Walt Disney

Part One (1901-1941) explores the complex life and enduring legacy of Walt Disney, from his early days creating Mickey Mouse through the triumph of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full-length animated film. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 & 15 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

For a young Walt Disney, Marceline, MO provided the setting for a brief, idyllic childhood. But just five years after settling in the small town, Elias Disney announced that the family was moving back to the city. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 and 15 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Walt Disney was aware of the gap between himself and the persona he had created for public consumption. He told himself he was just the same regular guy that he had always been -- driving himself to the office everyday, getting his hair cut at the studio barber shop -- but the truth was, he wasn't just a regular guy. "Walt Disney" premieres Sept. 14 & 15 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

Walt Disney's "Bambi" was released in August of 1942 and stood out as the most ambitious feature-length film in the history of the studio. In the film, Disney was striving to capture the natural world in all its beauty and peril, but most viewers remember one striking scene: the death of Bambi's mother. "Walt Disney" premieres Sept. 14 & 15 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

After Walt Disney's distributor failed to pay, Disney had to come up with something "new and clever in animated cartoons" to save his Laugh-O-grams company. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 & 15 on PBS American Experience.

The premiere of "Steamboat Willie" blows audiences away with its innovative use of sound. Mickey Mouse soon becomes a phenomenon. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 and 15 on PBS American Experience.

One evening, Walt Disney gathered his animators and studio staff together and told them of his newest idea: a feature-length, story-driven animated film called "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 and 15 on PBS American Experience.

What Walt Disney was proposing for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" had never been done before: a feature-length, story-driven, animated film. His brother Roy was skeptical, but Walt insisted that the project would be a success. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 & 15 on PBS American Experience.

In its first year, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" grossed $8 million -- more than any other film before it. Walt Disney was hailed as a true American original, one who had found the balance between art and commerce. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 & 15 on PBS American Experience.

Although he was head of a successful film studio, at home, Walt Disney was just "dad" to his two daughters, Diane and Sharon. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 & 15 on PBS American Experience.

On May 19, 1941 nearly half of Walt Disney's art department walked out to protest the studio. "Walt Disney" premieres September 14 & 15 on PBS American Experience.

Walt Disney created one of the most beloved cartoon characters in history, Mickey Mouse; conceived the first ever feature-length animated film, <i>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</i>; pioneered the integration of media and marketing with thousands of branded products; and conceived Disneyland, the world's first theme park and a three-dimensional realization of his own utopian universe.