It’s rare that you see a story within entertainment business news that warms your heart. However, today, there is such a story.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
If you recall on a previous post regarding the history of Walt Disney and how he brought his company to life, I mentioned how Mickey Mouse was originally supposed to be a rabbit named Oswald. However, when Walt returned to New York to secure contracts for more films featuring the Oswald character he had created, he found that the character had been taken over by the studio (Universal), his animators had been hired by said studio, and Walt was, essentially, left out in the cold.
Walt, of course, had the last laugh. From this tragedy, he created a character that has become a symbol of happiness: Mickey Mouse.
Now, over fifty years later, it seems Oswald the Rabbit will be returning home.
Disney President and Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger announced yesterday that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit would finally return home to The Walt Disney Company by an agreement with NBC/Universal, the company that had previously owned the rights to Oswald since his theatrical debut in 1927.
“As the forerunner to Mickey Mouse and an important part of Walt Disney’s creative legacy, the fun and mischievous Oswald is back where he belongs, at the home of his creator and among the stable of beloved characters created by Walt himself,” said Iger.
As a Disney fan, I’ve can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to hear that Oswald will finally be back with Disney. We are seeing a new age of Disney with the chiefs in command and I believe Disney animation will soon return to the heights it saw under Walt’s watchful eye many years ago.