Chronology of the Walt Disney Company (original) (raw)

1919

December

• Walt Disney and Ubbe Iwwerks form a company called Iwwerks-Disney Commercial Artists. (Within two months, Walt abandons the venture to work for the Kansas City Slide Company. Ubbe (later Ub) soon files for bankruptcy.) [23] [34.16] (1920 [228.260])

1921

• Milton Feld contracts Walt Disney to produce twelve cartoons, which he calls Newman's Laugh-O-grams. [40.67]

1922

May 23

• Walt Disney incorporates Laugh-O-gram Films, using the remaining assets of Iwwerks-Disney Commercial Artists, and US$15,000 from local investors. (About nine films are produced, but with virtually no revenue, the venture ends in bankruptcy in about a year.) [23] [24] [28] [34.19] [40.67] [47.140] [48.62] [63.40] [92.41] [96.9] [234.41] [267.42] [1073.13] [1102.61] [1242.53]

1923

April 23

• Virginia Davis' parents sign a contract with Laugh-O-gram Films, giving her 5 percent of receipts from showing the film Alice's Wonderland for starring in the film. [63.49]

May 14

• Walt writes to New York film distributor Margaret Winkler, looking for a distributor for his new Alice's Wonderland film. [34.22] [63.52] [1102.79]

(month unknown)

• Laugh-O-gram Films completes work on Alice's Wonderland featuring a live-action girl in a cartoon world. [16] [23] [24] [40.69] [63.50]

July

• Walt Disney's Laugh-O-grams venture ends in bankruptcy. [1] [34.22] [1102.72] (spring [40.71]) (August [63.51])
• Walt Disney leaves Kansas City, heading to Los Angeles, to be with brother Roy. [23] [185.22] [34.23] [40.71] [62] [92.44] [113.4] [192.39] [252.5] [267.44] [1073.15] (August [63.51])

August 25

• Walt Disney writes to New York film distributer Margaret Winkler a second time, again proposing to produce a series of animated/live-action films. [34.26] [1242.53]

September

• Margaret Winkler writes to Walt Disney, requesting to see the film Alice's Wonderland. [63.53]

October 15

• Walt Disney receives a telegram from Margaret Winkler, offering to pay US$1500 each for the first six of Disney's Alice films. [34.26] [40.76] [48.72] [63.53] [267.46] [1102.79] [1242.53]

October 16

• Walt and Roy Disney, as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, sign a contract with M.J. Winkler Productions, a New York film distributor, to produce six Alice Comedy short films, for US$1500 each, with an option for six more. Winkler will retain all rights to the films produced. (This date is considered the beginning of the Disney studio.) [1] [13] [22] [24] [34.26] [49.251] [48.72] [63.53,56,85] [92.45] [113.4] [192.104] [234.45] [237.52] [328.41] [1073.15] [1102.79] [1242.53]
• Walt Disney writes to Virginia Davis' mother in Kansas City, asking them to move from Kansas City to Hollywood, for Virginia to star in series of Alice Comedies. [63.55] [1102.81]

October

• Walt and Roy Disney rent space in an office at 4651 Kingswell Avenue in Hollywood for US$10/month. [24] [34.26] [228.276] [267.48]

October 20

• Walt Disney writes again to Virginia Davis' mother, offering 100permonth,risingto100 per month, rising to 100permonth,risingto200 by month nine. [63.55] [1102.81]

October 24

• Walt Disney writes to Margaret Winkler, informing her that the first Alice Comedy will be titled Alice's Day at Sea. [63.55]

vvv advertisement vvv
^^^ advertisement ^^^

October 28

• Virginia Davis' mother wires acceptance of Walt Disney's contract offer. [1102.82]

October

• Walt Disney begins work on the first Alice Comedy film. [63.55]

December

• Disney completes the Alice Comedy film Alice's Day at Sea. It cost US$750 to make. [23] [40.78] [63]

December 15

• Disney ships the film Alice's Day at Sea to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.127]

December 26

• Walt Disney receives a telegram from Margaret Winkler, acknowledging receipt of the film Alice's Day at Sea. [48.73] [63.57] [1102.84] [1242.53]

(month unknown)

• M.J. Winkler Productions contracts with the Disney studio for six more Alice comedies. [40.78]

1924

January 12

• Roy Disney pays off debts to Uncle Robert. [1242.53]

January

• Walt Disney rents a vacant lot at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Rodney Drive for US$10/month for live-action filming of children for the Alice Comedies. [23] [24] [63.57]

January 19

• Lillian Bounds begins work at the Disney Brothers Studio as an inker and painter. [232.96] [1102.92]

January 21

• Disney ships the second Alice Comedy film, Alice Hunting in Africa, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.128]

January

• The Alice Comedy film Alice Hunting in Africa arrives at M.J. Winkler Productions's office in New York. [63.57]

February

• Walt Disney hires his first Disney Brothers Studio animator, Rollin C. "Ham" Hamilton. [23] [48.73] [63.57]
• Walt and Roy Disney move their studio next door, to 4649 Kingswell, which they rent for US$35/month. [24] [63.57] [92.46] [234.46] [1242.53]

