Mickey Mouse
Created as a replacement for a prior Disney character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey first appeared in the short "Plane Crazy", debuting publicly in the short film "Steamboat Willie" (1928), one of the first sound cartoons. He went on to appear in over 130 films, including "The Band Concert" (1935), "Brave Little Tailor" (1938), and "Fantasia" (1940). Mickey appeared primarily in short films, but also occasionally in feature-length films. Ten of Mickey's cartoons were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, one of which, "Lend a Paw", won the award in 1942. In 1978, Mickey became the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Steamboat Willie
According to Roy O. Disney, Walt Disney was inspired to create a sound cartoon after watching "The Jazz Singer" (1927). Disney had intended for Mickey Mouse to be the new star character to replace Oswald the Lucky Rabbit after he lost the rights to the character to Charles Mintz. However, the first two "Mickey Mouse" films produced, silent versions of "Plane Crazy" and "The Gallopin' Gaucho", had failed to impress audiences and gain a distributor. Disney believed that adding sound to a cartoon would greatly increase its appeal. One theatre owner said to Walt, "Your stupid brain and your stupid mouse character can get out of my theatre."