"WALT When I was just a young boy in Marceline, Missouri..." "I became interested in drawing." "I sold my first sketches to neighbors... when I was only seven-years-old." "To tell the truth, more things of importance happened to me... in Marceline than have happened since." "My father taught me the importance of honesty... and a good reputation." "I watched him take risks... and I learned about hard work and persistence." "Walter!" "You scribbling on that barn again?" "So help me, God!" "WALT My father never understood me." "He always thought I was the black sheep of the family." "But my older brother Roy would say," ""Hey, kid, I'm for you."" "Walt!" "WALT Go for it." "He encouraged me." "And I'd do anything to get attention." "What is this kid doing?" "He's saying goodbye to his friends." "His friends" "Walt, it's time to go!" "He's talking to a pig." "He's just a boy, Elias." "His fascination with animals is your family's doing." "He wouldn't have this problem if your sister never gave him that sketchbook." "My sister?" "Don't say anything." "You saw what he did to the barn." "She should have given him a book of arithmetic, grammar... something a boy can use." "WALT When my father became seriously ill... we sold our farm and moved to Kansas City." "I started out to be an actor." "Had stage ambitions, too." "Had a friend also named Walter." "We had a vaudeville skit that wowed the kids... so we felt we were great stuff." "Billed ourselves The Two Walts." "Hey, I decided..." "I want to be an actor." "I impersonated Charlie Chaplin, won several prizes... even though we got the hook the first night." "WALT My father frowned on show business... so I would sneak out and meet Walt Pfeiffer at a local theater." "At 13-years-old, I remember seeing that a frame of a film print was just a picture." "And I thought, "I could draw that."" "From then on, all I ever thought about was animation." "I wanted to be an artist." "I obsessed over it." "It was my life." "It drove me, it was my passion." "Now matter how much trouble it got me into at school with my teachers." "What are you doing?" "That is school property." "Is that what they teach you out in farm country?" "Lift your desk." "Lift it!" "Put your hands inside." "Agh!" "But it was always my dream." "But as we all know... dreams don't come true without a lot of failure... and hope." "When I was 16, I dropped out of high school... and tried to join the Navy... but I was rejected for being underage." "So I signed up for an ambulance unit... that didn't care if I was too young." "When I got back, I had a maturity," "I was settled." "I then was able to kind of line right up on an objective... and I went for it." "Walt!" "Roy, your brother is here!" "Hello, Edna." "Look at you." "Welcome back, soldier." "Hello, old man." "How are you, kid?" "I'm better now." "It's good to see you, Roy." "I'm glad you finally made it, you look great." "Thank you for letting me stay here." "Absolutely, but you only have a few weeks before our renter comes." "Renter?" "You have someone moving in?" "He's the one that's moving." "I'm going to California in a week." "California?" "Yeah." "What's in California?" "Roy's been a little sick lately, Walt." "It's nothing." "I'm just going to make sure everything's all right." "There's a Veterans hospital out there." "Sick?" "Sick with what?" "He's going to be fine..." "just fine." "Isn't that right, darling?" "It's nothing." "Now you just worry about getting yourself on your feet, okay?" "Roy called a favor in to a friend." "You have a job interview in the morning." "That's right, now let's find you a jacket for tomorrow." "Look fancy, but not that fancy." "WALT I didn't know what to expect at the interview." "I didn't necessarily have a portfolio, just all these corny drawings..." "I had done in France during the war, of the fellows finding cooties." "Mr. Disney?" "Yes, ma'am." "Mr. Pesman will see you now." "What about us?" "I've been here for hours." "Oh, you're next." "And you went to the Art Institute here in Kansas City?" "Yes, and in Chicago, when I was in high school." "These drawings of soldiers..." "you were in the war?" "I tried, I got there a little late." "I served in the Red Cross Ambulance Corps." "Yes, the soldiers were all so afraid of cooties." "And you were not?" "No, sir, it's just they had served at war and faced bombs and gas... and now god forbid someone's blanket touch them." "These drawings are good." "I take you one week on trial, yes?" "After we talk salary." "Uh, well, where do I go?" "Home... you start work on Monday." "Great." "Thank you, sir." "WALT Finally," "Pesman offered me a job..." "See you Monday." "at a salary of $50 a month." "During that one week trial period," "I worked at this drawing board... and during the day, I never left it." "If I had to go to the toilet, I just held it until noon." "That's about the time" "I made the acquaintance of Ubbe Iwerks." "Hey." "It's you with your crazy hair." "What are you doing?" "He speaks." "It'll ruin the artwork, put it out." "You know, you're the only person in here who works harder than me." "I'd like to keep it that way." "You ever take a break?" "Do you ever stop talking?" "Walt." "Ubbe... now get back to work." "WALT In the six weeks that I worked there..." "I learned tricks of the commercial trade." "Until Pesman lost a large tractor account, which required him to let me go." "At least if I was in a theater" "I would expect it to end when the show was done." "I'm sorry you lost your job with Pesman." "You'll find something." "You can become an actor." "I'll be fine." "The question is... will you be okay?" "He's going to be just fine." "Edna, no, don't start with that, okay?" "We've been over this, I will be fine." "The Navy has the best TB treatments in the country, you know that." "I'll miss you." "After I settle in, you'll come out and see me." "It'll be sooner than you think." "I just" " I don't understand why you have to go alone." "It doesn't make any sense." "What happens if you get sick on the train?" "You're being silly, honey." "Look, where will we stay, in the hospital?" "He's a tough cookie..." "don't worry." "Everyone stop bothering me, I'm going to miss my train." "Take care of her, okay?" "You know I will." "I can't believe they let you go, too." "The other guys have wives and such." "I live with my mom." "But that's no reason." "It should be about the quality of the work." "Why is it that people who run things always lack vision?" "I don't think it have anything to do with vision." "They just didn't have the money to pay me." "Times are tough, that's for sure." "I've been looking for work for months." "Back to delivering newspapers just to make ends meet." "Well, ever since my dad left my mom, it's pretty much up to me." "What?" "We've got too much talent, Ubbe." "I've been thinking, you and I could make a pretty good team." "What are you saying?" "Have you ever thought of having