"It all started with a mouse" - Mickey turns 95
Mickey Mouse is 95 years old - and yet it seems as if the cartoon star simply won't age. Creator Walt Disney once said with regard to his huge company: "I just hope we never lose sight of one thing: It all started with a mouse."
Mickey first appeared on the world stage 95 years ago today in the animated film "Steamboat Willie". A few facts for the birthday:
A star for the mouse
Mickey is the first fictional character to be inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The coveted star was awarded on his 50th birthday in November 1978. This made the little rodent a pioneer, as many other characters have since joined the world's most famous sidewalk - such as Donald Duck, Kermit the Frog and Shrek.
Not only banned in the GDR
Comics by Mickey Mouse and co. were banned in the GDR. The socialist answer was the magazine "Mosaik". The famous mouse also had a hard time in other countries. Romania, for example, banned the Disney icon back in the 1930s. The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York writes that the character was banned from cinemas because it could have frightened children.
Topolino, Mi Lao Shu and co.
In many countries, Mickey is known by her original name, Mickey Mouse. As in Germany, her name is only slightly modified elsewhere. In Italy, for example, it no longer has much to do with the original sound of the word. There, the character is called Topolino, which means little mouse. In China, Mickey is known as Mi Lao Shu, in Sweden as Musse Pigg.
From rabbit to mouse
Cartoon visionary Walt Disney had the idea for the character on a train journey from New York to Los Angeles. A competitor had just snapped up the rights to his previously successful cartoon rabbit Oswald. "So I was alone and had nothing," he said later. "But I had this mouse in the back of my mind. A mouse has a likeable character, even if most people - including me - are a bit scared of him." His wife Lillian is said to have found the initially planned name Mortimer Mouse too old-fashioned.
From creator to mouse voice
In the first films, Mickey only made sounds and exclamations. "Hot dogs! Hot dogs!" in the movie "The Karnival Kid" (1929) were the first real words. They were spoken by Carl William Stalling, who also composed the music for many of the cartoons. But Disney himself also lent his voice to the mouse from time to time in the early days. In Germany, the voice actor and actor Mario von Jascheroff has been doing this for many years.
Mickey Mouse's influence extends beyond Disney's initial animated films, as various forms of entertainment media have adopted his character. For instance, he made his debut on television in the 1950s, leading to a successful series of shows that continue to air today.
As a testament to his enduring popularity, Mickey Mouse has been featured in countless movies outside of Disney, such as in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), where he shared the screen with Bugs Bunny and other famous cartoon characters.
Moreover, Mickey's influence extends to digital media as well. His image and name are prevalent in numerous video games, social media platforms, and even virtual reality experiences, making him a true entertainment icon of the modern age.
Source: www.dpa.com
