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Walt's drive to perfect the art of animation was tireless. Technicolor
was introduced to animation during the production of his "Silly
Symphonies." In 1932, the film "Flowers and Trees" won Walt the
first of his 32 personal Academy Awards®. In 1937, he released
"The Old Mill," the first short subject to utilize the multiplane
camera technique.
On December 21 of that same year, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,"
the first full-length animated musical feature, premiered at the Carthay
Circle Theater in Los Angeles. Produced at the unheard-of cost of
$1,499,000 during the depths of the Depression, the film is still
considered one of the great feats and imperishable monuments of the
motion picture industry. During the next five years, Walt completed
such other full-length animated classics as "Pinocchio," "Fantasia,"
"Dumbo," and "Bambi."
In 1940, construction was completed on Disney's Burbank studio, and the staff swelled
to more than 1,000 artists, animators, story men, and technicians. During World War II,
94 percent of the Disney facilities were engaged in special government work, including
the production of training and propaganda films for the armed services, as well as
health films that are still shown throughout the world by the U.S. State Department. The
remainder of Disney's efforts were devoted to the production of comedy short subjects,
deemed essential to civilian and military morale.
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