Ex-Chicagoan Entertained Millions
Burbank, Cal., Dec. 15 – Walt Disney, 65, who created an entertainment empire from a cartoon character and was host to children and kings alike, died today in St. Joseph hospital.
The Chicago born master of films, television, and amusement park innovations in his Disneyland playland died from an “acute circulatory collapse," said Dr. Bart Cotton, his physician.
Disney had undergone surgery in the hospital for removal of part of his left lung a month ago. Physicians refused to say whether any malignancy had been discovered. He reentered the hospital Dec. 5, his 65th birthday, for a post-operative checkup.
Started with Mouse
The hospital – is across the street from the studio where Disney conceived and directed hundreds of films and cartoons beginning with a character named Mickey Mouse.
Even in the interval between the lung surgery and his return to the hospital, Disney was full of plans for his newest and most ambitious venture, a 100 million dollar amusement center near Orlando, Fla.
In buying the 27,500 acres, a territory twice the size of Manhattan Island, he had said: "We want it to be an entire community, designed solely for total family enjoyment. It would combine the Disney type of entertainment with Florida’s famous and popular life.”
Condolences Pour In
A Disney spokesman said the Florid a project will continue, as will plans for a playground in the Mineral King mountain area of central California. Disneyland, a 68 acre park opened in 1955 at Annaheim, 32 miles southwest of Los Angeles, will continue to expand, according to the wishes of Disney who said it would never be completed.
Messages of condolence poured in from thruout the world.
Flags on all Los Angeles county buildings were lowered to half staff in tribute to the memory of the man whose Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck had delighted adults and youngster the world over, and whose “Mary Poppins” was one of the most successful movie musicals ever made.
Since 1932 Disney had amassed 423 honors and awards, including 34 movie Oscars, four Emmies from television, and citations from universities and governments.
[…]
