My Disney VHS Collection: Neon Mickey

The first 13 Walt Disney Home Video titles put out for rental on March 4, 1980, when Disney was working with Fotomat to get into the video business. These titles were later made for sale along with rental in October 1980.

(Scans will appear soon)

1. 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
DATE: 10-80 (For Sale Only Version)
PRINT DATE: None applicant; has card notifying it has an ''electronic anti-copy system'' and telling one to adjust tracking if he/she experiences vertical roll. Well, I certainly did! ''For Sale Only: Not Intended For Rental'' is at the bottom of the tape.
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Bookman's
OPENING: ''For Sale Only: Not Intended for Rental'', FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1978 Neon Mickey logo, Buena Vista logo

2. ON VACATION WITH MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS
DATE: 10-80 (For Sale Only Version)
PRINT DATE: August 17, 1983; ''For Sale Only: Not Intended For Rental'' is at the bottom of the tape
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Amazon.com
OPENING: ''For Sale Only: Not Intended for Rental'', FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1978 Neon Mickey logo, title card

3. DUMBO
DATE: 07-82 (For Sale Only version; For Rental Only version was issued on 06-26-81)
PRINT DATE: July 25, 1984
PLACE OF PURCHASE: eBay
OPENING: Red FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1978 Neon Mickey logo, MPAA rating, Buena Vista logo (silent; the film was reissued with sound added to that logo)
CLOSING: Has Walt Disney and You promo
NOTE: This was Disney's first animated feature film on home video. The only other non-packaged Disney animated feature film that was issued on a Neon Mickey tape was ALICE IN WONDERLAND. This was because each film was telecast numerous times by then. (source) The remaining animated cartoons that were issued with the Neon Mickey logo were either packaged animated features or compilations.

4. THE ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR
DATE: 06-26-81 (my copy is For Sale Only Version)
PRINT DATE: None applicant; ''For Sale Only: Not Intended For Rental'' is atop the lid.
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Bookman's
OPENING: ''For Sale Only: Not Intended for Rental'', FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1978 Neon Mickey logo, G rating bumper, Buena Vista logo (the last one is in B&W)
CLOSING: Bumper reading ''Here Are Selected Other Walt Disney Home Videocassettes'', then previews for THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH and DAVY CROCKETT AND THE RIVER PIRATES
NOTE: The 1986 reissue (as part of the Wonderland Sale Promotion is colorized. This release is in the film's original B&W.

5. HERBIE RIDES AGAIN
DATE: 06-26-81 (my copy is For Sale Only Version and depicted as being a former rental)
PRINT DATE: October 9, 1983 (self-made; from ''Coffey Rentals'', a fictitious JCP-owned rental store)
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Amazon.com (for the blank T-120 tape that I used to make my copy)
OPENING: Red FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1978 Neon Mickey logo, MPAA rating, Buena Vista logo
CLOSING: Has Walt Disney and You promo
NOTE: I made this copy to resemble the tape, right down to it having the aforementioned opening and closing.

6. TRON
DATE: 10-83 (front cover hides the Disney name; source; has ''The Magic Lives On'' slogan on the back; is rated PG)
PRINT DATE: August 23, 1984 (starting to fade out, sadly)
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Bookman's
OPENING: Red FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1978 Neon Mickey logo, MPAA rating, Buena Vista logo (custom semi-computerized version)
CLOSING: TBA
NOTE: It has no Disney name on the front because by the time this came out on tape, Disney began being labeled as being a kid's stuff company; since TRON was rated PG and not G, their name was hidden on the posters and on the front cover of this and the next film. It turned out to be a semi-successful strategy for them, and it led to the formation of Disney's subsidiary Touchstone Pictures in 1984.

7. TEX
DATE: 10-83
PRINT DATE: None applicant (is a Canadian copy; FBI warning is replaced with text ''Duplication in whole or in part of this videocassette is prohibited''; the text ''For Sale Only: Rental Prohibited'' is below the sticker label as well)
PLACE OF PURCHASE: eBay
OPENING: ''Duplication in whole or in part of this videocassette is prohibited'', ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1978 Neon Mickey logo, MPAA rating, Buena Vista logo (custom all-caps version)
NOTE: The same tactics Disney applied on TRON were applied to what has been viewed as one of the great coming-of-age films of the '80s. On the side of the case, ''Walt Disney'' is in the same font as ''Home Video''. Their name was next hidden on the box art of the VHS of TRENCHCOAT, and was hidden altogether on the original VHS of NEVER CRY WOLF (which I just acquired).

