Whenever I visit the Elsinore Theatre, my imagination wanders to 1929. The palatial playhouse was still shiny and new, and a whistlin', toe-tappin' mouse had taken the entertainment world by the ears.

The original design of Mickey Mouse from the 1928 animated short Steamboat Willie officially entered the public domain on January 1, triggering a flood of parodies and memes. Not to mention, a handful ...