Hurdy Gurdy: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Lantz, 1929)

This rare black-and-white archival footage presents "Hurdy Gurdy," a classic silent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from December 2, 1929, produced and directed by Walter Lantz for Universal Studios—nearly a century ago—offering a nostalgic chuckle for early animation fans. The silent film follows Oswald, the mischievous black rabbit with expressive ears, as he plays a hurdy-gurdy (a street organ) to earn money, traveling with his dog, Bruno, through a snowy town. When a dogcatcher attempts to capture Bruno, Oswald uses the hurdy-gurdy’s music to distract him, leading to a slapstick chase where the dogcatcher tangles in the instrument’s strings, crashes into a lamppost, and is comically knocked out. The cartoon ends with Oswald and Bruno happily collecting coins from the crowd, celebrating their victory. A lively window into late 1920s animation’s golden age, this preserved gem—directed by Lantz, with animation by Bill Nolan—grips cartoon enthusiasts, animation historians, and nostalgic viewers, offering a timeless peek at a musical misadventure frozen in time.