The cartoon that started it all. "Steamboat Willie" won theater audiences over with its use of sound synchronized with animation, a concept that would meet Walt Disney with innovation time and time again in the future. There's no dialogue, but plenty of sound effects and illustrative gags to show them off, as well as catchy music, including "Turkey in the Straw." In this, his debut, Mickey Mouse is the very much the same character the audiences of today know, even if his character has undergone some change over time. The plot is simple: Mickey is piloting a steamboat, angering the cruel captain Pete, Disney's first villain (as large as the Pete of today, but with only a slight resemblance in appearance). Minnie Mouse tries to board the boat, but it pulls off moments too soon. Always the hero, even from day one, Mickey whisks her onboard with a crane, where he takes a liking to her while they have fun with music.
The noted release date reflects the initial, albeit limited, release of this short. This cartoon was reworked, sound was added, and the sound version premiered on November 18, 1928 at the Colony Theater in New York.
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