Elmer the Great Dane is a headache, but a charming one

Is it worth your time?

If you have seven minutes and a soft spot for rubber-hose animation, sure. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s a decent palate cleanser. Avoid this if you’re looking for a plot that actually goes somewhere—it’s just one long, escalating gag about hiccups. Honestly, if you hate the sound of repetitive cartoon noises, you should probably skip it entirely.

Oswald is trying to sleep. That’s it. That’s the movie. Then the dog under the bed starts making this sound that honestly reminds me of a broken radiator. It’s relentless.

The animation here has that frantic, bouncy energy you only really see in these old Lantz shorts. Everything stretches and squishes in ways that physics definitely wouldn't allow. There’s a moment where Oswald tries to scare the hiccups out of the dog, and the way the dog’s ears react is just… bizarre. It’s like they have their own personality.

Random thoughts while watching:

• The sound design is probably the star of the show. It’s grating, but it works for what it is.
• The physical comedy feels a bit like The Simp, but way more hyperactive.
• I spent most of the runtime wondering why Oswald didn't just move the dog outside. Problem solved, right?

Some of the gags go on a bit too long. There’s this one sequence where Oswald tries a series of home remedies that are just visually chaotic. It’s funny for the first ten seconds, then it just feels like you’re watching someone scramble for ideas. It’s not as polished as the stuff coming out of the Disney studios at the time, but it’s got a weird, frantic charm that’s hard to hate. 🐶

It’s not as emotionally heavy as The Garden of Allah, obviously. It’s just a cartoon dog with a belly ache. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need on a Tuesday morning. Don't overthink it.