DISNEY BROTHERS CARTOON STUDIO (1923 - 1926)
4647 KINGSWELL AVENUE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
We invite you to please step this way as we explore Walt Disney’s first West Coast studio - The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio (1923 - 1926). This location was significant for being the production facility in which Walt Disney brought the animated world of his Alice Comedies to life. Walt’s successes at this location paved the way for advances in the world of animation, as well as the eventual creation of the iconic and beloved Mickey Mouse!
“PROLOGUE - 1923”
“When the Disney brothers first set up shop, Walt's proficiency as an artist and self-taught animator was the basis of the undertaking,” according to The Disneyland Dictionary (published October of 1959). It is most important to note that after Laugh-O-gram’s bankruptcy in 1922, Walt hadn’t yet given up on his latest project - short films starring a real girl in an animated cartoon world. Walt was not the first individual to combine live action with the cartoon medium, but Walt would continue to successfully use this process decades later in future features as “Three Caballeros”, “Song of the South”, and the highly acclaimed “Mary Poppins”. For now, Walt would gather his innovative film and head toward the hub of film production, to try his luck out west in Hollywood!
You might recall that Elias’ brother Robert moved from Marceline upon his retirement, and purchased property in a neighborhood on the border of Hollywood and Vermont. This would prove most advantageous for Walt because he would be able to briefly find rooming with his uncle Robert. So, with just $40 in his pocket and his prized pilot film, Walt Disney left Kansas City bound for California.
The ambitious young cartoon creator arrived in Los Angeles, stepping off the Santa Fe California, Limited during the Fall of 1923 (at a time when the famous “Hollywood” sign still read “Hollywoodland”). In fact, Walt could see the sign from his temporary residence at his uncle Robert’s house. According to “Walt” (published 1975, exclusively for Disneyland Cast Members), “My big brother Roy was already in Los Angles as a patient in the Veterans Hospital. When he got out, we had more in common than brotherly love. Both of us were unemployed…and neither could get a job. We solved the problem by going into business for ourselves. We established the first animated cartoon studio in Hollywood.”
Amidst trips to nearby silent film studios during August of 1923, Walt wrote numerous letters to potential distributors of his Alice Comedies. One popular New York distributor by the name of Margaret Winkler, (to whom Walt heralded “something new and clever in animated cartoons”) responded. According to the aforementioned publication “Walt” (published 1975), Walt continues : “Well, in order to crack the field, I said, ‘Ive got to get something a little unique’, you see. Now they had the clown out of the inkwell who played with the live people. So I reversed it. I took the live person and put him into the cartoon field. I said, ‘Thats a new twist.’”
Margaret requested to screen Walt Disney’s “Alice’s Wonderland” but the “demo-reel” was only half finished (with animation completed by Ubbe Iwwerks and Walt’s Kansas City Laugh-O-gram staff). So the industrious animator did what anyone would do - he completed the drawings, constructed a rig for his camera “out of milk crates and old lumber,” and Roy (who also acted as bookkeeper) shot the drawings.
Walt stands in front of his uncle Robert’s Silver Lake garage. Thanks to the work completed here, Walt and Roy would soon acquire their first official west coast studio less than a quarter of a mile away on Kingswell Avenue!
Margaret responded October 15th, 1923, by offering Walt Disney $1,500 for each of his first six films, and $1,800 for the following six films. Walt remembered: “It sold. I was surprised myself.” And so Walt didn’t waste any time in contacting the parents of Virginia Davis (who played Alice), or his brother Roy. Roy (who was recovering from Tuberculosis in a local veterans hospital), checked out the following day and the pair signed the contract with M. J. Winkler to produce a series of “Alice Comedies.” The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio and the Walt Disney Corporation was officially born on October 16th, 1923.
“1924 & THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DISNEY BROS. STUDIO”
After their 12-and-a-half-minute “demo-reel” won the attention of cartoon shorts distributor Margaret Winkler, Walt and Roy would need to rent an office space in order to house their expanded staff and meet their production schedule. The brothers hired their very first employee - Kathleen Dollard to “blacken” (or, darken) their pencil lines.
Roy O. and Walt E. Disney outside their Kingswell Avenue studio, early 1925.
