Though it was the first Mickey Mouse film to be animated and finished, Plane Crazy wouldn’t make its debut until the year following the debut of Steamboat Willie. The short celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, having debuted in 1929.
During 1928, Plane Crazy was given a small test screening, but the project didn’t manage to pick up a distributor and was put aside. Steamboat Willie (actually the third overall Mickey film produced) released that year, becoming an enormous success, which helped to enable the release of Plane Crazy. Worth noting is how Plane Crazy was originally a silent film, and sound was added to the final release.
Plane Crazy follows Mickey Mouse’s attempts to emulate Charles Lindbergh and fly a plane. After convincing his sweetheart Minnie Mouse to join him, Mickey spends the entire flight trying to steal a kiss. He even goes so far as to tip the plane, unfortunately for him, Minnie knows some maneuvers as well. In true cartoon fashion, Minnie manages to parachute to the ground using her bloomers.
The cartoon even features a brief appearance of a cow named Carolyn, who would later become Clarabelle Cow. Ub Iwerks was the sole animator working on the cartoon, and spent two weeks drawing over 700 images a day. When the cartoon was released as a sound cartoon it featured a soundtrack by Carl W. Stalling.
By the ‘30s Mickey Mouse had become a massive name and merchandising for the character quickly began popping up. Hake’s Auctions has one such item – a “Mickey Mouse Organ Grinder” Hurdy Gurdy boxed wind-up toy, dating to 1930. The toy was originally made in Germany by Distler, and this particular example comes from the original English owner, who bought it new in the 1930s. This tin litho toy is often found with missing or replaced parts, but this example is 100% complete and all original. The large Mickey figure is attached to and pushes a street organ that features multiple images of him. A separate small Minnie Mouse figure is attached to the top of the street organ; this Minnie figure is usually missing in other examples. The toy is functional, and as Mickey turns the crank, Minnie dances and musical notes are produced. This is one of the most coveted 1930s Disney toys, especially with the seldom-seen box, and is the nicest example that Hake’s has seen offered in their 52 years in the business. The auction will close on November 6-7, 2019, so Disney fans should get their bids in before this one ends.
