Disney in 1928 | Everything that Happened

Last Updated on: February 18th, 2024

Disney 1928 Movies ShowsThe Walt Disney Company has a rich and lengthy history with decades of amazing movies, shows and park experiences. To commemorate Disney’s 100th birthday this year, I am spotlighting the company’s history year by year in this new ‘Disney by the Years’ series.

Here is a quick rundown of everything that happened in the world of Disney in the year 1928. I hope you find this lookback in time helpful and entertaining.

Disney 1928 Company Headlines:

Of course, the year 1928 will always be remembered by Disney fans as the year that Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were born. They both made their debuts in the short Steamboat Willie on November 18. Mickey was actually first seen in the film Plane Crazy, but it was only screened to a single theater audience in May 1928 and wasn’t released to a wider audience until 1929. Mickey Mouse was trademarked on September 18, 1928- exactly 2 months before he appeared on the big screen across the country.

The need for Walt to create a new character was born out of a business deal gone horribly wrong during the first few months of 1928. Walt essentially had his staff of animators, along with his popular Oswald the Lucky Rabbit stolen out from under him by film producer Charles Mintz.

Disney 1928 Movie Headlines:

In 1928, Disney was still nine years from its first major theatrical release, but the company did release a number of Silly Symphony shorts to theaters during the year. These included:

  • January 9 – Harem Scarem
  • January 23 – Neck ‘n’ Neck
  • February 6 – The Ol’ Swimmin’ Ole
  • February 20 – Africa Before Dark
  • March 5 – Rival Romeos
  • March 19 – Bright Lights
  • April 1 – Sagebrush Sadie
  • April 15 – Ride ‘Em Plowboy
  • April 30 – Ozzie of the Mounted
  • May 14 – Hungry Hobos
  • May 28 – Oh What a Knight
  • June 11 – Poor Papa
  • June 25 – The Fox Chase
  • July 9 – Tall Timber
  • July 23 – Sleigh Bells
  • August 6 – High Up
  • August 20 – Hot Dog
  • September 3 – The Sky Scrapper
  • November 18 – Steamboat Willie
  • December 30 – The Gallopin’ Gaucho

In addition to being the first widely distributed short featuring Mickey Mouse, Steamboat Willie is also known for being the first cartoon with a soundtrack.

That’s all for 1928. Stay tuned for in-depth looks at additional years in the very near future!

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About the Author

Craig Smith
I am founder and editor of DisneyNews.us. My passion for all things Disney goes pretty far back to my first trip to Walt Disney World in the mid-80's. I have since returned to the magical place more than 20 times. I started this site when I came to the realization that I spent a significant portion of my day reading articles about Disney and watching Disney content with my 8-year old, so it made sense that I would start sharing some of what I read and see and building a little community around it. Other interests include 80's nostalgia, vintage toys, video games, LEGO, Star Wars and tech gadgets. Other sites include DMR and VideoGamesStats.com.