One of Walt Disney's earliest films has just been discovered in Japan.
An anime historian had the cartoon for 70 years before he realised it was one of seven lost films.
The two-minute short features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a precursor to Mickey Mouse.
Yasushi Watanabe, 84, bought the film from a toy wholesaler in Osaka when he was a teenager, paying only ¥500 (£3.45 at current exchange rates).
Originally called Neck & Neck, the 16mm cartoon was tagged with the name Mickey Manga Spide (Mickey Cartoon Speedy), and remained in Mr Watanabe's personal collection for 70 years.
A total of 27 cartoons were made, but the anthropomorphic rabbit became the centre an intellectual property dispute, with Universal Studios wrestling the rights to the character in 1928.
Images and more details on the BBC page below:
Lost Disney film found in Japan
An anime historian had the cartoon for 70 years before he realised it was one of seven lost films.
The two-minute short features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a precursor to Mickey Mouse.
Yasushi Watanabe, 84, bought the film from a toy wholesaler in Osaka when he was a teenager, paying only ¥500 (£3.45 at current exchange rates).
Originally called Neck & Neck, the 16mm cartoon was tagged with the name Mickey Manga Spide (Mickey Cartoon Speedy), and remained in Mr Watanabe's personal collection for 70 years.
A total of 27 cartoons were made, but the anthropomorphic rabbit became the centre an intellectual property dispute, with Universal Studios wrestling the rights to the character in 1928.
Images and more details on the BBC page below:
Lost Disney film found in Japan
