Steamboat Willie is a short, animated story, released on November 18, 1928. It was the third Mickey Mouse cartoon. “Plane Crazy” (released six months earlier) and “The Gallopin' Gaucho” (made earlier, but released after) being the first two. It was also the first Disney cartoon to feature synchronized sound. Disney used Pat Powers' Cinephone system, it was made by Powers using Lee De Forest's Phonofilm system, without giving De Forest any credit. Steamboat Willie premiered at New York's 79th Street Theatre, it played ahead of the independent feature film “Gang War.” Steamboat Willie was an immediate hit while “Gang War” has pretty much been forgotten, not many people know of it today.The cartoon was directed by Walt Disney. The title is a parody of the Buster Keaton film “Steamboat Bill Jr.”. Music for Steamboat Willie was put together by Wilfred Jackson, one of Disney's animators. However, it was sometimes reported to be by Carl Stalling, but that’s not true. The short also uses popular melodies including "Steamboat Bill" and "Turkey in the Straw" (the ice cream man song).
-Clancy Darcy
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