Developing the motion picture industry into a modern American art could have only been pioneered by one man with great visions and optimism: Walt Disney. He transformed the entertainment industry into what America knows today. As a great innovator, he was also a man with arguably the most fertile imagination the world will ever see. Walter Elias Disney took the dreams of America and made them real in his motion pictures (Lee).
             Walt Disney's ingenious film-making and entrepreneurial skills made him a lasting figure. He also left a mark on American popular culture with his world-renowned art. Disney also upheld what America calls "wholesome family entertainment" with his animations and theme parks. Walt Disney differentiated himself from the many to become the greatest and most powerful innovator in film.
             Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago to two loving and hard-working parents Elias and Flora Call Disney. Young Walter took great interest in drawing and photography. As a matter of fact, his entrepreneurial skills were early recognized. At the age of seven, Disney was known to draw cartoons and sell them to friends ("W.D. Biography"). His interest in art continued through school. While he was in high school, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts at night to hone is cartooning abilities. ("A Mouse Started...")
             Unfortunately, his early career was put on hold in 1918 when World War I broke out. Disney's patriotism prompted him to join the military, but was rejected because of his age. He instead joined the Red Cross as an ambulance driver and was shipped to France for two years. However, his love for cartooning did not disappear. He painted the ambulance with cartoons and drawings rather than the camouflage that was appropriate for the war ("Walt Disney" Accessed 7 May 2002). He was also painting helmets for American soldiers that he sold for a profit. His business-li...