Winner: Nurse Hottie
On a lovely late summer evening, Nurse Hottie, playing for her first time, showed us that she’s not just a pretty face. She beat back a challenge from the coffee man, who finished in the money for the third straight week, and Rosebud. Ms. Hottie had to contend with Teddy Kibbitzer, seated next to her at the bar, but she did not let him distract her. Since there weren’t any sports questions, she knew not to listen to anything Teddy said.
Good Question: What was Mickey Mouse’s original name?
Answer: Mortimer Mouse
Mortimer Mouse is a cartoon character created by Walt Disney and used in Walt Disney films and stories. He has been presented as both the uncle of Minnie Mouse, and later presented as an unrelated mouse who was Mickey’s rival for Minnie’s affections.
Mickey Mouse was first going to be named Mortimer. However, Lillian Disney, Walt’s wife, believed the name “Mortimer” sounded too pompous and suggested the name Mickey instead, so “Mortimer” later became the name of Mickey’s rival.
“Disney’s character Mickey Mouse is perhaps the most universally known and loved cartoon character in the world. For generations, children and adults alike have been entertained by Mickey Mouse, who has appeared in hundreds of Disney animated motion pictures, television shows, video cassettes, comics, books, and in various other media. Indeed, the Mickey Mouse character identifies and symbolizes Disney itself.
After losing a large portion of his business and employee base in a failed contract negation in 1928, Walt Disney and his wife left New York and traveled back to California. It was on that train ride that Walt Disney first began doodling a mouse he had adopted as a pet while working as a commercial artist in Kansas City. These doodles became the basis for Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney wanted to name his creation Mortimor, but fortunately his wife talked him down and they settled on Mickey.
Disney Studios began work on the first Mickey Mouse cartoon in March in 1928. “Mickey Mouse in Plane Crazy” was inspired by Charles Lindberg’s record breaking trans-Atlantic flight. The silent animated motion picture premiered at a sneak preview on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California in April of 1928. No one was interested in what was to become one of the most recognized images in the modern world and the film was stored away. Disney gave Mickey Mouse a second chance in another animated silent motion picture “Gallopin’ Gaucho” in June of 1928. After its premiere in August, this film joined its predecessor on the storage shelf.
As the proverb goes, the third time is the charm. In an attempt to stir up interest in his character, Walt Disney provided Mickey Mouse with a voice, and he has not stopped talking since. In July, production began on the first “all-talking” animated motion picture, “Steamboat Willie.” At it’s premiere on November 18, 1928 at the Colony Theater in New York, it was a hit.
Audiences at the time of Steamboat Willie’s release were reportedly impressed by the use of sound for comedic purposes. Sound films or “talkies” were still considered innovative. The first feature-length movie with dialogue sequences, The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson, was released on October 6, 1927. Within a year of its success, most United States movie theaters had installed sound film equipment.
Walt Disney apparently intended to take advantage of this new trend and, arguably, managed to succeed. Most other cartoon studios were still producing silent products and so were unable to effectively act as competition to Disney. As a result Mickey would soon become the most prominent animated character of the time. It is interesting to note that Mickey does not actually speak until The Karnival Kid in 1929 (the 9th MM animated short), when his first spoken words were “Hot dogs, Hot dogs!”
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