March 5, 1928 – The Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Short Film, Rival Romeos, is Released Through Universal Pictures
On March 5, 1928, Universal Pictures released a new Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short silent film entitled Rival Romeos. Oswald was Disney’s first animated hit after the Alice Comedies, and soon became very popular, along with such characters as Felix the Cat. Patterned after the leading swashbuckling actor of the day, Douglas Fairbanks, Oswald was an easily frustrated rabbit, and the shorts relied on slapstick and subtle humor: the sheet music Oswald produces, if one looks closely, include the names of Hot Lips and Hot Mama. This was the 15th of out 26 Oswald shorts created by the Disney Studios before Charles Mintz took Oswald away. Many elements in this short are seen in some of the early Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony films, including the goat used as a gramophone (seen in Steamboat Willie), the main character fighting a rival for the lady’s affections (as seen in Mickey’s Rival), and the main characters kicking each other for being idiotic (as seen in The Wise Little Hen)
A clearly smitten Oswald is on his way to see his girlfriend, Ortensia the Cat, holding a bouquet of daisies and traveling slowly in his jalopy. He starts playing a game of “She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not” with the flowers, before dreaming of Ortensia again. Behind him, in a much nicer car, is Oswald’s rival, also armed with a bouquet, dreaming of Ortensia. His own lovestruck mood is broken by the sight of Oswald, and he angrily honks his horn at the rabbit.
The rival finds a way to get ahead of Oswald, for now
Oswald turns to see this rival, and turns up his nose at him, unconcerned. He continues at his leisurely pace, refusing to move, though his rival starts to throw a fit. The rival pulls a lever, which raises the car, allowing the rival to sail above Oswald and land comfortably in front of him, then he speeds off like a shot.
The rival is eventually stopped by giant patch of mud covering the road. The rival orders his car to go across, but the car refuses, allowing Oswald to catch up. Oswald and his car laugh at the rival, then jump into the puddle with enthusiasm, splashing around and sending mud flying toward the rival. Oswald and his car then take off to continue the trip to his girlfriend’s house. The rival’s car carefully hikes up its skirts and treads cautiously through the mud, with the rival determined not to be beaten. Unfortunately, the car slips on some mud, and they land in the puddle with a mighty splash.
Oswald beginning to serenade Ortensia
Oswald arrives at Ortenisa’s house, heart aflutter, and begins to serenade her with on his banjo. She hears him and steps out onto the balcony, smitten by Oswald’s attempt at romance. While Oswald isn’t looking, however, a hungry goat steps into the front yard, salivating at the sheet music lying on the ground, and begins to snack on some of it, while meanwhile a gentle breeze blows around the sheet music Oswald is currently trying to play. The clearly frustrated rabbit takes out a pin to nail the music to the rock he’s using to prop the music up, only to find that the “rock” is a snoozing pig who, stabbed by the pin, runs off, taking the music with him.
Oswald then sees that the goat has eaten the rest of the music, and is now eyeing his banjo with great interest, before devouring it. Oswald grabs the bit of the banjo sticking out of the goat’s mouth to pull it out, but sends it flying down into the goat’s stomach. Oswald angrily tells off the goat, but the goat doesn’t seem to care, nor wish to give back the banjo. Oswald then tries begging and crying, explaining that he’s trying to woo Ortenisa, but the goat only laughs, infuriating the rabbit. As a last attempt, Oswald strangles the goat and sticks his hand down its throat in order to retrieve the instrument, only to get sucker-punched by the goat. He kicks the goat in the stomach, and notices that music notes come out. Inspired, he opens the goat’s mouth, pulls on his tail, and uses the goat as a sort of gramophone to play his love songs.
Poor Ortensia is caught in the middle of two unyielding suitors
Oswald’s attempts at romance are not beloved by all, for the music wakes up Ortensia’s father, who begins to throw things out the window to stop the noise. Oswald and the goat run for cover, and as Oswald hides behind his car, the rival finally makes it to Ortensia’s house and honks his horn to alert the girl. Ortensia steps outside and waves, and both suitors bow to her, but she stands between the two, with the “Romeos” pulling on her arms as they each try to convince her to date him instead of the other guy. Poor Ortensia stands there as they keep pulling and pulling out her arms like ropes, until they finally let her go. She yells at the two of them before angrily walking away, and the two suitors begin to argue. While arguing, which escalates into physical fighting, they don’t notice that Ortensia has been taken away by a third suitor, and as they watch her drive away, the two agree to kick each other for being so moronic.
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