Why is this rabbit so depressed? The Suicide Sheik (1928) review

If you’re into old-school cartoons, specifically the ones from the era before Mickey Mouse basically took over the planet, you should probably see this. It’s weird. I mean, really weird.

I’d say it’s for people who like that dark, rubber-hose humor from the late 20s. If you’re looking for something wholesome to show a toddler, maybe skip this one for a few years.

The whole thing starts because Oswald gets rejected by his girlfriend. She’s a cat. Don't ask me why a rabbit is dating a cat, it was the 1920s and species didn't seem to matter in animation yet.

He doesn't just mope around or eat a tub of ice cream like a normal person. No, he decides to end it all right then and there.

It’s called The Suicide Sheik, which is a title you definitely wouldn't see on a Disney+ landing page today. It’s obviously riffing on the whole 'Sheik' craze from the movies back then, like the Rudolph Valentino stuff.

The first attempt involves a falling safe. It’s such a cliché now, but seeing Oswald just standing there waiting for it is... actually kind of uncomfortable?

He looks so pathetic. But the safe just misses him because of course it does. The timing is a little off in this scene, like the safe falls a bit too slow to be scary but too fast to be a real suspense builder.

Then he tries a cannon. A whole cannon! I have no idea where a rabbit gets a military-grade cannon on such short notice.

The physics are totally broken, but that’s the point. He lights the fuse and it just... fizzes out or something. I noticed the way the smoke is drawn—it’s very loopy and thick, very much the style of Hugh Harman.

You can tell this was made by people who were still figuring out what a 'gag' even was. Some of it feels like they’re just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

Like the scene with the rope. He’s trying to hang himself but he’s a rabbit, so his neck is just... stretchy? It’s morbid but I couldn't help laughing a little because of how high his feet are off the ground.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Pie-Eyed, though that one is more about being drunk than being suicidal. Different vibes, I guess.

The safe in this movie looks like it weighs about ten pounds based on how it bounces when it finally hits the ground. The background art is pretty sparse too—mostly just flat horizons and a few tufts of grass.

The middle of the short drags a tiny bit, which is impressive for something that’s only about six minutes long. There’s a lot of Oswald looking sad at the camera with these big, watery eyes.

Then, suddenly, there’s a fire. A big one in a tall building. The tone shifts so fast it gives you total whiplash.

One second he’s trying to die, the next he’s a hero. He sees his girlfriend (the cat) stuck in the burning building and suddenly he has a reason to live again.

The fire animation is actually pretty cool for 1928. Lots of flickering black lines and jagged shapes that actually look kind of dangerous.

He saves her, obviously. And then they’re back together and everything is fine? It makes you wonder if the whole suicide thing was just a big temper tantrum. It probably was.

I watched this right after High and Dry and it’s much darker in its premise. Or at least, it tries to be until the fire starts.

The ending is a bit too tidy for me. I kind of liked depressed Oswald more than hero Oswald.

He had more character when he was miserable. Once he’s the hero, he’s just another generic cartoon rabbit doing heroic things.

Still, for a silent short, it has a lot of energy. You can feel the animators having fun with the 'failed' deaths, even if the premise is a bit grim.

It’s not as polished as the later Disney stuff after he lost the rights to the character. But it has this gritty, handmade feel that I really miss in modern stuff.

If you find it on an archive site, give it a watch. It’s a strange little time capsule of what passed for comedy a hundred years ago.

Just don’t expect it to make much sense. Logic wasn't really a priority in 1928 cartoons, especially not for Oswald.

I think Hugh Harman was really leaning into the melodrama here. The way Oswald wipes his eyes is so dramatic, like he's performing on a stage.

Anyway, it's worth it for the safe gag alone. Even if it is a bit dark for a Tuesday morning.

Wait, I forgot to mention the music. Well, there isn't any, unless you find a version with a new score added later.

The version I saw was dead silent. It made the suicide attempts feel even more eerie than they probably intended.

Actually, maybe watch it with the sound off. It adds to the weird, lonely vibe of the whole thing.

Okay, that's enough about a depressed rabbit. Go watch it if you want to see something that would never get greenlit today. 🐰