Walt Disney – Animating America

It is no overstatement to say that Walt Disney is one of the most influential Americans of all time. His name alone has become synonymous with forms of entertainment and recreation known throughout the world. To call something “Disneyesque” or “Disney like” draws to mind immediately associations.

His boyhood had a foot in both the 19th and 20th centuries. He grew up in the center of America, near Kansas City Missouri and the idyllic small town of Marceline Missouri which inspired Main Street USA. Many of his formative years were spent in Chicago. But it is his Hollywood years that revolutionized the way the world thinks about animation, movies, American history, and vacations. He won countless Oscars and is tied with George Clooney for nominations in the most categories!

Walt Disney himself was a contradictory figure. At times avuncular at other times brusque. A reluctant entrepreneur whose restless vision sometimes risked his studio and sometimes changed the world. There are so many legends about Walt Disney: from the creation of Mickey Mouse to the question of whether he was racist and anti-Semitic, to the ultimate urban myth: that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen.

In this fun, fast, and fascinating biography, we will get to the heart of Walt Disney was as a person. Using numerous video clips, little-known anecdotes and informative insights, this presentation on the life of Walt Disney is sure to intrigue you.

Please Note: This class is offered through Harper College and registration is required.