your own studio?" "No..." "I'm just an artist." "You're more than that, but so am I." "I don't know anything about business." "Well, neither do I, but we could learn." "Disney Iwerks." "Sounds like an optimist." "Hah... optometrist." "Right." "Iwerks Disney?" "That's not much better." "It's perfect." "Where are you going?" "We got a company to start." "Well... what do you think?" "It's a barn." "It's our company headquarters." "But it's a barn." "I have been developing the latest technique in animation." "Forget about that cut-out method we were using at Pesman's." "We are going to create things the way that the theatrical cartoonists do." "And you can draw fast enough for us to do it." "That's your desk." "WALT There we were, our little commercial art shop was born." "I sent a letter to my mom to get the $500 I had earned while I was in the Red Cross... from drawing caricatures for my friends to send to girlfriends and families back home." "My parents sent me half of the money, which was enough to get started." "Just right up here, boys." "Ubbe, look who's here!" "Ah, hey, Fred." "Hi." "He's coming aboard to join the team." "Pesman fire you, too?" "No, this is just my after-hours endeavor." "This is my brother Hugh." "Hi." "He's a first-rate animator." "Welcome to our corporate headquarters." "Fred's told me a lot about you." "Interesting, uh, haircut." "Yeah, thanks." "Quite a palace you've got here." "I told you, Fred, it's just a start." "It's only the beginning." "Nowhere to go but up." "Let me show you what we're working on." "I've already created several animations based upon local happenings." "How so?" "Pesman always had us drawing about news stories, because that's what sold." "Right." "So I've created animations based upon the same happenings." "Take a serious story and make people laugh." "See, I read the paper, and I take the headline... and make that into an animation." "Pot holes, a serious problem in Kansas City." "Perfect, let's do that next." "Pot holes?" "Says right here in the Kansas City Telegram." "So, we're going to tell people news they already know." "I guess that's why they call it a tell-egram." "We're not going to tell them anything, we're making people laugh." "A Laugh-o-Gram..." "Laugh-o-Gram?" "That's it." "Ubbe, you're great with lettering." "Can you create a title card that says," ""Newman Laugh-o-Grams"?" "So these are going to be shown in Newman's theater?" "Is he asking to buy a Laugh-o-Gram?" "No... but he will." "Mr. Newman..." "What can I do for you?" "I have an animation here that might be of interest to your theater." "A sort of bonus reel on local Kansas City issues." "The pot holes, for instance." "Aren't you too young to make Felix the Cat?" "That's not mine, sir." "That's too bad, because he's the biggest star in Hollywood and that's what my theater shows." "Well, I have something much better." "Sure, you do." "All my animations are assured to please all audiences." "All I'm asking is that you take a look at my team's work." "Are they expensive?" "No, sir, 30 cents a foot." "Okay, then, it's a deal." "Yes, sir." "WALT I was on my way." "I was ready to animate my next idea, fairy tales, but set in modern times." "using the same satirical style as Newman Laugh-o-Grams." "It's happening, Roy." "Not only did I get my own place... but I have a new team together and we've sold our first animation." "Well, that's great news!" "Edna told me you moved out." "Oh, and they're going to be shown in Newman's theaters." "That's a big deal." "How much are you making for each animation?" "30 cents a foot." "And how much is it costing you?" "Walt?" "30 cents a foot." "So you're selling at cost?" "I forgot to add in profit." "Walt, Walt, Walt-- you got to get your head out of the clouds." "It's okay, don't worry." "It's only a start." "Walt!" "What a pleasant surprise!" "How is the business going?" "Good." "Your brother tells me you sold some work to Newman." "Yes, that's what I'm here to talk to you about." "Well, how can I be assistance to you?" "With this new contract," "I'm looking to grow the company... and bring on new investors." "Well, how much we talking?" "$2,500." "$2,500... that's a hefty sum." "My family and I have known you for a long time, Doctor." "This is a great opportunity" "I believe in you, Walt... but this is going to be a one-time loan." "Yes, sir." "I understand." "I'm going to send Ralph over." "He'll draw up the papers." "In the meantime, this should hold you over." "Oh, thank you so much!" "Um" "I forgot the check." "Yes." "Thank you, Doctor." "Team!" "I've got good news!" "What is it?" "Newman bought our reel, plus a dozen more." "And we have a new investor, so pack your things, boys... we're moving to a bigger space." "That's wonderful." "WALT With my investors and creative vision in place..." "Laugh-o-Gram was officially open for business." "Okay, team, we need to get started on our first run of animations for Newman." "I am thinking of a live action sequence... with a set of protesters... and chickens holding strike signs." "Live action, huh?" "You mean real people?" "Mm-hm." "Yeah, we'll need a camera." "We're going to need some more help." "At least another guy who can draw." "We should open with a long shot... from behind the canvas, and then go into the animation." "We can steal a camera from Pesman." "Borrow." "Borrow." "Yeah, borrow it." "I'll put an ad out in the paper... see if we can find some animators." "Great." "Fred, what do you think about Friz, he'd be perfect for us." "Who's Friz?" "Friz is um, one of the most talented guys I know, Walt." "He worked with Fred and me, funny guy... great animator and he's amazing at doing voices, right?" "He's the best." "I know a girl who can trace well." "Not better than you, I'm sure." "Bring her in..." "and bring them all in." "Let's go get that camera." "The trick is to come in prepared." "We need a light." "I live in a dark room, I don't need it." "What is this?" "Well, I'm a-- Hey, let me" "Thank you for coming." "I say, I say, that boy is like a tattoo, gets under your skin." "So what kind of name is Friz anyway?" "Well, my real name is Isador, but Hugh here gave me the nickname... after some congressman he saw in a newspaper article." "The name just stuck." "You have to hear some of his voices, he is fantastic." "Bear with me." "Why, Mr. Harmon, I do believe you are flattering me, son." "That's very good." "Well, there's a lot more where that came from." "Who knows, maybe we'll be adding sound to our animations one day." "Who's bothering us now?" "Well, there is a certain bill collector looking for a Wilt Dinsey... whoever that is." "I'm certain that won't fool anyone, Walt." "Allow me to get the door, sir." "I will scare away the varmint." "Welcome to the House of Sam!" "What can I do for you, son?" "Uh, I read your ad." "Well, Mr. Dinsey, no need to hide." "Yes, uh, the coast is clear, boss." "Welcome to our humble