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This article is written in American English. |
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The Magic Begins is a 1974 American independent biographical drama film written, produced and directed by Elizabeth Burston, and starring Dustin Hoffman as Walt Disney, Derek Armendariz as Ub Iwerks and Michael Tolan as Roy Disney. The film covers Walt Disney's early years in business, during which he started various businesses including the Laugh-O-Gram Studio and The Walt Disney Company with fellow animator Ub Iwerks and his brother, Roy Disney.
Produced on a $2 million budget (equivalent to approximately $13,279,047 in 2024 dollars), the film premiered in Chicago on December 5, 1974 before being released theatrically by Vortex Releasing five days later.
Plot[]
The film opens with a black-and-white montage of Walt Disney's early life, narrated by an older Walt reflecting on his childhood in Marceline, Missouri. A young Walt is seen drawing on scraps of paper and entertaining his siblings with his sketches. His passion for art deepens after his family moves to Kansas City, where he works a paper route. A pivotal moment comes when Walt discovers the magic of moving pictures in a local theater.
In 1919, freshly discharged from the Red Cross after World War I, Walt moves to Kansas City, filled with ambition but unsure of his path. He lands a job at the Pesmen-Rubin Commercial Art Studio, where he meets a young animator named Ub Iwerks. Together, they dream of creating something extraordinary. Walt and Ub leave Pesmen-Rubin to start their own company, Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists, but struggle to find clients. Desperate to break into the burgeoning animation industry, Walt discovers the potential of combining live-action and animation. He launches Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City with the help of investors and assembles a team of young artists, including Rudy Ising and Friz Freleng.
The film depicts the production of short films inspired by fairy tales, including the original Alice's Wonderland series. Despite creative success and local acclaim, Laugh-O-Gram faces financial difficulties. Walt's naivety in business leads to mounting debt, and the studio eventually files for bankruptcy. Heartbroken but determined, Walt packs his belongings and takes a train to Los Angeles, carrying only $40 and a reel of Alice's Wonderland.
Arriving in Los Angeles, Walt reunites with his older brother Roy, who has been recovering from tuberculosis. Together, they form the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in their uncle's garage. Roy provides financial stability and encouragement, while Walt focuses on storytelling and animation. Walt's persistence pays off when he convinces a New York distributor, Margaret Winkler, to finance the Alice Comedies.
The film showcases Walt's collaboration with Ub, who joins the brothers in Los Angeles. Ub's technical brilliance complements Walt's storytelling vision, leading to the creation of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a character that becomes a modest success. However, the Disneys are blindsided when their distributors Charles Mintz and Universal Pictures steal the rights to Oswald and poaches their animators. As a result, Walt leaves Mintz and Oswald behind, concluding that he "never liked that damn rabbit anyway".
Determined not to be defeated, Walt and Roy double down. The film culminates in 1928 with the birth of a new character: Mickey Mouse. In a small studio, Walt and Ub animate Steamboat Willie, the first synchronized sound cartoon. The premiere of Steamboat Willie is a resounding success and met with applause, signaling the dawn of a new era in animation. Walt, Roy and Ub exit the theater in celebration, and Walt spots the mouse from the Laugh-O-Gram Studio, reminding him of how far he has come.
The film ends with Walt narrating how these challenging years taught him the value of perseverance, creativity, and family. A closing montage shows Walt and Roy shaking hands, Ub smiling behind a camera, and the beginnings of a legacy that would change the world. As the screen fades to black, Walt’s voice echoes: "Dreams come true if you have the courage to pursue them."
A postscript before the credits details the success Walt, Roy, Iwerks and the other animators would go on to have in their own careers.
Cast[]
- Dustin Hoffman as Walt Disney
- Patrick Jensen as Young Walt Disney
- Michael Tolan as Roy Disney
- Derek Armendariz as Ub Iwerks
- Peter Graves as Rudy Ising
- Bruce Dern as Friz Freleng
- Janet Leigh as Charlotte Disney
- Cliff Potts as Hugh Harman
- Harry Northup as Frank L. Newman
- Leora Dana as Lillian Disney
- Donald Pleasence as George Winkler
- Joseph Cotten as Charles Mintz
- Jeff Donnell as Margaret Winkler
- Izelle Bernstein as Ruth Disney
- Jodie Foster as Virginia Davis
- Robert De Niro as Fred Harman
- Douglas Parker as Uncle Robert Disney
- Alake Webster as Elias Disney
The real Hugh Harman, Rudy Ising and Friz Freleng appear in their cameo appearances as train passengers during Walt's train trip to Los Angeles.