Yanky Clippers: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Winkler, 1929)

This rare black-and-white archival footage presents "Yanky Clippers," the final silent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from January 20, 1929, produced by George Winkler’s Winkler Pictures for Universal Studios—nearly a century ago—offering a nostalgic laugh for early animation fans. The silent film follows Oswald, the mischievous black rabbit with expressive ears, as he runs a barber shop, greeting a series of quirky customers. His first client, a shaggy terrier, drinks hair-growing tonic, causing its fur to regrow instantly as Oswald shaves, leading to a comically hairless dog after he confiscates the bottle. Next, a hippo needs a chin shave, followed by an elephant requiring a trunk makeover, both handled with slapstick ease. The final customer, a bear named Pete, arrives for a manicure; Oswald dons a skirt and lipstick to charm him, filing Pete’s claws with an automatic wheel. Mistaking Oswald for a girl, Pete falls in love, luring him into a car with a lollipop for a ride, only for Oswald to jump out mid-chase as Pete kisses him incessantly. A lively window into late 1920s animation’s golden age, this preserved gem—co-directed by Walter Lantz and Tom Palmer, marking Oswald’s last silent short before transitioning to sound—grips cartoon enthusiasts, animation historians, and nostalgic viewers, offering a timeless peek at a barber shop farce frozen in time.