The Banker's Daughter: A Quick Trip to the Sawmill

Is it worth your time?

If you have about seven minutes to kill and you enjoy old-school animation, sure. It’s perfect for people who like their stories simple and their stakes absurdly high. If you’re looking for a deep, introspective narrative, you’re definitely in the wrong place. Skip this if you hate tropes—because this film is basically nothing but tropes in a trench coat.

The whole thing feels like a fever dream of a stage play gone wrong. Fanny is the classic target here, and the villain’s plan is as thin as the paper it was drawn on. Honestly, who still uses a sawmill as a dramatic set piece in 1933? It works, though, in that weird, kinetic way these old shorts always do.

Oddly specific observations

• The sawmill gears move with a rhythm that makes no sense.
• Fanny’s reactions are basically just wide eyes and shaking.
• The villain has a mustache so sharp it could probably cut glass.

There is a real manic energy to the animation. It reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in 'Twas Henry's Fault, where everything just happens because the plot needs it to, not because it makes a lick of sense. You can tell they weren't trying to win an Oscar; they were just trying to fill a screen with noise and motion.

The showdown at the sawmill is the obvious highlight, even if the stakes feel like they were borrowed from a dozen other movies. It’s not quite as grim as The Price of Tyranny, but it gets the job done. It’s just funny how everyone stands around waiting for the inevitable rescue, like they’re waiting for a bus that’s perpetually running late.

I found myself wondering if they just had a leftover background of a mill and decided to write a whole script around it. It’s that kind of production. Very spontaneous. Maybe a bit too spontaneous.

Anyway, don't overthink it. Watch it, laugh at the mustache, and move on. It’s not meant to be analyzed, just watched while you eat a sandwich. 🥪