Editing Minnie Mouse (section)

==History==
===Origins of the character===
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2017}}
[[File:Mickey Mouse concept art (clear version).webp|thumb|[[Concept art]] from early 1928, the drawings, which are the earliest of Mickey Mouse, also show a female version of the character (lower right), from the collection of [[The Walt Disney Family Museum]].]]
[[File:Minnie Mouse from Steamboat Willie.png|thumb|Minnie Mouse as she appears in ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'' (1928)]]
Minnie was initially created to be the love interest of [[Mickey Mouse]]; concept art for Mickey showed a female mouse alongside him.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Mickey Mouse : emblem of the American Spirit |last=Apgar |first=Gary |year=2015 |pages=77–78 |publisher=Weldon Owen |isbn=978-1-61628-672-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/mickeymouseemble0000apga/}}</ref>

Minnie was designed in the fashion of a [[flapper]] girl. Her main outfit consisted of a short flapper girl dress that often revealed her distinctive patched [[knickers]]. In the 1929 cartoon ''[[The Karnival Kid]]'', it was also revealed that she wears black stockings which were also fashionable among flapper girls. Her shoes are probably her most distinctive article of clothing. For comedic effect, she wears oversized high heeled [[court shoe|pumps]] that are too big for her feet. Her heels often slip out of her shoes and she even loses her shoes completely in ''[[The Gallopin' Gaucho]]''. When she walked or danced, the clip clop of her large pumps was usually heard clearly and often went with the rhythm of the music that was played in the background. Along with Mickey, she was redesigned in 1940. Her hat was replaced with a large bow and bows were added to her shoes as well. Her eyes were also given more detail. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, her look and personality became more [[conservative]]. Minnie almost always wears red or pink, but in her early appearances, she could be seen wearing a combination of blue, black or green (when not depicted in black and white).

Minnie's early personality is cute, playful, musical and flirtatious. She often portrays an entertainer like a dancer or a musician whose affection Mickey is trying to win. Part of the comedy of these early shorts is the varying degree of success Mickey has in wooing Minnie. Unlike later cartoons after the redesign, Minnie often becomes a [[damsel in distress]] whom Mickey tries to rescue. She is also subject to a lot of [[slapstick]] and [[rubber hose animation]] gags. Over the course of the 1930s, Minnie's and Mickey's relationship solidified and they eventually became a steady couple.

Minnie was first seen in a test screening of the cartoon short ''[[Plane Crazy]]''.<ref name="disneyshorts.org Plane Crazy">{{cite web|url=http://www.disneyshorts.org/shorts.aspx?shortID=94|title=1928: Plane Crazy|publisher=Disney Shorts|access-date=April 8, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301151952/http://www.disneyshorts.org/shorts.aspx?shortID=94|archive-date=March 1, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Minnie is invited to join Mickey in the first flight of his aircraft. She accepts the invitation but not his request for a kiss in mid-flight. Mickey eventually forces Minnie into a kiss, but this only results in her parachuting out of the plane. This first film depicted Minnie as somewhat resistant to the demanding affection of her potential boyfriend and capable of escaping his grasp.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Mickey Mouse : Fifty happy years |publisher=[[Harmony Books]] |year=1977 |pages=13|isbn=978-0-517-53564-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/mickeymousefifty0000unse/}}</ref>

Their debut, however, featured the couple already familiar to each other. The next film featuring them was ''[[The Gallopin' Gaucho]]''.<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1928/gallopingaucho.html Gallopin' Gaucho] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218232735/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1928/gallopingaucho.html |date=2008-02-18 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }}. Retrieved on March 17, 2008.</ref> The film was the second of their series to be produced, but the third to be released and was released on December 30, 1928. We find Minnie employed at the ''Cantina Argentina'', a bar and restaurant established in the [[Pampas]] of [[Argentina]]. She performs the [[Tango (dance)|Tango]] for Mickey the [[gaucho]] and [[Pete (Disney)|Black Pete]] the outlaw. Both flirt with her, but the latter intends to abduct her while the former obliges in saving the [[Damsel in distress|Damsel in Distress]] from the [[villain]]. All three characters acted as strangers first being introduced to each other.