abode." "Thanks." "So you're an animator?" "What experience do you have?" "Well, I draw for fun mostly." "I've never had any training." "I brought you some samples." "Done a lot of portrait work." "Oh, portraits." "But I like animation." "Hm, these are great." "Thank you." "But can you draw this?" "Ah, I don't" " I don't imagine things so good... but I can copy real well." "Well, copying is an honorable pursuit." "Can you copy this?" "Sure." "But move her right arm down..." "slightly, not by much." "Uh, I don't understand." "Oh, no, I do believe we've confused the gentleman." "Animation." "And a lot of red ink." "What?" "Uh-oh." "Oh, uh, yes." "Yes, the truth is..." "I can't afford to pay you, but this is an opportunity to learn with the best." "Well, uh, my pa wouldn't like it... but it's all the more reason why I should do it." "If you'll have me." "Great." "We can train you for $5." "You brought your checkbook?" "Oh, no, I'm here for the job." "Ad says experienced animators, you are neither." "But I don't have any money." "Neither do I. Welcome aboard, what's your name?" "Uh, it's Rudy" " Rudy Ising." "Good to meet you." "Arm down a fraction of an inch." "Hey, nice to meet-- nice to meet you, guys." "Crank." "Crank." "Rudy, you have to keep it even... otherwise, its not going to look right." "Right, um, I'm sorry, it's just I'm not used to it is all." "You know, it doesn't help that the rig shakes." "It shakes?" "Yes, it's like-- it's like an earthquake." "Oh, I hadn't noticed." "Crank." "Man, my shoulder hurts." "You did say that you wanted to learn animation, right?" "Yes." "Crank." "Cranking." "Okay, my fellow cameramen, animators..." "lady." "You all know Leslie Mace, our sales manager and envoy to New York City." "I've just been handed a telegram." "Look, the long and short of it is, we've just closed a deal with Pictoral Inc... for the delivery of six animations." "Recompense totals $11,000 cash, U.S. currency." "Now, this is for non-theatrical release... so that means we can still sell these to movie houses." "This is great news, Walt, congratulations." "To work." "To work." "So does this mean that I get to be paid now?" "Look, kid, the deal is that we have to finish the six animations before we collect." "Who's going to pay for the animation?" "You let me worry about that." "You'll get paid soon enough." "Oh, Mr. Newman!" "I've been trying to reach you!" "I haven't been paid by Feld in over a month." "Look, I can't pay for your animations any more." "I need to make a profit." "Please..." "I need these to keep afloat." "Look, I have a brand, new animation, it'll be ready next week." "It's something you'll be very interested in." "Look, kid, you got spirit," "I like that, but times are changing." "Come on, let's go." "Well, can I at least collect on last month's?" "Damn it!" "That doesn't sound good." "Walt?" "Not now, Ubbe!" "Hey, did" "What happened to my stuff?" "Don't be so surprised, Disney." "You haven't paid your rent in two months." "I just need another week." "Another week?" "What do you think," "I'm running a free housing project?" "Well, can I at least get my things?" "Sorry, Disney, come back when you got the money." "It's Sunday, Walt, why don't you go home." "I" " I can't." "I got locked out..." "I owe some rent." "That's not good." "How much?" "Few months." "Level with me, Walt." "There was some bull hunting around here for you the other day." "Looked like... a paper server." "You going to be okay?" "I don't know." "You get behind... some people aren't so patient, you know?" "I can be patient." "I got some clams put away from my time at the studio... if you need, you just let me know." "I know you're good for it." "I'll chip in also." "My pockets are pretty empty at the moment." "Please, you guys don't have to worry about me." "Al least let us pay the rent." "Yeah, how much do you pay?" "No, I" " I can't." "It's all I've got." "There's more where that came from." "Look, I wish I could help, Dis, but this is how I make my money." "It's okay, Friz." "I'm going to pay both of you back, with interest..." "I promise." "Well, whenever you got the money," "I'm not going anywhere." "Hey, um, I guess you probably owe on this dump, too." "A little." "You should make a list." "Let's get to work." "Right, so they crack the joke at each other... and then they laugh so much, they die laughing." "Okay." "My check is for five dollars." "How much was it-- $15." "You said $15 a week." "Things are a little tight right now, so can I just owe you?" "How much longer can we wait?" "I haven't been paid for weeks." "Look, I can't keep doing this." "I'm sorry." "I" " I got to find something else." "Good luck, folks." "Come on, Friz, just stick it out... have some faith." "It's easy to have faith when you have savings, Rudy." "I'm not that lucky." "You stick it out, though." "You shouldn't lead people on if all you have is wooden nickels." "Fred." "Hugh!" "I'm sorry, Walt." "Don't worry about it." "We'll figure something out." "Yes, Mace, I'm looking at the telegram right now." "Am I reading this correctly?" "That Pictoral is bankrupt?" "Yes, but what am I supposed to do with all the money that I've laid out." "You've ruined my company!" "Walt!" "What are you doing messing up my barn?" "I thought I told you to do your chores!" "Let me tell you something about life." "Always finish what you start, and anything worth doing, is worth doing well." "You understand me?" "Sorry, Papa." "Mm-hm." "WALT Fate was against letting me be a successful cartoonist." "Gosh, how I used to envy the guys who were knocking out... what looked like Big Jack in those days." "And I wondered if I could ever reach the top." "Feelings of disappointment can either drown you or shape you." "And sometimes, it may just be a new beginning." "I decided to write a letter to Margaret J. Winkler... the New York distributor of Out of the Inkwell and Felix the Cat series." "And told her with regard to Alice's Wonderland... that I had just discovered something new and clever in animated cartoons." "So if you give her a really big nose, when she bounces up and down... the nose is going to go-- a floppy nose." "I think it's funny." "I think we'd be good if we talk to Walt about it." "That is really funny." "You okay, Walt?" "Alice-- live-action series." "M.J. Winkler wants to see it." "M.J. Winkler?" "Felix the Cat, M.J. Winkler?" "We have to finish Alice." "I mean, this is our chance." "Don't you guys remember, it's um, uh" "We had Alice, the live-action girl, she goes into the world of animation." "Julius and the dog boxing it out... and we'll put it on an easel and we'll all be watching, okay?" "Let's get to work!" "Okay." "WALT I tried my best to salvage something out of the company... and to obtain new financing, so I could remain in Kansas City... but I wasn't successful." "Are you Walter Disney?" "No." "It's too bad, you know when he'll be in?" "I'm not sure." "It's all right, I'll wait." "Good morning, Walt." "Nice try." "You've just been served with a bankruptcy petition for Laugh-o-Gram Studios." "Have a good day." "Thanks." "Walt..." "I'm so sorry." "It's not your fault, kid." "What if" " I'm sorry." "Just go home, Rudy." "Hey, little guy." "At least I have you, little guy." "Hm." "Let's go for a walk." "Hi, Mom, it's me, Walt." "No, I'm" " I'm fine." "I" "Listen, please..." "I need to get the money that I left with Dad." "No, you can't tell him." "No, he can't know." "It's okay..." "I understand." "I have to go." "Hey, let's get some food, huh?" "Hey, Joe, are you there?" "Come on, Joe." "I just need a little-- a little something." "I'm sorry." "I know, I'm hungry, too." "Okay." "Hey." "Hey." "Look, I got a little something." "Come on." "Come on." "There you go." "Hey, fellow-- fellow, you can't sit there." "Don't I know you?" "Oh, please, watch out!" "You'll hurt him!