-drilled side outplayed the flat two-time winners in the last 16 clash in Berlin on Saturday and will face England or Slovakia in the next round.
Ruben Vargas teed up Remo Freuler for Switzerland’s 37th-minute opener before curling home superbly himself right at the start of the second half to deservedly double their lead.
A new-look Italy, short on star power and without many of the key figures that led them to Euro 2020 glory, offered little in response to Switzerland’s energetic display.
“It hurts, it really hurts,” said Italy’s captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“We can only say sorry to everyone, we were disappointing today and they deserved to win. We struggled all game long.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, arriving at the Euros after a stunning season with German champions Bayer Leverkusen, pulled the strings as the Swiss rarely looked like letting the lead slip away.
“I’m at a loss for words. It was the most important game of my career,” said Swiss midfielder Fabian Rieder.
“Everyone played for each other, we worked well in defence and attack… we have an incredibly great team.
“We want to enjoy the moment now but keep working hard for the next game.”
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