False Alarm: Why is this horse so tired?

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for early 1930s animation and don’t mind things that make absolutely zero sense, sure. Watch it while you drink your morning coffee. If you need a plot that actually goes somewhere or characters who act like real people, skip it.

Honestly, the star of this whole thing is the horse. The poor thing looks like it has been working double shifts for a decade. Every time Scrappy tries to get the fire engine moving, the horse just kind of… exists. It is the most relatable character in the entire Columbia library.

The Oopie Problem

Then there is Oopie. I am not entirely sure what the deal is with him here, but he is clearly having a rough day. He is supposed to be helping with the firefighting, but it feels like he is actively trying to make things worse. It is chaotic, to say the least. 🚒

I found myself staring at the background art during the firehouse scenes. It is all scribbles and quick lines, which is charming until you realize the fire engine looks like it might collapse if someone sneezed on it. The way the characters bounce around feels a lot like Oh, What a Knight, where the physics only exist when the animator remembers they are supposed to be there.

There is a sequence where they finally get the engine moving, and the horse just trots along with this look of total indifference. It’s funny in a way that feels unintentional. Like the animators just gave up on making it look heroic.

It’s not as polished as some of the stuff coming out of the Disney studio at the time. But that’s the appeal, right? It feels handmade. A bit dusty. A bit weird.

• The fire hose is basically a sentient noodle.
• Oopie’s attitude could be fixed with a nap.
• That horse needs a vacation and a pension.

I think I prefer this kind of messy energy over the super-calculated stuff we see today. It reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in Kick Me Again. You don't watch it for the story. You watch it for the weird little gags that blink by in two seconds.

Anyway, watch it if you want something light. Just don't expect to learn anything about fire safety. You will definitely learn that horses in 1933 cartoons had better work-life boundaries than I do. 🐎