Growing up with Disney

by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing Consultant

Nothing holds nostalgic appeal quite like a classic Disney film. Families throughout the decades have gathered around their television screens to follow the adventures of timeless characters like Alice and Mickey Mouse. Even the original animations from the 1930s and 40s are still adored with children today. The simplistic artistry of the cartoon style evidently withstands the test of time.

From these hand-drawn days gone by, to the record-smashing live action remakes that have dominated the big screen over the last couple of years, Disney has long been a staple feature in most of our lives. Many of us grew up addicted to the films, whether we were children of the Pixar age, or preferred the nostalgic delights of May Poppins. Disney’s styles and storylines are ever evolving. In this article we will head down memory lane to see how Disney has changed over the years. Join Scotland Stairlifts (providers of stair lifts costs in Fife), as we reminisce about the golden age of Disney…

Classic animated films

When most people think of old school Disney, a classic character comes to mind. Black and white sketches of the iconic Mickey Mouse are about as ‘trademark Disney’ as it gets. The idea of this character was first conceived in 1927, originally under the name of Mortimer Mouse (slightly less catchy). Needless to say, he became an instant success. After a couple of silent short films, 1928 saw the release of the first Mickey cartoon with sounds, Steamboat Willie.

After this breakthrough, Walt Disney productions went from strength to strength. After their first feature length animated film (Snow White in 1937) there was no stopping them. The 1930s and 40s gave us some of the all-time classics including Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942). It’s astonishing to think how popular these films still are with young generations.

The animation style in these early productions was simplistic yet also somehow realistic and relatable. The animators made a point of not going too surreal with the style, as they wanted the audience to really connect with the characters. What’s more, Disney famously believed that children could handle sad and scary themes, providing that the ‘good guys’ would always come up triumphant in the end. That will explain generations of tears over Bambi and Dumbo then…

Live action: round one

The success of the 30s and 40s made it clear that Disney had mastered the animated genre. In the 1950s, live action films then became their next mission. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Old Yeller (1957) were considered great successes, but nothing came close to the 1964 family favourite, Mary Poppins. This film remains one of the most celebrated live action Disney films to-date. So successful in fact, that Disney went so far as to make a film about its very success (Saving Mr. Banks 2013). In total, this film won 20 academy awards, including best actress for leading lady, Julie Andrews. Another genre ticked off for Disney!

Computerized animation and Pixar

The next step was to conquer the modern landscape of computer animation. In 1995, Toy Story changed the face of animated films forever. This marked the new age of computer animation that would pave the way for family favourites such as Finding Nemo (2003), Ratatouille (2007) and WALL∙E (2008). 90s kids grew up with this new form of Disney and watched as the animation became gradually more and more realistic.

The advancement of computer animation also contributed to the success of live-action films like the hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The standard was constantly increasing and Disney (along with Pixar) was pioneering these advancements.

The era of the live action remake

For the last few years live-action remakes of the classics have been the biggest blockbuster successes. Films such as Aladdin (2019) and the Lion King (2019) have both joined the $1 billion club and have achieved world-wide adoration. Even films that haven’t been quite so celebrated like the remake of Dumbo have still done relatively well in the box-office. Clearly, people just can’t resist seeing Disney films on the big screen.

Whether it is a sense of nostalgia that is securing the success of classic remakes, or audiences’ astonishment of new animation standards, Disney has gripped yet another generation. Although there is a lot to be said for the artistry and the animation, perhaps the most important constant is the magic. Stories can transport us to fantastical places, no matter where we’re from and what decade we were born in. Disney knows how to capture an audience and take them on an adventure. Perhaps this is the main reason why most of us grew up loving everything Disney.