Sleigh Bells: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Disney, 1928) – Sample

This rare black-and-white archival footage presents a sample of "Sleigh Bells," a lost Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from October 29, 1928, created by Walt Disney for Universal Studios—nearly a century ago—offering a tantalizing glimpse into early animation’s Christmas legacy. The silent film, originally a festive short, follows Oswald, the mischievous black rabbit with expressive ears, as he plays Santa Claus, driving a sleigh pulled by a horse (later revealed as a mule) through snowy landscapes, delivering gifts, and causing slapstick chaos when the sleigh crashes, scattering presents and animals. Though the full cartoon remains lost, this surviving sample—likely a brief clip or promotional piece, possibly 30–60 seconds long, as discovered in fragments—captures Oswald’s holiday antics, including his sleigh mishaps and a chase with reindeer, all set against simple, whimsical winter backgrounds typical of the era. A haunting window into 1920s animation’s golden age, this preserved snippet—marking one of Disney’s final Oswald shorts before leaving Universal—grips cartoon enthusiasts, animation historians, and nostalgic viewers, offering a rare, fleeting peek at a festive classic frozen in time.