Disney was saved by 'Cinderella,' which brought the company out of debt

Disney chipped away at its debt by creating propaganda during World War II

Disney began producing training videos for the Navy and propaganda films for US involvement in World War II, including the shorts "Der Fuehrer's Face," "The Spirit of '43," and "Donald Gets Drafted." The effort provided a much-needed cash injection, allowing Disney to continue producing films.

Biggest moments that defined Disney

Walt Disney’s first studio went bankrupt, but he and his brother Roy started over in 1923, eventually building an entertainment empire. From "Snow White" to "The Little Mermaid," Disney shaped animation and expanded into TV, theme parks, and major acquisitions like Pixar and Marvel.

‘Fantasia’ initially failed at the box office

After finding success with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Disney set out to prove he could make more sophisticated art. He collaborated with conductor Leopold Stokowski on “Fantasia,” an elaborate animated feature set to classical music that flopped to the tune of $15M and nearly bankrupted Disney’s company.

Disney animators went on strike in 1941, protesting unpaid overtime

Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was a notoriously messy production—exceeding the budget by 400 hours—though it was also a massive success, grossing $75M and establishing Disney as a major Hollywood player. Disney’s animators, though, alleged they weren’t compensated for their overtime.

Walt Disney's 1957 corporate strategy document

From TV to music to amusement parks, Disney is widely regarded as one of the most successful American companies of all time. That's partly because Walt Disney was carefully building a corporate strategy from day one that accounted for the company's publications, merchandise licensing, comic strips, and more. See his 1957 corporate strategy document for yourself (spoiler alert, it's covered in Mickey Mouse illustrations).

What killed the Disney Renaissance

Disney aficionados consider the late 1980s and 1990s to be the Disney Renaissance, a period that found the House of Mouse returning to its roots: animated musicals aimed at children and their families. This in-depth video essay argues that the end of the company’s most popular period was caused by shortsighted business decisions and changing technologies.

Disney movies pulled in over $5B in 2024

2024 was a banner year for Disney, with the global film studio finding success with "Inside Out 2," "Moana 2," and "Deadpool & Wolverine." While Disney has faced criticism for its reliance on sequels, reboots, and offshoots, the 2024 numbers suggest the public is still eager for its content.

Walt Disney's early film 'Alice's Wonderland' was a groundbreaking innovation in the silent film era

Watch Dalí's surreal collaboration with Disney

Production for "Destino," a surreal short by Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney, began in 1945 but stalled when the Walt Disney Company ran into financial trouble due to the commercial failure of "Fantasia" and the economic downturn of World War II. It was finally released in 2003, after Disney animators completed it based on Dalí's original storyboards.

‘Snow White’ was honored by the Oscars two years in a row

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was not only Hollywood’s first full-length animated film—it was also Disney’s first massive hit and, at the time, was the highest-grossing film of all time. The Academy Awards honored the film in 1937 with a nomination for best music, though the film didn’t win the award. The following year, the Academy explicitly acknowledged the film’s unprecedented success with a one-of-a-kind award, a rarity in the Academy’s storied history.

Watch Walt Disney's early innovative film, 'Alice's Wonderland'

This 1923 short, "Alice's Wonderland," was the first volume in what would come to be known as the "Alice Comedies." It features a young girl who ventures into Disney's animated world—a technique that might seem quaint now but was groundbreaking in the silent film era.

In 1945, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and legendary animator Walt Disney began collaborating on a short film that was not completed until 2003, years after both men had died.

Disney’s IP problem, according to industry experts

Disney seems to be an unstoppable force in the entertainment industry, but after an unprecedented high point in 2019, the company began losing money. In this podcast, two industry veterans discuss what they see as Disney's existential problems: an overreliance on preexisting material and an inability to innovate as it once did.

'The Wizard of Oz' flopped in theaters but exploded on TV

The film cost $2.7M to make—$1M more than the average production in 1939, but didn’t recoup it for almost two decades. Its success is mainly due to television. It aired annually from 1956 to 1965 and was watched by more than 49% of all television viewers.

Imagining the memoirs of aging Disney princesses

This resource shares a collection of drawings that humorously imagine the books Disney princesses would write as middle-aged women. See Cinderella’s guide to passive income or Sleeping Beauty’s story of becoming sober in this creative collection of comics.

See what makes a team a Cinderella—the term for an underdog that goes on an unexpected March Madness run

Fox Sports Research analyzed past Cinderella runs and found that most share a dynamic duo of players, strong conference tournament momentum, and an offense and defense that both rank in the top 80 nationally.

