Walt Disney Home Entertainment today released three new volumes in the Walt Disney Treasures DVD collection. Mickey Mouse’s predecessor is seen in cartoon shorts released between 1926 and 1928 in The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, while Chronological Donald, Vol. 3 offers 31 ducky shorts from 1947 through 1950, and Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic takes viewers behind the scenes at the Magic Kingdom. Each two-disc set from the Disney archives is hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin and features material that has never been released on DVD.
Before Mickey, Walt Disney created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to star in a series of rarely seen cartoon shorts in the late ’20s. These films are now available on DVD for the first time, complete with new scores composed especially for this release. The story of the character’s birth and his long-awaited return to Disney is documented in a special feature. There’s also a documentary on the legendary Ub Iwerks, audio commentaries, a still gallery and a featurette titled The Hand Behind the Mouse.
Chronological Donald, Vol. 3 is a collection of 30 Donald Duck shorts from the late ’40s and early ’50s, including the Oscar-nominated Christmas cartoon Toy Tinkers. Fans also get a retrospective of Donald’s movie cameos and appearances on The Mickey Mouse Club, as well as an interview with Disney character sculptor Ruben Procopio.
The Secrets, Stories and Magic release is a tribute to Walt Disney’s vision and features archival footage, including the 14-minute documentary Operation Disney, which explores the technical aspects of ACB’s live broadcast of the theme park’s opening ceremonies. Bonus features include Leonard Maltin’s studio tour, a look behind the boards on Baby Weems, a gallery of art from The Reluctant Dragon, a Walt Disney Studios gallery, a Kem Webber gallery and the vintage Tour of the Disney Studio radio program.
Each of the individually numbered volumes comes in collectible tin packaging with an exclusive lithograph and a certificate of authenticity. The suggested retail price for each is $32.99.