8. THE DEVIL AND MAX DEVLIN
DATE: 1984 (originally released 10-15-81)
PRINT DATE: January 4, 1986 (remade to look like a former rental, a decision I deeply regret ever making)
PLACE OF PURCHASE: ebay (case was removable so I placed it in a 1990s-era clamshell)
OPENING: Red Orange FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1983 Neon Mickey logo, MPAA rating, Buena Vista logo
CLOSING: Has Walt Disney and You promo
NOTE: Bill Cosby is the devil in one of Disney's earliest PG-rated films, and he turned out to be one in real life as we all know.
NOTE: Originally the stamp on the front read ''Disney's Newest Comedy Hit!''; my copy reads ''Disney's Devilishly Funny Comedy!''

8. DONALD [Duck]
DATE: 1984
PRINT DATE: March 12, 1984 (slightly faded; former rental)
PLACE OF PURCHASE: eBay
OPENING
NOTE: Cartoons are ''Donald's Cousin Gus'', ''The Riveter'', ''The Autograph Hound'' (as highlighted on the back), ''A Good Time for a Dime'', ''Donald's Tire Trouble'', ''The New Neighbour''.
NOTE: Part of the Cartoon Classics sub-line, ''Limited Gold Edition''.

9. THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SUPERTED
DATE: 1985
PRINT DATE: January 16, 1985
PLACE OF PURCHASE: PDQ Records (the only Neon Mickey tape that was there to the best of my knowledge)
OPENING: Red Orange FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1983 Neon Mickey logo, start of the program
NOTE: A Welsh cartoon; Disney was only involved in the production/distribution of these cartoons on VHS. Has '"SuperTed and Nuts in Space'', ''SuperTed and The City of the Dead'', ''SuperTed at Creepy Castle'', ''SuperTed on Planet Spot'', ''SuperTed at the FunFair'', ''SuperTed and the Gold Mine''.

10. MARY POPPINS
DATE: 12-03-85 (part of a Christmas promotion)
PRINT DATE: August 26, 1985
PLACE OF PURCHASE: eBay (the first Neon Mickey tape I acquired off the Internet)
OPENING: Red Orange FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1983 Neon Mickey logo, start of the picture
NOTE: My first Neon Mickey tape.

11: PETE'S DRAGON
DATE: 12-03-85 (see MARY POPPINS)
PRINT DATE: October 28, 1985 (has the name ''Ruthenberg'' in purple ink the clamshell; is fading from the clamshell)
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Bookman's (the first Neon Mickey tape I bought at a store)
OPENING: Red Orange FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', 1983 Neon Mickey logo, start of the picture
NOTE: This is the first time the film had been on tape for a full 128 minutes. The original VHS/Beta, from March 1980 (For Rental Only Version) and October 1980 (For Sale Only Version), had the film run for a paltry 105 minutes. When released in theaters, the film ran 134 minutes.

12: THE BAREFOOT EXECUTIVE
DATE: Approx. 1986
PRINT DATE: None applicant (would've been one but the sticker was already gone by the time I got it)
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Bookman's (former rental; from Hometown Video, which had AZ state locales in Williams and Flagstaff)
OPENING: Red Orange FBI Warning, ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', ''The Journey of Natty Gann'' trailer, 1983 Neon Mickey logo, start of the picture

RELATED TITLE: THE FROG PRINCE
DATE: 1983
PRINT DATE: March 18, 1983; ''For Sale Only: Not Intended For Rental'' is at the bottom of the tape
PLACE OF PURCHASE: eBay (former rental; from Tolley's Video Mart, which was a regional chain of stores in the state of Tennessee; this came from their Ridgetop locale, another tape - one from Touchstone - came from their Springfield (Tennessee) locale)
OPENING: ''Licensed for Private Home Exhibition Only...'', FBI Warning, Muppet Home Video logo, start of the program (I dubbed this to DVD but had to do it in a way that made the picture grainy but at least held it still)
NOTE: Prior to Disney owning the Muppets, Jim Henson himself licensed some specials to them (The Frog Prince was among the specials); Henson mainly licensed the Muppets to CBS/Fox's children's division, Playhouse Video. Henson did have a good relationship with Disney and attempted to sell his company to them at the time of his death in 1990. (Disney finally did buy his company in 2004.)