February 22

• Disney ships the third Alice Comedy film, Alice's Spooky Adventure, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [48.74] [63.57] [63.128]

March 1

• M.J. Winkler Productions debuts the Alice Comedy series, in a number of theaters on the east coast of the US. The film Alice's Day at Sea is shown. (A black cat in the film later gains the name "Julius", and becomes a regular character in the series.) [16] [23] [34.27] [40.80] [48.74] [63.127] [97.15] [113.4] [1073.17] [1378.22]

March 28

• Disney ships the fourth Alice Comedy film, Alice's Wild West Show, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.128]

April 1

• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice's Spooky Adventure to theaters. [16] [23] [40.79] [63.63] [63.128] [1378.22]

May 1

• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice's Wild West Show to theaters [16] [23] [63.128] [1378.22]

May

• Bard's Hollywood Theatre in Los Angeles previews the Alice Comedy film Alice's Fishy Story. [63.133]

May 7

• Disney ships the fifth Alice Comedy film, Alice's Fishy Story, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.133]

May

• Disney completes work on the sixth Alice Comedy film, Alice and the Dog Catcher. [23] [48.74]

June 1

• Walt Disney contacts Ubbe Iwwerks in Kansas City, and asks him to come work with him in Hollywood. Ubbe initially turns down the US$40 per week offer, as he is already making US$50 per week at the Kansas City Film Ad company. [96.9] [267.49] [1248.52] (March [34.27])
• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice's Fishy Story to theaters. [16] [23] [63.133] [1378.22]

June 3

• Disney ships the Alice Comedy film Alice and the Dog Catcher to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.133]

June

• Ubbe Iwwerks arrives in California. [48.75] (July [63.64])

July 1

• Walt Disney hires Ubbe Iwwerks to the Disney Brothers Studio for US$40 per week. [24] [96.9] [267.49] [1248.52] (May [23]) (June [1073.16])
• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice and the Dog Catcher to theaters. [16] [23] [63.133] [1378.19]

August 1

• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the seventh Alice Comedy film, Alice the Peacemaker, to theaters. [16] [23] [63.133] [1378.21]

August

• Margaret Winkler sends a telegram to Walt, informing him that advances on future films would drop from US$1500 to US$900. (Winkler's new husband Charles Mintz began handling much of the business, and likely imposed the change in advance payments.) [34.28] [267.49]
• Walt Disney writes Charles Mintz asking for $900 advance on the next film, or he would not be able to get the current film from the developer lab. [1102.89]
• Short on cash, Walt Disney writes a promissory note to Virginia Davis' parents for her acting services. [1102.89]
• Bard's Hollywood Theater in Los Angeles previews the Alice Comedy film Alice Gets in Dutch. [63.133]

August 27

• Disney ships the eighth Alice Comedy film, Alice Gets in Dutch, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.133]

September 25

• Bard's Hollywood Theater previews the ninth Alice Comedy film, Alice and the Three Bears. [63.134]

September 27

• Disney ships the Alice Comedy film Alice and the Three Bears to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.134]

October

• Thurston Harper is hired as an animator. [63.66]
• Some live action is removed from the film Alice Hunting in Africa, and some animation is revised to improve its quality. [63.66,128]

October 20

• The Alice Comedy film Alice Gets in Dutch is shown at the Piccadilly Theatre on Broadway, in New York. This is the first time an Alice film is shown in a first-run Broadway theater. [63.133]

November 1

• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice Gets in Dutch to theaters. [16] [23] [63.133] [1378.19]
• Disney ships the tenth Alice Comedy film, Alice the Piper, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.136]

November 2

• Bard's Hollywood Theater previews the Alice Comedy film Alice the Piper. [63.136]

November 15

• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice Hunting in Africa to theaters. [16] [23] [63.128] [1378.19]

November 29

• Disney ships the 11th Alice Comedy film, Alice Cans the Cannibals, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.136]

December 1

• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice and the Three Bears to theaters. [16] [23] [63.134] [1378.19]

December 15

• M.J. Winkler Productions releases the Alice Comedy film Alice the Piper to theaters. [16] [23] [63.136] [1378.21]

December

• Walt and Roy Disney begin to draw a salary, $50 per week, but irregularly. [1102.89]
• Charles Mintz offers a contract with M.J. Winkler Productions: 26 more Alice films, 1500/film,1500/film, 1500/film,900 on delivery, 600within90days,600 within 90 days, 600within90days,350 of receipts after first $4000, then equal split beyond that. To start March 1, delivery every three weeks for 13 films, then every two weeks for the next 13. [48.76] [267.49] [1102.89]

December 31

• Walt Disney signs the new contract with M.J. Winkler Productions for more Alice films. [23] [34.28]
• Disney ships the 12th Alice Comedy film, Alice the Toreador, to M.J. Winkler Productions. [63.136]