Alpine Antics: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Winkler, 1929) – Silent

This rare black-and-white archival footage presents "Alpine Antics," a classic silent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from March 25, 1929, produced by George Winkler’s Winkler Pictures for Universal Studios—nearly a century ago—offering a nostalgic thrill for early animation fans. The silent film follows Oswald, the mischievous black rabbit with expressive ears, as he milks a goat in the Swiss Alps, only for the goat to run off after another goat’s call, kicking a bucket onto his head. Struggling to remove it, Oswald stumbles free just as his loyal St. Bernard dog arrives with a distress note from Fanny (his girlfriend, a cat), seeking rescue. Together, they trek upland, navigating large rocks and a canyon with ease, then use a ladder on a boulder to save Fanny, who’s hanging from a branch by her underwear. Fleeing a wolverine, they hide in a cave, but the predator overshoots a cliff edge into the sea below, allowing Oswald, Fanny, and the dog to ride back safely on the dog. A lively window into late 1920s animation’s golden age, this preserved gem—directed, written, and animated by Tom Palmer—grips cartoon enthusiasts, animation historians, and nostalgic viewers, offering a timeless peek at an alpine rescue frozen in time.