Mickey Mouse and Ub Iwerks. Iwerks again served as the head animator, assisted by Johnny Cannon, Les Clark, Wilfred Jackson and Dick Lundy. This short was intended as a parody of Buster Keaton's "Steamboat Bill, Jr.", first released on May 12 of the same year. Although it was the third Mickey cartoon produced, it was the first to find a distributor, and thus is considered by The Disney Company as Mickey's debut. "Willie" featured changes to Mickey's appearance (in particular, simplifying his eyes to large dots) that established his look for later cartoons and in numerous Walt Disney films. The cartoon was
Walt Disney or aesthetically significant": "Steamboat Willie", "The Three Little Pigs", "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Fantasia", "Pinocchio", "Bambi" and "Mary Poppins". In 1998, the American Film Institute published a list of the 100 greatest American films, according to industry experts; the list included "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (at number 49), and "Fantasia" (at 58). In February 1960, Disney was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars, one for motion pictures and the other for his television work; Mickey Mouse was given his own star for motion pictures in 1978. Disney was also inducted into the