Steamboat Willie (1928)

Name: Steamboat Willie (1928)
Uploaded: 2026-09-01
Duration: 8 min
Description: Mickey pilots a riverboat, loses it to a bullying captain, sneaks his sweetheart aboard, and turns a goat, a washboard and a row of piglets into a one-man band playing "Turkey in the Straw." The first cartoon built around synchronized sound, and the debut most people remember Mickey Mouse from.

Plays here · source: Internet Archive

1928 · 8m · Animation

Directed by Walt Disney

public domain

US public domain — the copyright on this 1928 short expired on 1 January 2024. Note that later Mickey Mouse works remain in copyright and "Mickey Mouse" is a live Disney trademark.

Mickey pilots a riverboat, loses it to a bullying captain, sneaks his sweetheart aboard, and turns a goat, a washboard and a row of piglets into a one-man band playing "Turkey in the Straw." The first cartoon built around synchronized sound, and the debut most people remember Mickey Mouse from.

For 95 years the most fiercely guarded eight minutes in Hollywood. As of 2024 it is finally yours to watch, share and remix — the early Mickey, at least.

Watch on the original source (archive) ↗