Milestones of the Walt Disney Company

Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck and Pluto are some of the iconic and famous characters in Walt Disney's collection.

Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Rapunzel and Merdia are some of the Disney Princesses using European heritage.

Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Moana and Raya are some non-European Disney Princesses.

The Fairy Godmother and Tinker Bell are some of the other iconic Disney characters.

Fantasy, imagination and believing in dreams coming true are some of the optimistic philosophies that Walt Disney has often used.

Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball and Wolfgang Reitherman are some iconic and famous members of the Nine Old Men that Walt Disney had forged and named.

Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas are, after Ward Kimball's 2002 death, the last survivors of the iconic Nine Old Men from Disney.

This Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas duo brings emotion to the Disney empire.

With Frank Thomas' death, Ollie Johnston becomes the final survivor of the Nine Old Men team from Disney prior to his 2008 death.

1912 is when Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas were born, with their deaths in the 21st century.

December 14, 2017 was when the Walt Disney Company announced that it would merge with the 21st Century Fox media empire, completed fifteen months later, nearly 9 months before 2020.

Having been a rival to the Walt Disney Company since June 2013, 21st Century Fox's outlets included 20th Century-Fox, the Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox News Channel.

Spun off from News Corporation, which Australian-born American businessman Rupert Murdoch had owned for years, 21st Century Fox focused on film and television.

Assets not acquired by Disney were spun off into a new independent entity called Fox Corporation.

Marilyn Monroe, who mainly worked at 20th Century-Fox, is another iconic and world-famous popular culture icon, besides Walt Disney.

This Disney-Fox merger, announced on December 14, 2017, creates a unique contrast between Disney's traditional magical approach and Marilyn Monroe's sex figure status.

Yet, the Disney-Fox merger did place Marilyn Monroe's Fox film catalog under the Disney umbrella.

Authentic Brands Group, a company founded in 2010 by Canadian businessman Jamie Salter, earns the rights of Marilyn Monroe's name, image and likeness since the early-2010's.

Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn and Tim Heintz are Disney songwriters, creating songs for its television series and direct-to-video films.

Beyond Western markets, Walt Disney's company is likewise a global symbol, whose skills have left a mark on lovers, especially in Asia and in post-reform markets.

Like Marilyn Monroe, fans beyond Western markets appreciate the Disney influences.

Fred Moore's female characters have a controversially sexy look and feel, juxtaposing innocent Disney entertainment with overt sexuality.

Some female characters in animation that Iwao Takamoto had created/refined are fashionistas.

Initially, the Disney empire made short films.

December 21, 1937 is when the Disney empire released the first animated feature film being made in celluloid and produced in full colour/sound in America.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney) puts animation on the map of a feature film.

The iconic and world-famous English misquotation in the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs story is simply "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?," often used in pop culture.

Conversely, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney) utilizes "Magic mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?"

Likewise, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has the iconic and world-famous Disney crying pose, a visual aesthetic for delivering sobs and cries, but also conveying soul and emotion.

Doing the voiceover for the title character in Disney's 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs film is Adriana Caselotti.

Besides, in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney), the Evil Queen drinks a potion, known as the Peddler's Disguise, to become a haggard woman.

In the 13 years since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney) had its general American release in December 1937, the Disney empire had breakdowns, mirroring the tears of a crying princess.

March 4, 1950 is when Cinderella (Disney) made its general American release.

The March 4, 1950 release of the iconic Cinderella film from Disney is just 89 days prior to iconic sex figure Marilyn Monroe's completion of her second zodiac cycle since her June 1, 1926 birth.

Voicing the eponymous character in Cinderella (Disney) is Ilene Woods, who was a young girl born on May 5, 1929 (Cinco de Mayo).

Successful with critics and at the box office, Cinderella (Disney) saved this Disney empire from going bankrupt, mirroring the tears of a crying princess being wiped away.

With her being scared in the forest, Snow White (Disney) collapses in tears, comforted by animals.

Eating the apple puts Snow White (Disney) in a death-like slumber.

Later, the dwarfs and animals mourn around Snow White (Disney) in a death-like slumber caused by a cursed apple being eaten by her, with rainy weather outside a cottage, conveying soul and emotion.

