Abstract

Steamboat Willie was not the first film of the new Mickey Mouse series. The first one was Plane Crazy. Following Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight, an enthusiastic Mickey decides to become a pilot; involves farm animals in the process; and even brings his fiancée, Minnie, with him into the sky; they crash but end up safe and sound. The film featured some impressive close-ups, although it did not surpass the quality level of the previous productions; in fact, it was based on the previous The Ocean Hop (1927) starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Mickey was no more charismatic than Oswald; he looked and behaved very much like him and, from a purely graphic viewpoint, neither character amounted to much.¹ Disney trademarked Mickey Mouse’s name and held on to it tightly.