Steamboat Willie
Released November 18, 1928
Mickey’s First cartoon with sound. While “Plane Crazy” was actually the first cartoon produced to feature Mickey Mouse it was a silent cartoon and it failed to pickup a distributor when it was shown to a test audience on May 15, 1928. “Steamboat Willie” was released later that year on November 18, 1928 and was a giant success. Many people debate as to which is the true first Mickey Mouse cartoon, and while “Plane Crazy” was in fact the first to be produced, “Steamboat Willie” was the first to actually be pick-upped and released. According to The Walt Disney Company “Steamboat Willie” does mark the debut of Mickey Mouse.