First Two Mickey Mouse Cartoons

November 26, 2007 4:09 PM

Plane Crazy [Wikipedia] was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon produced; it debuted on May 15, 1928. It was followed by The Gallopin' Gaucho [Wikipedia], which had a sneak preview on August 28, 1928.

Plane Crazy and The Gallopin' Gaucho originally were silent; sound was added after the success of Steamboat Willie [Wikipedia], the first Mickey Mouse cartoon with sound, which debuted on November 18, 1928. The Gallopin' Gaucho was a parody of Douglas Fairbanks' The Gaucho. Mickey rides a rhea.

Surreal bonus: Sims watching Plane Crazy.

posted by kirkaracha (11 comments total)

And if Disney's lobbyists have anything to say about it, they will never enter the public domain. Never, ever, ever.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:29 PM on November 26, 2007

Mickey is mean.
posted by inconsequentialist at 4:42 PM on November 26, 2007

So that pun is going on 80 years of not being funny?
posted by DU at 4:42 PM on November 26, 2007

Ub Iwerks was the MAN.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:46 PM on November 26, 2007

Great post!
posted by languagehat at 5:17 PM on November 26, 2007

It is a good post. I still cringe knowing that if the illegal YouTube content is removed, it would not be a great post. Which makes me wonder if it really is a great post, or just great we have free Mickey to watch. Mickey in particular is the poster child of the copyright debate (at least for those on the Dark Side).
posted by stbalbach at 6:09 PM on November 26, 2007

BTW nothing personal kirkaracha, just part of an ongoing larger discussion. I for one welcome our Mickey Mouse overlords.
posted by stbalbach at 6:12 PM on November 26, 2007

This was the first animated film to use a camera move. The POV shot from the plane made it appear as if the camera was tracking into the ground. In fact, when they shot this scene, they piled books under the spinning background to move the artwork closer to the camera.

Yes, Iwerks was the man. It seems like the man just couldn't do anything without breaking ground in the process.

At the time of its first release, however, Plane Crazy apparently failed to impress audiences.

Philistines!
posted by dgbellak at 6:30 PM on November 26, 2007

I never even heard of either of these. 'Course, I wouldn't have, because I usually find animation from this era really unnerving to watch, with all the wavy limbs and just the different aesthetic and whatnot. But I am here to tell you that The Gallopin' Gaucho just blew my mind. Thank you.
posted by jinjo at 6:55 PM on November 26, 2007

post, or just great we have free Mickey to watch. Mickey in particular is the poster child of the copyright debate (at least for those on the Dark Side).
posted by stbalbach at 6:09 PM on November 26

Indeed.
posted by louche mustachio at 12:36 AM on November 27, 2007

Ub definitely kicks ass. Ever see any Flip the Frog? Rocking. (Though these two linkable YouTube clips aren't necessarily the best...)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:32 AM on November 27, 2007