Mickey's Lost Thanksgiving

The Disney Studio never released a Thanksgiving-themed cartoon during their classic years, but one in fact was literally on the drawing board at one time. Pilgrim Mickey went through an extended preproduction period beginning in 1938, but was suddenly suspended in the spring of 1939. Charles Solomon's excellent and extensive book The Disney That Never Was provided this brief description of the proposed short's storyline:

"The film was to open with a shot of a settler's cabin; Mickey appears to be wrestling with an Indian Chief in a warbonnet, but he's actually just using a feather duster to illustrate the tale he's telling his nephews. When he goes hunting, he mistakes an Indian's headdress for a turkey's tail and gets captured. Significantly, his nephews rescue him."

Mickey and friends did finally celebrate Thanksgiving some sixty years later on the television show "Mickey's Mouse Works." Mickey, Donald and Goofy go hunting for the holiday bird in a short entitled Turkey Catchers.

Have a safe and very happy Thanksgiving everyone!