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No..." "I'm sorry." "Roy... it's Walt." "ROY Hey, how's the successful businessman doing?" "Walt?" "I lost everything." "WALT It was the last of the fairytale reels... we had made at Laugh-o-Gram Films." "We had yet to fully complete Alice, but... it was all I had left." "WALT I finally came to a great conclusion..." "I had missed the boat." "I had gotten into the animated cartoon field too late." "Film cartooning had been going on for all of six or seven years." "I should have started then." "I don't see how I could top those New York boys now." "I thought you'd be here." "You all right, Walt?" "I'm going to go to California." "Get a fresh start." "It's a great idea." "You should probably take this with you." "You have more use for it than I do." "Thank you." "Now you let me know when you're settled in." "And I'll go out there and join you." "Yeah." "WALT I had to sell" "Ubbe's antiquated movie camera... to pay for my train ticket." "This gave me a little extra money... enough for a ticket to Los Angeles and $40 to spare." "My mood on that big day was somehow just free and happy." "Last stop!" "End of the line!" "Baggage claim..." "end of Platform 1." "Uncle Robert!" "Walt!" "Hi, Aunt Charlotte." "Hi, darling, how are you?" "I'm good, how are you?" "Wonderful." "Hey... was your travel restful?" "Somewhat, I'm pretty exhausted." "Did you come through Topeka?" "No, sir." "Well, Charlotte, he must think anybody that lives in Hollywood is kind of vapid." "No, sir, we just didn't come through Topeka." "We must have bypassed the station there." "Well, it don't seem particularly likely." "Yeah, I'm going to expect you to get a job right away." "Robert!" "Well, there's no free lunch at my house." "WALT I paid Robert and Charlotte rent... in the amount of $5 weekly, but I had to rely on Roy and his government pension for financial support." "Oh, ho, ho, so Mr. Banker is playing chess now?" "Look who's back from the dead." "So, how's Robert treating you?" "Like a Disney." "Well, I'm glad you came out." "So, what are you working on?" "Patience." "Geez, that's not for you." "You okay?" "Yeah, I, uh, I'm the one working on patience." "I've had enough for the both of us." "I'm thinking about directing." "Not animations?" "I just don't know how to go about it." "Well, you could get a job-- any job in a studio... the way you started out in animation." "And that worked out so well for me the first time." "Excuse me... do you know when they're finished filming over there?" "I have an interview with the director." "I don't." "I'm sorry." "Hey, Ralphie, take that to Studio D." "Robert's getting huffy." "He's wondering when you're going to get a job?" "He is?" "Ah, he is so impatient." "Are all of you Disney's like that?" "Ah, it's the Disney standard." "He says you go out to the studios every day... what do you do when you get there?" "Are you applying for jobs." "Not exactly." "Then what?" "I can't quite explain it." "There's something there for me, but it's not what I can see." "That makes no sense." "I'm aware of that, it doesn't make sense to me." "At the studios, I see everyone doing one thing... actors, directors, writers, guards, secretaries;" "everyone has their own piece." "But when I was animating, we were doing everything... drawing, inking, camera, gags, whatever needed to be done." "Everyone has their strengths of course... but in the end it was Ubbe and Rudy and myself that were making Alice." "I feel as if that story is drawn in my own blood." "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering do you have a typewriter?" "Damn!" "Ah, damn!" "Ahhh." "I have never been good at using these things." "May I?" "Yes, please." "Okay, now... just talk at a normal pace... and tell me what you want to say." "I haven't said anything yet." "I know our address." "Right." "Okay... go." "Okay." "Dear Miss Winkler..." "This is to inform you that I am no longer with Laugh-O-Gram Films." "I'm starting a studio in Los Angeles... for the purpose of producing a novel series of animations... that I have previously written you about." "In the past, all animations combining live actors have been produced in an amateur manner... with animators doing the acting, photographing, etc." "It is my intention to employ only trained and experienced people." "Good." "The first picture of this new idea, which I have just completed... was made in Kansas City under big difficulties." "I would appreciate an interview with your representative here... that I may screen several comedies and explain my new idea." "Sincerely" "What on earth is going on here?" "Oh, well, Walt is just writing a letter to a very prestigious animation studio... in New York asking for an interview." "Animation?" "Hm." "Walt, why do you keep playing around with this fairytale?" "Robert!" "Why don't you go out and get yourself a real job?" "Please, Robert!" "Well, it's just foolishness, Charlotte, for God sakes." "Don't let him discourage you, Walt." "Here, I think the letter is finished." "Thank you." "Let me go tend to Robert." "Oh, one more thing, um... since you don't park your car in the garage... do you mind if I use it?" "WALT I had a dream and I was determined to make my dream come true." "Similar to my father, Uncle Robert never thought I could make a living drawing pictures." "Despite his constant disapproval..." "Aunt Charlotte convinced him to loan me $500." "I purchased an old dilapidated Pathe camera for $200... and I set out to finish the Alice reel." "Why are you clapping?" "I'm sorry Mrs. Winkler, but that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." "I've never seen anything like that before." "Then why did you stop clapping?" "What do you think, dear?" "Well, it's no Felix the Cat, but it's-- it's wonderful." "Who made it?" "Walt Disney... a young chap from Kansas City, who just moved to California." "I just sent him a letter commissioning 12 more just like that." "Looking forward to meeting him." "So am I." "Oh, ah, when did this come