Original Production Cel: Minnie Mouse, Figaro, and Frankie

Minnie Mouse

MEDIUM: Original Production Cel on Hand Painted Background
PRODUCTION: Figaro Cartoon, 1947
IMAGE SIZE: 7" x 7"
FRAMING: Framing included in Pricing
SKU: CCV1580

ABOUT THE MEDIUM:  Original Production Cels are one-of-a-kind pieces of art that were used in the creation of an animated film or television show. Each has been hand-painted by studio artists on a piece of celluloid acetate and has been photographed over a background painting to create a frame of the finished production.  

ABOUT THE IMAGE: This original hand-inked and -painted animation cel of Minnie Mouse, Figaro and Frankie was created in the Disney ink-and-paint department and photographed during the making of the animated cartoon directed by Charles Nichols. Figaro and Frankie are Minnie's pets, yet the kitten sets out to put a stop to Frankie's loud singing. After a harrowing escapade outside with Butch the bulldog, Minnie is reunited with Figaro and Frankie in this scene at the cartoon's end: "And I thought I'd lost my little angels."

Minnie Mouse never had her own series, and this film is billed in the title cards as a "Figaro" cartoon. She appeared in five cartoons in the 1940s with Pluto and Figaro and without Mickey. Following his introduction in Pinocchio (1940) Figaro was featured in seven shorts between 1942 and 1949, including the 1942 wartime patriotic film Altogether.

This cel painting was trimmed close to the outline of the figures and mounted to paper, likely by animator Bill Justice. Cel number and registration holes are lost. At the bottom of the paper, the sheet is written: "Do you realize that you haven't answered Mrs. Justice's letter?" Our certificate of authenticity is included.

This cartoon can be viewed at Daily Motion.

There are splits in the cel paint and some loss of paint mostly in the white of Minnie's gloves and apron: VERY GOOD condition.