Snow Use (1929) Review: Oswald gets bullied by a bear in the snow

Is it worth the six minutes?

Yeah, I think so. Especially if you’re into that old-school animation where things just stretch for no reason.

If you hate black-and-white stuff or get annoyed by repetitive piano music, you should probably skip it. ❄️

I found this one while looking for early Walter Lantz stuff. It’s definitely from that era where they were still figuring out how a rabbit should actually move.

Oswald is trying to be a good boyfriend here. He’s taking his girl out for some winter fun, but this big rival guy—who looks like a bear or a very large cat—keeps interfering.

The rival is a real jerk. He doesn't just want the girl; he seems to want to actually flatten Oswald into a pancake.

One thing I noticed is how empty the backgrounds are. It’s just white. Pure white.

I guess it’s supposed to be snow, but it feels like they just didn't want to draw trees that day. It gives the whole thing a weird, lonely feeling despite the slapstick.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Snow Use (1929) through its definitive frames.

The physics in this movie are completely broken. At one point, a snowball hits someone and it doesn't just splat; it acts like a solid bowling ball.

I love the part where Oswald uses his own ears to solve problems. It’s much more creative than the stuff in Goldilocks and the Three Bears from the same era.

There is a scene with a sled that goes on for a bit too long. You can tell they were just trying to fill the runtime.

The girl rabbit mostly just stands there and looks worried. She doesn't have much of a personality, which is typical for 1929, I guess. 🙄

I kept thinking about how much work went into every frame. Even if the story is thin as paper, someone had to ink all those individual snowballs.

It’s a lot more charming than something like The Cat's Whiskers, which feels a bit more primitive to me.

The music on the version I watched was a bit crunchy. It sounded like it was recorded underwater, but that kind of adds to the vibe.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Snow Use (1929) through its definitive frames.

The weirdest moments

• Oswald's feet turning into literal circles when he runs fast.
• The way the snowballs somehow turn into giant boulders in mid-air.
• The bully's facial expressions are actually kind of terrifying if you look too close.

I wouldn't call this a masterpiece or anything. It’s not going to change your life like a weird art film such as Alraune would.

But for a quick break between real tasks, it’s a fun little time capsule.

The ending is very abrupt. Oswald wins, I think? Or at least he doesn't die in the snow.

I noticed a few frames where the characters just flicker out of existence for a split second. Probably just damage to the old film strip.

It makes you appreciate how much easier animators have it now with computers and stuff. Walter Lantz and his team were really grinding back then.

If you've seen Flying Romeos, you know that 1920s comedy can be hit or miss. This one is a hit if you like seeing a rabbit get hit in the face with ice.

I’ll probably forget the plot by tomorrow. But I’ll remember the way Oswald’s ears looked when he was scared.

It’s a solid little cartoon. Nothing more, nothing less. 🐰