True love's first kiss awakens Snow White (Disney) from a slumber.

After her stepsisters forcefully and violently rip her dress apart, watched by her stepmother, Cinderella (Disney) flees to the garden and collapses across a stone bench.

When the door is locked by her stepmother, Cinderella (Disney) cries, pleading for her release.

Through Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney) and Cinderella (Disney), Disney bridges the gap between stylized animation and raw, genuine and soulful human emotion.

Respectively, both Snow White and Cinderella are soulful and emotional Disney princesses.

Sleeping Beauty (Disney) is also one of the best and greatest Disney films ever.

In Sleeping Beauty (Disney), Princess Aurora, initially an infant, grows to become a sixteen-year-old teenage girl under the name Briar Rose.

Maleficent is a woman who places a curse on Princess Aurora.

Plus, soul and emotion mark Sleeping Beauty (Disney).

When she believes she can never see a prince, as her true identity is revealed by the 3 fairies, Princess Aurora flees to the bed in tears, similar to Cinderella tearfully fleeing to the garden.

Likewise, by pricking her finger on Maleficent's spinning wheel, Princess Aurora falls asleep.

For Aurora, her sleep after pricking her finger on the wheel is just like Snow White (Disney) doing the same after being tricked into eating a poisoned apple.

Just like Snow White (Disney), true love's first kiss awakens Princess Aurora from a slumber.

Upon its initial release, Sleeping Beauty (Disney) fails at the box office and costs high.

As a matter of fact, for Sleeping Beauty (Disney), upon its initial release, its box-office failure puts the Disney Princess franchise on a hiatus that lasted 30 years.

Voincing Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (Disney) is Mary Costa.

For Sleeping Beauty (Disney), its box-office failure mirrors Aurora's finger prick on the wheel.

Besides, Sleeping Beauty (Disney), whose failed box-office performance had put this Disney Princess franchise on a 30-year slumber, mirrors Aurora's sleep.

Subsequent theatrical and home media re-releases of the iconic Sleeping Beauty (Disney) film mirrors Princess Aurora being awakened from a long slumber via true love's first kiss.

Helene Stanley is the main live-action model for iconic and world-famous female Disney characters.

Unconfined to the Disney ecosystem, Helene Stanley also appears in The Asphalt Jungle (1950), which features Marilyn Monroe, released the same year as Cinderella (Disney).

Cinderella and Princess Aurora are noted Disney princesses using Helene Stanley as a live model.

For The Asphalt Jungle, May 12, 1950 is its release date, which is after Cinderella (Disney).

Another film in the 1950's decade that involves both Marilyn Monroe and Helene Stanley is We're Not Married!, written and produced by Nunnally Johnson.

The Little Mermaid (Disney) is a 1989 film that starts the Disney Renaissance.

Like true love's first kiss awakens both Snow White and Aurora from a death-like slumber, The Little Mermaid (Disney) also does the same for the Disney Princess franchise.

In The Little Mermaid (Disney), Ariel is a young, modern, rebellious, fiercely independent, soulful and emotional Disney princess in the form of a sixteen-year-old teenage girl.

So far, Ariel is a teenage Disney princess with charisma, charm, soul and emotion.

Furthermore, in The Little Mermaid (Disney), Ariel trades her speaking/singing voice to the sea witch Ursula in exchange for human legs.

Some of the key inspirations for Ariel in The Little Mermaid (Disney) include Alyssa Milano (in facial features), Christie Brinkley/Christina Applegate (in hair) and Sherri Stoner (in physical moves).

Besides, Sally Ride is a model for Ariel's underwater hair moves in The Little Mermaid (Disney).

Voicing Ariel in The Little Mermaid (Disney) is Jodi Benson, whose full name upon her October 1961 birth is Jodi Marie Marzorati.

Jodi Benson is also involved in a musical about iconic sex symbol Marilyn Monroe.

Marilyn Monroe, in turn, indirectly inspires Ariel in The Little Mermaid (Disney).

Unlike the three original Disney Princesses comprising Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora, Ariel has a youthful, modern, rebellious, fiercely and independent teenage twist.

Plus, soul and emotion mark The Little Mermaid (Disney).