With a $500 loan from their uncle Robert and their first check from Winkler Pictures, the Disney Brothers moved into their first studio, in the back room of Mc Rae & Abernathy Holly-Vermont Reality at 4651 Kingswell Avenue (in the modern-day Silverlake district). Walt paid $10 a month, for four months (or “$5-a-month”, according to page 5 of “Your Disneyland: A Guide for Hosts and Hostesses”, published 1955). This location was ideal as it was a short walk from their uncle Robert’s home where Walt was currently sleeping. Within a short time the brothers found living arrangements in an apartment and then a rented room all within a quarter of a mile from the Disney Bros. Cartoon Studio address.
The Cartoonland cast welcomes Alice and then a few Cartoonland lions chase her, in “Alice’s Wonderland” - an unreleased pilot film, 1923.
The year 1924 was a most momentous year for the Disney Bros. Studio. On January 19th, Kathleen Dollard helped Lillian Bounds to apply for an inking position, and the two women would ink many Walt Disney’s Alice Comedies beginning with Alice’s Wild West Show. Lillian once recalled, “I was not very artistic at all and I was never any good at inking and painting…Later, Walt made me his secretary, but I made too many mistakes when he was dictating. They tried to use me as a secretary, but I wasn’t very good at it. So I went back to painting.”
The Disney Bros. Studio facade recreated for a D23 exhibit.
During February, The Disney Bros. Studio moved next door to 4649 Kingswell Avenue, looking much like the exhibit pictured above. Walt and Roy quickly convinced their former employee (animator Ham Hamilton), to come work for them. By March 1, 1924, the very first Alice Comedy “Alice’s Day at Sea” was released!
By late spring/early summer, Walt and Roy had a total of four employees. According to a letter penned June 1st, 1924, there was “one fellow helping…on the animating, three girls that do the inking.” Please feel free CLICK the following image, and read Walt’s four-page letter to Ubbe!
Other former Laugh-O-gram staff would soon join Ham’s move to California and help with the production of the Disney Brother’s Alice in Cartoonland series.
Kansas City artists Ubbe Iwwerks, “Ham” Hamilton, and Walt Disney at the Kingswell studio, 1925
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE
A few months later in June, Ubbe Iwerks would move from Kansas City to assist with animation, and Walt would begin to focus on directing and story development. During 1924, a total of ten Alice one-reel short films were created inside Disney Bros. Studio on Kingswell Avenue, owing largely to a demanding schedule imposed by Margaret Winkler’s fiancée Charles Mintz.
Left to right : Ubbe Iwwerks, Rollin “Ham” Hamilton, Walt Disney, Thurston Harper, and Roy Disney in front of the Disney Bros. Studio on Kingswell Avenue, c.1924
Photo on display at The Walt Disney Family Museum and Courtesy of the Walt Disney Company
The Alice Comedies filmography of 1924 :
Alice’s Day at Sea (March 1, 1924)
Alice’s Spooky Adventure (April 1, 1924)
Alice’s Wild West Show (May 1, 1924)
Alice’s Fishy Story (June 1, 1924)
Alice and the Dog Catcher (July 1, 1924)
Alice the Peacemaker (August 1, 1924)
Alice Gets in Dutch (November 1, 1924)
Alice Hunting in Africa (November 15, 1924)
Alice and the Three Bears (December 1, 1924)
Alice the Piper (December 15, 1924)
Now, please CLICK the following image and explore a gallery of existing Alice Comedies “one sheet” posters from 1924.
“1925”
There were twice as many animated cartoons produced during 1925 than the preceding year. This is because Winkler Pictures began to demand an increased production schedule of two short films every month. A close examination of photographs of Disney Brothers Studio taken during 1925 reveal that artwork was displayed in the window and near the doorway to advertise the popular Walt Disney “comics” produced here.
The Alice Comedies filmography of 1925 :
Alice Cans the Cannibals (January 1, 1925)
Alice the Toreador (January 15, 1925)
Alice Gets Stung (February 1, 1925)
Alice Solves the Puzzle (February 15, 1925)
Alice’s Egg Plant (May 30, 1925)
Alice Loses Out (June 15, 1925)
Alice Gets Stage Struck (June 30, 1925)
Alice Wins the Derby (July 15, 1925)
Alice Picks the Champ (July 30, 1925)
Alice’s Tin Pony (August 15, 1925)
Alice Chops the Suey (August 30, 1925)
Alice the Jail Bird (September 15, 1925)
Alice Plays Cupid (October 15, 1925)
Alice Rattled by Rats (November 15, 1925)
Alice in the Jungle (December 15, 1925)
Though not the household name that it is today, Walt Disney’s name began to precede him. Hollywood trade magazines and periodicals began to briefly mention the cartoon creator and his unique art form.
