walt disney hyperion studio

Walt Disney and Staff at the Hyperion Studio

Today, The Walt Disney Company has more than 180,000 employees, but in 1931 the number of Disney employees totaled a little over 100, making an all-employee a bit more attainable. Also featured in this group shot is the Spanish-style building near the corner of Hyperion Avenue and Griffith Park Boulevard, then home to the Walt …

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walt disney recording

Walt Disney and Clarence Nash doing VO

In a truly rare 1940s shot—animation recording sessions were hardly ever photographed—Walt Disney teams up Disney Legend Clarence “Ducky” Nash as they voice Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, respectively.

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walt disney schoolchildren

Walt Visits Schoolchildren in Uruguay

Walt Disney sits amidst schoolchildren and orphans for whom he arranged a screening of Disney films during his 1941 South American tour. It’s believed that this photo was taken in the Trocadero Theatre in Montevideo, Uruguay, during a showing of Dumbo.

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walt disney penguins

Walt and Penguins

One year after producing the Silly Symphony Peculiar Penguins (1934), Walt Disney meets up with the real thing as he visited the penguin pool at the London Zoo on June 13, 1935.

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the happiest millionaire

Tommy Steele Dancing with George the Alligator

Broadway star Tommy Steele dances with George the alligator in Walt Disney’s The Happiest Millionaire (1967) during a reprise of the show-opening “Fortuosity.” The trainer assured Tommy it was safe but even so he put in plenty of practice with the gator, whose real name was Lunkhead.

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20000 leagues under the sea set

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Giant Squid Set

Walt Disney needed a wider cinematic canvas for his big-budget, action-adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) so in addition to filming this live-action epic in the newly-developed CinemaScope® process, Walt constructed a huge new sound stage on his studio lot. Stage 3 included a massive indoor tank—perfect for filming the thrilling giant squid battle.

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submarine lagoon surfers

Surfers at Submarine Lagoon in Disneyland

Some sweet beach gear was given away as prizes as part of the April 1963 Spring Fling event at Disneyland Park—so naturally, California college students Carla Calhoun and Tim Tilman had to try out the surfboards in the Tomorrowland Submarine Lagoon, despite the lack of surf. Other prizes included water skiing and skin diving equipment …

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marc and alice davis

Marc and Alice Davis with Pirates Auctioneer

In 1992, Disney Legends Marc Davis and Alice Davis celebrated the 25th anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park. Marc (story and character concepts) and Alice (designed and crafted the hundreds of costumes) were major creative forces on this classic attraction, making it a pirate’s life for these revered husband-and-wife Imagineers.

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walt and oscars

Walt Disney and his Big Night at the Oscars®

Walt Disney won an armload of Academy Awards® one unforgettable Hollywood night. On March 25, 1954, Walt won Oscars for the films The Living Desert, Bear Country, The Alaskan Eskimo, and the cartoon short Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom. This one-night jackpot added four to Walt’s overall Oscar score; with 32 golden statuettes to his …

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