Tag Archives: 1920s

November 14, 1927 – The Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Short Film The Ocean Hop is Released to Theaters

“$25,000 prize for first ocean hop – New York to Paris”

On November 14, 1927, the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short film The Ocean Hop was released to theaters. It was the sixth Oswald short produced by the Disney Studio. There are several similarities to this short and the Mickey Mouse short film,

A prize is being offered for the first flight from New York to Paris, known as an “ocean hop.” Oswald is considered the dark horse entry, and shows up with a simple mechanical plane that makes lots of clanging and banging noises when turned on. Although mocked by another contestant, Oswald believes that his plan will succeed. The contestant comes up with a diabolical plan of placing gun near the wheels, keeping Oswald grounded. The race begins, and Oswald is unable to move thanks to the gum. The plane struggles, and the evil contestant is able to take the lead.

Oswald’s friends help create a new plane to help him win the contest

Oswald’s wings and propeller take off, leaving him behind. Luckily, some friends decide to stop by and help, and set up a new plane, with a dachshund as the plane’s base. Finally, Oswald is ready to win the contest. The evil contestant passes by a sign that directs people to either Paris or the North Pole, and directs everyone else to the North Pole. In the morning, the evil contestant thinks he has nothing to worry about, when he spies Oswald flying by. He takes a gun and shoots the balloons propping the plane up, and Oswald falls to the ground, saved by a parachute. When he arrives on the ground, he’s actually landed in Paris amongst a cheering crowd.

October 31, 1927 – The Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Short Film All Wet is Released to Theaters

On October 31, 1927, the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short film All Wet premiered in theaters. It was the fifth Oswald film released by the Disney Studio, and was directed by Ub Iwerks.

Oswald is selling hotdogs at the beach, and attaching two mice that keep sneaking by to steal from him. A customer arrives and buys one, but as the customer tries to eat, the hot dog starts barking, and the customer soon feels guilty enough to let the hot dog go free. As Oswald works, Fanny the Rabbit saunters by, and the two share flirtatious glances. As eh heads to a rowboat, Oswald closes up shop for the day and attempts to take her out in the boat, but she refuses. He then decides to get a job as a lifeguard, paying the current lifeguard to take his place. When Fanny sees him sporting the lifeguard badge, she immediately starts paying attention to him.

Oswald stands proudly with his lifeguard badge, while a nearby child nervously tries to ask him for help

A child nervously approaches Oswald to get his attention, but Oswald ignores him, until the child is finally able to tell him his problem; Oswald quietly directs the child to the nearest bathroom. While he is distracted, Fanny comes up with a plan to get his attention: she decides to head out to sea in the rowboat herself, and pretends that she is drowning. Oswald hears her cries (although doesn’t realize she’s just floating in an inner tube) and race out after her. A large fish passes her and, thinking she’s food, grabs her foot and pulls her under. Oswald reaches her just in time, and a wave manages to carry them to shore. Fanny looks at Oswald as her hero, and gives him a huge kiss.

July 9, 1928 – The Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Short Film Tall Timber is Released to Theaters

On July 9, 1928, the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short film Tall Timber was released to theaters. It is the twenty-third Oswald short done by Disney, and the last surviving short known to exist.

Oswald is whistling a tune as he paddles down a river in a canoe. He narrowly avoids rocks as he rails down some rapids helplessly, but eventually finds his way back to peaceful waters. As he does, a flock of ducks fly overhead, and he pulls out his gun to shoot. A duck stands on the edge of the gun, and notices that the gun is jammed. It sneaks into the gun and knocks the bullet out, peering at Oswald as his eyes are closed in determination. Oswald finally frees the trigger, only to find that the hammer has hit the duck on the head. He angrily pulls the duck out and kicks at it to make it fly away. Another duck approaches as Oswald tries to shoot again, and once again, the gun is jammed. As Oswald yells at this duck, the duck takes Oswald by the nose and pulls it out, sending it flying back to Oswald’s face and knocking the rabbit down. Oswald brings his nose back to its proper length, and loads the gun while the duck laughs. The duck is able to send the bullet flying into the canoe, springing a leak. Oswald attempts to stop his canoe from overflowing with water, and sends the stream back into the pond. As he tries to find the duck one more time, he finds the creature camped out on his head. Unfortunately, the duck escapes just in time, and Oswald knocks himself in the head with the butt of his gun, sending him and his canoe down to the bottom of the pond.

After his fall, Oswald narrowly misses being hit by a boulder, but is chased by it down a hill

Oswald finds what he thinks is a rock to stand on, and is alarmed when the “rock” rises out of the water, revealed to be a moose. He holds onto the moose for dear life, and the moose sends Oswald flying over the edge of a cliff. Oswald grabs a branch on his way down, but sees a huge boulder being supported by the branch, which is now falling thanks to Oswald’s weight. Oswald tries to outrun the boulder once they both fall, but runs into a tree and is flattened by the boulder. As he tries to fix himself, three bears run through the forest and stop at two maple trees, where the two cubs start drinking the syrup from the taps attached to these trees. Meanwhile, Oswald uses another boulder to help return him to his plump self, but finds that he has become even more round, and rolls over to where the bears are, knocking into one of the cubs. The cubs fight over Oswald, and stretch him back to normal. As one of the cubs torments Oswald, they flee to a rock. Oswald grabs the rock to climb up, unaware that he has actually grabbed the mother bear. Oswald is chased by the bear into a cave, where a fight ensues, and the mama bear leaves without her fur, hiding her undergarments in shame. Oswald walks out in a nice new fur coat, puts on a top hat, and lights a cigar triumphantly.

June 11, 1928 – The Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Short Film Sky Scrappers is Released to Theaters

On June 11, 1928, the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short film Sky Scrappers was released to theaters. This was the twenty-first Oswald short that was done by Disney. There are several similarities between this short and the 1933 Mickey Mouse short Building a Building.

Oswald and many others are hard at work at a construction site, with Oswald using his strength to carry a barrel of water up several stories. When lunch is announced, he drops the bucket, only to have it fall on his head, soaking him and his lunch. Just then, his girlfriend Ortensia rides by with her box lunches, and offers one to Oswald, who blushes and pays her. He then opens the lunch and enjoys a hot dog, while Ortensia is pleased that someone is enjoying her lunches. As she does this, however, a hungry dog begins to eat the contents of her carrier.

As Oswald and Ortensia kiss, the foreman uses a hook to pull Ortensia away

The foreman spots the two lovebirds below, and decides that he wants Ortensia to himself, so he uses a hook to pull Ortensia away and bring her to his perch. Ortensia dismisses his advances, and Oswald quickly climbs the rope to her rescue, only to have the rope be disconnected from the top, sending him falling to the ground. Undeterred, Oswald finds another rope and pulls himself to the top, and fights the foreman for Ortensia’s honor. Ortensia watches from the sidelines, and while it looks like the foreman may have Oswald beat, Oswald manages to win it in the end, and he and Ortensia end the short with a kiss.