Water is a powerful visual metaphor for the emotions and souls of the characters involved in The Little Mermaid (Disney), including Ariel.

Ariel's grotto is destroyed by her father, in response to her saving the human prince.

Due to her grotto being destroyed by her father, Ariel (in her mermaid form) collapses in tears.

In addition, The Little Mermaid (Disney).has Ariel (in her human form) taking a bubble bath, feeling soulful and emotional with charisma, similar to Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch.

Furthermore, Ariel (in her human form) discovers that the prince is getting married to Ursula's human version named Vanessa, causing her to flee in tears like Cinderella and Aurora.

While seeing the wedding ship sailing off, Ariel collapses in tears clutching a wooden pier.

In 1954, Walt Disney entered the nascent television industry, becoming the first major Hollywood film producer to do so.

Before Walt Disney, many film studio heads made television a threat to the film industry.

However, Walt Disney turned television into an opportunity to directly reach audiences (and to fund his ambitious projects), proving that it may complement, not compete against, film.

For Walt Disney, he pioneered the synergy model that uses his television spots to take a look behind the scenes at upcoming movies and progress reports on theme parks.

Due to the huge success of his own Disneyland television series, Walt Disney built his own theme park located in Anaheim, which was also known as Disneyland.

Plus, due to the success of his own Disneyland series, Walt Disney created the Mickey Mouse Club.

Annette Funicello is the breakout star and the most famous cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club version.

Tall Paul, performed by Annette Funicello, peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

For Annette Funicello, her Tall Paul tune is the first in the rock music scene by a female solo vocalist to score a top ten hit during the Hot 100 era.

Plus, Tall Paul by Annette Funicello bridged the gap between Disney and rock music.

Due to the soft-spoken voice of Annette Funicello, her producer Tutti Camarata used a double-tracking technique to create the fuller rock sound.

Annette Funicello is the blueprint for the modern career path from Disney to pop music.

University High School, where Marilyn Monroe briefly attended before dropping out to marry James Dougherty in June 1942, is also where Annette Funicello graduated in 1960.

1942 is a year when Marilyn Monroe left high school and when Annette Funicello was born.

Besides, Charles Wolcott is another rock music pioneer associated with Disney.

Though he did not work at Disney directly, Charles Wolcott did introduce the rhythm & blues-rooted rock music genre to the mainstream through Blackboard Jungle.

For Blackboard Jungle, Charles Wolcott made the revolutionary decision to include Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets over its opening credits.

Disney aside, Louis Prima is also one of the individuals who popularized the jump blues genre.

Big-band/swing music declined after WWII, so Louis Prima stripped down the orchestral sound into a smaller, hard-hitting combo that is jump blues, directly evolving into rock music.

101 Dalmatians (1961), released 6 years just prior to The Jungle Book, features a bluesy tune named Cruella De Vil by Mel Leven.

Mel Leven, besides Disney, works with Peggy Lee and the Andrews Sisters.

Peggy Lee's own cover version of the rhythm & blues tune Fever, co-written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell for Little Willie John, is her signature tune.

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by the Andrews Sisters is an early example of the jump blues genre.

As for her Disney work, Peggy Lee is in Lady and the Tramp.

Charles Wolcott is also a rock music pioneer associated with Disney.

Though he didn't work at Disney directly, Charles Wolcott introduced the rhythm & blues-rooted rock music genre to the mainstream through Blackboard Jungle.

For Blackboard Jungle, Charles Wolcott made the revolutionary decision to include Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets over its opening credits.

Annette Funicello, Peggy Lee, Charles Wolcott, Mel Leven and Louis Prima are some individuals who juxtapose Disney with rhythm & blues/rock/soul music.

The framework being pioneered by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, both inspired by the earlier's honorary aunt Aretha Franklin, influence Disney music with soul.

Disney pioneered the concept of having a commercial pop music star in the end-credits iteration of an animated film theme via Celine Dion.

However, Whitney Houston's film soundtracks proved that film scores can dominate the pop charts.

Competing against the Disney Renaissance, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, both inspired by the earlier's honorary aunt Aretha Franklin, worked in a duet for a film made by Disney's rival.