Walt Disney (lost physical Mickey Mouse animation reference footage of animator; late 1930s): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:58, 15 August 2023

Mickey Mouse in The Pointer from the scene in question and Walt Disney, who wore his felt hat for this performance.

Status: Lost

There does not seem to be any need to introduce animator/businessman/producer Walt Disney. The man behind the most famous entertainment company in the world, his most known creation is the cartoon character Mickey Mouse that he also personally voiced in his early appearances.

What is lesser known, though, is that Walt Disney was once filmed physically performing as Mickey Mouse so as to be used as reference footage by his studio's animators.

Background

The 1939 Mickey Mouse animated short The Pointer is the cartoon for which Walt Disney physically performed as animation reference.

The Pointer is also notable for having the first "modern" design of Mickey with his eyes having defined white sclerae and a peach-toned face (which would be popularized in the 1940 animated feature Fantasia).

Walt Disney was very enthusiastic when he'd talk about a cartoon he would ask his team to work on, often moving and acting the characters' personalities and mannerisms. When he described The Pointer, he would physically emulate how Mickey would act when facing a bear. The animation team found him "so funny acting out [his] confusion that [they] asked if [they] could shoot a film of him as he recorded the lines."

The Footage

Disney reluctantly agreed, but only if the camera was far away and without the animators looking like they were staring at him, as he was understandably embarrassed.

The camera was so far away that Disney was reduced to a tiny figure on film, but his performance, dressed in baggy clothes and his felt hat, was strong enough to use as a good reference for the cartoon's scene. Notably, when Disney was on stage, he instinctively indicated with his hand that Mickey Mouse was the size of a small child.

Disney refused to ever repeat the experience, and when the animators tried to look for the footage film years later, it was gone, without explanation. To this day, it is still lost.

Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life - 1981

@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 *[[Kingdom of the Sun (partially found original version of "The Emperor's New Groove" Disney animated film; late 1990s)]]
 *[[The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (partially found production material and deleted scenes of Disney animated sequel film; 1995-1998)]]
+*[[Maleficent (lost production material of cancelled Disney animated film; 2003-2005)]]
 *[[Music Land (lost Disney animated anthology film; 1955)]]
 *[[My Peoples (partially found production material of cancelled Disney animated film; late 1990s-early 2000s)]]
+*[[Phineas and Ferb (lost production material of cancelled theatrical film of Disney Channel animated series; 2010s)]]
 *[[The Seven Dwarfs (partially found production material of cancelled direct-to-video prequel to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" Disney animated film; 2000s)]]
 *[[Tangled (partially found early drafts of Disney animated film; 2001-2010)]]

Walt Disney (lost physical Mickey Mouse animation reference footage of animator; late 1930s): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:58, 15 August 2023

Contents

Background

The Footage

See Also

Mickey Mouse

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Animation (Disney)

Animation (Pixar)

Audio

Live Action

Short Films

References