Laugh-O-Gram Studio

Laugh-O-Gram Studio
Company type	Private (defunct)
Industry	Animation
Predecessor	Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists
Founded	June 28, 1921; 105 years ago in Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Founder	Walt Disney
Defunct	October 16, 1923
Fate	Bankruptcy; assets sold; succeeded by Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio
Successor	Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio
Headquarters	Kansas City, United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, Friz Freleng, Leslie Mace
Products	Animated short films (Newman's Laugh-O-Grams series, fairy tale animations, Alice's Wonderland)

The Laugh-O-Gram Studio—also known as Laugh-O-Gram Films—was an American animation company established by Walt Disney on June 28, 1921, and ceased operations on October 16, 1923. Situated within the McConahay Building in Kansas City, Missouri, this early enterprise served as a foundational platform for Disney and prominent animation figures such as Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, and Friz Freleng.

Initially created to produce the Newman's Laugh-O-Grams series, the studio quickly gained traction locally and transitioned toward crafting updated fairy tale animations like Little Red Riding Hood. Although a contract for six shorts was secured with Pictorial Clubs, Inc., the distributor’s subsequent bankruptcy resulted in major financial setbacks. During this difficult period, Disney faced harsh conditions, residing in the office and bathing only once weekly at Kansas City Union Station. The studio produced a dental hygiene short titled Tommy Tucker's Tooth, which financed the pioneering live-action/animation hybrid Alice's Wonderland, featuring Virginia Davis and intended to initiate a new series.

In July 1923, Laugh-O-Gram Studios declared bankruptcy. Disney sold his camera equipment and moved to Hollywood carrying an unfinished cut of Alice's Wonderland. There, he struck a distribution agreement with Margaret Winkler, paving the way for the Alice Comedies series and the creation of the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, which would evolve into The Walt Disney Company.

Disney later acknowledged that Laugh-O-Gram inspired the creation of Mickey Mouse, inspired by a tame mouse he kept at his desk. The studio’s history has been portrayed in films such as As Dreamers Do and Walt Before Mickey. Although the McConahay Building fell into neglect, it is currently undergoing restoration led by the nonprofit "Thank You, Walt Disney."

History

In 1921, Walt Disney received a commission from Milton Feld to animate twelve cartoons under the title Newman's Laugh-O-Grams. On May 23, 1922, Laugh-O-Gram Films (LOGF) was officially incorporated by leveraging assets from Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists alongside local investors. LOGF completed nine of the requested shorts but generated limited revenue. Motivated by their favorable reception, Disney dedicated six months to producing Little Red Riding Hood.

The studio employed key animation pioneers including Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman, Friz Freleng, and Carman Maxwell. However, mounting financial pressures forced Disney to take up residence in the office by late 1922.

Leslie Mace, serving as sales manager, secured a contract for six shorts with Pictorial Clubs, Inc., valued at $11,000 with most payment due upon delivery. Shortly after receiving only $100 upfront, Pictorial’s bankruptcy further exacerbated Laugh-O-Gram’s financial instability and led to staff departures. A local dentist commissioned Disney to create a dental hygiene film for Missouri schools—Tommy Tucker's Tooth—which brought in $500. Rather than settling debts with this income, Disney invested it into producing Alice's Wonderland, an innovative blend of live-action and animation designed to tap into emerging market trends.

Virginia Davis was contracted for Alice's Wonderland with an agreement granting her 5% of the film’s earnings. To find distribution channels, Disney reached out to Margaret Winkler in New York.

Following completion of preliminary edits for Alice's Wonderland, LOGF filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July 1923. To finance his move to Hollywood with an incomplete version of Alice's Wonderland, Disney raised money by filming a six-month-old infant and selling his movie camera.

The bankruptcy trustee required Pictorial Films to pay outstanding amounts while retaining distribution rights over several LOGF productions including The Four Musicians of Bremen, Jack the Giant Killer, the Lafflets series, and Alice's Wonderland.

After years of deterioration, restoration efforts for the McConahay Building have been initiated by "Thank You, Walt Disney," bolstered by $450,000 in matching donations from the Disney family. The project aims to preserve historical artifacts, create a museum theater showcasing restored Laugh-O-Grams, and establish an animation education facility.

On July 30, 2021, an accident involving a vehicle caused damage to the building’s exterior. Restoration leader Butch Rigby described this event as a minor obstacle in ongoing preservation work.

Inspiration Behind Mickey Mouse

Walt Disney attributed the concept of Mickey Mouse to a docile mouse he kept near his desk at the Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri.

During a train journey to New York in 1928, Disney revealed the sketch to his wife, Lillian Marie Bounds, originally naming the character "Mortimer Mouse." However, she recommended the name "Mickey Mouse," considering Mortimer to sound overly grandiose.

Filmography

Out of the initial seven Laugh-O-Grams fairy tale shorts, four have been preserved and restored for DVD release: Newman Laugh-O-Grams (1921), Little Red Riding Hood (1922), The Four Musicians of Bremen (1922), Puss in Boots (1922), and Cinderella (1922). These cartoons have also been included as Blu-ray extras on Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Additionally, Tommy Tucker's Tooth (1922) and Alice's Wonderland (1923) are available on DVD; the latter was featured on the 60th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition of Alice in Wonderland. The pilot short, Newman Laugh-O-Grams, which premiered in theaters in 1921, can be found on select DVD collections. As of 2019, all eleven shorts have entered the public domain.

By 2010, animation scholar David Gerstein reported the rediscovery of the previously lost fairy tale cartoons—Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack the Giant Killer, and Goldie Locks and the Three Bears (all from 1922). Further investigation confirmed that the two Jack titles were distinct productions.

11 1923 Alice's Wonderland Pilot episode for the Alice Comedies.

#	Year	Film	Notes
1	1921	Newman Laugh-O-Grams	Served as a pilot for an old newsreel series shown exclusively at Newman Theater.
2	1922	Little Red Riding Hood	Walt Disney’s first significant cartoon featuring Julius the Cat (unnamed here). Later reissued with synchronized sound under the title Grandma Steps Out.
3	1922	The Four Musicians of Bremen	Included Julius the Cat; subsequently re-released with sound as The Four Jazz Boys.
4	1922	Jack and the Beanstalk	Showcased Jack alongside Julius the Cat; later reissued as On the Up and Up.
5	1922	Jack the Giant Killer	Featured characters Jack, Susie, and Julius; reissued under the name The K-O Kid.
6	1922	Goldie Locks and the Three Bears	Included Julius; later re-released as The Peroxide Kid.
7	1922	Puss in Boots	Starred Jack, Susie, Julius; included a king cameo also seen in Cinderella. Reissued as The Cat's Whiskers.
8	1922	Cinderella	Presented Susie as Cinderella, Jack as Prince, and Julius; reissued under the title The Slippery Kid.
9	1922	Tommy Tucker's Tooth	Primarily a live-action short film.
10	1923	Martha (lost film)

References

External links

Fairy Tale Flappers: Animated Adaptations of Little Red and Cinderella (1922–1925)

History

Inspiration Behind Mickey Mouse

Filmography

See also

References

External links