Long Lost Disney Oswald Film Recovered in Japan

A 1928 Disney animation known as Neck n’ Neck was unearthed in Japan, according to Japanese media.

The cartoon short predates the Mickey Mouse era, and was part of Yasushi Watanabe’s collection. Watanabe was an anime history researcher who bought the short nearly 70 years ago when he was still a high school student.

At the time, the film was called Mickey Manga Spide, or Mickey cartoon speedy, and cost roughly ¥500, or $4.40 at the current exchange rate. The two-minute consumer version depicts a dog traffic cop chasing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit while on a date.

Watanabe found the missing animation when he read Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons, from former Disney animator David Bossert. Despite working in the industry, Watanabe was unaware of how rare the Disney film was. After reaching out to both Bossert and the Walt Disney Archives, he was able to confirm it to be one of the missing works.

“As I’ve been a Disney fan for many years,” Watanabe said. “I’m happy that I was able to play a role (in the discovery).”

h/t CNN Entertainment

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