6 Weekender Friday, November 17 197,
Mickey
torn
A. mouse that part of Aifiericmn life? for hotter or - tvorse
By DON WOODARD
Editors note: Saturday marks the 50th birthday
of Mickey Mouse, an institution of American
childhood and offers an opportunity for some
reflections on the state of such institutions.
From the same heartstrings that left you
breathless at the thought of America's bicentennial,
the Walt Disney organization brings you Mickey
Mouse's 50th birthday celebration. Sort through
your ; attic beneath the pile of D.C. comics or
stacks of Barbi's clothes and don your name
embroidered Mouse:K-ears. Then see to it that you
don't get ill. "
For many of us, the idea of recognizing the
reputed rodent's birthday is, at best, ludicrous. We
have a hazy, black-and-white recollection of
Annette, Dbreen and Cubby climbing out of a
stagecoach at the opening of televisions Mickey
Mouse Club.
We ate tasteless gum dispensed from Mickey's .
mouth thanks to the folks at Pez. And if we looked
hard enough, there still might be a Mouse-K-teer's
soundtrack album (complete with the ."Pussycat
Polka") tossed in a forgotten record rack beside
Alvin and. the Chipmuck's Christmas record. But
most of those items were best remembered
hence, cherished by our ' older brothers and
"sisters.
So . if a good number of us are second even
third generation graduates of the Mickey Mouse, .
Club, what's all the hubbub about? Because, like it
or not, the folks at Walt Disney Studios are seeing
to it that we get nostalgc over the issue. In the
following weeks our televisions cinemas,
bookshelves, city streets and wallets will be overrun
with everything we did anchor didn't want to know
about Mickey.
M.M.'s exact birthdate is somewhat dubious and
depends upon how one distinguishes a cartoon
character's "birth." Mickey was first dreamed up,
so legend has it, on a train ride the young Walt
Disney took from New York in March 1928. His film
debut , contary to popular belief, was a lead role in a
silent animated short entitled "Plane Crazy," on
May 15 that same year; But if we are to take the
word of studio executives as gospel, Mickey was
born Nov. 18, 1928 the date he premiered in film's
first cartoon with sound, "Steamboat Willie."
Mickey has served his public well. While evolving
from the skinny little mouse of a mouse one would -hardly
recognise today into the shape of the
superstar as we know him, he launched the career
of a man who brought laughter and joy to millions
around the world. The genius of Walt Disney will
never be equaled.
Unfortunately we have had to put up with a good
deal of extraneous paraphenalia. T-shirts,
wristwatches, Close-n-play phonographs,
sunglasses, tumblers- as long as the item was
family material some Joe at the Disney factory
could and probably did put a Mickey Mouse
likeness on it. But all of this would be fine if there
were an end in sight. - -
Thsre isn't.
In fact, they've only just begun. You can look for I
at least two television specials in the imcciate
future. (Ona of thsm, "Mickey's 50," will feature '
guest tributes from the likes of Ed Asner, Carol
Burnett, Gregory Peck, 'Elton John (?),- Billy
Graham (?!), R2D2 (!!!) and Bette Davis, to name
but a few.)
As long as you're looking, glance down the aisles
of any retail store. There'll be limited
commemorative celluloid paintings ($1,000),
commemorative albums ($19.95) , books, 8mm
films ($69.95) and 65 new miscellaneous products.
In short, the Walt, Disney Studios is no mickey
mouse organization. -
It's more ' than a bit disconcerting. The
redeeming item on the list of events is the Mickey
Mouse Special, an Amtrack train that will carry
(sound familiar, Spirit of 76- fans?) an M.M.
museum across the country featuring 57 whistle
stops. (On a sadder footnote, Amy Carter will greet
Mickey when he pulls into Washington; D.C.
(Fantasy Land?) for a party at the White House.)
So get out your candles, guard your checkbook,
and sing along:
- "M-I-C . . . see ya real soon ... K-E-Y V . .
why? Because despite your oversell, we like you
. . . M-O-U-S-EEEEEEEE."
Don Woodard is associate editor for the Daily
Tar Heel.
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