Walt Disney at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Unlike the other studio heads, who saw the new medium of television as the death-knell for movies, Disney embraced it, exploiting it to his advantage. MGM, Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros. and Universal "fought back" by cranking out movies shot in various wide screen formats and color. Disney didn't fight back; he set up a deal with ABC and created "Disneyland." He used the show to get revenue to build his Disneyland theme park. Disney was able to take his classic cartoons out of his vaults and run them on his program for a new generation of audiences. He also created "The Legend of Davy Crockett," "Spin and Marty," "Zorro," and even "The Mickey Mouse Club." Disney would also use his program to promote new feature films in the works, often sharing some behind-the-scenes footage of the film in production, or show such "secrets" to the art of animation, like how the multi-plane animation camera would work. Disney became a household name and his trusting fatherly appearance (like Cronkite's) would win him fans of all ages. Disney would also be one of the first to have a program shot and broadcast in color.
Walt Disney at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Unlike the other studio heads, who saw the new medium of television as the death-knell for movies, Disney embraced it, exploiting it to his advantage. MGM, Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros. and Universal "fought back" by cranking out movies shot in various wide screen formats and color. Disney didn't fight back; he set up a deal with ABC and created "Disneyland." He used the show to get revenue to build his Disneyland theme park. Disney was able to take his classic cartoons out of his vaults and run them on his program for a new generation of audiences. He also created "The Legend of Davy Crockett," "Spin and Marty," "Zorro," and even "The Mickey Mouse Club." Disney would also use his program to promote new feature films in the works, often sharing some behind-the-scenes footage of the film in production, or show such "secrets" to the art of animation, like how the multi-plane animation camera would work. Disney became a household name and his trusting fatherly appearance (like Cronkite's) would win him fans of all ages. Disney would also be one of the first to have a program shot and broadcast in color.