Disney Studio's primary animators to start his own studio; Iwerks was the only top animator to remain with the Disney brothers. Walt and Iwerks replaced Oswald with a mouse character that was originally named Mortimer Mouse but Walt's wife urged him to change the name to Mickey Mouse. In May 1928, the studio made the silent films Plane Crazy and The Gallopin' Gaucho as test screening for the new character. Later that year, the studio produced its first sound film—the third short in the Mickey Mouse series—Steamboat Willie, which was made using synchronized sound, becoming the first post-produced sound cartoon. The sound was created using Powers’ Cinephone system, which used Lee de Forest's Phonofilm system. Pat Powers’ distribution company distributed Steamboat Willie, which became an immediate hit. In 1929, the company successfully re-released the two earlier films with synchronized sound. After the release of Steamboat Willie at the Colony Theater in New York, Mickey Mouse became an immensely popular character. Disney Brothers Studio made several cartoons featuring Mickey and other characters. In August 1929, the company began making the Silly Symphony cartoon series with Columbia Pictures as the series' distributor because the Disney brothers felt they were not receiving their share of profits from Powers. Powers ended his contract with Iwerks, who later started his own studio. Carl W. Stalling played an important role in starting the series, and composed the music for early films but left the company after Iwerks' departure. In September, theater manager Harry Woodin requested permission to start a Mickey Mouse Club at his theater the Fox Dome to boost attendance. Walt agreed but David E. Dow started the first-such club at Elsinore Theatre before Woodin could start his. On December 21, the first meeting for the club at Elsinore Theatre was attended by around 1,200 children. On July 24, 1930, Joseph Conley, president of King Features Syndicate, wrote to the Disney studio and asked the company to produce a Mickey Mouse comic strip; production started in November and samples were sent to King Features, which approved them. On December 16, 1930, the Walt Disney Studios partnership was reorganized as a corporation with the name Walt Disney Productions, Limited, which had a merchandising division named Walt Disney Enterprises, and subsidiaries called Disney Film Recording Company, Limited and Liled Realty and Investment Company; the latter of which managed real estate holdings. Walt and his wife held 60