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5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Permanent Wave remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have about six minutes and you actually like seeing how animation used to be weird before it got all polished and corporate, then give this a look. If you can’t stand black and white shorts where the physics make no sense, you’ll probably hate it. 🌊
It’s a 1929 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, and honestly, Oswald is just a vibe. He’s a sailor on a ship that looks like it’s made of literal rubber.
The whole thing starts with the ship bouncing on waves that look like they were drawn by someone who had never actually seen the ocean. But that’s the charm, I guess.
Oswald is doing his thing, being all plucky and helpful, until he sees an island dancer. She’s doing a hula dance, and her grass skirt has a life of its own.
Then the Captain shows up. He’s a big, mean guy with a face that looks like a crumpled paper bag. 😠
The Captain wants the girl for himself, which is the plot of basically every third movie from this era. It’s a bit like the vibes in The Mints of Hell, just with more cartoon violence and less gold mining.
There is this one moment where the Captain’s beard literally detaches from his face because he’s so mad. It’s those little surreal touches that keep me watching these things.
The title, Permanent Wave, is a pun. It refers to the girl’s hair and also the fact that they are at sea.
Walter Lantz and his team didn't care about logic. They just wanted to see how many times they could stretch Oswald’s neck without it snapping.
It feels a lot more frantic than something like Buster's Orphan Party. While that one is a bit more grounded, this is just pure chaos on the high seas.
The music is scratchy and loud. It’s that classic 1920s tinny sound that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a dusty basement. 🎹
I noticed that the background stays exactly the same for about three minutes. They just looped the same palm tree over and over.
The way Oswald uses his ears as oars is genius. Or maybe it’s just lazy animation? I prefer to think it’s genius.
It isn't a masterpiece or anything. It’s just a bit of fun from a time when people were still figuring out how to make drawings move.
The ending is kind of abrupt. It just... stops. No real resolution, just a quick gag and then blackness.
I’ve seen better Oswald shorts, but this one has a specific energy. It’s messy and fast. ⚡
You can tell the animators were just having a beer and drawing whatever came to mind. It’s way more honest than the stuff we get now.
If you're into the history of the medium, it's a must-see. If not, it's just a weird relic of a louder time. 🎞️
It reminds me slightly of the tone in The Vagabond Queen, just with more animals and less royalty. Just a solid, strange little flick.
IMDb —
1915
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