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Walt Disney Captain Of Industry Essay

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Mickey Mouse may be an iconic figure. However, history has shown that Walt Disney may have actually been a rat. Building his empire of “The Wonderful World of Disney” does not qualify him to be a captain of industry. By definition, a captain of industry is one with positive integrity. Whereas, a robber baron is motivated by greed. As Disney began his ascent, he was like the Pharaoh in his Prince of Egypt production. Believing the end justified the means, Disney plowed over employees, considering their livelihood as part of collateral damage. Disney was a robber baron with a pernicious temper, who harshly controlled employees, and ruled his cast members by intimidation. Although Walt Disney was known to the public as generous and gentle, …show more content…

The production Snow White alone produced “...over $8 million during its release -- about $130 million today.” (Source F). Without the talent and skills of his animators, Walt Disney would not have been able to gather this amount of proceeds. Disney could afford to treat his animators with greater respect as reflected in their paychecks. A captain of industry helps create jobs. As would follow with all of Disney’s financial success, did that make him a captain of industry? Disney may have opened a variety of job opportunities for the public, but it did not necessarily qualify him as a captain of industry. Just as a sweat factory employed its unhappy workers, many Disney employees felt similar oppression. This led to the rally call of a strike. The day of the strike, “…Walt Disney … found the entrance to his studio ringed with a mob of 300 picketers and reporters” (Source E). This rebellion, the Disney Strike of 1941, was considered the biggest in the history of the cartoon industry. It affected a guild of 800 members and lasted for over nine weeks (Source E). The efforts of the strike forced Disney to heed the demands of his disgruntled employees. Their strike was effective, and it gave workers the chance to be paid more, and to be treated

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