The Clown (1931): Rubber Hose Chaos and Circus Shenanigans

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s animation that feels like it was drawn by someone vibrating at a high frequency, then sure. It’s six minutes of your life you won't regret. If you hate old cartoons because they don't have "narrative depth" or whatever, stay far away.

Oswald is working at Pete’s circus, and the whole thing feels like a fever dream. There’s a scene where he’s being fired out of a cannon, which is basically the 1931 version of an office worker dealing with a bad boss. It’s slapstick, obviously. But the way his body stretches is still genuinely impressive to look at frame-by-frame.

Pete is the villain, which is no surprise to anyone who has seen Anything Once! or any other early animation. He’s got that specific brand of 1930s greed that makes you want to see him get hit with a mallet. And he usually does.

The little details that stuck

• The sound design is mostly just whistles and slide-whistle noises, which is perfect.
• Oswald’s ears are doing more acting than his actual face most of the time.
• The gymnast Kitty doesn't have much to do other than look worried, which is a bit of a bummer.

There is a moment near the middle where the animation just stops caring about the rules of physics entirely. I’m pretty sure Oswald turns into a liquid, flows under a tent, and reforms into a clown suit. It’s wild.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Clown (1931) through its definitive frames.

It’s not as sophisticated as some of the later stuff, but that’s why I liked it. It feels raw. Like it was made by people who were just throwing paint at the wall to see what stuck. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it just slides down the page.

Watching this made me think about The 'High Sign' in terms of how they handle physical comedy, even if the mediums are totally different. Both rely on the audience just accepting that the characters are basically indestructible. 🤡

I don't think it's trying to say anything deep about circus culture or labor rights. It’s just a rabbit, a cat, and a mean guy in a hat. Sometimes that’s enough. The pacing is frantic, almost exhausting by the end. I felt like I needed a nap after watching it, honestly.

If you find yourself watching this, just pay attention to the background characters. Some of them are clearly just there to fill space, and they look like they’re having a panic attack in the corner of the frame. Classic stuff.