$85,000 paid for Mickey Mouse Movie Poster
Was Walt Disney Afraid Of Mice?
And who was Mortimer Mouse?
Walt Disney was indeed afraid of mice. However, he did not let that fear stop him from creating the most famous and lovable cartoon character of all time.
He had the genius to depict mice as sympathetic creatures with human characteristics that would appeal to everyone, especially children.
The rest is history.
But Walt was not very good at names. Initially he named his little furry creation — wait for it — Mortimer. His wife Lillian, unimpressed with Mortimer, suggested the name Mickey. And, as usual, wives are always right!
However, American actor Mickey Rooney maintained they named the cartoon character after him following a meeting with Walt Disney when he was a child in the 1920s.
My brother could mimic Mickey’s voice, much to the delight of his children. It became his party trick for years — sadly. Walt Disney himself provided the original voices for Mickey and Minnie Mouse from 1929 to 1946. Since then, only two other professional actors have had the honour; Jim MacDonald (1946 to 1983) and Wayne Allwine (1977–2009).
