In which 1928 animated film did Mickey Mouse make his official screen debut?

Mickey Mouse made his official screen debut in the 1928 animated film Steamboat Willie.

The short was directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks and released on November 18, 1928. That date is widely used as Mickey’s official birthday, even though two earlier Mickey shorts, Plane Crazy and The Gallopin’ Gaucho, had been produced before Steamboat Willie.

Steamboat Willie became especially famous because it was one of the first cartoons with synchronized sound. Mickey pilots a steamboat while creating music with objects and animals, and Minnie Mouse appears as a passenger. The soundtrack helped distinguish the film from earlier silent Mickey productions.

A common mix-up is calling Steamboat Willie Mickey’s first cartoon in production order. Plane Crazy was made first and screened privately in 1928, but Steamboat Willie was the first Mickey release to reach a broad theatrical audience and the first to gain major public attention.