In Praise of Pete

Do you know who the oldest Disney animated character is? Donald Duck? Goofy? Mickey Mouse? Not even close. Some of you keener viewers are now thinking, Oh, well, it’s Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit, who was Walt Disney’s first sensation but who was sold out from under Walt and only bought back many decades later. Sorry, folks, you’re wrong, too!

The oldest animated Disney character is none other than a big meanie named Pete. Well, who the heck is Pete?

Pete is a big, anthropomorphic cat who first appeared in Walt Disney’s Alice comedies, which merged live action and animation in the 1920s. Pete first showed up as “Bootleg Pete” – a reference to then-current Prohibition – in Alice Solves the Puzzle, a 1925 film capitalizing on America’s crossword puzzle craze. He hadn’t quite attained his catlike appearance yet, instead appearing as a menacing bear.



After starring in several other Alice films, Pete made his appearance against Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, in a short called “The Ocean Hop.” This short is famous for inventing the cartoon cliché of a character running out into space and not falling until he notices he’s not standing on anything. Even here, Pete is involved in history-making!



Speaking of history, Pete later made a big splash in 1928, starring opposite Mickey Mouse in “Steamboat Willie,” the first cartoon ever to feature synchronized sound. It was also Mickey’s third appearance ever (after “The Galloping Gaucho” - also featuring Pete – and “Plane Crazy”). Pete went on to appear as both a mascot of the Merchant Marines and as Donald Duck’s C.O. during World War Two (at the same time appearing as a Nazi spy in the comic books – there’s a case of mixed loyalties!)



Pete laid low for quite awhile before making a return in 1987, appearing in several episodes of the seminal masterpiece DuckTales. Because of the often-confusing world of cartoons, here Pete didn’t play Pete, per se, but several different characters, including Genghis Khan.



In 1992, Pete had what might have been his highest-profile role to date, starring as Goofy’s used-car salesman neighbor in the TV show Goof Troop. Pete’s not entirely evil here, but he’s petty and obnoxious, holding a grudge against Goofy for ruining his sports career in high school. Funnily enough, Pete and his family (all officially anthropomorphic cats) own a non-anthropomorphized dog named Chainsaw, while Goofy and his son (officially dogs) own a cat named Waffles. It’s a little puzzling! Pete also showed up on House of Mouse on the Disney Channel, as the irritable landlord. Quite a reversal from “Steamboat Willie”!



Since Goof Troop, Pete has again stayed out of the spotlight. He has shown up in the Kingdom Hearts video games, and he also owns a garage called Pete’s Paint and Body Shop in absenstia at Mickey’s Toontown Fair in Walt Disney World, though he never appears. Tucking the oldest – if maybe not the most beloved – character back in a tiny section of the Magic Kingdom might not be the most dignified way to treat Pete, but at least he still has some presence in the parks.



For nearly eighty-five years, Pete has served as a constant foil for our most beloved Disney characters, from Alice and Oswald to Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. Maybe he’s not the best-loved of Disney’s cavalcade of characters, but he’s certainly been the most consistent. Let’s give some praise to Pete!