Image: Heritage Auctions, HA.com
The well-preserved, hand-inked nitrate cel set-up on its hand-painted key master background comes from Shanghaied, a theatrical short released in 1934 directed by Burt Gillett.
In the film Mickey and Minnie Mouse are captured on the ship of the ruthless pirate captain Peg-Leg Pete and Mickey challenges Peg-Leg to a duel, flinging a pack of cards around the cabin while making a raspberry noise.
The paint on the cels remains fully intact and additionally the names Fergy and Spencer are handwritten along the bottom edge. This is probably a nod to two great animators: Norman Ferguson (1902-57) and Fred Spencer (1904-38).
The lot is offered with a leather portfolio containing a set of six studio printed Shanghaied publicity images and the estimate is $25,000+.