Disney World is largely mosquito-free, thanks to civil engineer Joe Potter

As a former governor of the mosquito-prone Panama Canal zone, Potter understood the danger of standing water. At Disney, Potter built ditches to reduce moisture, designed buildings to channel water away, and more. His efforts help visitors avoid bites, adding to the perceived magic of the magical kingdom.

'Super Mario Bros.' helped save the video game industry

A 1983 crash left the industry in tatters, desperate for a hit. Nintendo’s focus on a more immersive home experience was realized in “Super Mario Bros.,” bringing the industry from the arcade to the living room. The title eventually sold over 40 million units.

How the US government used photography to fight poverty

In the 1930s, the US was in crisis, and the government turned to photography to win public support. Images of rural poverty stirred empathy, shifting public opinion and helping pave the way for New Deal reforms.

'American Graffiti' gave George Lucas the credibility to have 'Star Wars' produced

The idea for "Star Wars" was initially rejected by studios. It wasn't until "American Graffiti," Lucas' 1973 nostalgic comedy, became an unexpected hit that anyone was willing to produce what Lucas called his "space film."

Dorothy's famous entrance into Oz in 'The Wizard of Oz' relied on analog tricks, including a body double and sepia-toned paint, as much as it did on technology

Hollywood's 'golden age' was controlled by vertically integrated studios

Hollywood in the early to mid-20th century was largely controlled by the "Big Five" studios: Paramount, Warner Bros., Fox, MGM, and RKO. The studios were vertically integrated, overseeing every aspect of film production, distribution, and exhibition. During this era, actors like Cary Grant and Judy Garland were under contract with specific studios—typically for seven years. Garland signed with MGM at age 13, which counted on them to draw audiences.

Disney keeps one street in Burbank pristine for shooting suburban scenes

Nearly every home on Keystone Street is owned by Disney and is often used when the company shoots movies set in idyllic suburbs. Even non-Disney projects, like the horror classic "Halloween," have used the street for filming.

The 1939 film changed Dorothy's slippers from silver to ruby

Baum’s original book listed the slippers as silver, but the filmmakers wanted the shoes to pop on film—and highlight their use of Technicolor—so they turned them ruby. The slippers wound up becoming one of the movie’s most iconic elements.

How the Grimm Brothers saved the fairy tale

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are responsible for putting the oral stories of the German people into print through the 1800s. Though not intended for children (and often quite violent), these folk tales would become the basis for the modern fairy tale. This article from the world's foremost Grimm specialist, Jack Zipes, uncovers the history of the Brothers Grimm and details how the stories intended to codify German values would eventually spread across the globe.

How the 'Wallace & Gromit' stop-motion animators nearly ran out of clay

The makers of hit claymation films like "Chicken Run" and "Shaun the Sheep" require a highly complex, waxless recipe for the clay used to create their familiar characters. When clay producer Newplast went up for sale, the studio had to prepare to run out of its beloved material. Luckily, a suitor purchased the company, keeping the clay production alive.

Pop culture sometimes changes the way people invest

After the "Barbie" movie premiered, the number of investors in Barbie parent company Mattel's stock grew more than six times larger on the investment platform Public, according to the platform's recent report. Other cultural trends have affected which stocks investors choose as well.

'Show Boat' redefined the American musical

The 1927 musical—penned by Oscar Hammerstein II, who would go on to create, with Richard Rodgers, other titanic shows like "Oklahoma!" and "Carousel"—used its songs to advance the plot and build character rather than simply entertain.

Mid-century modern graphic designers, known for their bright colors and bold lines in advertising, also found success with children's books.

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, and became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

One disco producer saw 'Star Wars' four times on its opening weekend and was so inspired that he recorded the album 'Star Wars and Other Intergalactic Funk,' which produced a chart-topping single.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

The distributor behind 'Rocky Horror' pulled the film from its scheduled national release, believing it would be a failure, though it eventually amassed a dedicated fanbase through midnight showings, a trend that continues over 50 years later.

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

Before the current East Wing ballroom project, only two White House renovations in the past 100 years cost more than $10M.

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

See 33 images that became central to huge scandals, including a young Charles and Camilla, Michael Jackson's baby on a hotel balcony, and Hugh Grant's mugshot.

The Beatles' US label rejected the band's first two singles, 'Please Please Me' and 'From Me to You,' with one executive calling the band 'dead in the water.'

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.

When a Paris department store hesitated to sell Estée Lauder's perfume, she 'accidentally' broke a bottle, causing the smell to spread throughout the store and shoppers to start asking to buy the scent.

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

Sunflowers have long been a symbol of nuclear disarmament because they can extract large amounts of radioactive cesium from soil.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

See the evolution of Ebola vaccine and treatment development.