Chilly Con Carmen: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Lantz, 1930)

This rare black-and-white archival footage presents "Chilly Con Carmen," a classic silent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from January 15, 1930, produced and directed by Walter Lantz 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 serenades his hippo girlfriend, Miss Hippo, with nonsense phrases and guitar music from below her window. She dances, slips, and comically lands on Oswald, who digs himself out, leading to a passionate kiss—until a Mexican girl appears, catching Oswald’s eye with her allure. Rejecting Miss Hippo, Oswald pursues the Mexican girl, who dances to Bizet’s Carmen Habanera, ending with a kiss. Miss Hippo retaliates with a dance to the Hurdy Gurdy theme, sparking a dance-off to win Oswald’s affection. The rivalry escalates when both women chase a matador, Tory, to a bullfight, but after the bull butts Tory out, Oswald enters the ring, taunting the bull with a rag dance, stabbing it comically, and using a pin to trap it on a pole, winning the fight and sharing a final kiss with the Mexican girl. A lively window into early 1930s animation’s golden age, this preserved gem—directed by Lantz, with animation by Lantz and Bill Nolan—grips cartoon enthusiasts, animation historians, and nostalgic viewers, offering a timeless peek at a spicy romance frozen in time.