Huffington Post — Is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Get A Horse!” something old, something new or something inbetween?

Jim Hill

12 years ago

Toon fans and film historians just don't know what to make
of Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Get a Horse!"

There's a real air of mystery surrounding this animated
short. The fact that it's done in black-and-white, features rubber-hose, pie-eyed
versions of classic Disney characters and has Walt himself providing Mickey's
speaking voice suggests that this is something that Disney has dug out of its
vault. And yet still others at the studio are suggesting that "Get A Horse!"
might actually be an entirely different sort of animal. A heartfelt tribute to
those early Mickey Mouse shorts that was secretly put together by some of top
animators working at WDAS today.

So what actually is the truth here? For now, the Mouse is
keeping its trap shut. Suggesting that those who have to know make their way to
France on June
11th. Which is where "Get A Horse!" will be making its world debut at
the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Where director Lauren
MacMullan, producer Dorothy McKim and animation legend Eric Goldberg are
expected to be on hand.

And why exactly are this trio of animation all-stars headed
to Annecy this year? Will Lauren,
Dorothy and Eric be revealing what really went on with "Get A Horse!"
? Did they actually help out with the
restoration / completion of a Mickey Mouse short that Walt shut down for some
reason?

Because — believe it or not — there actually were a few of those over the
history of Walt Disney Studios. Take — for example — "The Plight of the
Bumblebee" AKA Production 2428. This Mickey Mouse short (which was being
directed by Jack Kinney and featured some terrific animation by Freddy Moore)
was shelved by Walt back in 1951 because the Old Mousetro wasn't happy with the
way its story was shaping up.

So is this what happened with "Get a Horse!" ? Or
this WDAS production a horse of a different color? We'll know more after Annecy
next month. Know this, though: If the rumors are true, "Get a Horse!"
will do a lap of the festival circuit this summer before it then goes into wide
release later this November as the animated short that accompanies Disney
"Frozen" into theaters.

So what do you folks think the real deal is with this Mickey
Mouse short? Is "Get a Horse!" something old? Something new? Or
something inbetween?

Your thoughts?