Blog #14 November 2024

 Happy 96th Anniversary of Steamboat Willie!!

Welcome to my fourteenth blog! Steamboat Willie is a short film which premiered on November 18, 1928. Not only did it introduce audiences to Mickey Mouse but also to his girlfriend Minnie Mouse and friend Clarabelle Cow. It did introduce Pete (as a Cat) to the Mickey Mouse universe but he became a Disney character on February 15, 1925 as a bear in Alice Solves the Puzzle (a part of the live-action animation hybrid Alice Comedies). Mickey Mouse was voiced by Walt Disney in Steamboat Willie including many other shorts. Ever since then Walt Disney stated that his company was started by a mouse. With superb popularity of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney was able to start many of his projects he has imagined, including but not limited to feature animated films (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937), feature live-action films (Treasure Island 1950), and theme parks (Disneyland 1955). 

In 2013, a show of shorts titled Mickey Mouse premiered with Mickey & Friends interacting in many time zones and many places. Mickey Mouse is voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos because his Mickey voice is similar to Walt Disney’s Mickey voice. Some of the animated style of the new show was similar to Steamboat Willie’s animation and other early Mickey Mouse projects. Also in 2013, Walt Disney Animation Studios premiered a Mickey Mouse short titled Get a Horse!, which featured archival audio of Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse including many other voice actors. It is a black & white hand-drawn and color computer animation hybrid. It premiered before my favorite Disney film of all time, Frozen in theaters on November 27. 

On March 4, 2020, Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This is the first Mickey Mouse themed ride-through attraction and all trackless ride system at a Disney theme park. On January 25, 2023, Disneyland opened the attraction in their Mickey’s Toontown themed area. It is based on the 2013 Mickey Mouse show.

On July 28, 2023 and in a connection to Steamboat Willie and in honor of the 100th Anniversary of The Walt Disney company they released a special episode of The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse titled Steamboat Silly. This special episode featured the modern Mickey Mouse interacting with the 1928 Mickey Mouse of Steamboat Willie. It also showed other versions of Mickey Mouse throughout his 96 years.

It was amazing to celebrate 96 years of Steamboat Willie. I cannot wait for the next blog. Until next time, keep your days open for more knowledge. Thank you to everyone who reads this blog.