'Curiosity keeps leading us down the path'

 

“Life is composed of lights andshadows and we would be untruthful, insincere and saccharine if we tried topretend there were no shadows. We keep moving forward, opening new doors anddoing new things, because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us downnew paths.” – Walt Disney

 

Before there was Bugs Bunny or RogerRabbit or any other animated “rabbit” character,  Disney -- born on this date in1901 -- created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  Praised as “exceptionally clever,” Oswald washugely popular and had a high merchandise tie-in performance.

 

As Oswald’s popularity continued tosoar, Disney decided he’d like a little largershare of the profits. But instead of giving him more, the powers that be in theNew York advertising world proposed reducing his amount and threatening to takeaway the rights to Oswald if the animator did not agree.  He did not and he lost Oswald.  Fortunately for the rest of the world and for posterity, that resulted in Disneyturning to a new creation – a little mouse named Mickey.

 

Mickey Mouse also talked andbeginning in 1927, the year of Mickey’s arrival on the scene, an entertainmentempire was formed.  As for Oswald, he fadedfrom the scene once Disney left him behind.

 

While he was a terrific writer in his own right, Disney hadan uncanny ability to recognize and adapt others’ writing into the many movieshis new studio produced.  By the time ofhis death, at the relatively young age of 65, Disney had won 22 Academy Awards(nominated an astounding 59 times) and 4 honorary Academy Awards for hiswork.  He also won 7 Emmys for histelevision productions.

 

“All our dreams can come true,”Disney said, “if we have the courage to pursue them.”

@font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}