Sara Keating: Disney celebrates 100 years of mice and magic with programme of delights
From classic films in cinemas to Julie Taymor’s groundbreaking Lion King at the Bord Gáis, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the centenary of the very American, yet very global, entertainment brand
It is 100 years since Disney Brothers Studios sent their first animated film, Alice’s Wonderland, out to Hollywood distributors, hoping for a theatrical release. The ten-minute short centred on a girl called Alice who visits a cartoon studio where animators, including Walt himself, show her their sketches. That night Alice falls down the rabbit hole of her mind into an animated world, where she is a live creature among cartoons.
Alice’s Wonderland was never released in cinemas. But this short became a calling card for the budding animators at Disney Brothers Studios, which included Walt, his brother Roy and an artist friend called Ub Iwerks. A total of 57 films followed that original template in a series called the Alice Comedies, which kept the signature blend of live action and animated drawings. This has become a hallmark of the studio’s most memorable films since then, from Fantasia to Mary Poppins.
