Steamboat Willie

"Steamboat Willie" is a cartoon directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, released on November 18, 1928; the day now used as Mickey Mouse's birthday. It was the third Disney film to feature Mickey Mouse, but it was the first animated film ever to be fully accompanied by a synchronized sound track and is remembered today for this innovation. While other, earlier animated films featured synchronized sound, Steamboat Willie was the first cartoon to have the entire soundtrack created in post production. The short displays Disney's signature focus on character, and depicted a wilder version of Mickey Mouse. Mickey wreaks havoc on the boat, intentionally annoying Captain Pete and brutally assaulting various animals to play a lively version of "Turkey in the Straw". The music was played by a 15-piece band and was recorded through a bootleg Powers Cinephone process after a disastrous initial recording session. Mickey's voicing was done by Walt Disney himself. In steamboat Willie, the Mickey Mouse character differs from his later incarnation, specifically because of violent tendencies. As a result of this surprising difference, Disney has cut a full thirty seconds from the film. Currently, Steamboat Willie is part of the Walt Disney Animation Studio's logo.