11The Golden Age (1928–1951)
What for animation was the Golden Age covers one of the worst ages in modern history. In October 1929, the Wall Street stock market crashed. The Great Depression followed, hit the whole planet, and lasted a long time. In Russia, Spain, and Germany, countless people were murdered out of political dogmatism. China was involved in a civil war, which didn’t stop even during the bloody Japanese invasion of 1937. World War II led to more than 50 million casualties. After its end, the Cold War started.
To nobody’s surprise, in such a situation the Dream Factory bloomed. A spectator could buy a cheap ticket and then watch a feature film, one or two short comedies (often cartoons), and a newsreel: a luxury.
In 1939, World ...
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