Saving Walt Disney’s First Film Studio

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Dan Viets wants to save Disney history. As president of the non-profit “Thank You Walt Disney,” Dan works to preserve and restore Walt’s first professional headquarters – the Laugh-O-Gram Studios in Kansas City. Currently, the building sits empty and only known by those devotees who seek it out, but, with his organization Dan plans to make it a shining gem of K.C.

Dan chats about how Walt’s creativity blossomed in that studio, how a local amusement park most likely inspired Disneyland, and how Dan’s journey connects with Kansas City now having two Tomorrowland moon-liners!

Learn all about and donate to the restoration plans for the Laugh-O-Gram Studio at thankyouwaltdisney.org.

Credits:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:12 — 46.0MB)

Early Walt Disney Cartoons (Part 2) – The 1921 Laugh-O-Grams

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Before there was Snow White, Mickey Mouse, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, or even the Alice comedies, Walt Disney was determined to get into the animation business, so he took a borrowed camera to the shed behind his house and created his first film. Soon, having raised $15,000 from family and friends, Walt hired a minimal staff and incorporated Laugh-O-gram Films.

1921 saw the first 4 of 6 Laugh-O-Grams debut in theaters when Disney sold his animated Laugh-O-grams to the Newman Theatre in Kansas City. They include;

  • A video of Walt Disney sitting at his desk, drawing a picture of a criminal being kicked out of Kansas city.
  • A video of Walt Disney’s hand drawing a picture of a pair of women’s legs in stockings in the middle of the paper with the top halves of two women on either side of her.
  • A video of Disney’s hand drawing a picture of someone driving a car that’s in mid-bounce on a bumpy road.
  • An animation of policemen walking into a police station, then being fired and literally thrown out before someone hangs a “cops wanted” sign on the station.

Like everything made during that time, they were all silent.

Check them out here;

Early Walt Disney Cartoons – Cleaning Up

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Here is where it all officially began, Cleaning Up was the first film produced by Laugh-O-Gram Studio, as part of demo reel. This film is not really animated, it just consists of Walt drawing a single frame. It’s also the first film directed by Walt Disney.

This is the first of 11 shorts created by Walt Disney under the Newman Laugh-O-Grams for Laugh-O-Gram Studio. Which would eventually inspire the creation of Mickey Mouse and The Walt Disney Company we know today.

This short shows Walt Disney at his desk as he draws a man, who then turns into a criminal being kicked out of Kansas city. It’s not a thrilling watch by any means but to just watch Walt and his drawing skills is to look back at all those years ago of a man in an office and how his drawings turned into the mass company today.

Enjoy!!