[[File:Minnie Mouse in Steamboat Willie (1928).gif|thumb|Minnie Mouse in ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'', using a goat to play the song "[[Turkey in the Straw]]".]]
But it was their third cartoon that established the definitive early look and personality of both Mickey and Minnie, as well as Pete. ''[[Steamboat Willie]]''<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1928/steamboatwillie.html Steamboat Willie]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327040614/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1928/steamboatwillie.html |date=2008-03-27 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }} Retrieved on March 17, 2008.</ref> was the third short of the series to be produced, but was released first, on November 18, 1928.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Mickey Mouse : Fifty happy years |publisher=[[Harmony Books]] |year=1977 |pages=14 |isbn=978-0-517-53564-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/mickeymousefifty0000unse/}}</ref> Pete was featured as the [[Captain (nautical)|Captain]] of the [[steamboat]], Mickey as a crew of one and Minnie as their single passenger.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Hollywood cartoons : American animation in its golden age |last=Barrier |first=Michael |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1999 |pages=55 |isbn=978-0-19-503759-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/hollywoodcartoon00barr}}</ref> The two mice first star in a [[sound film]] and spend most of its duration playing music to the tune of "[[Turkey in the Straw]]".

===Minnie's Yoo-Hoo===
Her next appearance was arguably more significant. ''Mickey's Follies'' (August 28, 1929),<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1929/mickeysfollies.html Mickey's Follies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114072127/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1929/mickeysfollies.html |date=2011-01-14 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }}. Retrieved on March 17, 2008.</ref> featured the first performance of the song "[[Minnie's Yoo-Hoo]]". "The guy they call little [[Mickey Mouse]]" for the first time addresses an audience to explain that he has "got a sweetie" who is "neither fat nor skinny" and proudly proclaims that "she's my little Minnie Mouse". Mickey then proceeds to explain his reaction to Minnie's call. The song firmly establishes Mickey and Minnie as a couple and expresses the importance Minnie holds for her male partner.

===Damsel in distress===
Her final appearance for the year was in ''[[Wild Waves]]'',<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/wildwaves.html Wild Waves] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704133940/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/wildwaves.html |date=2008-07-04 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }}. Retrieved on March 17, 2008.</ref> carried by a wave into the sea. She panics terribly and seems to start drowning. Mickey uses a rowboat to rescue her and return her to the shore, but Minnie is still visibly shaken from the experience. Mickey starts singing the tune of "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep", a maritime ballad, in an apparent effort to cheer her up. Minnie cheers up and the short ends. This is the second time Minnie is placed in danger and then saved by her new boyfriend. It would not be the last.

In fact, this was the case with her next appearance in ''[[The Cactus Kid (1930 film)|The Cactus Kid]]'' (May 10, 1930).<ref name=ultimate>{{cite book |last1=Kaufman |first1=J.B. |last2=Gerstein |first2=David |title=Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History |date=2018 |publisher=Taschen |location=Cologne |isbn=978-3-8365-5284-4}}</ref> As the title implies, the short was intended as a [[Western movie]] parody, but it is considered to be more or less a remake of ''The Gallopin' Gaucho'' set in [[Mexico]] instead of [[Argentina]]. Minnie was again cast as the local tavern dancer who is abducted by Peg-Leg Pedro ([[Pete (Disney)|Black Pete]] in his first appearance with a peg-leg). Mickey again comes to the rescue. The short is considered significant for being the last short featuring Mickey and Minnie to be animated by [[Ub Iwerks]].

''[[The Shindig]]'' (July 11, 1930)<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/shindig.html The Shindig] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317184932/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/shindig.html |date=2008-03-17 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }}. Retrieved on March 17, 2008.</ref> featured Minnie joining Mickey, Horace and Clarabelle in a barn dance. Among them, Clarabelle seems to be the actual star of the short. Director [[Burt Gillett]] turned in another enjoyable entry in the series, proving that production could go on without Iwerks. This was arguably the first time Minnie was upstaged by a female co-star.

In ''[[The Fire Fighters (1930 film)|The Fire Fighters]]'' (June 20, 1930), Minnie is trapped in a hotel during a fire.<ref name=ultimate/> She spends the duration of the short in mortal peril but is rescued by firefighters under Chief Mickey Mouse. Horace Horsecollar is among the firefighters. An unnamed cow in the background is possibly Clarabelle making a cameo. The music of the short was, appropriately, the tune of "[[There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight]]".

