Animated cartoon industry turns over its capital too slowly, so Walt Disney diversified. His TV show plugs multi- million-dollar new carnival park.
In real life, fame rarely leads to tortune—particularly if you are a mouse But in Hollywood, almost anything in have a fairy tale ending. After more than a quarter-century of paw-to mouth existence, Mickey Mouse finally piloting his creator, Walt Disney ovel to the pot of cheese at the foot of the rminbow
In some ways, the $17-million Dis icyland amusement park that opens n Anaheim, Calif., july 18, is a far ry from the little rodent that first campered across the movie screen in 1927. Disneyland will be a world of history and romance, of fiction and fantasy It will be peopled by Davy Crocketts, Snow Whites, Peter Pans ind Captain Hooks, Dumbos, and other Disney creations. But Mickey Mouse will be there too-a smug reminder of the few ups and many downs that Walt Disney Productions had to weather before it finally began to make money As late as 1940, the company was in debt $4,5-million. Today, according to Walt Disney, chairman of the board, Our company is valued on the books it $8,5-million, and we have been in hock for that much and more. We've touched the heights only once before and we've hit bottom twice." And Roy Disney, Walts brother and presi dent of the company, Says this year will be the best in the Disney history In the first six months of the year gross profits were $9,9-million—double that of the same period last year.
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