Neck 'n' Neck

Plot

In this silent animated short, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit takes his sweetheart Miss Rabbit for a joyride in his rickety jalopy automobile. Their romantic outing quickly turns chaotic when Oswald's reckless driving attracts the attention of a police officer who begins pursuing them. What starts as a simple chase escalates into a frantic race through the countryside, with Oswald employing increasingly desperate and comical tactics to evade capture. The cartoon culminates in a series of slapstick mishaps and near-misses as Oswald tries to outmaneuver the persistent police car while trying to impress Miss Rabbit.

Historical Background

1928 was a pivotal year in cinema history, marking the transition from silent films to 'talkies.' The Jazz Singer had been released in October 1927, and studios were rapidly converting to sound production. In animation, synchronized sound was still experimental, with Disney being among the pioneers in adding soundtracks to cartoons. The year also saw the height of the rubber-hose animation style, characterized by fluid, exaggerated movements. 'Neck 'n' Neck' was produced during the Roaring Twenties, a period of economic prosperity and cultural dynamism in America, when car culture was exploding and automobile ownership was becoming increasingly common, making the jalopy theme particularly relatable to contemporary audiences.

Making Of

The production of 'Neck 'n' Neck' occurred during one of the most turbulent periods in Walt Disney's early career. Disney had created Oswald in 1927 under contract with producer Charles Mintz and Universal Pictures, achieving significant success with the character. However, by early 1928, Disney was in heated negotiations with Mintz for better compensation and creative control. While working on cartoons like 'Neck 'n' Neck,' Disney discovered that Mintz had secretly hired away most of his animators and planned to produce Oswald cartoons without Disney's involvement. This betrayal led Disney to lose the Oswald rights but also motivated him to create Mickey Mouse, who would debut later in 1928. The animation team working on this short included future Disney legends like Ub Iwerks and Les Clark, who would go on to revolutionize the animation industry.

Visual Style

The film utilized black and white 35mm film with standard silent-era aspect ratios. The animation employed the traditional cel animation process, with characters drawn on clear celluloid sheets over painted backgrounds. The visual style featured the rubber-hose animation technique popular in the late 1920s, with characters having exaggerated, flexible movements and no visible joints. The chase sequences made innovative use of perspective and speed lines to convey motion, techniques that were still being developed in animation at the time. The backgrounds were relatively simple but effective, using minimal detail to keep focus on the character action while still establishing the rural setting.

Innovations

While 'Neck 'n' Neck' doesn't feature groundbreaking technical innovations, it represents the refinement of animation techniques that Disney and his team were developing. The cartoon demonstrates improved character consistency and more fluid movement compared to earlier animations of the period. The effective use of timing and spacing in the animation creates believable momentum during the chase sequences. The film also shows early experimentation with camera angles and perspective to enhance the action, techniques that would become more sophisticated in later Disney works. The synchronization of character movement with musical rhythms, even in silent form, shows Disney's attention to the relationship between animation and music.

Music

Originally, 'Neck 'n' Neck' would have been accompanied by a musical score provided by the theater's organist or pianist, following the standard practice for silent films. Some theaters may have used the cue sheets provided by the studio, which suggested appropriate musical pieces for different scenes. The film was released just as sound-on-film technology was becoming available, and some later showings might have featured a synchronized music track. The typical score would have included upbeat, jaunty music for the driving sequences, romantic themes for the scenes with Miss Rabbit, and frantic, comical music during the chase portions.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening scene where Oswald proudly shows off his jalopy to Miss Rabbit, the car comically falling apart and reassembling itself as he demonstrates its features. The climactic chase sequence where Oswald uses increasingly absurd methods to evade the police car, including driving through barns, across fields, and even briefly flying through the air after hitting a bump. The final scene where Oswald, having apparently escaped, receives a kiss from Miss Rabbit just as the police car reappears, ending with a freeze-frame of their shocked expressions.

What Critics Said

Contemporary reviews of 'Neck 'n' Neck' and other Oswald shorts were generally positive, with trade publications praising the cartoons' technical quality and humor. The Moving Picture World noted Disney's 'innovative animation techniques' and 'appealing character designs.' Modern animation historians view these Oswald cartoons as important stepping stones in Disney's artistic development, showing the evolution from the simpler animations of the early 1920s toward the more sophisticated character-driven storytelling that would define Disney's golden age. The film is particularly noted for its fluid animation and effective use of the chase format, which would become a staple of animated comedy.

What Audiences Thought

Audiences in 1928 responded enthusiastically to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons, including 'Neck 'n' Neck.' The character was extremely popular with moviegoers, particularly children, and the shorts were reliable box office attractions for theaters. The combination of slapstick comedy, romantic elements, and the exciting chase sequence would have appealed to the broad family audiences of the era. The automobile theme was especially timely, as car ownership was rapidly increasing and represented modernity and freedom to 1920s audiences. While specific audience reactions to this particular cartoon aren't documented, the Oswald series as a whole was a commercial success until Disney lost the character.

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