Mickey Mouse in Vietnam (Previously-Lost Silent Animated Short; 1968)



In 1968, an underground, anti-war short film was produced by Lee Savage and Milton Glaser called Mickey Mouse in Vietnam.

The short (unofficially) starred Mickey Mouse in a one minute animation that depicted the Disney icon travelling to Vietnam in a boat, entering the country, and being immediately shot in the head. The film was shown to associates of the creators in 1970 and onward. It is rumoured (though unconfirmed) that Disney tried to destroy every copy that they could get in their possession.

Until recently, the only known copies available for public viewing were one owned by the Sarajevo Film Festival (although the last time it was played there was in 2010), and one included on the Film-makers' Coop's 38 minute, 16mm collection reel titled For Life, Against the War (Selections), available for rental at $75 (though only to members of relevant organisations). The only pieces of hard evidence of the short's existence available online were a few screenshots (all but one found in a 1998 French book entitled 'Bon Anniversaire, Mickey!').

However, on April 22, 2013, Mickey Mouse in Vietnam was silently uploaded to YouTube with System of a Down's Soldier Side (Intro) dubbed over the top of it. The upload went largely unnoticed for almost three weeks, and as such, many people were shocked to suddenly be seeing it when the word spread. On that note, we'd like to give a big thanks to abadhiggins for finally unearthing this rarity!

UPDATE 15 May: abadhiggins has, for whatever reason, removed his original upload from YouTube. Not to worry though, as multiple mirrors live on.