A Walt Disney cartoon that has been lost for decades will soon be up for auction at Bonhams in Los Angeles on December 14. The 5 minute, 21 second black-and-white short Hungry Hobos was created in 1928, and stars Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, along with his friend Peg Leg Pete, who get into some mischief on a train.
The short was discovered in the Huntley Film Archives, one of the U.K.’s largest archives with over 80,000 films – half of which are not properly cataloged.
Archivist Amanda Huntley said:
When we checked this film we couldn’t quite believe our eyes. For an archive, finding a lost masterpiece is incredible—you just don’t think it will happen to you.
Sources say this Walt Disney short is expected to go for anywhere between $30,000 and $40,000 at auction. As of this writing, there has been no word yet whether Disney will try to acquire the film.
