Important Disney Items to be Auctioned by Heritage!

February 8th, 2007 Entertainment Important Disney Items to be Auctioned by Heritage!

Dallas, TX: Perhaps no name in history is more associated with magic and entertainment than that of Walter Elias Disney. The creator of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, the guiding force behind The Mickey Mouse Club, and the architect of such legendary parks as Disney World and Epcot Center, "Uncle Walt" has become an icon of American success.

Born December 5, 1901, Walt Disney received his earliest artistic training during night classes at the Chicago Art Institute, but dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to enlist in the Army during World War I. The Army refused Disney's enlistment, due to his age. He joined the Red Cross instead with a bogus birth certificate, forged with his mother's help, that showed him to be 17.

After the war, Disney worked at the Pesmin-Rubin Art Studio in Kansas City, where he met Ub Iwerks, his future collaborator and the co-creator of Mickey Mouse. The two soon formed their own art agency, but a lack of clients forced them to disband the effort shortly thereafter.

Undeterred, Disney set out for Los Angeles with plans to become a film director. Failing to find work in the live-action field, Disney turned to animation, and soon had a distribution deal with a New York agency based on the strength of his first effort, Alice's Wonderland (1923), a creative blend of live action and animation. Emboldened by his success, Disney quickly hired his brother, Roy, to act as his business manager, and urged Virginia Davis - the original star of the Alice shorts - and her family, as well as Iwerks, to relocate to LA. With that, the Disney Brother's Studio was born.

The Alice shorts ran until 1927, when they were replaced by Disney's first cartoon star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a huge success created by Iwerks. As a result of a bad business decision and an unethical financial partner, however, Disney soon discovered that Universal owned all the rights to the now-popular cartoon character, and had surreptitiously hired away almost all of Disney's staff!

As a result of what Disney saw as a near-total catastrophe, Walt and Ub - one of the only staff members to remain loyal to Disney - were forced to come up with a new character to star in their cartoons. The result was a mouse - originally named Mortimer until he was rechristened by Walt's wife, Lillian - who would serve as the lead in the silent animated short, Plane Crazy (1928). Failing to find a distributor for Plane Crazy or its follow-up, The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928), Disney produced a sound short, Steamboat Willie (1928), and the career of the legendary Mickey Mouse was born. An interesting bit of trivia is that Walt himself provided Mickey's voice in the earliest cartoons.

Mickey was an instant sensation and, along with Disney's successful series of Silly Symphonies cartoons, would be the building blocks upon which a vast empire was constructed. The next major achievement for Disney was the creation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated feature, which would become the most successful film of 1938 and one of the most beloved classics of all time.

From that point on, the Disney Empire was unstoppable. Success followed success with such animated classics as Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) - neither of which were outstanding moneymakers at the time, but both of which have become significant parts of the Disney family in the years since - Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942). During World War II, the Disney Studios produced a series of instructional and training films for the Armed Forces, as well as home front propaganda films such as the feature-length Victory Through Air Power (1943) and the short Der Fuehrer's Face (1942).

Disney's greatest legacy would come later, however, with the construction of California's Disneyland. Originally envisioned as a simple park for Disney employees and their children on studio grounds, the concept grew and grew until it became a vast enterprise. Later, Disney World, EPCOT Center, resorts, and parks around the world continued to expand and spread Walt Disney's legacy of magic and entertainment. Disney continued to be personally involved in all phases of his empire until his death from a heart attack on December 15, 1966.

"There's no doubt that Walt Disney is one of the foremost entertainment icons in history," said Doug Norwine, Director of Music and Entertainment Auctions for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. "Not only does he hold the record for most Academy Awards ever won - 22 Oscars and four honorary Awards - but Mickey Mouse is one of the most famous and well-recognized of all fictional characters, and Disney's classic movies and cartoons have been seen by countless people worldwide."

"We're proud to present two important pieces of memorabilia related to this great entertainer in our upcoming auction," Norwine said. "First is Walt's passport, issued to him on August 19, 1965 and used during a trip to London. Boldly signed twice by Walt in sharp blue ink, the passport also contains a wonderful, smiling photo of the great man. Disney signatures are some of the most desirable in the entire field of autograph collecting, and this is one of the nicest specimens one is ever likely to find."

"Also on offer is an item of great historical significance," Norwine continued. "On April 3, 1953, Walt Disney signed a document that would change the face of entertainment for all time. This two-page contract, which precedes the opening of Disneyland by two full years, gives 'the Corporation the right and license to use [Disney's] name for all commercial purposes.' By signing this document, Walt made possible Disneyland, Disney World, the TV shows Walt Disney Presents and The Wonderful World of Disney, and much, much more. This document, also signed boldly in blue ink by Disney, has a value far beyond that of the signature itself. By signing this document, Walt shaped the course of entertainment for years to come."

"Of course, these two incredible items merely scratch the surface of this outstanding event," Norwine said. "I'd invite anyone interested to follow this auction on our website, www.HA.com, where they'll be able to see full-color, enlargeable images of each lot, read our complete and thorough catalog descriptions, and even place their bids online. The opportunity to obtain these iconic items may never come again, so get those bids in now!"

Heritage Auction Galleries will hold their upcoming Music and Entertainment Signature auction on April 14 & 15, 2007, at their headquarters in Dallas, TX.

Walt Disney Passport:
ESTIMATE: $18,000 & up

Walt Disney Signed Contract:
ESTIMATE: $5,000 & up

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of Entertainment, Celebrity or Hollywood memorabilia are invited to www.HA.com and click on the "Sell Now" tab. Or simply email Doug Norwine at DougN@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit www.HA.com to order by email.