Mickey Mouse turns 80
Eighty years ago on November 18th , one of the world’s most beloved stars was born, as Mickey Mouse whistled his way onto the screen with the cinema debut of “Steamboat Willie”. That day, November 18, 1928, is the iconic mouse’s official birthday.
Walt Disney had dreamt up the cartoon character, coloured him on sheets of acetate and celluloid with round black ears and nose, white gloves, red shorts and yellow shoes.
What amazes me is that, within a year or two to the day after that first appearance, Mickey Mouse was a huge hit in Melbourne and within ten years was the biggest star in the world with his own comic strip and merchandise. He was the foundation of the Disney Empire, which today is a multi-billion dollar corporation.
I never forget his birthday because mine is the day before, and I was born ten years to the day, bar one, after him. For my first birthday my mother purchased a newly arrived celluloid, brightly coloured Mickey from USA. His arms, legs and head all moved. He sat in the middle of my birthday cake for my first birthday. I was transfixed. He sat there for my second birthday, and my third, and my fourth.
Mickey rested between birthday outings on a special fretwork corner shelf of his own that my grandfather made for me. On special occasions he was allowed to come down and I would, years later, send him on a train trip in my Hornby Train or hoist him up on my Meccano crane.
But he was always cared for, and every year Mickey appeared as the central cake decoration on my birthday cake, even in teenage years and on my family 21st birthday cake. When I was married he was entrusted to my wife, and every year for my birthday she has baked a two-tier cream and strawberry sponge birthday cake with Mickey sitting in the centre.
I was in my mid thirties before I visited Disneyland and had my photograph taken with Mickey Mouse. But every year as we celebrated our birthdays, he came out to sit on the birthday cake. His arms, legs and head still move (although some years ago, his internal hat-elastic was replaced in some surgery by my wife.) At about the same time I also had much the same operation to keep my arms, legs and head moving!
So on the 17th November again this year, Mickey Mouse came out to sit on my cream sponge birthday cake for the 69th year in succession, and no doubt to dream of his 80th birthday in the morning.
Every child and grandchild in turn has wanted to play with him, squash him and move his head and limbs in all directions. But despite his frail celluloid skin, Mickey has survived not only our extended family, my years of sending him round in the train and up by the crane, but he has survived the Depression, World War 2, half a dozen wars since, four children and eleven grandchildren.
Happy 80th Birthday, Mickey! I am still ten years behind you but I am sure that you will be around as long as I live. Who else has used the same birthday cake Mickey Mouse decoration for every year of his life?
Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C.