Snow Use: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Lantz, 1929)

This rare black-and-white archival footage presents "Snow Use," a classic silent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from October 28, 1929, produced and directed by Walter Lantz for Universal Studios—nearly a century ago—offering a nostalgic thrill for early animation fans. The silent film follows Oswald, the mischievous black rabbit with expressive ears, as he tries to enjoy a winter day, only to face slapstick chaos in a snowy landscape. Riding a sled, Oswald crashes into a snowbank, prompting him to build a snowman that comes to life and chases him, leading to a frantic chase involving snowballs, icy slides, and a mischievous bear. The cartoon ends with Oswald escaping by skiing downhill, only to crash into a tree, leaving him comically buried in snow but laughing. Marking Lantz’s third Oswald short and his early experimentation with the character, this short—recorded with Western Electric sound-on-film but released silently—captures the rough, energetic style of late 1920s animation. A lively window into the golden age of silent cartoons, this preserved gem grips cartoon enthusiasts, animation historians, and nostalgic viewers, offering a timeless peek at a snowy misadventure frozen in time.