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Steamboat Willie

 Steamboat Willie
type
TVTItem
 Steamboat Willie
label
Steamboat Willie
 Steamboat Willie
page
SteamboatWillie
 Steamboat Willie
comment
Steamboat Willie is a black-and-white Mickey Mouse short released on November 18, 1928, and is the cartoon that kicked off what we have come to know as The Golden Age of Animation. It is notable not for being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon (that honor goes to Plane Crazynote though Steamboat Willie is the first to be distributed and released to the public. Plane Crazy would not be released to the public until a few months later in 1929), nor for being the first sound cartoonnote  Fleischer Studios' 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, 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 The Silent Age of Animation to an end.The short itself begins with the iconic image of Mickey Mouse at the wheel of a steamboat, whistling to himself. The 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 Extreme Omni-Goat eats her 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. Black Comedy Animal Cruelty 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.The short was revolutionary for its time, and its copyright status in the US was still up in the air for a long time — in 1998, Disney successfully lobbied the U.S. Congress to extend its copyrightnote (which was originally set to expire in 2004 upon the short's 75th anniversary, plus a month and a half as copyrights always expire on January 1 of the following year) to 2024 (this is part of the reason that the Copyright Term Extension Act is occasionally derisively called the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act"), though by the original law it should have fallen into the public domain years ago. It may in fact have already been in the public domain during that time due to errors in the original copyright formulation, but no one wanted to challenge Disney's lawyers. As of January 1, 2024, the short, along with Mickey, Minnie and Pete as they appear in the short, are now definitively in the United States public domain.note Before you get to making your own Mickey content, though, even though the copyright for this cartoon has expired, Disney hasn't lost complete control of their classic characters, as later versions of these characters are still copyrighted and trademarked. You are now able to use Steamboat Willie and Gallopin' Gaucho's version of Mickey, Minnie and Pete as much as you want, but not later versions of them still as they are under Disney's copyright. You also cannot use Mickey as a trademark as that would cause customer confusion, unless you want to get sued by Disney. Additionally, you can use the IMAGE of Mickey's unnamed (in the short) boss, but actually calling him "Pete" is... iffy. Pete himself dates back to 1925, but as a bear, not a cat. So Pete the BEAR is fair game. The cat character seen in Steamboat Willie wasn't retroactively declared to be Pete until 1930, leaving the whole thing a legal tangleweb. It should be noted that in several other countries, including Canada and Russia, the short has been in the public domain for several years. Predictably, an indie horror movie project is already on track to be made. A horror video game is in the works, and a First-Person Shooter game inspired from this short named Mouse is in development.In 1998, 70 years after its debut, the short was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry. It can be watched on Walt Disney Animation Studios' official YouTube channel here or on its Wikipedia article here.
 Steamboat Willie
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2024-03-17T12:02:47Z
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2024-03-17T12:02:47Z
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Dropped link to Bowdlerise: Not a Feature - ITEM
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DBTropes
 Steamboat Willie / int_19bec249
type
Pop-Cultural Osmosis
 Steamboat Willie / int_19bec249
comment
Pop-Cultural Osmosis: The first scene where Mickey is seen steering the steamboat is far more famous than the rest of the cartoon.note Perhaps most notably as the logo for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Most people know that Steamboat Willie launched Mickey Mouse as a superstar, but the amount of people who actually saw this cartoon from beginning to end is much lower.
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 Steamboat Willie / int_1e3a9a21
type
Angrish
 Steamboat Willie / int_1e3a9a21
comment
Angrish: This is pretty much the only "dialogue" Pete gets when he first catches Mickey goofing off.
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Steamboat Willie / int_1e3a9a21
 Steamboat Willie / int_255608b2
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Public Domain Animation
 Steamboat Willie / int_255608b2
comment
Public Domain Animation: The short is in the public domain in the United States as of 2024.
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Steamboat Willie / int_255608b2
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type
Balloon Belly
 Steamboat Willie / int_264b8f4c
comment
Balloon Belly: In order to help a skinny cow properly fit her lift, Mickey proceeds to feed her a heap of hay large enough to round her out in just one gulp.
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Steamboat Willie / int_264b8f4c
 Steamboat Willie / int_27a40541
type
Furry Confusion
 Steamboat Willie / int_27a40541
comment
Furry Confusion: Perhaps seeing a three-foot mouse swing a cat around by its tail is some form of twisted justice. Not to mention you have a non-anthropomorphic cat in the same cartoon as Pete.
 Steamboat Willie / int_27a40541
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Steamboat Willie / int_27a40541
 Steamboat Willie / int_2e8441c9
type
The Bad Guy Wins
 Steamboat Willie / int_2e8441c9
comment
The Bad Guy Wins: Downplayed on Pete's part, as he is last seen putting a dismayed Mickey to work peeling potatoes for the rest of the trip as punishment for slacking off on the job and mistreating the animals. But it is Mickey who gets the last laugh, both literally and figuratively, after knocking the parrot off the boat.
