Broadway Folly Review: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Gets Into a Mess

If you have six minutes and want to see a rabbit get hit with musical instruments, Broadway Folly is probably worth your time today.

It is definitely for people who like that specific brand of 1930s chaos where the characters feel like they are made of melted rubber.

If you need a plot or characters that actually talk about their feelings, you will absolutely hate this. It is just noise and movement. 🎺

I watched this right after Trying to Get Along and the difference in energy is pretty wild.

Walter Lantz was running the show here, and you can tell he just wanted things to move fast. Oswald doesn't even look like the Disney version of Oswald anymore.

His ears are sort of flopping around in a way that feels unstable. In the first minute, he is just trying to enjoy the show, but the theater is already a disaster.

The music in these old shorts is always so loud. It’s like the the orchestra is trying to win a fight against the animation itself.

I noticed one guy in the audience who looks exactly like every other guy in the audience. They probably just used the same three drawings over and over to save money. 💸

There is this moment where a trombone player gets way too aggressive. It reminded me of the weird energy in A Close Shave, but much more frantic.

The fight itself isn't really a fight. It’s more like a series of accidents that happen to involve Oswald’s face.

One reaction shot of a lady in the balcony lingers for maybe three seconds too long. It feels like the animators forgot to cut away.

The background art is actually kind of nice if you stop to look at it. The theater looks like it has seen better days, which feels right for 1930.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Broadway Folly (1930) through its definitive frames.

I guess if you compare it to The Gambling Fool, it’s a bit more focused on the gags. But only a bit.

It’s strange how Oswald just accepts that his night is ruined. He has this blank expression even when things are exploding around him.

The pacing is high burstiness for sure. One second he is sitting down, the next second there is a tuba on his head.

I think the writers—Lantz, Moreno, and the others—were just throwing ideas at the wall to see what would stick. Most of it sticks, but some of it is just weird.

Like the way the instruments seem to have a mind of their own. It’s not explained, and it doesn't need to be, I suppose.

Things I jotted down while watching:

• Oswald’s feet are way too small for his body in some shots.
• The sound of the punches sounds like someone hitting a wet pillow.
• The theater seats look very uncomfortable.
• Why is there so much smoke?
• The ending just sort of stops. It doesn't really finish.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even the best Oswald cartoon I’ve seen this week.

But there is something honest about it. It’s just trying to make a kid in 1930 laugh for a few minutes before the newsreel starts.

If you are looking for something more serious, maybe try Broken Fetters. That is a completely different vibe.

Broadway Folly is just a mess. But it’s a fun mess if you don't think about it too hard.

The animation is bouncy, the gags are violent, and the rabbit survives. That is all you really get. 🐰

I kind of wish cartoons still had this level of random aggression. It feels more human than the polished stuff we get now.

One scene with the conductor is particularly funny because he looks like he’s having a breakdown. I feel that way most Mondays.

Anyway, it's over before you can even get bored. That is the best thing I can say about it.