From a riverboat deckhand to a brave little tailor and a sorcerer’s apprentice, Mickey Mouse has taken on many roles since his first appearance in 1928. “Mickey Columbus,” a proposed but never-realized concept, would have seen our favorite animated star sailing the seas in an effort to prove that the world was round—and win the heart of Lady Minnie, of course.
“Mickey Columbus” (originally “Christopher Mickey”) came about as a follow-up to Mickey’s Christmas Carol, the 1983 featurette that marked the Disney icon’s first theatrical appearance in 30 years. The holiday film’s instant success (and Mickey’s immense popularity) was reflected in an Oscar® nomination, annual TV airings, and additional ideas for Mickey projects in the animation pipeline.
Disney Animation directors and artists went to work developing treatments and full storyboards for the featurette. Initially, three songs were proposed for the adventure, which followed Mickey, Donald, and Goofy on a quest to plead their cause to the King and Queen of Spain (portrayed by Pete and Clarabelle), escape from Pete’s dungeon, and travel to the new world. The story was even considered for expansion into a feature-length film, but was ultimately shelved until 1986, when Mickey’s Christmas Carol director Burny Mattinson suggested ideas for featurettes approaching the time of Mickey’s 60th birthday celebration.
Ultimately, Mickey returned to theaters in the 1990 featurette The Prince and the Pauper. Another Mickey project proposed at the time—The Three Musketeers—was put on hold, ultimately materializing as a 2004 musical movie.