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 Steamboat Willie / int_32821ceb
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The Unintelligible
 Steamboat Willie / int_32821ceb
comment
The Unintelligible: Due to the quality of the recording, it is hard to tell that the parrot is actually saying words. But thanks to extensive research, and listening very closely, he is actually saying, "Hope you don't feel hurt, big boy! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!", and when Mickey knocks the parrot into the water with a thrown potato, you can hear him say, "Help! Help! Man overboard!"
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 Steamboat Willie / int_34dcfc96
type
Kick the Dog
 Steamboat Willie / int_34dcfc96
comment
Kick the Dog: A rare example of someone doing this several times and still being the protagonist, with Mickey committing various acts of Black Comedy Animal Cruelty.
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 Steamboat Willie / int_3b2acc73
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Rubber-Hose Limbs
 Steamboat Willie / int_3b2acc73
comment
Rubber-Hose Limbs: As is typical of 1920s American cartoons.
 Steamboat Willie / int_3b2acc73
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Steamboat Willie / int_3b2acc73
 Steamboat Willie / int_3fe6a857
type
Public Domain Character
 Steamboat Willie / int_3fe6a857
comment
Public Domain Character: The first appearance of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and this version of Pete.note He appeared much earlier in the Alice Comedies, albeit as a bear and not a cat. They are all still trademarked, though.
 Steamboat Willie / int_3fe6a857
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Steamboat Willie / int_3fe6a857
 Steamboat Willie / int_4f4372e9
type
Early-Installment Weirdness
 Steamboat Willie / int_4f4372e9
comment
Early-Installment Weirdness: Mickey and Minnie don't have White Gloves in this short, though Mickey sports a pair in the title card.
 Steamboat Willie / int_4f4372e9
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Steamboat Willie / int_4f4372e9
 Steamboat Willie / int_5521ed05
type
No Animals Were Harmed
 Steamboat Willie / int_5521ed05
comment
No Animals Were Harmed: It's not okay to abuse animals just so you can make music anymore. Granted, it wasn't exactly okay for Mickey either.
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Steamboat Willie / int_5521ed05
 Steamboat Willie / int_5f70322e
type
Public Domain Soundtrack
 Steamboat Willie / int_5f70322e
comment
Public Domain Soundtrack: The short begins with an arrangement of "Steamboat Bill", a popular song at the time that was written as a parody of murder ballads such as "The Ballad of Casey Jones". Later, Mickey and Minnie dance along to "Turkey in the Straw", which was chosen because it was the only song someone at the studio knew how to play on the harmonica.
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Steamboat Willie / int_5f70322e
 Steamboat Willie / int_688d3a5b
type
Mime and Music-Only Cartoon
 Steamboat Willie / int_688d3a5b
comment
Mime and Music-Only Cartoon: Almost. The only speech comes from the parrot, but it's pretty hard to make out. The rest of the cartoon however is a picture perfect example.
 Steamboat Willie / int_688d3a5b
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Steamboat Willie / int_688d3a5b
 Steamboat Willie / int_6b05b601
type
Jerkass Has a Point
 Steamboat Willie / int_6b05b601
comment
Jerkass Has a Point: Captain Pete is presented as something of an antagonist, but he has done nothing villainous as he's rightfully angry at Mickey for goofing around on the job so much when there's work to be done. He even doesn't take it kindly after seeing that Mickey is abusing the animals just for music to impress Minnie.
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Steamboat Willie / int_6b05b601
 Steamboat Willie / int_6be52ff2
type
Prehensile Tail
 Steamboat Willie / int_6be52ff2
comment
Prehensile Tail: Mickey uses it to pick up a hammer so he can use it to play a barrel like a drum and bang the trash can at the same time.
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 Steamboat Willie / int_6e6b8ca7
type
Tertiary Sexual Characteristics
 Steamboat Willie / int_6e6b8ca7
comment
Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Minnie has eyelashes and a flower in her hat.
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Steamboat Willie / int_6e6b8ca7
 Steamboat Willie / int_6e9bc71b
type
Extreme Omni-Goat
 Steamboat Willie / int_6e9bc71b
comment
Extreme Omni-Goat: The goat eats sheet music and a ukulele, then is able to play music afterwards like a phonograph.
 Steamboat Willie / int_6e9bc71b
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Steamboat Willie / int_6e9bc71b
 Steamboat Willie / int_863fa679
type
What Happened to the Mouse?
 Steamboat Willie / int_863fa679
comment
What Happened to the Mouse?: Minnie isn't seen again after the concert ends, as she isn't seen receiving any comeuppance for helping Mickey slacking off on his job.
 Steamboat Willie / int_863fa679
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Steamboat Willie / int_863fa679
 Steamboat Willie / int_90e31482
type
Laser-Guided Karma
 Steamboat Willie / int_90e31482
comment
Laser-Guided Karma: As obvious as a punishment for slacking off on the job and hurting several animals for amusement, Mickey is sentenced to peeling off potatoes for the rest of the trip, something which he himself is not happy with.
