Ozzie of the Mounted

About the production

Produced during the final year of Walt Disney's involvement with the Oswald character before the rights dispute with Charles Mintz. The animation was primarily handled by Ub Iwerks, who was known for his incredible speed, sometimes producing over 600 drawings a day. The film features a mechanical horse, a recurring motif in early Disney animation that allowed for creative mechanical gags. Sketches found in archives suggest several deleted scenes, including one where Oswald's neck stretches like a spring and a formal commendation ceremony at the end.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

By 1928, Ozzie of the Mounted was shaped by late silent cinema technology, distribution, and audience expectations.

Why this film matters

Ozzie of the Mounted (1928) helps trace genre evolution, performer careers, and exhibition practices of its period.

Making of

The production of 'Ozzie of the Mounted' took place during a period of high tension at the Disney studio. Walt Disney was unaware that his distributor, Charles Mintz, was secretly poaching his animators to start a new studio. Despite this, the creative output remained high, with Ub Iwerks pushing the boundaries of 'rubber hose' animation. The mechanical horse was a specific solution to animate complex movement without the need for realistic equine anatomy, allowing for more surreal and fluid physical comedy. The film's snowy setting provided a stark white background that simplified the ink-and-paint process while allowing the black-and-white characters to pop visually.

What critics said

Trade coverage around 1928 discussed Ozzie of the Mounted in terms of craft and audience appeal rather than blockbuster scale.

Did you know?

• This is the 18th Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short produced by the Walt Disney Studio.
• The character Peg-Leg Pete appears here as a bear; he would later be redesigned as a cat to become Mickey Mouse's arch-nemesis.
• The 'mechanical horse' used by Oswald was a precursor to similar contraptions seen in later Disney and Iwerks cartoons.
• The film was considered lost for many years before being rediscovered and restored for the 'Walt Disney Treasures' DVD collection in 2007.
• The concept of a Mountie chasing an outlaw was later recycled by other studios, most notably in the Looney Tunes short 'Big Man from the North' (1930).
• In the 2007 restoration, a new musical score was composed by Robert Israel.
• A missing 'title card' where the chief says 'Get Your Man!' was omitted from the official Disney restoration but exists in other public domain prints.
• The animators included future legends of the industry like Hugh Harman and Les Clark.

Awards & recognition

• National Film Registry (Oswald series recognition)

Visual style

As a silent animated short, the 'cinematography' is defined by its framing and the use of 'squash and stretch' techniques. The film utilizes forced perspective to create a sense of scale in the mountain chase scenes. The use of a 'mechanical' mount allowed for rhythmic, repetitive motion that was visually hypnotic for audiences of the time.

Innovations

The film is notable for its early use of 'cycle animation' for the mechanical horse, which allowed for fluid movement with fewer drawings. It also demonstrates an advanced understanding of physical weight and momentum in the scenes where Oswald and Pete collide or fall through the snow.

Music

Originally released as a silent film with live theater accompaniment. The 2007 'Walt Disney Treasures' restoration features a synchronized orchestral score by Robert Israel, designed to mimic the style of 1920s cinema organs and pit orchestras.

Famous quotes

Get Your Man! (Title card instruction from the Chief)

Memorable scenes

• The sequence where Oswald struggles to start his mechanical horse, which eventually kicks him.
• The scene where three dogs crash into a tree and their bodies momentarily fuse into one bizarre creature.
• The final confrontation where Oswald tricks Pete into a jail cell with a sleeping bear.

What audiences thought

Oswald cartoons were massive hits with 1920s audiences, often receiving higher billing than the live-action features they accompanied. 'Ozzie of the Mounted' was particularly well-received for its slapstick humor and the relatable 'underdog' nature of Oswald. Today, it remains a favorite among animation enthusiasts for its historical value and surviving visual clarity.

Film connections

Influenced by

• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police adventure stories
• Buster Keaton's mechanical gags
• Felix the Cat

This film influenced

• Steamboat Willie (1928)
• Big Man from the North (1930)
• The Lone Chipmunk (1954)

Film restoration

Preserved and Restored. After being considered lost for decades, a print was found and restored by Disney in 2007. It entered the Public Domain in the United States on January 1, 2024.

Where to watch

• Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (DVD)
• Disney+ (Select regions/restored shorts collections)
• YouTube (Public Domain archives)
• Internet Archive