From family business to media empire: Disney celebrates 100 years as a cultural reference

From a small family-owned children’s animation studio to a multi-million dollar international media conglomerate: disney celebrates 100 years of spreading magic to the little ones and established, according to some experts, as the “most influential cultural creations company in the world”.

Its long history dates back to October 16, 1923, when Walt Disney and his brother Roy O. Disney founded The Disney Brothers to continue producing the animated series “Alice Comedies.”

Until 1928, the Disney brothers opted for a mouse-shaped character that would change the destiny of their lives and infiltrate the childhood of several generations.

First baptized as Mortimer, and later as the well-known Mickey Mouse, the mischievous animal would star in the film “Steambot Willie” (1928), the first post-produced sound cartoon.

“Walt Disney always wanted to go further in terms of quality. I believe that from then until today there are countless constant examples of great stories, innovation and incredible ingenuity.“, stated Kevin Kern, one of the archivists who work today at the renowned The Walt Disney Company, in an interview with EFE.

The public’s recognition of the mouse made Walt (Chicago, 1901) release “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937 – the first animated film in his repertoire -, which allowed them enter 1.5 million dollars, ten times what they had invested.

Its impact on the studio’s coffers was such that the profits were used to build their new base camp in the city of Burbank (California), where they moved in 1940 to advance on other titles that did not go unnoticed either: “Pinocchio” ( 1940), “Dumbo” (1941) and “Bambi” (1942).

World War II and social influence of Disney

However, the collateral effects of World War II and anti-communist fever in the United States caused the company to falter with several canceled releases and even a union strike by 300 of the 800 animators that Disney had in 1941.

Animation instrumentalized for the war cause. This was the development of Disney during a few years in which the United States Navy asked Walt to create propaganda films, such as “Victory Through Air Power”, in exchange for a contract that was closed for US$ 90,000 and showed his power. to shape minds.

“I believe that it is the most influential cultural enterprise with respect to American values ​​and interests of this country that there has been in all of history.“, said Robert J. Thompson, professor at Syracuse University (United States) and founder of the Bleier Center for Television, to EFE.

The end of the war back in 1945 brought with it new films such as “Treasure Island” (1950) or “Cinderella” (1950).

Television and theme park: the beginning of the conglomerate

By then, television was already presented as an ideal format to broadcast some of Disney’s works or advertising capsules that the company used on the ABC, NBC or CBS networks to promote its first Disneyland theme park, located in Anaheim (California), which It opened its doors on July 17, 1955.

The Disney brothers’ studio was beginning to look more and more like a media conglomerate with different business perspectives spanning film, television and entertainment.

However, lung cancer would end the life of Walt, aged 65, in 1966, and that of his brother Roy just five years later due to a brain hemorrhage.

The company became headed by different personalities who had held positions of high responsibility during the administration of the Disney brothers and managed to ensure that the popularly known as “House of the Mouse” preserved its values ​​and continued to grow.

A philosophy that, according to fellow archivist César Gallegos, told EFE, is maintained today among all its workers as a kind of “magic” that materializes in a “impressive work ethic”.

The beginning of the “Star Wars” saga (1977), the launch of “The Little Mermaid” (1989), the distribution of its VHS tapes and the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992 were some of the company’s milestones in the later decades.

In 1995, the company announced Capital Cities/ABC Inc. for US$19 billion, then the second largest corporate acquisition in the history of the United States, by which it became a majority shareholder in the ABC network and the ESPN sports service. , among other segments.

The hallmark of great stories

New York tycoon Bob Iger has been at the head of the company in different stages since 2005, currently including as CEO.

Under his management, the firm has established itself as a media empire from which successful franchises such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and films such as “WALL-E”, winner of the Oscar for best animated film, have emerged in recent years.

In 2019, it acquired the assets of 20th Century Fox for $71.3 billion, the largest acquisition in Disney history, and opened its streaming service, called Disney+, that same year.

However, 100 years later, with a presence around the world, lucrative merchandising products, a workforce of approximately 220,000 employees, annual revenues of more than US$82 billion, the incorporation of production companies such as Lucasfilm or the Marvel audiovisual label. , Disney continues to be differentiated by its stories.

“Mickey Mouse is as fun today as he was when he was created in the late 1920s.″said archivist Kevin Dern.

That “sense of timelessness” that makes his narratives “captivating,” according to producer Peter Del Vecho (“Frozen”), which those who have worked on the “Mouse House” and those who feel like children again agree with EFE. when they watch one of their movies again or step into one of their theme parks.