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
Steamboat Bill, Jr. on a series of hats (something that was copied several times in other films), a clothing salesman briefly puts the trademark cap on his head, but he quickly rejects it, tossing it away. "Steamboat Bill, Jr." was a box office failure and received mixed reviews upon its release. "Variety" described the film as "a pip of a comedy" and "one of Keaton's best." The reviewer from "The Film Spectator" appointed it "as perhaps the best comedy of the year thus far" and advised "exhibitors should go after it." A less enthusiastic review from "Harrison's Reports" stated "there are many situations