in?" "Ah, this morning, but you got in so late last night..." "I thought it best not to wake you." "Roy!" "Excuse me, sir, but it's far too late to be visiting." "What-- what are you doing here?" "M.J. Winkler." "Who-- what?" "I, uh" "Felix the Cat, Out of the Inkwell?" "Nurse, can I just talk with my brother for one minute, please?" "All right, you two, but please make it a quick minute." "I have a contract to do Alice comedies for M.J. Winkler." "Well, congratulations." "I finally figured out what I was doing wrong in Kansas City." "I'm crazy about animation, but I spent so much time doing the business... that it cut part of the creative side out of me." "I can't do it by myself." "I need someone that I can trust." "I need someone who knows finance." "Oh, no, no, Walt, no." "No, absolutely not, I-- I'm not well enough." "I" "And you never will get well if you're stuck in here." "What, are you a doctor now?" "Think about it, Roy, you're here around sick people every day." "And you have nothing to do but think about being sick." "What if-- what if you were busy?" "Come on, you could be with family, making money." "I'd say it's worth a shot." "You should have gone into sales, kid." "You're a natural." "So, you'll do it?" "On one condition." "What's that?" "You need to be straight with me on everything." "I need to know what's going on, no matter how small you might think it is." "It's a deal." "I'm not finished." "I won't ask you to hire Edna... but I need you to steer clear of any office romance." "I've already decided that I won't marry until I've saved $25,000." "Now get out of here before someone puts you in quarantine." "You know, some of these guys are contagious." "I'll get the whole team back together." "Ubbe, Rudy, everyone." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Mr. Disney, your brother will need his rest now." "Yeah, I'll see you soon, Roy." "Good to see you, my friend." "Good to see you, still smoking those cheap cigarettes?" "We have a lot to catch up on." "I bet." "Look at the size of this room." "Look how large it is." "Tall ceilings, lots of space for desks... perfect for your workshop." "There's certainly enough space to swing a cat in." "And it's only $5 a month, and we'll throw the desk in on top of that." "Sounds great." "You think about it, we'll walk outside and you let us know." "Okay." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Thanks." "Yeah, I think this will work." "Get the equipment in here." "And ah, oh, ah, I forgot to let you know that Rudy and Hugh... said yes, so they're going to be coming out." "And Fred?" "Well, you know, you invite one guy and you invite them all, right?" "Unless they're still angry with me." "Probably." "Well, we'll see what happens." "But, even if everybody says yes... we're still going to need more animators." "Just remember we have a budget, Walt." "Any new animators you take on will have to work for less than the normal wage." "Who's going to do that?" "Women." "Roy Disney." "Edna, it's true." "You just got the right to vote, women need jobs." "He's right, Edna, women are detail oriented... they can ink and paint." "Women are the ones that go to the shows... so if they like it, then the men will go, too." "Well, you can rest assured, I won't be working here." "We've already discussed that, honey." "But I will be here often." "So now what, Dis?" "Dis?" "What am I, Dis" "I am the ultimate Dis." "Roy!" "He is still recovering!" "I can take this rapscallion any day." "Well, now that Ubbe is here, my drawing days are over." "I think I'm going to focus on writing, directing and producing." "Are you sure, kid?" "Well, Ubbe's the talented one, he's a better animator than I am... and one of the most loyal guys I know." "Thanks, Dis." "All right!" "Let's go find us an Alice." "Okay, let's get started." "Hi, I'm Walt." "Now, who is up first?" "Go on, get up there." "Get up there." "No!" "She's just a little shy, that's all." "And what is your name?" "William." "Thank you, next." "Ah, I told you to use your girl's voice." "Come on." "Hi, my name is Tina, I'm so excited to be here." "I prepared a little dance for you." "Ah, we'll let you know." "Ah, excuse me, aren't you a little too tall to be playing Alice?" "I think I have a better idea." "I need my original Alice." "Yeah, bring that flat." "Where to?" "Make a little set." "Yeah." "Yeah, we can set some things over there." "All right, Virginia, are you ready?" "Okay, great, now look over at Hugh, all right... now you see something very, very far away behind him." "You're not sure what it is, but it makes you smile." "Now wave "hi" to it." "All right, now you see that it's a very, very big bear." "All right, now duck down." "Okay now-- now right behind you in the barrel, a bunny rabbit pops out." "Yeah, that's right, you can pet it." "Yeah, good." "Okay, now you turn back to that bear and you say..." ""No, no, no, you can't come over here."" "Now jump up and down like you mean it." "Great, that's a cut." "Ladies, can we help you?" "I'm here about the job, to help with ink and paint." "Oh yes, yes, come in." "All right." "What is your name?" "Lillian Bounds... here, it says so on my resume." "Oh." "What are you doing?" "I'm getting a chair for Miss Bounds." "This is an interview, not a date." "Ah, and your name, Miss?" "Oh, ah, Bridgit, but I'm not here to interview..." "I'm just accompanying Miss Bounds." "Oh, I see." "Ah, have you ever worked before?" "Sir, I know where you're going with this." "I am willing to do whatever it takes, I am a dedicated person." "In Idaho, I learned that there is no substitute for hard work." "Idaho has great potatoes." "Wonderful." "Well, it's $10 a week, so you can start tomorrow." "I can't work for less than $12." "Well, then $12 it is." "What about you, Miss Bridgit, we could use an extra hand." "Oh, I don't know." "She'd love a job." "Wonderful." "Congratulations, welcome to the team." "Thank you." "Okay, let's rehearse this one more time." "So you're out of tea and you're looking out into the distance... and then you see land and you point... and then a bunch of fish jump onto the boat all around you." "Okay?" "Okay." "All right." "Okay, so we have just enough film in the camera for one more take." "So... no pressure." "Okay, let's see the ocean move." "Go ahead and roll it, Fred." "And action." "We were very pleased." "Mostly." "With the increasing quality of the Alice series." "Of course, much work remains to be done." "Much, very much." "Well, the problem still remains that we're spending as much as we make." "More tea, dear?" "Yes, I'd love some." "I find tea relaxes the mind." "It's very useful in discussing business, don't you think?" "Problem is" "The problem is we pay you up front... that we don't realize a profit for at least six months." "But whatever that profit is, you keep it." "Press has been good, there are other distributors." "Yeah, let's not yell fire just yet." "Actually, when