Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki
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Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. The character first appeared in 1942 (originally named as Super Mouse) and subsequently in 80 theatrical films (shorts) between 1942 and 1961. These films also appeared on CBS during Saturday mornings from 1955 through 1967. The character was twice revived, by Filmation Studios in September 1979, and in 1987 by animation director Ralph Bakshi, who had worked at the Terrytoons studio during his early animation career.

History with the Macy's Parade

Mighty Mouse's involvement in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade had begun in 1951, when a larger-than-life inflatable recreation of the character was crafted for the landmark 25th Macy's Parade. The high flying hero measured 69 feet in length with a 42-foot arm span, and took 10,000 cubic feet of helium to inflate his 505-pound body. The balloon debuted in that parade, as the largest of the year's five balloons, and proved popular enough that he was kept in the parade for the next five years.

The Mighty Mouse balloon's first difficulties came in the 1954 Parade, when a lack of helium sagged its stomach. Additionally, one of its arms was punctured at Times Square. Despite the accident, the balloon was still able to complete the parade route.

For the 1956 Parade, Mighty Mouse was donned with a new coat of paint. However, issues of a far greater magnitude would occur in the 1956 Macy's Parade, when winds peaking at 45 miles per hour wreaked havoc on the balloons. Although the Gorgeous Gobbler and Observer both were pulled at Columbus Circle, the balloon and its handlers persevered against the wind. Mighty continued until the television cameras at 34th Street, where his right arm and left ear gave out.[1] As a result, the balloon wilted to the pavement, just seconds away from arriving at Macy's flagship store. Following the parade, the balloon was retired and disposed of.

After five years of absence, Mighty Mouse returned to the parade - not as a balloon, but in the form of a walkaround character. He continued to appear in this form sporadically until 1991; since then, the parade has yet to reintroduce Mighty Mouse in any form for the Thanksgiving procession.

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