7CoolThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutOswaldtheLuckyRabbit

ByDaveBossert

WhenWaltDisneylostthecontracttocreateOswaldtheLuckyRabbitcartoonsheturneda

lemonintolemonadebycreatingMickeyMouse.OswaldultimatelypassedontoUniversal

wherehisdesignchangedfromacartoonyscamptoamorerealisticlookingrabbitand

eventuallyfadingintoobscurity.BecauseofthatandthefactthatOswaldwasnotpartof

Disneyformorethanseventyyears,therearesomereallycoolthingsthatyoumightnotknow

aboutOswald.

Ilovelistsandinkeepingwithtradition,I’vecompiledsomecoolfactsthatyoumight

notknowaboutorfavoritecartoonrabbit—Oswald.Thislistisindescendingorderfrom

numberseventothenumberonetopcoolthing;atleastitistome.Theseareinteresting

becauseinsomecasestheyareuniquetoOswaldandotherstheybaresomeveryclose

similaritiestotheMickeyMousecartoonsthatfollowed.

So,thefollowingismy“7CoolThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutOswaldtheLucy

Rabbit”list:

(Notice Julius being helped by Alice, very similar to Felix the Cat; ©HeritageComics.com)

7.OswaldtheLuckyRabbitwascreatedaftertheDisneyBrothersendedtheirlive

action/animationcombinationAliceComedyseries.IntheAliceComedy’s,Alice’ssidekickwas

Julius,ananimatedcatcharacterthatlookedalotlikethethenpopularFelixtheCatcartoon

fromthePatSullivanStudio.TherewasalsoKrazyKatfromtheGeorgeHerrimanStudio.Walt’s

produceratWinklerFilmCorporation,CharlesMintzandUniversal,feltthatthereweretoo

manycatcharactersandwantedsomethingdifferentthatiswhyOswaldwasdevelopedasa

rabbitwithhisdistinctivelongearstodifferentiatehimfromotherwell-knownanimated

characters.

(AstillwithmanycharactersfromPoorPapa,completedininearly1927butnotreleaseduntilJune11,1928;©Disney)

6.ThefirstOswaldtheLuckyRabbitshort,PoorPapa,wasrejectedbecauseWalt’s

producersthoughtOswaldlookedtoooldandtheywerevery“disappointed.”Buttheyalso

werecriticaloftoomanyothercharactersintheshortandthoughtitdidn’tshowenoughof

Oswald.ProducerMintzsaid;“Thereisentirelytoomuchrepetitionofaction.Scenesare

draggedouttosuchanextentthatthecartoonismateriallysloweddown.TheOswaldshownin

thispictureisfarfrombeingafunnycharacter.”HealsoSuggestedthatWaltmakeOswald

“youngandsnappylookingwithamonocle.”Walttookthecriticisminaprofessionalmanner,

atleastinhisresponsetoMintz.HerespondedtoeachpointofcriticismbutalsotoldMintzto

“forgetthemonocle.”TheoriginaltelegramsbetweenMintzandDisneyareinthebook.

5.Didyouknowthatinthelate1920sandearly1930s,thestudiomade16mmprintsof

theOswaldcartoonsandthatwererentedforhomeuse.Itwasanearlyformofhome

entertainmentjustlikeDVDandBlu-rayistoday.Becauseofthat,wehavebeenabletolocate

someofthelostOswaldcartoonsassurviving16mmprints.Insomeinstances,wehavebeen

abletocobbletogetherafullcartoonfrompartial16mmand35mmprints.

(WantedPosterfromtheshortOZZIEOFTHEMOUNTED,releasedonApril30,1928;©Disney)

4.IntheOswaldtheluckyRabbitshorts,thevillainPegLegPeteisabearcharacter.He

wentbythealias’PutridPeteandKidPete.WhenPeteappearsasthevillaininthelaterMickey

Mousecartoonsheisacatcharacter.Aminorchangetoessentialthesamecharacter.That

won’thappentoday!

(InthisstillframefromSLEIGHBELLS,Ortensiahasaboulderinherunderpantsasacounterbalancetotheliftoftheballoon.NotethesimilarityofherhatanddresstothatofMinnieMouse;©Disney)

3.DidyouknowthatOswaldhastwogalpals,OrtensiaandFannyCottontail.Ortenisais

acatandFannyisarabbit.Eachwasreferredtointheproductionnotesandgag/situation

documentsbydifferentdescriptionssuchas“lady”,“thegirl”,“anurse.”ThenameOrtensia,

whichisreferredtoasOswald’swife,wasnotwidelyusedandbecamemorepopularwhenthe

EpicMickeygamewasreleasedin2010.Duringtheresearchformynewbook,Oswaldthe

LuckyRabbit:TheSearchfortheLostDisneyCartoons,manyoftheoriginalproductionnotes

hadmistakesthatconfusedbothFannyandOrtensia.ThemorewidelyusedisOrtensiawho

hasmanysimilaritiestoMinnieMouse.

(AstorysketchpagefromSAGEBRUSHSADIE,theshortwasreleasedonApril2,1928;©NBC/Universal)

2.Didyouknowthattherearenownineteenofthetwenty-sixOswaldcartoonsknown.

Six“lost”titleshavebeenrecoveredinthelastsevenyears.Buttherearestillseventitles

missingincluding;TheBanker’sDaughter,HaremScarem,RicketyGin,Neck‘N’Neck,Sagebrush

Sadie,Ride‘emPlowboy,andHotDogs.Eventhoughthesearemissingwehavefound

animation,storysketchpages,andothermaterialfrommanyoftheseshortsinvarious

locationsincludingtheWaltDisneyArchivesandtheAnimationResearchLibrary.Also,oneof

theOswaldshortsabovehasbeenlocated,butnotacquiredyet.Exciting!!

(ThetitlecardwithWaltDisney’snameonitforHIGHUP,releasedonAugust6,1928.Believedtobethe27thDisneycreatedOswaldshort;©Disney)

1. Andnumberone,duringtheresearchforthebook,a27thDisneycreatedOswald

shortwasre-discoveredcalled,HighUp.TheshortwascompletedatWinklerStudiosin

HollywoodafterDisneylostthecontract.ItisspeculatedthatWaltmayhavebegunworkon

thiscartoonanticipatingarenewalofhiscontractwithWinklerandthereforeitwasreleased

withWaltDisneycreditedonthetitlecard.HighUpwasintheaterspriortothereleaseof

SleighBellsandHotDogs,thelastoftheDisneycreatedOswaldshortsforWinklerand

Universal.

Well,IhopeyoulearnedalittlemoreaboutOswaldtheLuckyRabbitthatyoumightnot

havebeenawareof.Thereismuchmoreinformationandmanynever-before-seenimagesfrom

alltheDisneycreatedOswaldshortsinmynewbook,OswaldtheLuckyRabbit:TheSearchfor

theLostDisneyCartoons,whichisavailablewhereverfinebooksaresold.