A year before the debut of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney had another series of animated shorts whose characters had already become audience favorites. Walt Disney’s series of silent Alice Comedies featured the title character Alice, a live-action actress who experienced all types of adventures in an animated world. Often joining Alice were the animated characters Julius, her feline friend, and the villainous Pete, who continued his career in future featurettes and continues to be utilized today in shows such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. In all, a total of 56 Alice short films was produced since 1924, and the 51st film, Alice’s Channel Swim, made a splash with audiences beginning on this day in 1927. The story tells of a contest between Julius and Pete, who attempt to swim the English Channel with Alice as referee. Alice was portrayed by Lois Hardwick, who also appeared as Mary Jane in a series of Buster Brown silent films during that same decade. Based on the Buster Brown comic strips, the shorts were produced by the Stern Brothers filmmaking team. Lois continued in her role as Alice for the remaining five Alice comedies.