Dinky Doodle in Egypt

Walter Lantz's early animated short, "Dinky Doodle in Egypt," playfully blurs the lines between creator and creation, and reality and fantasy. The narrative opens with Lantz attending a masquerade, while his titular cartoon hero, Dinky, and his canine companion succumb to a nap. From this slumber, Dinky is thrust into a vibrant, anachronistic dreamscape of ancient Egypt. Here, he swiftly falls for a princess, prompting a comedic quest for her hand from her pharaoh father. This pursuit is complicated by a poker-playing mummy who also lays claim to the princess, leading to a pharaonic decree: a chariot race. Dinky’s contest is fraught with slapstick peril, particularly concerning his wooden-legged steed and its peculiar habit of unwrapping his mummified rival, revealing a surprisingly whiskered old man underneath. The dream culminates in Dinky's triumph, a victory that coincides with Lantz's return, pulling Dinky from his fantastical slumber.