This excerpt was published during June of 1925, before Walt Disney married Lillian Bounds.
Things weren’t so bad for the Disney brothers. During April of 1925, Roy would marry Edna Francis who was assisting with work at the studio. During this time Walt and Roy’s sister Ruth would come to work for the Disney Brothers Studio as an inker, and continue to work for their company into 1926. By July 13, 1925, Walt took some time away from Disney Brothers Studio, and married Disney Brothers inker Lillian Bounds. They were joined in marriage within the home of Lillian’s brother in the town of Lewiston, Idaho.
Lillian, Walt, Ruth, Roy, and Edna standing in a formal posture before the entrance of Disney Brothers Studio. Notice the Alice Comedies artwork in the storefront window display behind them.
Walt, Lillian, Ruth, Edna, and Roy sitting rather informally on the brick ledge of studio’s the storefront window display. Note the Alice Comedies poster hanging on the wall just through the doorway.
As for the Alice Comedies, the live action sequences were often shot unrehearsed as Walt directed Alice from behind the camera. These same shots were often shot in one take because film was expensive and the Disney Brother’s budget was limited. When a live action sequence called for an outdoor shot, Walt and Roy would make due with just about any location they could find - from their uncle Robert’s yard (seen in Alice’s Day at Sea) to vacant lots where they could film for a small fee. It was clear that the duo would need a larger studio lot with a soundstage. It was then (late in 1925), that Walt an Roy began to consider purchasing a lot on Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles.
Virginia’s father, Walt Disney, Virgina Davis, and Roy O. Disney film a live-action sequence on a vacant lot at Rodney and Hollywood Boulevard. The space cost the Disney Brothers $10 a day, and was just a short distance from their Kingswell Avenue studio. It was used for several live action portions from Alice Hunting in Africa and Alice the Jailbird (pictured).
By December of 1925, Charles Mintz was asserting a tighter grip on Walt Disney! With a staff of just seven, the Disney Brothers Studio was struggling to meet the production schedule deadlines in force by Mintz. In addition, Walt’s creative direction was constantly being hampered by the pushing from the distributor’s own insertions. Walt’s choice for Alice (Virginia Davis) had recently been swapped by Mintz for the problematic Margie Gay. As if that wasn’t enough, the six minute films began to push aside Alice, because Mintz considered Alice virtually inconsequential to the success of the series despite Walt’s vision.
Virginia Davis, Dawn O’ Day, and Margie Gay - three actresses who portrayed Alice during the Disney brothers residency on Kingswell Avenue. Lois Hardwick, the final actress who portrayed Alice after the Disney brother’s move to the Hyperion Studio is not pictured.
The Disney Bros. Studio staff take a break for a prohibition-era gag shot outside the Kingswell Avenue address of Disney Bros. Studio, circa 1925. Many artists had joined Walt’s staff by this point. Left to right : Thurston Harper (front), Walker Harmon (standing on curb), Roy (pouring into Harper’s mouth), Ham Hamilton (drinking), Rudy Ising (brandishing a bottle over Roy’s head), Ub Iwerks (partially hidden), and Hugh Harman.
Courtesy of the Walt Disney Company
“1926 AND THE MOVE FROM KINGSWELL AVENUE”
By January of 1926, construction of the Hyperion Street studio was completed. This new studio would not bear the name Disney Brothers Studio, but rather Walt Disney Studio after some discussion between the brothers. The Walt Disney Studios would generate thirty-one more Alice Comedies during the following two years until August of 1927.
Trying times and victories were ahead for Walt and Roy. Charles Mintz would end Walt’s cherished Alice Comedies and demand that Walt create a new character - Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Finally (in a manipulative business move), Mintz would assume ownership of the newly created Oswald character and steal away most of Walt Disney Studios’ staff. Though devastating, this chain of events would ultimately climax with the birth of the world’s most iconic and recognizable cartoon character - Mickey Mouse.