we took on Alice..." "I was forced to put in a copyright." "How do you" "We pay you for the originals, it's a sale." "We own the originals." "We make the prints and the negatives, and lease them." "The copyright protects us, not you." "Excuse me." "Walt takes great pride in his work." "He spends every waking minute thinking of ways to make it better." "I don't suppose it could have ever occurred to him that someone else could own that?" "If you don't mind, I'll go join my brother." "It's better when they're emotional." "We will always take the prize." "Walt..." "Walt!" "Dear Mr. Mintz, by this time you have no doubt screened" ""Alice Cans the Cannibals"... and in this subject, we have endeavored to do nothing but gags." "The story is one gag after another... and you will notice that the quality of the picture" "Walt, can you slow down." "I can't slow down." "But I don't have it all yet." "Okay, well what do you have so far?" "Dear Mr. Mintz, you have no doubt-- something about gags?" "That's all you've written?" "That's it." "You are a terrible secretary." "Thank you for driving me." "Of course... any time." "They're waiting for me." "Well, they're not going anywhere, are they?" "Stay and talk with me for a while." "Tell me more about yourself." "I had thought that I'd be going back to Idaho some day." "And my sister told me about the job." "And Bridgit is your sister?" "No, Bridgit's my friend." "When you step out of the office, you just forget everything." "You do that to me." "It's a beautiful night." "It sure is." "Lily, can I ask you for a favor?" "Anything, Walt." "Have you cashed your check yet?" "No, I haven't." "Well, ah... do you mind holding off for a little while?" "Of course..." "is everything all right?" "Yes!" "Just a little rough patch." "Everything will be back to normal in a week." "You're such a hard worker, you never take a break." "You learned in Idaho that there's no substitute for hard work." "I learned that from my father." "He sounds like a wise man." "Well, he does know the value of hard work." "Right before I was born, he worked as a carpenter... on the World's Fair buildings for a dollar a day." "Somehow out of that, he and my mother saved enough to go into business together." "I don't know how they did it, but eventually he moved to Chicago as a contractor... so my mother would draw up the plans and my father would build the houses." "They were a real team." "My father always wanted to get back to the farm... so he took what he had made and bought a farm in Marceline... 48 acres, beautiful orchard there." "Huh, then my father got sick and we were forced to sell it." "But he never gave up." "He sold that farm and he took the money and we moved to Kansas." "Ever since then..." "I've been trying to chase after my dreams... despite my father's disapproval." "You sound a lot like him." "I'd love to meet him." "Let's see what your family thinks of me first." "I'll wear my best suit." "Disney Brothers." "MINTZ It's Mintz, is Walter available?" "It's urgent." "I'll check." "One moment, please." "Walter?" "What is it?" "There's a Mintz on the phone, he said it's urgent." "What is it now?" "I've got it." "Charles... look, we're very busy here today." "Good, and Walter, look..." "I've just had a chance to finish review of the last Alice animation." "I must say," "I am quite disappointed with you and your team." "Ah, you need a new Alice." "The quality is not presentable." "Well, Charles, I'm sorry to hear that you feel that way." "Virginia has worked for us before." "Well, find somebody else." "Look..." "Walter, I want to help you." "I'm going to be sending my brother-in-law George to join you and your team." "He's an expert." "He's going to teach you... how to deliver the quality the Mintz name demands." "Show him the utmost courtesy." "Charles, this is not a day care." "We run a very tight... operation here." "Walter, I'm not asking." "Good day." "This guy shows no respect." "Okay, please take one step to your left." "Ah, no, your other left." "Okay, great." "Ah, be frightened, there's a bear coming." "Though she has a nice smile." "So, you're happy to be frightened?" "This is getting very expensive." "Yes, I know." "Go ahead and cut." "These lines remind me of "Alice's Day at Sea"." "Yes, and we fixed those, Fred." "That's why we need to fix this... when we put it on film, it's going to be jerky." "Then I guess we won't let you splice anymore." "Or let you direct." "Oh, man." "Said by the man who used to work here." "Good morning." "Hi, Lily... ah, we'll go over my schedule in a minute." "You know, Walt, I think she wants a man, not a boy." "That's true, you know, for a big shot... your face is as clean as a pair of gams." "I could grow a mustache faster than any of you boys." "Look on me, ye peaches and despair." "Well, peach, you're going to have to shave that if you want in." "It'll just be back tomorrow." "What's the pay off, Walt?" "A trip to Tijuana, on company time." "For anyone who beats me." "And the winner gets to be..." "my best man." "What?" "Hey... nice job!" "You better win, even if you have to paste one on." "Roy's wedding was so nice." "And it looked beautiful." "Now at least I can shave." "Why would you?" "You look more... yourself." "Now that you have a place to yourself, are you going to learn how to cook?" "I was hoping that you would do that for me." "Cook?" "Cook, raise children, everything." "Walt Disney, what are you" "We talked about saving for a new car." "I'll let you decide... a new car or a ring?" "You can't ask me that." "Will you be my Mrs. Disney?" "Yes!" "I want to make you the happiest girl in the world." "Yes." "Good day, my name is George Winkler." "I am here to see Mr. Walt Disney." "Come on in." "Hey, Walt, there's a George Winkler here to see you." "Hugh, Hugh, Margaret's brother is here, can you please show him around?" "George, nice to see you again, as you can see we're very busy... so I hope you don't mind if Hugh shows you around." "Great." "Of course." "Good day, George," "I'm Hugh Harmon, one of the ah, lead designers here." "Nice to m" "Nice to meet you." "Mr. Mintz sent me here to help with the quality of the work." "And who is Mr. Mintz?" "You don't know?" "No, I" " I'm sorry, I don't." "He is the one paying for this entire operation." "Oh, Margaret's husband... tell him he needs to pay us more." "Fred, let me show you around the studio." "This is where we design and draw all of our animations and... and that's the inking department." "Very beautiful." "We like a positive work environment." "It keeps us creative." "Well, where will I be working from?" "You can work out of that desk for now." "We've got some deadlines for this week, so... it's probably best if you start with the next Alice drawings." "Let's get back to work, we have deadlines." "Arriba, arriba, andale, andale!" "Yeee!" "He's like a drill sergeant, I like that." "You have no idea." "It's a little