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
Mickey's 50 World Wants to Wish You) Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse". Mickey's 50 Mickey's 50 is a 1978 television special honouring the 50-year anniversary of the debut of Walt Disney's animated character Mickey Mouse. The show aired on NBC on November 19, 1978, one day after Mickey's official birthday, as a special 90-minute edition of "The Wonderful World of Disney". This show covers the history and career of Mickey Mouse from his humble beginnings in the first Disney sound cartoon "Steamboat Willie" to his popularity in the 1930s, his presence on television through "The Mickey Mouse Club", and his role as the