Turning Point
“Walt didn't know if people would believe that the character on the screen was making the noise. Nobody had ever seen a drawing make noise, and there was no way to be sure that the people would believe it."
—Wilfred Jackson, composer/animator of Steamboat Willie
—Wilfred Jackson, composer/animator of Steamboat Willie
Mickey to the Rescue
Walt was truly devastated (Cline). To recover from his loss of Oswald, Disney decided to recoup and develop a new character. His inspiration was derived from a mouse that he’d found in his studio in Kansas City. He began drawing and eventually agreed with his wife, Lillian, to name his character, Mickey. Ub Iwerks, and Walt Disney worked together to refine his initial design and very soon, a star was born.
Mickey’s debut in the world’s first talking cartoon, Steamboat Willie, was a sensation, and the Disney studio was launched (Stewart 23). “Walt didn't know if people would believe that the character on the screen was making the noise. Nobody had ever seen a drawing make noise, and there was no way to be sure that the people would believe it. It might just look like some kind of a fake thing, and Walt wanted it to seem real, as if the noise was coming right from what the character was doing…” (Wilfred Jackson). The short film was a hit and the breakthrough of the sound barrier was revolutionary.
After Disney’s many downfalls in his career, Steamboat Willie was the motivation he needed to push his company forward. He reinvested his profits to make better pictures, and his insistence of technical perfection launched his firm ahead (Adams).
Mickey’s debut in the world’s first talking cartoon, Steamboat Willie, was a sensation, and the Disney studio was launched (Stewart 23). “Walt didn't know if people would believe that the character on the screen was making the noise. Nobody had ever seen a drawing make noise, and there was no way to be sure that the people would believe it. It might just look like some kind of a fake thing, and Walt wanted it to seem real, as if the noise was coming right from what the character was doing…” (Wilfred Jackson). The short film was a hit and the breakthrough of the sound barrier was revolutionary.
After Disney’s many downfalls in his career, Steamboat Willie was the motivation he needed to push his company forward. He reinvested his profits to make better pictures, and his insistence of technical perfection launched his firm ahead (Adams).
"Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner".
-Walt Disney, co-founder of the Walt Disney Company
-Walt Disney, co-founder of the Walt Disney Company
Steamboat Willie (1928) (clip)