The 1941 Walt Disney Animators Strike

The Walt Disney Corporation has such a good family-friendly image.  It really styles itself as an ideal place to work.  We can only imagine that things were even better in Disney’s golden era, when the man himself was still running things.  But that wasn’t always the case; in fact, in 1941 hundreds of Disney animators went on strike. The Business Insider has some fantastic photographs of and other images from the strike, and of the materials the strikers were circulating.  But it’s a bit lacking on the specific details of why animators would go on strike, especially so soon after … Continue reading

Disney Studio Strike, Part 3

Banks continued to pressure Walt, and they suggested that the Studio should limit production to proven moneymakers like short cartoons. This was unthinkable to Walt, and such a course would mean nearly 600 people would have to be laid off. Walt knew that the cartoon industry as it was, couldn’t absorb all of those people, and they would be forced to start all over again. The banks said the other option was to sell out. This would not happen, Walt had fought too long and hard for his Studio’s independence. Walt chose the hard way. Strict budgets were set and … Continue reading