History WesternAnimation / SteamboatWillie

-->--'''ShamusCulhane''' on why "Steamboat Willie" was such an important film for animation

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black-and-white WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable, not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''WesternAnimation/PlaneCrazy'') and, contrary to popular belief, not for being the first sound cartoon[[note]][[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer Studios]]' 1924 ''Song Car-Tune'' "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor, and [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] 1928 short "Dinnertime" was released just a month before Willie hit the theaters[[/note]], but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black-and-white WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable, not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''WesternAnimation/PlaneCrazy'') and, contrary to popular belief, not for being the first sound cartoon[[note]][[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer Studios]]' 1924 ''Song Car-Tune'' "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor, and [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] 1928 short "Dinnertime" was released just a month before Willie hit the theaters[[/note]], but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black-and-white WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable, not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''WesternAnimation/PlaneCrazy'') and, contrary to popular belief, not for being the first sound cartoon[[note]][[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer Studios]]' 1924 ''Song Car-Tune'' "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor, and [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] 1928 short "Dinnertime" was released just a month before Willie hit the theaters[[/note]], but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

->''"By [[TheSilentAgeOfAnimation 1927-1928]], audiences would groan when a cartoon came on. Animation had worn out its welcome. The novelty was gone. If sound hadn't come in, the cartoon would have vanished."''

This short was chosen for preservation in the NationalFilmRegistry.

->''"By [[TheSilentAgeofAnimation 1927-1928]], audiences would groan when a cartoon came on. Animation had worn out its welcome. The novelty was gone. If sound hadn't come in, the cartoon would have vanished."''

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black-and-white Disney/MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable, not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''WesternAnimation/PlaneCrazy'') and, contrary to popular belief, not for being the first sound cartoon[[note]][[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer Studios]]' 1924 ''Song Car-Tune'' "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor, and [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] 1928 short "Dinnertime" was released just a month before Willie hit the theaters[[/note]], but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

!!''SteamboatWillie'' contains examples of the following tropes:

* MickeyMousing: The {{Trope Maker|s}}, though {{Ur Example}}s do exist in some form, silent cartoons did have musical scores (which would have to be played by a piano player in the movie theater) and characters would often move to the beats, but not to the same extent.

The short was revolutionary for its time, and its copyright status in the US is still up in the air; Disney has successfully lobbied Congress to extend its copyright to 2023 (which is part of the reason that the Copyright Term Extension Act is occasionally known as the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act") though by the original law it should have fallen into {{public domain|Animation}} years ago. It may in fact already be in the public domain due to errors in the original copyright formulation, but [[FrivolousLawsuit don't let Disney hear you mention that]]. In several other countries, including Canada and Russia, the short has been in the public domain for several years.

* EverythingIsAnInstrument
* ExtremeOmniGoat

* MoralDissonance: It's not okay to abuse animals just so you can make music anymore.

* PeelingPotatoes

->''By [[TheSilentAgeofAnimation 1927-1928]], audiences would groan when a cartoon came on. Animation had worn out its welcome. The novelty was gone. If sound hadn't come in, the cartoon would have vanished.''

-->--'''ShamusCulhane''' on why ''Steamboat Willie'' was such an important film for animation

->''"By [[TheSilentAgeofAnimation 1927-1928]], audiences would groan when a cartoon came on. Animation had worn out its welcome. The novelty was gone. If sound hadn't come in, the cartoon would have vanished."''
-->--ShamusCulhane, on why ''Steamboat Willie'' was such an important film for animation.

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black and white MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable, not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''PlaneCrazy'') and, contrary to popular belief, not for being the first sound cartoon [[note]] FleischerStudios 1924 ''Song Car-Tune'' "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor, and [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] 1928 short "Dinnertime" was released just a month before Willie hit the theaters[[/note]], but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

The short itself begins with the iconic image of Mickey Mouse at the mast of a steamboat, whistling to himself. The [[DesignatedVillain villain]], Pete, the real captain of the ship, steps in and hassles Mickey for not doing his job. The steamboat docks to pick up a cargo of animals, and Minnie Mouse rushes to board the ship as it leaves the dock. Mickey manages to get her on board (by using a hook to pick her up by her panties no less), but an ExtremeOmniGoat eats her [[ItMakesSenseInContext ukulele and her sheets of music]]. Somehow Mickey and Minnie are able to make the most of the situation by cranking the goat's tail, which causes it to play music. The ensuing scenes involve Mickey abusing animals in order to add to the music, by swinging a cat by its tail, choking a duck, pulling on the tails of baby pigs and then playing the mother pig's nipples. [[KickTheDog Animal abuse]] aside, this scene readily showed off what adding sound to cartoons could do. Pete gets angry at Mickey for slacking off again, and forces him to peel potatoes. The short ends with Mickey throwing a potato at a parrot for laughing at him.

