Disney’s Fantasia is probably best-remembered as the first appearance of Mickey Mouse in his sorcerer garb, though the film encompassed much more than that sequence. Fantasia, which arrived on November 13, 1940, was the first commercial film shown in stereophonic sound.

The film was critically acclaimed, though at the time of its release it was unable to make a profit due to World War II effectively cutting off the entire European market. The memorable Mickey Mouse appearance had actually originally been created as a Silly Symphonies segment and was added into the film later on. Mickey’s appearance was designed to be somewhat of a comeback for him, as he’d declined in popularity in the years leading up to Fantasia.

Other pieces in the program included Toccata and Fugure in D Minor, Nutcracker Suite, Rite or Spring, The Pastoral Symphony, Dance of the Hours, and the finale, Night on Bald Mountain. Fantasia was exhibited as a roadshow with the Fantasound system from 1940-1941, and was run again throughout the rest of the ‘40s and into the ‘50s and ‘60s – but wouldn’t actually make a profit until 1969.

Hake’s Americana & Collectibles currently has a pair of Fantasia items in their ongoing auction. One is from the Night on Bald Mountain segment, which features a sheet of animation paper on which the demon Chernabog is drawn. The art is attributed to Bill Tytla, who was also known for his work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The other features the Dancing Mushrooms from the “Chinese Dance” section of the Nutcracker Suite segment; the framed image is a hand-inked and painted acetate animation cel from the film. These items will end on Thursday, March 16, 2017, so interested parties should get bids in soon.