Oh Teacher (1927)

That was an excellent one.

I'll tell you why so serious

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Despite Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his cartoons being popular and well received at the time, they have been vastly overshadowed over time by succeeding Disney characters (like Mickey, Donald and Goofy) and those from Looney Tunes. It is a shame as, while not cartoon masterpieces, they are fascinating for anybody wanting to see what very old animation looked like and what Disney animation was like before Mickey arrived on the scene.After the still pretty good 'Trolley Troubles', the third Oswald cartoon (his debuting cartoon 'Poor Papa' being very much rare) is an improvement, it's crazier, wittier, more inspired and takes more risks. Sure the story is still very limited structurally and Oswald's girlfriend is pretty annoying.Animation is not bad at all for a cartoon so old and techniques still in early days, it's crisp and fluid enough with some nice detail, sure there are some rough spots understandably especially with Disney animation becoming much more refined later. The added soundtrack and sound effects add a lot rather than distract, actually improving the cartoon's impact and making things easier to understand.Most of the gags work very well in 'Oh Teacher', the timing is more consistent and the humour is wonderfully crazy and witty. Oswald is an endearing protagonist and the Pete-like nemesis is every bit as fun, their conflict is the driving force of the cartoon and one of its high points.Overall, good fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I just watched the first two Oswald cartoons (directed by Walt Disney for Universal Studios) and noticed that this second one (OH, TEACHER) is a bit better than TROLLEY TROUBLE--mostly because it has a crazier and more rule-breaking attitude than the first. For example, when one character (the bully) has a giant question mark appear above his head as he thinks, he pulls it down and uses it to attack Oswald. And, when Oswald yells 'help', he uses this giant word to ride like a pony! Pretty weird stuff.The film begins with kids all going to school and catching the bus. Oswald and his girlfriend are also on the way to school when the bully steps in and steals the girl. The girl rabbit is pretty annoying, as she likes the bully because of this. By the end of the film, it appears as if Oswald has beaten up the bully and his lady friend once again adores him. What a screwed up and unwholesome girl!! Overall, this silent film has very good production values for 1927. The version I saw had added sound effects and music--something not originally available when the cartoon debuted. Oddly, however, the cartoon speed is a bit too slow and varies considerably--showing that perhaps they sped and slowed the cartoon to better synchronize with the sounds.

In this Disney Oswald short, the rabbit is, it seems, an elementary school student about to take his fellow rabbit girlfriend on a bike ride to the learning place. A fellow cat student is his rival for the girl. There are plenty of gags inspired by the Felix the Cat cartoon series like a question mark over the cat's head used to become a rope or string in order to trip Oswald or the word 'help' (from the girlfriend's scream after falling in the water) used by the rabbit to ride like a bike, after losing his, in order to rescue her. Another funny outing from the master of animation before Mickey Mouse put him on the map for good. Well worth seeing for Disney and animation fans in general.

For its time this was an excellent cartoon. It was the second of the Oswald series, and features Black Pete, who later became Peg Leg Pete in Mickey Mouse cartoons.The version I have seen had music and limited vocal sound added in 1932. I found it more enjoyable to view with the sound turned off.Entirely black and white with gray in shadowing and, originally, no sound, this cartoon shows the early genius of Walt Disney Studios.Although the plot is limited, the cartoon is able to rely on the sight gags that made the early Mickey Mouse cartoons famous.For those not familiar with early Disney Cartoons, a viewing of Oswald will give a good idea of the early history of Mickey.