Chronology of the Walt Disney Company

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References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.


1940

February 7
  • RKO Radio Pictures world premieres Disney's second animated feature film, Pinocchio, at the Central Theatre in New York. The film cost US$2.6 million to make. The film is based on the story by Carlo Lorenzini. [1] [6] [7] [8] [11] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [22] [23] [24] [34.117] [42.1663] [49.258] [92.80] [97.145] [190.26] [191] [228.388] [230.31] [249.27] [370.32] [1073.48] [1102.327] (February 8 [81])
February 9
  • The film Pinocchio opens in Los Angeles theaters. [42.1663]
February 12
  • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film The Pointer for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons. [39.386]
  • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film The Ugly Duckling for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons. [39.386]
February
  • Western Publishing (Dell Publishing Company) produces Dell Color Comics comic book #4, featuring Donald Duck. [75] [113.151,330]
February 23
  • RKO Radio Pictures releases the film Pinocchio to theaters. [16] [42.1663] [370.32] (February 7 [230.31] [250.98] [325.73])
February 24
  • Frances Langford records "When You Wish Upon a Star" on Decca Records during a session in Los Angeles. [1357]
February 29
  • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards an Oscar (Short Subjects, Cartoons) to Disney for the film The Ugly Duckling. [13] [16] [23] [38.98] [39.386]
March 11
  • Walt Disney signs a seven-year contract with the Disney studio at US$2000 per week. [1102.329]
March 15
  • The Donald Duck film The Riveter is released to theaters. [16] [23] [501.472]
March
  • The Disney studio and Samuel Goldwyn, Inc. begin informal work on a collaborative film about the life of Hans Christian Andersen. Disney's studio would animate the fairy tales, and Goldwyn would produce the live-action sequences. [176.76]
April 2
  • Walt Disney Productions first offers shares in the company to the public. 155,000 shares of preferred stock are offered at US$25 per share, and 600,000 of common stock for US$5 per share. US$3.5 million is raised from the stock offering. [23] [24] [48.164] [267.140] [501.524] (US$4 million [34.117]) (US$8 million [40.192]) (April 1 [1102.331])
April 5
  • The Donald Duck film Donald's Dog Laundry is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [228.147]
April 26
  • The Mickey Mouse film Tugboat Mickey is released to theaters. Donald Duck and Goofy also appear. [16] [23] [501.574]
May 6
  • Walt Disney Studios completes its move to Burbank, California. [22] [49.257] [92.83] [113.186] [228.248] [939.4]
May 17
  • The Donald Duck film Bill Posters is released to theaters. Goofy also appears. [16] [23] (Billposters [1378.79])

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June 7
  • The Donald Duck film Mr. Duck Steps Out is released to theaters. Daisy Duck (first time with that name) and Huey, Dewey, and Louie also appear. [16] [23] [113.210] [228.336] [1248.43]
June 19
  • The "Mickey Mouse" comic strip is published containing a small swastika in the last panel of the strip. [34.149]
June 28
  • Disney's first Pluto film, Bone Trouble, is released to theaters. Butch, the bulldog, debuts. [16] [23] [113.210] [1378.88]
(month unknown)
  • The "Dell Black and White Comics" comic book "Donald Duck" is first published. [113.330]
  • Ub Iwerks returns to work at the Disney Studios, as head of the technical research division. [229.40] [38.114] [96.10]
  • The Disney Studios' debt reaches US$4.5 million. [23]
  • A compilation of six short films, La Grande Parade de Walt Disney, is released in France. [23]
  • Thelma Boardman takes over from Marcellite Garner as the voice of Minnie Mouse. [96.35]
  • Irving Ludwig joins the Disney company. (He manages the road show arrangements of the film Fantasia, later becoming president of the Buena Vista Distribution Company. He is named a Disney Legend in 1993.) [228.298]
July 6
  • Walt Disney shows a reel of Bambi to Bank of America executives. [1102.338]
July
  • The film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is re-released in theaters in Canada and the US, under the title The Walt Disney Festival, together with four animated short films. [177.72]
July 19
  • The Donald Duck film Put-Put Troubles is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [228.403]
August 9
  • The Donald Duck film Donald's Vacation is released to theaters. [16] [23] [228.148]
August 30
  • The Pluto film Pluto's Dream House is released to theaters. Mickey Mouse also appears. [16] [23] [82.9] [228.393]
September 1
  • Disney delivers the animated film The Volunteer Worker to the Community Chests and Councils, Incorporated. Donald Duck appears in the film. [23] [501.589]
September
  • The last issue of the third Mickey Mouse Magazine is published. [113.145,151,328] [1378.148]
  • A fourth Mickey Mouse Magazine is published in the US, consisting mostly of comic strips. (It lasts for only four issues.) [650.50]
September 20
  • The Donald Duck film Window Cleaners is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [501.614]
October 12
  • Walt shows Igor Stravinsky the finished film of Fantasia. [35.117] [1102.344]
October
  • Dell Publishing Company begins publishing Walt Disney's Comics and Stories in the US. [75] [113.145,151] [501.597] [1378.148]
October 23
  • Igor Stravinsky sells the film rights to Disney for "Renard", "Fireworks", and "The Firebird". [35.117] [1102.345]
November 1
  • The Mickey Mouse film Mr. Mouse takes a Trip is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [228.336]
November 11
  • Disney completes work on Fantasia. [35.12]
November 13
  • RKO Radio Pictures world premieres Disney's third animated feature film, Fantasia, at New York's Broadway Theater. The film introduces stereophonic sound to motion pictures via a special sound system called Fantasound. The film cost US$2.28 million to make. This is Mickey Mouse' feature film debut, in the segment The Sorcerer's Apprentice. This 10.5 minute segment alone cost US$125,000 to make. [5] [6] [8] [11] [13] [15] [17] [16] [22] [23] [35.9] [37.53] [34.136] [42.609] [49.258] [48.162] [56.216] [81] [92.82] [96.64] [97.156] [113.210] [176.128] [191] [192.105] [234.82] [228.70,173] [267.135] [370.38] [685.29] [911.70] [1073.49] [1102.341] [1378.100]
November 22
  • The Goofy film Goofy's Glider is released to theaters. [16] [23] [228.213]
(month unknown)
  • Disney issues its first Annual Report. [113.328]
December 5
  • The Screen Cartoonists Guild informs Disney it had collected cards from a majority of Disney employees, and would ask for recognition. [1102.357]
December 6
  • Walt Disney asks Art Babbit to reconvene the Cartoonists Federation union. [1102.357]
December 7
  • The Disney studio sends application slips to all employees to join the Cartoonists Federation. [1102.357]
December 13
  • The Donald Duck film Fire Chief is released to theaters. Huey, Dewey, and Louie also appear. [16] [23] [228.185]
December
  • The Los Angeles County Museum puts on an exhibition of Disney's work. The exhibit includes a Disney animator at work, a model of the multi-plane camera, sculptural models of Disney characters, music from Fantasia, and a screen showing 15 minutes of animation excerpts. [221.32]
December 27
  • The Pluto film Pantry Pirate is released to theaters. [16] [15] [23] [228.379] (1941 [16])

End of 1940. Next: 1941.

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1919-1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933
1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943
1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953
1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
2004 2005 2006 2007-2008 2009 2010-2011 2012-end


A list of references to all source material is available.


Last updated: 2023 December 20.
Copyright © 1995-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/disnehis/
Link to Ken P's home page.

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