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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Wax Museum

Okay, so in LA we're doing this "Wax Museum" book report, where we basically read a biography on someone born before 1940 then memorize some long speech that we write and and present it within 2 weeks notice. Combined with basketball, I don't have a lotof free time, so that "post every weekend" thing is kinda out the window atm, srry :( This also prevents me from doing anything really fun with my spare time, including my Xbox gathering dust int he corner for 2 weeks (sad face). Anyways, here is the speech, and I would gladly appreciate some outside editing (that's not my teachers :/ )

Hello, I'm Walt Disney, and you probably know me best for creating Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, and Disney World. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5th, 1901, though I spent most of my childhood on a small farm in Marceline, Missouri. As one of five children, I grew up in a relatively large family, occupying my spare time (what little there was living as a farm boy) drawing and writing, beginning to sell my first drawings and the age of seven.
I eventually made my way into McKinley High School in Chicago; where I divided my interest between photography and drawing. I was sixteen when World War I broke out and I joined the Red Cross to travel oversees, tending the wounds of soldiers fighting in Eastern Europe. Instead of the traditional camouflage found on most army ambulances, my vehicle was covered head to toe in colorful, lively cartoons.
After finishing my year-long tour of duty in Europe I returned to the U.S and began my career in animation in Kansas City. I created my first animated cartoon in 1920, later perfecting a new method for combining live-action and animation. After three years I left Kansas City for Hollywood with “nothing but a few drawing materials, $40 in my pocket, and a complete animation and live-action film”.
In California, I combined money with my brother, Roy O. Disney, and together we began animation with a camera in our uncle’s garage. We soon received notice from New York, and received an order to create a new “Alice Comedy”. We started production in the back room of a Hollywood real-estate office only two blocks away from our house, yet we still were successful in creating a lively tale with Alice in the upcoming years.
On July 13th, 1925, I married Lillian Bounds, one of my first employees, and began a long a successful marriage. Lillian was often credited for giving Mickey Mouse the name we know and love, saying that my “Mortimer Mouse” sounded too formal. In the upcoming years, we would have to daughters: Diane and Sharon.
Mickey Mouse, one of my most loved and recognized characters, first appeared in a silent cartoon in 1928, but sound was introduced to movies before it could be released. Mickey first appeared to the public in “Steamboat Willie”, the world’s first synchronized sound cartoon, which premiered in 1928 in New York. Along with Mickey Mouse I created a series of short subjects, known as ‘Silly Symphonies”. Many of Mickey’s friends got their start here, such as Donald Duck and Pluto.
In 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in Los Angelus, becoming the first full-length cell-animated feature film in history, as well as the first animated “and fully colored” feature film in America. Throughout the next five years, I would create several of these animated films such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi.
With the beginning of World War II, 94% of my staff began to be involved with special government work, such as propaganda and training films, with the rest of my company’s efforts being put toward certain comedy shorts.
As World War II came to a close, my staff and I returned to animated with 1945’s The Three Callabaros, a musical that combined both live action and animation. My award-winning True-Life Adventures, along with The Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro, were also favorites during the late 40’s and 50’s.
Disneyland launched in 1955 as the $17 million Magic Kingdom. Throughout the next three decades, it would receive nearly 250 million visitors, including Kings, Queens, Presidents, and Royalty from around the globe.
However, my dream for the perfect “Disney Theme-Park” was not satisfied. Purchasing 43 square miles of land in central Florida, at the time being little more than swampland, I began to oversee construction of “Disney World”, a resort that included new theme parks, motel centers, and the Brand-Knew EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) Center. Walt Disney World opened in 1971, while EPCOT opened exactly 11 years later.
I died on in 1966, after living a long life of creativity and imagination. Throughout my life, I received 48 academy awards, 7 Emmys, and nearly 950 honors and citations from every nation in the world. I only hope that we don’t loose sight of one thing- that it was all started by a mouse.

3 comments:

Sarah said...

Aww, it all started with a mouse :)

That's cool. Oh, how I miss English. Does your school go for the strict rules on stuff, or are they all gaga on creativity? My school just wants creativity - no tests, just creative projects. (only ONE exam!)

Anyways.. criticness? You said to instead of two (two daughters) and "(what little there was living as a farm boy)" sorta sticks out as awkward.

Besides that I never knew that much about Walt Disney.. tres cool et formidable!

Devon said...

cool, thanks or the pointers :)As far as English goes, its all strict and by-the-books, which I hate, though we do get to do a few creative things here and there.

Michael Windelspecht said...

I like it...good luck tomorrow!