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Steamboat Willie / int_90e31482
 Steamboat Willie / int_97928805
type
Barefoot Cartoon Animal
 Steamboat Willie / int_97928805
comment
Barefoot Cartoon Animal: It's unclear if Pete is this, or if he's just wearing black boots.
 Steamboat Willie / int_97928805
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Steamboat Willie / int_97928805
 Steamboat Willie / int_a73cfb7f
type
Animate Inanimate Object
 Steamboat Willie / int_a73cfb7f
comment
Animate Inanimate Object: Steamboat whistles and hook show some anthropomorphic characteristics.
 Steamboat Willie / int_a73cfb7f
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Steamboat Willie / int_a73cfb7f
 Steamboat Willie / int_abafa9b6
type
Peeling Potatoes
 Steamboat Willie / int_abafa9b6
comment
Peeling Potatoes: Mickey's punishment for slacking off so much is getting thrown in a room of potatoes.
 Steamboat Willie / int_abafa9b6
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Steamboat Willie / int_abafa9b6
 Steamboat Willie / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 Steamboat Willie / int_ad1db87c
comment
Oh, Crap!: After Mickey finished his playing along with "Turkey in the Straw", he saw Pete was not happy at him, Mickey briefly looks at the audience before smiling nervously at the captain. The mouse tried to get away, but Pete punishes him by sentencing him to Peeling Potatoes.
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Steamboat Willie / int_ad1db87c
 Steamboat Willie / int_af21be25
type
Bootstrapped Leitmotif
 Steamboat Willie / int_af21be25
comment
Bootstrapped Leitmotif: The chorus to Steamboat Willie has naturally become a theme for Mickey, and by extension, Disney in general.
 Steamboat Willie / int_af21be25
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Steamboat Willie / int_af21be25
 Steamboat Willie / int_b0218885
type
Mickey Mousing
 Steamboat Willie / int_b0218885
comment
Mickey Mousing: The Trope Maker, though 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.
 Steamboat Willie / int_b0218885
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 Steamboat Willie / int_b4a6ae4c
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Everyone Has Standards
 Steamboat Willie / int_b4a6ae4c
comment
Everyone Has Standards: As grumpy as he can be, Pete has the right to be angry at Mickey, not only for slacking off at work, but also for mistreating the animals while playing along to "Turkey in the Straw".
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 Steamboat Willie / int_b9922ce5
type
Literal Ass-Kicking
 Steamboat Willie / int_b9922ce5
comment
Literal Ass-Kicking: Pete attempts to kick Mickey after the latter blew a raspberry at him, only to kick his own butt by accident. However, Pete's failed kick managed to get Mickey fall down the stairway and land his butt on a bucket of water.
 Steamboat Willie / int_b9922ce5
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 Steamboat Willie / int_baa90ed2
type
Wedgie
 Steamboat Willie / int_baa90ed2
comment
Wedgie: Around 3½ minutes in, this is Mickey's chosen method to lift Minnie onto the boat, using the boat's hook to pull her up by the waistband of her underpants)
 Steamboat Willie / int_baa90ed2
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 Steamboat Willie / int_bda3d68a
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Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?
 Steamboat Willie / int_bda3d68a
comment
Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: Right after being ordered to get back to work, Mickey proceeds to blow a raspberry towards Pete. The captain is angry and attempts to kick Mickey, who freaks out a bit before dodging Pete's kick.
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 Steamboat Willie / int_bdc94cd9
type
Compressed Adaptation
 Steamboat Willie / int_bdc94cd9
comment
Compressed Adaptation: The Emoji retelling, due to only being a minute long, heavily steamlines the basic plot (what little there is anyway) and excises the entire ending.
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 Steamboat Willie / int_cb123fdc
type
iSophagus
 Steamboat Willie / int_cb123fdc
comment
iSophagus: The goat, which becomes a living phonograph as a result of eating Minnie's sheet music and ukulele.
 Steamboat Willie / int_cb123fdc
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 Steamboat Willie / int_cc5c18b6
type
Iris Out
 Steamboat Willie / int_cc5c18b6
comment
Iris Out: The short ends with a closing black circle.
 Steamboat Willie / int_cc5c18b6
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 Steamboat Willie / int_e01c3d03
type
Black Comedy Animal Cruelty
 Steamboat Willie / int_e01c3d03
comment
Black Comedy Animal Cruelty: This is the most famous example in the early Mickey Mouse cartoons; it includes a sow played like an accordion, a cat having its tail pulled and then swung around, and a goose squeezed like a bagpipe. However, Pete himself isn't amused by this at all.
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 Steamboat Willie / int_e144beb6
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Everything Is an Instrument
 Steamboat Willie / int_e144beb6
comment
Everything Is an Instrument: When Mickey starts playing along to "Turkey in the Straw", he uses pots, pans and animals as an accompaniment.
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Steamboat Willie

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

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