[img1]
Just mention the name Mickey Mouse to a fan or just anyone on the street, and immediately visions and perceptions well up in the listener’s mind. To some, he represents innocence and fun of a bygone era. To others, corporate America, and to a lesser extent, a money-making gimmick. Most people do not realize that the name or picture of Mickey Mouse is the most recognized icon in the world, topped only by the American flag! One would have to go literally to the ends of the Earth to find someone who has never heard of the Mouse.

But Mickey Mouse was a national hero to most of the country in the dark days of America´s Depression era. He burst upon the scene when America was riding high in jobs, money, and good times. But a scant year later, the bubble burst and America, along with the rest of the world, fell victim to the worst economic upheaval it had ever known, which lasted almost a decade before the start of World War II. But a quick history lesson is in order to fully understand Mickey´s impact on America during those trying times.

Mickey Mouse, according to Disney lore, was born on November 18, 1928, at the Old Colony Theater in New York City, as "Steamboat Willie," the first synchronized sound cartoon. (Many would dispute this `birth date´ but that is for another article.) These were high times for America. It was the era of bathtub gin, speakeasies, new morals and ideas. America after World War I was the leader in technology and science, and most people led the good life. However, on Black Tuesday - October 29, 1929 - the bubble burst and in an instant millions of people lost everything: their savings, their homes, and for many their livelihood. Stocks in America lost over forty percent of their previous value, thousands of banks became insolvent and closed. This financial fallout affected everyone, including the very rich. By 1932, thirty percent of the workforce was unemployed. To top this misery, the largest and longest drought, the dustbowl, started in the midwest and lasted about a decade. Blowing sand and arid land caused thousands of families to lose their crops, and subsequently their farms when they could no longer pay the mortgages. Many people just left the midwest. The roads were full of families looking for a new start somewhere else.

The poor and middle class were hit the hardest. They trusted no one. They blamed big businesses and the rich for their woes. America was at its lowest ebb and needed someone or something to give it hope and a promise of a brighter future. Enter Mickey Mouse. This little personage literally pulled America up from despair and gave it the vision of better times ahead.

Mickey Mouse was said to have been given his physical form by animator Ub Iwerks, but his personality and inner self was given to him by Walt Disney. Every fan knows that Mickey is Walt´s "son." Mickey has all of Walt´s attributes: his vision, his courage, his humor, and lots of Walt´s mischievous tenants. He was an Everyman, a scamp, a common worker, and he had the same dreams and hopes as common America. He was someone the masses could relate to and finally trust. In Mickey, they saw themselves, in very much the same scrapes Mickey got himself into.

In the 1930´s, a movie ticket cost between a nickel and a quarter. Cartoons were usually shown before the main movie, and people came just to see Mickey Mouse! By 1931, The Mickey Mouse Club (well before the 1950´s television show) had over a million members, meeting in movie houses, watching Mickey Mouse cartoons, and getting the burst of hope they needed to get by through another day.

Mickey´s adventures showed his courage, his humor, and also showcased his big heart. He was always giving to those who had less than he did, and again, the masses related to this. In the short "The Whoopee Party" (1932), Mickey and Minnie give a big party with entertainment and all the food you could eat. At a time when many people could not afford a loaf of bread, they saw Mickey sharing with his friends. In what I believe to be the best rendition of Mickey´s generosity, the short "Mickey´s Good Deed" (1932), our hero is destitute. He is found playing his cello on Christmas Eve to earn a few coins, until he sees a family worse off than himself. Mickey gives up his most beloved possession, his dog, Pluto, for them. This cartoon short conveyed the message that all is not lost, and even those with little could still help others with less.

My final example, and I could cite many more, is the short "Building a Building" (1933). In this cartoon Mickey quits his precious job for the honor of his girl, Minnie Mouse, who was kidnapped by the foreman of the job, Peg Leg Pete. Mickey showed that a man´s (or a mouse´s) honor was above all. America related to Mickey and his problems because they mirrored their own. He came to the rescue when no politician, actor, or any other person of the times could. He was trusted and he gave hope, courage, and most importantly he gave laughter when America needed to laugh. Like his `father´ Walt Disney, he triumphed again and again. And more than 77 years later he still gives us those precious gifts.