A Close Call (1929) Review: Rubbery Mice and Nightmarish Cats

If you have about six minutes to kill and you want to feel like you've stepped into a time machine that's slightly broken, then A Close Call is worth a look. It’s for anyone who misses when cartoons were just a little bit dangerous and didn't care about things like 'physics' or 'logic.' People who need high-definition CGI and a deep plot will probably hate this with a passion.

This is one of those old Aesop’s Fables cartoons produced by the Van Beuren Studio. It stars these two mice who are clearly in love, though their faces are mostly just circles with dots for eyes. They are planning a wedding, which is cute, I guess, until the cat shows up. 🐱

The cat in this movie is genuinely disturbing. He doesn't look like a real animal; he looks like a guy in a loose-fitting cat suit who hasn't slept in three days. When he grabs the female mouse, the way his arms stretch out like taffy is just... it's a lot.

I noticed that the backgrounds in this are surprisingly detailed compared to the characters. There’s a scene early on where you can see the cross-hatching on the walls, and it feels very hand-drawn in a way modern stuff just doesn't. It reminds me a bit of the visual clutter you see in The Goofy Age, where everything feels a bit crowded.

Harry Bailey and John Foster were the guys behind this, and you can tell they were just figuring out sound. The music is this constant, jaunty piano and horn stuff that never really stops. It doesn't always match what’s happening on screen. Like, someone is screaming for their life, but the music is still playing a happy little jig. 🎺

There is a specific moment where the mouse hero is trying to find his way to the cat's lair. He runs past the same tree about four times. You can see the same little knot in the wood every time it loops. It’s charming in a lazy sort of way.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Close Call (1929) through its definitive frames.

The rescue itself is pure chaos. There’s no real strategy. The mouse just kind of happens to be brave. It’s not like the choreographed action you see in Billy Blazes, Esq. or other shorts from that era. Here, it’s just a lot of flailing limbs.

One thing that really stuck with me was the cat’s face when he’s about to eat. His mouth opens up way wider than his actual head. It’s the kind of stuff that probably gave kids in 1929 nightmares. Honestly, it gave me a bit of a shiver too.

The pacing is weirdly fast. One second they are dancing, the next second it's a kidnapping, and then it's over. There's no breathing room. It’s like the animators were running out of ink and had to finish the whole thing in one afternoon.

I kept thinking about how different this feels from something like Motherhood, which is way more serious. This cartoon doesn't want you to think. It just wants you to watch things bounce around.

There’s a gag involving a hole in the wall that goes on for maybe five seconds too long. The mouse keeps poking his head out and pulling it back in. It starts to feel like a glitch in the film rather than a joke. I actually checked my internet connection for a second. 😅

The ending is abrupt, as these things usually are. They get away, they’re happy, and the screen just fades to black. No lesson learned, despite it being called a 'fable.' I’m still not sure what the moral was. Don't be a mouse? Don't get married near a cat?

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Close Call (1929) through its definitive frames.

If you like the silent-era energy of Orochi but want it to be about rodents, this is your movie. It’s messy and the film grain is heavy. Sometimes the characters' ears just disappear for a frame or two.

It's not a masterpiece, but it’s interesting. It’s a relic from a time when movies were still trying to find their voice. Literally. You can hear the hiss of the early sound recording through the whole thing. It sounds like a radiator is leaking in the background.

I wouldn't go out of my way to find a DVD of this, but if it pops up on a late-night stream, don't change the channel. Just sit there and let the rubbery madness wash over you for a few minutes. It's better than watching another generic superhero trailer.

The way the mice move their tails like they’re whip-cracking is a small detail I really liked. It’s a tiny bit of character animation that feels intentional. Most of the other movements are just generic bouncing.

Also, the cat’s house is weirdly empty. Like, he has this big lair but no furniture? Just a pot and some shadows. It makes the whole thing feel lonely and eerie.

Anyway, it’s a short film. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It just does its weird little dance and then leaves you wondering what you just saw. Sometimes that's all you need from a movie.