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Walt Disney & Lillian Disney Signed Loan Agreement.

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Disneyana Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 5,000.00 USD
Walt Disney & Lillian Disney Signed Loan Agreement.
SOLD
Winning Bid Undisclosed
This item SOLD at 2021 May 22 @ 11:26UTC-7 : PDT/MST
All items are sold as is. Contact Van Eaton Galleries for condition reports and shipping information. 21% Buyer's Premium for all lots.
(Disneyland, 1954) An extraordinary loan agreement signed by both Walt Disney and his wife Lillian Disney. In 1953, Walt exhausted every option available to him to get the financing he needed to build his dream theme park. Banks, lenders, and even his own Studio rejected his proposals. Confident that his park would be a success, Walt took a $60,000 loan against his own life insurance policy, an exceptionally risky loan agreement, with the Commerce Trust Company of Kansas City, Missouri. In 1954, Walt was unable to pay back the loan as all of his funds were tied up in the construction of Disneyland, which would open the following year. Executed in 1954, this agreement is the signed continuation of the terms of that 1953 loan. Without Walt's loan and this signed agreement, it is quite possible that Disneyland would have never become a reality.

Such was Walt's conviction that Disneyland would be a success, that he put his life on the line, including the financial safety net of both his wife and children. While history would vindicate the visionary impresario, this document illustrates what a high-stake proposition Disneyland was for Walt both professionally and personally.

That Lillian consented to the agreement is a testament to her belief in her husband's dreams, and a reminder of the strong relationship between the couple that provided a solid foundation for Walt throughout his professional career.

Walt signs in blue ink at lower right on the designated line, "Walter E. Disney," and Lillian in black ink below, "Lillian B. Disney." Measuring 8.25"x6.75", the document is in very good condition with general handling wear from its original use. The document is matted with a black and white studio portrait of Walt and Lillian and a metal identification plaque. The display is presented in an ornate 21"x29.75" green and gold molded wood frame.

This historic piece was originally offered by the Walt Disney Studios as part of the Official Disneyana Convention of 2000. The original Disney COA is included.