The next entry in the series is considered curious: ''[[The Gorilla Mystery]]'' (October 1, 1930).<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/gorillamystery.html The Gorilla Mystery] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080426215215/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/gorillamystery.html |date=2008-04-26 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }}. Retrieved on March 17, 2008.</ref> The short starts with [[Beppo the Gorilla]] escaping from a zoo. Mickey learns of it and terribly panics. He phones Minnie to warn her about the dangerous gorilla wandering about. Minnie is unconcerned and plays tunes on her piano for Mickey to hear over the phone and know she is not afraid. Her tunes are interrupted by her scream and Mickey rushes to her house to save her. Meanwhile, Beppo has wrapped up Minnie in rope and holds her hostage. Mickey confronts the gorilla and once again rescues the damsel in distress.

===Introduction of a pet===
[[File:Vintage Minnie Mouse Character Watch With Plastic Statue by U.S. Time, Circa 1958 (9289446395).jpg|thumb|Vintage Minnie Mouse Clock c. 1958.]]
In ''[[The Picnic (1930 film)|The Picnic]]'' (1930), Minnie introduces her boyfriend to her new pet dog, Rover. This is actually [[Pluto (Disney)|Pluto]] making his first appearance as an individual character. Two unnamed bloodhound guard dogs strikingly similar to him had previously appeared in ''[[The Chain Gang (1930 film)|The Chain Gang]]'' (August 18, 1930)<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/chaingang.html The Chain Gang] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410221545/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1930/chaingang.html |date=2008-04-10 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }}. Retrieved on March 17, 2008.</ref> which featured Mickey incarcerated in prison without Minnie at his side. Otherwise, the short features a typical picnic excursion harassed by forest animals and brought to a premature end by a sudden rain.

The final appearance of Minnie during the year was ''[[Pioneer Days (1930 film)|Pioneer Days]]'' (November 20, 1930).<ref name=ultimate />{{rp|63}} The short featured Minnie and her mate as pioneer settlers heading to the [[American Old West]] driving a [[Conestoga wagon|covered wagon]] in a [[wagon train]]. They are unsurprisingly attacked by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] on their way, this was a stock plot of [[Western movie]]s at the time. While their fellows are either subjected to [[scalping]] or running for their lives, Minnie is captured by the attackers. Mickey attempts to rescue her, only to be captured himself. In a reversal of their usual roles, Minnie escapes her captors and rescues her mate. They then dress as soldiers of the [[United States Army]]. Their mere appearance proves sufficient to have the entire tribe running for the hills. The Mouse couple stands triumphant at the end. The short has been criticized for its unflattering depiction of Native Americans as rather bestial predators. The finale has been edited out in recent viewings for depicting the "braves" submitting to cowardice.

In several shorts, comics and TV shows, Minnie owns a black and white kitten named [[Figaro (Disney)|Figaro]], who had originated in the Disney animated feature ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]''.