* RubberHoseLimbs
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics

This short has also placed no. 13 on The50GreatestCartoons list, and was chosen for preservation in the NationalFilmRegistry.

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black and white MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable, not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''PlaneCrazy'') and, contrary to popular belief, not for being the first sound cartoon [[note]] FleischerStudios 1924 Song Car-Tune "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor, and [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] 1928 short "Dinnertime" was released just a month before Willie hit the theaters[[/note]], but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black and white MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable, not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''PlaneCrazy'') and, contrary to popular belief, not for being the first sound cartoon [[note]] FleischerStudios 1924 Song Car-Tune "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor, and Paul Terry's 1928 short "Dinnertime" was released just a month before Willie hit the theaters[[/note]], but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black and white MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''PlaneCrazy''), nor for being the first sound cartoon (FleischerStudios 1924 Song Car-Tune "Mother, Mother Pin A Rose On Me" holds that honor), but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

'''"Steamboat Willie"''' was a black and white MickeyMouse short released on November 18, 1928, being the short that kicked off what we have come to know as TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It is notable not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to ''PlaneCrazy''), nor for being the first sound cartoon (FleischerStudios had already experimented with adding sound to their cartoons), but for being the first cartoon with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue, and sound effects. Namely, it was the first cartoon to get it right, bringing TheSilentAgeOfAnimation to an end.

* CommonKnowledge: As noted above, ''not'' the first apperance of Mickey (or {{Pete}}, for that matter). It is also a very common mistake in animation history that this short was the first sound cartoon, when those [[OlderThanTheyThink existed as early as the mid 1920's]] (and Paul Terry had taken a shot at the sound cartoon called ''Dinnertime'' just a month before ''Willie'' was released).

[[caption-width-right:300:[[RunawayBrain "Oh,]] [[ArtEvolution that's old!"]]]]

* CommonKnowledge: As noted above, ''not'' the first apperance of Mickey (or {{Pete}}, for that matter).

* BootstrappedLeitmotif: The chorus to Steamboat Willie has naturally become a theme for Mickey in general

The short was revolutionary for its time, and its copyright status in the US is still up in the air; Disney has successfully lobbied Congress to extend its copyright to 2023 (which is part of the reason that the Copyright Term Extension Act is occasionally known as the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act") though by the original law it should have fallen into [[PublicDomainAnimation public domain]] years ago. It may in fact already be in the public domain due to errors in the original copyright formulation, but [[FrivolousLawsuit don't let Disney hear you mention that]]. In several other countries, including Canada and Russia, the short has been in the public domain for several years.

* BreakthroughHit: It wasn't Mickey's true first appearance, but certainly the reason why he and Creator/WaltDisney are big names in entertainment.

* FurryConfusion: Perhaps seeing a three foot mouse swing a [[ThatPoorCat cat]] around by its tail is some form of [[CarnivoreConfusion twisted justice.]]

* MickeyMousing: The TropeMaker, though [[URExample Ur Examples]] do exist in some form, silent cartoons did have musical scores (which would have to be played by a piano player in the movie theater) and characters would often move to the beats, but not to the same extent.

The short was revolutionary for its time, and its copyright status in the US is still up in the air; Disney has successfully lobbied congress to extend its copyright to 2023, though by the original law it should have fallen into [[PublicDomainAnimation public domain]] years ago. It may in fact already be in the public domain due to errors in the original copyright formulation, but [[FrivolousLawsuit don't let Disney hear you mention that]]. In several other countries, including Canada and Russia, the short has been in the public domain for several years.

The short was revolutionary for its time, and its copyright status in the US is still up in the air; Disney has successfully lobbied congress to extend its copyright, though by the original law it should have fallen into [[PublicDomainAnimation public domain]] years ago. It may in fact already be in the public domain due to errors in the original copyright formulation, but [[FrivolousLawsuit don't let Disney hear you mention that]]. In several other countries, including Canada and Russia, the short has been in the public domain for several years.