"A Lad and His Lamp" is a 1929 cartoon from Van Beuren Studio about a courageous mouse on a daring quest to save his kidnapped girlfriend from a haunted dungeon.
Remarkably, the characters and storyline in this nearly century-old cartoon seem to parallel Nintendo's iconic cast, including Mario, Peach, Bowser, and other minor characters.
The mouse in "A Lad and His Lamp" is aided by a magical lantern, which he activates by rubbing, allowing him to defeat the various monsters lurking within the dungeon. As the mouse battles the final boss in the cartoon, he faces a grisly decapitation. However, he is fortunate to have one remaining life, using it to ultimately triumph over the villain and rescue his girlfriend.
