“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing
that it was all started by a mouse.”
Walt Disney, Disneyland; October 27, 1954
It was the first Disney Cartoon with sound, with Mickey’s voice provided by Walt himself!
This is the reason why on November 18, 1928 the Disney company celebrates Mickey’s birthday, even though he first appeared in a silent film, Plane Crazy, six months before.
Mickey Mouse replaced Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a character Disney had created but was owned by Universal Pictures in a deal set up by Charles Mintz. The break came when he learnt that Charles had taken all his animators, except for Ub Iwerks, along with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit!
He and Ub Iwerks, a close friend, then created a Mickey Mouse silent cartoon Plane Crazy in just two weeks in April 1928!
They realised there was a need for sound, so in November 1928, they released Steamboat Willie with Disney providing Mickie’s voice.
The Disney company went on the become one of the world’s largest entertainment empires, which eventually bought back the rights to Oswald! While Ub Iwerks went on to win many Academy Awards
Isn’t History Fun!
10 questions to discuss:
- What was the significance of Steamboat Willie in the history of Disney?
- Who provided the voice for Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie?
- Why is November 18, 1928, considered Mickey Mouse’s birthday by the Disney company?
- What was the relationship between Walt Disney and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit?
- Why did Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks decide to create Steamboat Willie?
- What was the role of Ub Iwerks in the creation of Mickey Mouse?
- How long did it take for Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks to create the first Mickey Mouse silent cartoon, Plane Crazy?
- What prompted the need for sound in Disney cartoons?
- How did the success of Steamboat Willie contribute to the growth of the Disney company?
- What happened to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit after Walt Disney’s break from Universal Pictures?
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