I thought it would be appropriate to start off by review one of Disney's oldest classics: Steamboat Willie. I'm going to stick a link in here for the YouTube video of the short that Disney has provided, that way you can have a point if reference for what I'm going to say.
Our friend Mickey Mouse made his big screen debut (alongside his lady-friend Minnie Mouse) in Walt Disney and Ub Iwerk's classic short. Historically, Steamboat Willie has to be considered one of, if not the, most important animated films of all-time. Between it's experimentation with sound and music, and the character introductions, Willie's significance is solidly cemented.
The first time I watched Steamboat Willie, one thing became eminently clear to me: this could never have been made today. Oi, between the violence to animals and the bit about chewing tobacco, the censors would have had fits! I mean Mickey throws a bucket onto the head of a bird, tortures various animals to make "music," and concludes it all by pelting the bird again, this time with a potato.
On top of the violence, there was the tobacco. Certainly, in today's day and age, this is a major no-no. However, Steamboat Willie wasn't made in today's day in age, but rather in an era where tobacco was commonplace, an everyday sight. The is no denying that Pete's bit with the tobacco was very funny. We've all done something like that before.
In general, Steamboat Willie is pretty funny and the physical comedy holds up to the modern viewing. I think people should check this out not only for the entertainment value, but also for the little slice of history that it represents. Mickey Mouse--and Walt Disney, for that matter-- has become such a cultural icon, it's fun to go back and see where it all began.
I recommend everyone watch Steamboat Willie, if only once to appreciate the first step on Disney's path to becoming the Goliath it is today.
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