"I hope that we never loose sight of one thing -
that it was all started by a Mouse."
~~Walter Elias Disney
In the beginning.....
Mickey's first film was Plane Crazy. After the loss of Oswald the Rabbit, Walt and Lillian Disney and Ub Iwerks, worked in secret on the film in a garage behind Walt's home on Lyric Avenue.
Plane Crazy had a sneak preview at a Hollywood movie house in May, 1928. The movie was pleasantly received. However, the big movie houses were not interested in Mickey Mouse.
Walt and Ub made a second Mickey Mouse film called Gallopin' Gaucho.
The first two Mickey Mouse films that Walt made cost the studio $2,500 each.
Mickey Mouse made his debut in Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928, at the Colony Theater in New York.
Steamboat Willie was Disney's first film with sound.
The original voice of Mickey Mouse was Walt Disney.
Mickey's first words were spoken in 1929 in The Karnival Kid.
The first merchandise to feature Mickey Mouse was a child's school tablet in 1929.
Mickey is a hit.....
The first Mickey Mouse Club was formed in 1929, at the Fox Dome Theater in Ocean Park, CA. Soon, others were formed in movie houses around the country.
The first Mickey Mouse comic strip was published on January 13, 1930. They were drawn by Ub Iwerks at first. Then Win Smith, Ub Iwerks' assistant, drew them for 3 months. He was succeeded by Floyd Gottfredson who drew the comic strip for 45 years.
The first Mickey Mouse book was The Mickey Mouse Book, published in 1930 by Bibo-Lang.
In 1932, a special Academy Award was given to Walt Disney for the creation of Mickey Mouse. (see picture above)
The first Mickey Mouse wrist watch was produced by the Ingersoll-Waterbury company in 1933. The dial read: "Mickey Mouse Ingersoll". It originally sold for $3.75, then was reduced to $2.75.
In January, 1933, Kay Kamen created the Mickey Mouse Magazine. It was a small publication containing short stories, articles, gags, games and poems. There were 9 monthly issues of the magazine distributed through movie houses and department stores around the country.
The Encyclopedia Britannica gave Mickey Mouse his own entry in 1934.
The first Mickey Mouse cartoon in color was The Band Concert, which premEared on February 23, 1935.
The last black and white cartoon actually premEared after The Band Concert. It was Mickey's Kangaroo, which premEared April 13, 1935.
In 1935, The League of Nations awarded Walt Disney a medal for the creation of Mickey Mouse.
Mickey was originally drawn with circles for his head, body and ears. In 1939, that design was changed to the more pear shaped appearance we see now. Also, pupils were added to his eyes. The first film Mickey appeared in with his new features was The Pointer.
The 1935 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City was led by a fifty-five foot high Mickey Mouse.
The League of Nations presented Walt Disney with a special medal, in 1935, in recognition of the fact that Mickey Mouse was "a symbol of universal good will."
Mickey's first appearance in a feature film was in 1940 in Fantasia, where he appeared in his most famous role as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. His image was modified for this feature film debut to include eye pupils and a more three-dimensional appearance.
Between 1928, Steamboat Willie, and 1995, Runaway Brain, Mickey Mouse starred in 120 films. However, there was a 30 year gap between The Simple Things in 1953 and Mickey's Christmas Carol in 1983.
From Mickey's Christmas Carol a Mickey Mouse cartoon featurette was made and premiered in England on October 20, 1983. Directed by Burny Mattinson. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Film. The song "Oh, What a Merry Christmas Day" was written by Frederick Searles and Irwin Kostal.
Walt Disney provided the voice of Mickey Mouse until 1946. Jim Macdonald took over and was Mickey's voice for 3 decades until he retired. The current voice of Mickey Mouse is Wayne Allwine.
Are Mickey and Minnie married?????
According to Walt Disney, Mickey and Minnie Mouse have never been married on screen. But, in 1933, during an interview with Film Pictorial, Walt said, "In private life, Mickey is married to Minnie... What it really amounts to is that Minnie is, for screen purposes, his leading lady." Two years later in 1935, he told Louise Morgan in the News Chronicle "There's no marriage in the land of make-believe. Mickey and Minnie must live happily ever after." The discussion of Mickey and Minnie's wedding has been fueled by the 1932 film Mickey's Nightmare in which Mickey falls asleep in the armchair instead of meeting Minnie at the local dance. Mickey dreams of being married to Minnie and is surrounded by numerous little Mickey mice. Then in 1935, a cover for for the sheet music "The Wedding Of Mister Mickey Mouse" shows a picture of a beaming Mickey, dressing in a tux, leading Minnie, dressed in a veil, from the church to the happy cheering of Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow. This music was a Novelty Fox-trot with music by Franz Vienna and words by Edward Pola with special permission by Walt Disney.
In 1950, Walt Disney started the The Mickey Mouse Club television show.
A 90 minutes television show aired on November 19, 1978 to celebrate Mickey Mouse's 50th birthday. Guest appearance on the show were made by: Gerald Ford, Billy Graham, Lawrence Welk, Willie Nelson, Gene Kelly, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Edgar Bergen, Jodie Foster, Goldie Hawn, Eva Gabor, Anne Bancroft, Jo Anne Worley, and Burt Reynolds.
The Runaway Brain was made in 1995. Dr. Frankenollie transplants Mickey's brain. The name of Dr. Frankenollie was inspired by the famed animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.
Mickey Mouse's favorite sayings are: "Gosh!" "Oh boy!" "That sure is swell!" "Aw, gee..." "See ya soon!"
Mickey Mouse is the offical greeter of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
