The Walt Disney Company has a rich and lengthy history with decades of amazing movies, shows and park experiences. To commemorate Disney’s 100th birthday this year, I am spotlighting the company’s history year by year in this new ‘Disney by the Years’ series.
Here is a quick rundown of everything that happened in the world of Disney in the year 1950. I hope you find this lookback in time helpful and entertaining.
Disney 1950 Company Headlines:
1950 was a groundbreaking year for the Disney company’s approach to visual entertainment. While the company only released three feature films in the year (plus the general release of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, which had actually premiered in 1949), quality beat quantity as this slate included the company’s first completely live-action feature film (Treasure Island), their second True-Life Adventure film (Beaver Valley) and one of their most beloved animated films of all time (Cinderella).
1950 also marked Disney’s first foray into the world of television with a memorable Alice in Wonderland-themed special airing on NBC on Christmas Day. Disney’s early adoption of television will set the stage for some amazing specials, series and channels in the future and will also facilitate the critical funding the company will need to build their first theme park.
Disney 1950 Movies Headlines:
In 1950, Disney released several movies, including:
- February 15 – Cinderella
- July 19 – Beaver Valley
- July 29 – Treasure Island
There was also a TON of Disney shorts released in 1950 including:
- January 6 – Pluto’s Heart Throb
- January 20 – Lion Around
- February 10 – Pluto and the Gopher
- February 24 – How to Ride a Horse
- March 3 – The Brave Engineer
- March 24 – Crazy Over Daisy
- April 7 – Wonder Dog
- April 28 – Trailer Horn
- May 19 – Primitive Pluto
- June 9 – Puss-Café
- June 30 – Motor Mania
- July 21 – Pests of the West
- August 11 – Food for Feudin
- September 1 – Hook, Lion and Sinker
- September 22 – Camp Dog
- October 13 – Bee at the Beach
- November 3 – Hold that Pose
- November 24 – Morris, the Midget Moose
- December 15 – Out on a Limb
Notable characters making their debut in 1950 include:
Also in February 1950, the short Toy Tinkers was nominated for an Oscar in the Cartoon Shorts category.
Disney 1950 Television Headlines:
NBC aired a Christmas Day TV special, One Hour in Wonderland, which was Disney’s first foray into television. The show featured a number of Disney characters and teased the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie, which had been announced earlier in the year.
That’s all for 1950. Stay tuned for in-depth looks at additional years in the very near future!