tight." "Hey!" "I am sorry." "Might be better if you, ah, just stand." "Yeah, we don't have-- we're short on chairs." "Okay, come down the stairs." "You're going to meet your mother, she's going to take you to the circus." "George chose her?" "Yeah, he thinks he knows comedy." "You see your mother in the distance, and you wave hello to her." "She is wonderful." "You could lighten up a little." "This is a comedy." "How about a smile?" "Have some fun." "You are confusing her." "How about some coffee?" "Okay, why don't you go ahead and cut for now." "That's a cut for now." "We're going to go get you some candy, get you some energy." "It's a great choice, George." "It is very good." "Very good." "I'll be sure to let, uh, your brother-in-law know... that this was-- this was your choice." "You did very good work on the Alice draft." "Thanks, George." "You know, Fred, it wouldn't surprise me... if you had your own studio one day." "Well, I've learned a lot over the years." "It would be great to have my own studio." "But..." "let's keep quiet about that for now." "I won't tell anyone." "If it says Disney Brothers when people call the studio... who do they think is in charge?" "Is that relevant?" "The older one." "Ah, we've been over this, ah, how is that possible, you sign your name on everything." "They have taken my work, they find a way to own everything that I produce... at least let me have my name on the studio." "Is it that important to you?" "Yes... if my name is on the studio, then my name is on the film." "Well, if that's the way you want it to be" "That's the way I want it to be." "WALT I was always focused on making quality pictures." "I suppose that's why we often times went over budget... yet somehow we managed to build our new studio on Hyperion Avenue." "Bigger projects meant that we needed a bigger space." "As you know," "Universal requested drawings for a new character..." "Oswald the Rabbit." "Starting today, we're the animators." "What about Alice?" "We're winding down, so we need a story for Oswald." "What about Easter?" "It's too religious for the first animation." "It will be Easter when it comes out." "And so, he's going to..." "sing hymns?" "Maybe he's a nervous father?" "Yeah." "He's pacing the hallway, stomping his feet." "Good, Hugh, you get it started and then you pass it along to Ubbe." "Walt, I will help Hugh with the first drawing, yes?" "Hugh and Ubbe will know what to do." "Any questions?" "Let's get to work." "Listen kid, I'm excited about Oswald, too... but, right now we really need to focus... on catching up with some of our bills." "We are in the red, Walt." "I mean, we're overpaying all of our animators." "We can't keep going on like this." "We need to reinvest in new animations for the company." "We need new characters for Oswald." "No, no, no." "We don't have money for any new characters." "But we need it, just a few bucks." "A few bucks?" "Please." "Okay, I'll see what I can do, but in the meantime... don't write any more checks until we actually have money in the bank." "I do that to give them hope until we get the funds." "Just make it work, Roy." "Hello, Charles, it's George." "George..." "I haven't heard from you in a while, how is everything going?" "Very well, Charles." "I have been making friends." "You know, Walt and Roy are a very good team... but, I think they are running out of money." "How do you know this?" "Some of the animators have been... complaining about bad checks." "I had to lend one of them money." "Excellent!" "George, well done." "My sister was wrong about you, you are not an idiot." "GEORGE Piss off, Charles." "I pay taxes so people can sleep on the job." "I do not need to pay salary, too." "What?" "If you're going to keep falling asleep, then just go home." "Come back when you're ready to work." "What for?" "Your last check bounced." "Walt, I'm not going to bail you out again." "I'm not the only one around here who feels that way." "Yeah, this is ridiculous." "Is there a problem, Friz?" "Your bad checks are the problem, Walt." "It's the second time this month." "There must be a problem at the bank." "Problem at the bank?" "It's a repeat performance of Kansas City all over again." "I'm tired of it, Walt." "I need the money." "We need the money, Walt." "You know, this is crazy." "Okay, Rudy's right." "I quit." "Walt, I'm with Friz." "My check bounced also." "All the checks are bouncing." "I don't know what's happening." "It's all falling apart." "I feel the rigor mortis setting in." "Walt, you have a lot of people that believe in you." "Don't loose faith." "I can't keep people working on faith." "I don't blame them for leaving." "They just don't have the vision that you have... they don't see what you see." "I don't even see what I see anymore." "I do." "I see a man that fights for what he believes in." "So, you're just going to give up?" "You weren't there in Kansas, Lil." "It was the worst time in my life, and I came out here a failure." "I don't want that to happen again." "You will never be a failure." "You have too much goodness inside of you... that is why we're all here." "If you give up, you're giving up on all of us." "It must be very tiring for you, working all these long hours." "And for so little money." "Perhaps we make better situation for you, huh?" "It's late..." "let's go home." "Charles, there are only one or two left." "It's time to make our move." "What's this?" "It's a letter from Charles Mintz with a deal requesting your presence in New York." "What's wrong?" "I'm not going." "You have to." "Charles can say all he wants to in a wire, but if you're there in person..." "I think maybe he'll back down." "And he'll back down even if I'm not there." "He's nothing without me..." "without us." "You wanted this, remember?" "The marquee says Walt Disney." "It's your responsibility to go and make this right." "Hey, hey!" "You can do this, kid." "All aboard, all aboard." "I am certainly glad that" "I'm not going to New York alone." "Well, I thought this could be like a second honeymoon." "Yes, as long as Charlie comes to his senses... or I'll be forced to find another distributor." "WALT I didn't like the look of the future." "The cartoon business didn't seem to be going anywhere except in circles." "Pictures were kicked out in a hurry and made to a price." "Money was the only object." "I resented that." "Walter, so very nice to see you." "You must be the lovely Lillian..." "George has told me so much about." "Mr. Mintz, pleasure to meet you." "Oh, the pleasure is all mine." "Perhaps you could excuse us for a minute, dear?" "Certainly." "I'll wait for you." "Please." "Thank you." "Have you had a chance to review my offer?" "I have, uh, and there's still a few terms that we need to go over." "Ah, just to insure that we don't sacrifice the quality of the animations." "Ah, what do you have in mind?" "Well, for starters, we need $2,500 per short... and 50 percent of the gross