===Waning years===
During the second half of the 1930s, Minnie did not appear as often in Mickey cartoons. This was mainly due to the growth in popularity of Mickey's new sidekicks, [[Goofy]], [[Donald Duck]] and [[Pluto (Disney)|Pluto]], whose appearances in Mickey cartoons had more or less replaced Minnie's role. Minnie's appearances in Mickey cartoons thus became less numerous, but she did have a few major roles in some Pluto and [[Figaro (Disney)|Figaro]] cartoons during the 1940s. Minnie made a sort of comeback in the 1980s when she was re-introduced in ''[[Mickey's Christmas Carol]]'' and then got her own starring role in ''[[Totally Minnie]]''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Charles|last=Solomon|title=Television Reviews 'Disney's Totally Minnie': Live Action, Animation|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 25, 1988|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-25-ca-249-story.html|access-date=2011-02-10|archive-date=November 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105112006/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-03-25/entertainment/ca-249_1_minnie-mouse|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Contemporary appearances===
*She starred in a 1988 musical television special on NBC called ''[[Totally Minnie]],'' it was the first film to feature Minnie in a lead role. She also appeared in a line of merchandise called [[Minnie 'n Me]] in the 1990s. On September 18, 1990, the CD ''Minnie 'n Me: Songs Just For Girls'' was released.
*Minnie's return to animation came in ''[[Mickey's Christmas Carol]]'' (December 16, 1983).<ref>[http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1983/mickeyschristmascarol.html Mickey's Christmas Carol] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430023605/http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1983/mickeyschristmascarol.html |date=2008-04-30 }}. ''[http://disneyshorts.org/index.html The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323093225/http://www.disneyshorts.org/index.html |date=2008-03-23 }}. Retrieved on May 8, 2008.</ref> She was cast as Mrs. Cratchit. As with most Disney characters, she was given a small cameo in ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' (1988) but does not have any lines in the latter movie, despite her voice actress being listed in the end credits.
*Minnie Mouse makes an appearance in every episode of ''[[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]]''.
*Minnie ran a neighborhood in ''[[Disney's Toontown Online]]'' called Minnie's Melodyland. It was an intermediate area with access to Toontown Central, The Brrrgh and Donald's Dreamland.
*Minnie is available to sign autographs and take pictures throughout the day in various locations at the different Disney Resort Theme Parks around the world. She also appears in all of the daily parades that take place at the Disney resorts. 
*In the 2013 ''[[Mickey Mouse (TV series)|Mickey Mouse]]'' television series, Minnie was restored to her classic 1930s look with the flowered bowler hat and [[flapper girl]] outfit. Minnie also gained more character quirks, and like the older cartoons, was subject to more slapstick and [[Rubber hose animation|rubber hose]] cartoon gags.
*On June 22, 2017, it was announced that Minnie, alongside [["Weird Al" Yankovic]], [[Zoe Saldana]] and [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]], would be receiving a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/862829/hollywood-walk-of-fame-s-class-of-2018-revealed-steve-irwin-and-more-set-to-receive-stars|title=Hollywood Walk of Fame's Class of 2018 Revealed: Steve Irwin and More Set to Receive Stars|first=Mike|last=Vulpo|work=E! Online|date=June 22, 2017|access-date=June 22, 2017|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612164137/https://www.eonline.com/news/862829/hollywood-walk-of-fame-s-class-of-2018-revealed-steve-irwin-and-more-set-to-receive-stars|url-status=live}}</ref>
*In December 2019, Minnie and Mickey served as special co-hosts of ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' for two weeks during Disney's Secret Santa Giveaway while [[Vanna White]] served as the main host during [[Pat Sajak]]'s absence.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/2019/12/10/vanna-white-hosts-wheel-of-fortune-first-time-pat-sajak-recovers-emergency-surgery/|title=Vanna White hosts Wheel of Fortune for first time while Pat Sajak recovers from emergency surgery|first=Sydney|last=Bucksbaum|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=December 10, 2019|access-date=December 28, 2019|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228033252/https://ew.com/tv/2019/12/10/vanna-white-hosts-wheel-of-fortune-first-time-pat-sajak-recovers-emergency-surgery/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 1, 2024, the copyrights of the first three animated Mickey Mouse cartoons and their portrayal of Mickey and Minnie Mouse expired, and they entered the [[public domain]]. They are the silent versions of the cartoons ''[[Plane Crazy]]'' and ''[[The Gallopin' Gaucho]]'', and the sound cartoon ''[[Steamboat Willie]]''.{{Efn|While Plane Crazy's silent version became public domain, that version is unknown to be extant. The widely released sound version enters the public domain in 2025.}} Newer versions of Minnie Mouse remained copyright protected.<ref>{{cite news | last =Seriac | first =Hanna | title =Why Mickey Mouse entering the public domain in 2024 is more complicated than you think: Mickey Mouse was originally named Mortimer when he debuted | newspaper =[[Deseret News]] | location =[[Salt Lake City]] | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =August 28, 2023 | url =https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2022/12/28/23529497/the-original-mickey-mouse-is-entering-the-public-domain-in-2024-well-kind-of | accessdate =October 21, 2023 | archive-date =October 16, 2023 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20231016052126/https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2022/12/28/23529497/the-original-mickey-mouse-is-entering-the-public-domain-in-2024-well-kind-of | url-status =live }}</ref> On January 1, 2025, the sound versions mentioned above, and another twelve cartoons and their depictions of Minnie become public domain.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2025/ |title=Public Domain Day 2025 |last1=Jenkins |first1=Jennifer |last2=Boyle |first2=James |publisher=Duke's Center for the Study of the Public Domain}}</ref>