Not So Quiet: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Lantz, 1930)

This rare black-and-white archival footage presents "Not So Quiet," a landmark silent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from June 30, 1930, produced and directed by Walter Lantz for Universal Studios—nearly a century ago—offering a nostalgic, bittersweet laugh for early animation fans. The silent film follows Oswald, the mischievous black rabbit with expressive ears, as a WWI private sent to the battlefield, dozing in a tent at dawn. General Peg-Leg Pete calls the privates to assemble, and Oswald salutes anxiously, only to struggle with a cumbersome, oversized gun during drills, toppling over his comrades, much to their annoyance. Disappointed, Oswald spots a girl cat (likely Kitty) singing a serenade from across a river, inspiring him to meet her, but Pete orders him to deliver a message to the enemy general. Untouchable, Oswald evades bullets, hides behind stumps for cover, and delivers the note, only to discover—horrified—that it instructs the enemy to shoot him at sunrise. Fleeing through obstacles and larger ammunition, Oswald survives as both forces agree to a ceasefire, relieved to receive a kiss from the girl cat. A parody of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), this short—voiced by Pinto Colvig, with music by David Broekman—captures Lantz’s surreal, slapstick style, blending humor with wartime tension, and marks the first Lantz cartoon to feature a Mickey Mouse-lookalike character. A lively, poignant window into early 1930s animation’s golden age, this preserved gem grips cartoon enthusiasts, animation historians, and nostalgic viewers, offering a timeless peek at a wartime misadventure frozen in time.