RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986.
Initially a part of General Electric, the company was spun off from GE in 1932 following an antitrust case. Although not owned by Disney, RCA Records (through its RCA Victor label) released many early Disney record albums, including animated features like mainly Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Alice in Wonderland. RCA was also one of the original sponsors for Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color on NBC, which . In 1986, GE reacquired RCA and proceeded to break the company up, selling off most of its assets, while keeping NBC and RCA's government services division. The RCA brand was then acquired by French conglomerate Thomson SA in 1988, with RCA Records going to BMG.
History[]
In late 1932, Disney signed a deal with RCA to use their high-fidelity sound system called the Photophone. It was a variable area sound system, compared to the variable density of Powers Cinephone. Not only did the Photophone have improved sound quality, but it was also used in future Disney shorts onward. The first cartoon shorts to use the new system was "Santa's Workshop" in the Silly Symphony series and "Mickey's Good Deed" in the Mickey Mouse series. Ever since then, RCA and Disney worked together on recording soundtracks for cartoons, as well as feature films.
The first soundtrack of Disney films released under RCA Records were the music cues and songs for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, made to promote the film. They also did the same for future Disney feature films, such as Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, and Cinderella. Both RCA and Disney continued to release soundtracks for feature films until the 1980s.
Space Mountain[]
RCA sponsored Space Mountain at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom from the attraction's opening in 1975 until 1993. The Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland was originally built largely unfinished in 1971, and had a considerable amount of land for expansion. Following the success of Walt Disney World's opening, Imagineers revived the shelved concept for Space Mountain, an indoor roller coaster attraction originally envisioned for Disneyland's 1967 New Tomorrowland project by Walt Disney and Herb Ryman.
Meanwhile, RCA was contracted to provide communications equipment for Walt Disney World, and their contract included a clause in which RCA would provide $10 million towards any new attraction that interested the company. After Walt Disney Productions' CEO Card Walker approached RCA CEO Robert Sarnoff with the Space Mountain project, RCA opted to sponsor the attraction in accordance with their contract.
The attraction opened on January 15, 1975, alongside GE's Carousel of Progress, as part of an expanded Tomorrowland. RCA was prominently featured throughout the attraction. A towering pylon sign with RCA's logo was displayed high above the attraction's entrance. A model of an RCA communications satellite was displayed in the attraction's queue, which was replaced by a model of RCA's mascot Nipper sitting in a flying saucer.
Guests exited Space Mountain through a post-show display featuring RCA's "Home of Future Living", featuring an original song, "Here's to the Future". The sequence promoted RCA's Selectavision Videodisc players and Colortrak television sets. By 1985, the post-show sequence was replaced by "RYCA-1", which depicted hypothetical views of human life on another planet. A new song, "We've Come So Far (Promising Tomorrows)", was commissioned for these scenes. These scenes, also viewable from the WEDway PeopleMover, were replaced in 1994, following FedEx's takeover of the attraction's sponsorship.
Though RCA dropped its sponsorship in 1993, instrumental versions of "We've Come So Far" (commonly known as the "Star Tunnel" music) still play throughout the attraction's queue.
Gallery[]
The Wonderful World of Color is brought to you by RCA.mp4
As an enthusiast deeply entrenched in the world of technology, entertainment, and corporate history, I'm here to share my extensive knowledge about the RCA Corporation and its intricate connections with the entertainment industry, particularly its collaboration with Disney.
The Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, holds a pivotal place in American electronics history, operating from 1919 to 1986. Originally part of General Electric (GE), RCA emerged as a separate entity in 1932 due to an antitrust case. The company experienced a complex series of events, including a period of ownership by GE in 1986, leading to the breakup of the corporation and the sale of most of its assets, with NBC and RCA's government services division being retained by GE.
One fascinating aspect of RCA's legacy is its association with Disney. RCA Records, under its RCA Victor label, released numerous early Disney record albums, featuring iconic animated classics such as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Alice in Wonderland." Furthermore, RCA was an original sponsor for the "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" on NBC.
The collaboration between RCA and Disney extended beyond mere sponsorship. In 1932, Disney signed a deal with RCA to utilize their high-fidelity sound system, the Photophone, for Disney shorts and feature films. This collaboration marked a significant advancement in sound quality for Disney productions, with RCA's Photophone being employed in various cartoons, including "Santa's Workshop" and "Mickey's Good Deed."
The partnership continued with RCA Records releasing soundtracks for Disney films, starting with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and spanning classics like "Pinocchio," "Dumbo," "Bambi," and "Cinderella."
A unique chapter in this collaboration unfolded at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom with the sponsorship of Space Mountain. RCA sponsored the attraction from its opening in 1975 until 1993, contributing not only financially but also being prominently featured throughout the ride. The association between RCA and Space Mountain included displays of RCA's logo, a model of an RCA communications satellite, and a post-show display highlighting RCA's "Home of Future Living."
Despite the conclusion of RCA's sponsorship in 1993, elements of their influence persisted, such as the continued playing of the instrumental version of "We've Come So Far" (known as the "Star Tunnel" music) in Space Mountain's queue.
Intricately woven into the realms of technology, entertainment, and theme park attractions, the history of RCA and its collaboration with Disney stands as a testament to the dynamic interplay between corporate giants and the world of imagination.
