As previously mentioned, American companies like Harold, Hewlett-Packard, and Texas Instruments all profited directly from World War II—but Disney did not. With the outbreak of war, Disney lost access to the European market entirely, and its headquarters were requisitioned by the U.S. military to protect the nearby Lockheed factory. Walt Disney could only eke out modest revenue by producing training films for the armed forces. After the war, animation studios like MGM and Warner Bros. rose rapidly, with MGM’s Tom and Jerry series alone earning seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film, posing a formidable challenge to Disney. In response, Disney invested heavily in the production of Cinderella. Like earlier Disney films, Cinderella was exquisitely crafted—and extremely expensive to produce, costing more than twice what Warner Bros. spent on their animations. The financial risk was immense, and the pressure weighed heavily on Walt Disney, both mentally and physically.