November 3, 1910 – Distribution Executive and Disney Legend Irving Ludwig is Born
“He was a caring and dynamic man who was passionately devoted to the [Disney] Studio and quality family entertainment. His work here at Disney is legendary and he continues to inspire us today.” – Roy E. Disney
On November 3, 1910, Irving Ludwig was born in Lutck, Russia. His family immigrated to the United States in 1920, settling in Brooklyn, New York. Ludwig would go on to study advertising at New York University, and in 1929, he got a part-time job at the Rivoli Theater as an usher. Ludwig’s ingenuity was spotted early, and he was soon promoted to house manager, which he maintained until 1938. In 1940, he opened his own theater, the Greenwich Village Art Theater, with the hope of exclusively screening foreign films; he also joined the Disney Studios with the task of managing the roadshow of Fantasia. There were many challenges in screening the film, as most theaters then were incapable of an event that came with the movie. In 1945, he was hired as a full-time member of Disney’s staff as part of the sales administration, managing promotional campaigns for motion pictures. In 1953, when Walt and Roy Disney created Buena Vista, Ludwig was pulled into the team to help stand up the distribution company, creating the company’s policies and film reissuance practices. Six years later, he would be promoted to President of Buena Vista. Ludwig held the post of President until his retirement in 1980. He was honored as a Disney Legend in 1993 for his work in the area of film. He passed away at the age of 95 in 2005.
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