profits." "Walter." "Walter." "Who are we kidding?" "I'm in the business of making money." "Now best I can do is $1,750 and 50 percent of net profits." "Now, I don't want to hear anything else." "I can't accept that offer." "Well, I am sorry, Walter, but I split profits with Universal." "Look, the more I review the numbers, the less I'm inclined to spend." "I suggest you take this offer." "I really wish we could quit fooling around." "Why don't you give me 24 hours?" "24 hours and the deal is off the table." "Fine." "He's got me backed against the corner." "I don't know what else to do." "I don't understand why you need them?" "It's not that simple." "Winkler Pictures is the largest animation studio in the world." "They control everything." "If I had the money, then I would produce the work myself." "Everything would be different." "You'll find the money." "I've already been down that road." "Well, what then?" "I could go directly to the studio... and make a deal with them myself... bypass Winkler." "Will that work?" "It's worth a chance." "I'll go in the morning before I meet with Mintz." "Hey, there's no substitute for hard work." "So, Walter, sit down." "Walter, what do I owe this unexpected visit?" "Well, as you know, we've had great success with the Alice comedies... and now with Oswald the Rabbit." "At this time, we'd like to partner directly with MGM... in order to distribute our future animations." "Walter, we love Oswald... but, everyone in town knows that the rights belong to Mintz... and frankly, we're not going to release another cartoon for the rest of the year." "Mr. Quimby, if you could just give me a chance, we have some great new ideas in the pipeline." "Walter, I am sorry." "Thank you for stopping by." "Thanks for taking the time to see me." "Everyone agrees, it's just not the same." "What are you saying, Fred?" "Ubbe, you know how highly I think of the work you do." "Do you really think there will always be a Walt Disney Studios?" "You of all people know it takes time to get ahead." "Yeah, well, this is different." "Charles and George have made me the new director of animation for their studio." "You?" "One animator is going to do it all?" "Good luck." "Your friends, Hugh and Rudy... they are both already under contract." "Walt and Roy treated you like a family." "We're a team!" "Good luck." "You're a traitor, Fred!" "Don't you forget it!" "Get out, get out!" "So much potential." "Mr. Goldstein, I feel that it's time" "I started working directly with Universal." "We just signed a three-year deal with Mintz." "You know that." "There's little room for us to maneuver with him in there." "But you pay Charles for Oswald." "Isn't there some way you can intervene?" "If you could just hold on for a year." "Hold on?" "Mr. Goldstein, Mr. Laemmle from Universal Studios is on the line." "I was talking with a young animator this morning." "He says anytime he sees something new, something that makes your eyes pop... the Disney name is attached." "Then that should make you realize the part that Disney plays in making Oswald." "Walter, we know the part you play, you are the best." "One year, then we'll talk about a deal directly between Disney and Universal." "You know that I don't have a year!" "MR. QUIMBY Everyone in town knows that the rights belong to Mintz." "MINTZ I'm in the business of making money." "FRIZ Your bad checks are the problem, Walt." "WALT You've ruined my company!" "UNCLE ROBERT Walt, why do you keep playing around with this fairytale?" "GOLDSTEIN I am sorry, thank you for stopping by." "Walter!" "Charles." "I trust you've had a change of heart?" "Do you have the contract?" "Yes." "Now, let's sign it and be done with this." "Do you mind if I take a look at it before I sign?" "Hurry up, I have a meeting to get to." "Wait, am I reading this correctly?" "You want us to assign all rights of ownership of Disney Studios... to Snappy Comedies and you?" "In exchange for what, a $200 a week salary?" "Walter, we are assuming a significant risk by extending the contract." "That's a fair deal." "This is not what we agreed to, Charles." "You have no leverage, Walter." "George has already signed your artists and your designers." "Take the deal or lose everything." "I suppose... it's too much to hope that you would be a man of your word." "My team and I will have nothing to do with you." "What team?" "You don't have a team, and I own the rights to the rabbit." "You're finished." "Go back to Kansas." "I never liked that damned rabbit anyway." "WALT I had made my declaration of independence... and traded security for self-respect." "An artist who wouldn't is a dead mackerel." "I was going to make pictures for quality, not for price." "Tickets please, tickets please?" "Thank you, sir, thank you." "Do you have them?" "Yes." "Maybe you left them in the bag?" "No, no, oh, here they are." "Thank you sir, welcome aboard." "This was delivered to the hotel." "Oh, yes, I've already seen this." "What you running from, son?" "My Poppa is mad at me again." "Yeah?" "Ah, been drawing them chickens again?" "Pretty horse, isn't it?" "I'll tell you what, Walt." "I will pay you a nickel to draw my Rupert here." "Would you like that?" "Really?" "Yes, sir." "I believe in you, Walt, but you got to give me your best... promise?" "This time, why don't you draw it on a pad." "Here." "Walt, just tell me everything's going to be okay?" "I am never going to work for anyone as long as I live." "I'm going to be my own boss." "Why don't you tell Roy about what happened?" "It doesn't matter." "We're going to do things our own way." "WALT I needed a new character." "Someone who represented those same ideals... and I needed the right people to make the dream a reality." "I got it..." "Mortimer the Mouse." "He goes on adventures;" "he's innocent and trustworthy." "He's very well intentioned." "He's friendly to all and he believes that the world... can be a better place with happiness and joy." "Walt, we don't have money for this." "We-- we can't quit now, Roy." "We have to fight for what we believe." "This is just a test." "I wished upon a star and look at what it gave me." "He's adorable." "I think you've got something." "I" " I know you can do something with this Ubbe... just don't show it to anyone unless we know that we can trust them." "I" " I hope you're right on this one, kid." "Let's get to work." "I don't like the name Mortimer." "What?" "Why not?" "It's too depressing." "We need something happy and friendly." "How about Murphy?" "Marty?" "Marty?" "Mickey?" "Mikey?" "Mickey!" "Mickey." "Mickey..." "Mouse." "Mickey, Mickey, that actually sounds catchy." "Yeah, it has a nice ring to it." "What do you think, Walt?" "I hope he has a girlfriend." "Mickey... that's it." "WALT All the adversity I've had in my life... all my troubles and obstacles have strengthened me." "You may not realize it when it happens... but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."