Despite all these events that would transpire after the move, historians must recognize the momentous things that occurred within the Disney Brothers Studio. Walt and Roy founded an animation studio, produced a popular series based on a character of their creation, and the subsequent successes paved the way for Walt Disney Studio’s growth and progression!
“THE PRESENT”
We now invite you to explore the modern-era chapter of the Disney Brothers Studio story. The Disney Brothers Studio address (4649 Kingswell Avenue), as well as the former Holly-Vermont Reality address (4651 Kingswell Avenue) has changed since 1926. The new address of the Disney Brothers Studio is 4647 Kingswell Avenue. The façade of the building has received some refurbishment over the years, but the storefronts and window displays are still recognizable. Because the interior dimensions of this address have virtually stayed the same since the 1920s (with the exception of one major wall being removed), it isn’t hard to imagine where various work areas existed during Walt and Roy’s occupancy of the address.
Throughout several decades and owners, the former Disney Brothers Studio Kingswell address would begin to gain a cult following but only little recognition. During the 1970s, Walt Disney Archivist Dave Smith would write an article about the Los Angeles address of “the first Disney Studio” which would appear in the Disney Times (July, 1979).
Extra Copy opened in 1994, and shortly thereafter owner Ben Chaaban would first be made aware of the former Disney Brother’s Studio at his shop’s address. This revelation would come upon receiving an emotional visit from an older woman who once worked there. That older woman was Ruth Beecher, sister of Walt and Roy Disney.
Ben Chaaban’s September 1995 inquiry to Walt Disney Productions.
Ben would promptly write the Walt Disney Archives with an inquiry confirming this new information and also inquiring about assistance to preserve the site. At the time, the Walt Disney Company only had interest in sharing Walt Disney’s history through displays at Disneyland where artifacts could “be viewed by millions of people each year.” These expressions were forwarded in a letter written by Archivist Dave Smith in October of 1995.
Chief Archivist Dave Smith answered Chaaban swiftly, and a copy of the letter may be viewed in the lobby of Extra Copy.
Though the Walt Disney Company would not be interested in supporting a museum at the former Disney Brothers Studio address, Ben Chaaban would go on to assemble a tribute to Walt Disney here. Documents, fascimiles of photographs and other items were displayed on a wall near the entryway.
Thanks to some individuals who worked here, a floor plan was reconstructed. This displayed floor plan helps visiting guests find the locations of Roy’s desk, the inker’s desks, and even the old camera room used to shoot the drawings of Alice’s Cartoonlandsettings and cast.
This small “museum” has attracted numerous groups, organizations and individuals over the following decades. During 2016, the Chicago based non-profit “Walt Disney Birthplace” group organized tours of the facility. In 2016, D23 and Mickey Mouse would pay a visit to his creator’s first studio address.
An animated Mickey Mouse learns the forgotten art of using a xerox copy machine from Marina!
Though these experiences are looked back upon as “happy times”, each visitor is important to the kindly caretaker Marina who generally runs the shop during its hours of operation. During our visit, she briefly took time to show us a few photographs and reflect on individuals who have visited from Florida, and even Japan. Numerous Walt Disney Company employees, Walt Disney Studio staff, Disney Parks employees have visited and brought stories and gifts for Extra copy’s Disney museum.
Just a few of the new faces who have become part of the Disney Brother’s Studio story! Will YOU join them?
Most of all, the owners of Extra Copy simply love meeting fans and historians of Walt Disney. They personally invite YOU to come visit this historic birthplace of the Alice Comedies and Disney Brothers Studio!
I certainly hope you have enjoyed sharing this special glimpse into Disney history. We invite you to join us as we meet the current owner and operator of the former Disney Bros. Studio address - Marine. Please CLICK the following link and hear her stories of Dave Smith’s involvement in verifying their Disney connection, visits from special tourists, and general feelings about working in this historic location!
THE OWNERS OF EXTRA COPY INVITE YOU TO
“PLEASE, STEP THIS WAY”
AND EXPLORE THIS “HAPPY, MAGICAL PLACE”!
HOURS :
9am - 5pm Monday thru Friday
9:30am - 2:30pm Saturday
CLOSED Sunday