The Village Blacksmith (1933) is a weird, rubbery trip

You should definitely watch this if you have six minutes and a soft spot for old-school rubber hose animation. It’s perfect for people who like seeing what people in the thirties thought was funny, but if you need a plot that actually follows logic, you’ll probably hate it. 🐴

Farmer Al Falfa is the star here, and he’s basically a punching bag for the universe. He starts out as a blacksmith, and the way the horse just stares at him is honestly the best part of the whole opening.

Then he gets whacked in the head by a flying horseshoe. The transition into the dream sequence is so fast I actually had to rewind because I thought I missed a scene. 💫

Suddenly, we’re in this weird dreamland where celebrities from 1933 show up. I didn't recognize half of them, but they all have that vibrating animation style where they can't stay still for a second.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Pottsville Palooka. Everything is just bouncing constantly.

The Cleopatra scene is just bizarre. There’s a chase that feels like it was drawn by someone who was running late for lunch and just wanted to finish the frame. 🏃‍♂️💨

One thing I noticed—the sound of the anvil is totally wrong. It sounds like someone hitting a piece of dry plywood instead of heavy metal.

The backgrounds are pretty thin and look like they were sketched in five minutes. It lacks the polish of something like How the Camel Got His Hump, but it’s got way more personality.

There is this one reaction shot of Al Falfa where his eyes just sort of slide off his face for a second. It’s probably a mistake, but it makes the dream logic feel more real. 😵

I like how the movie doesn't try to explain why Cleopatra is there. She’s just there, and then there’s a chase, and then it’s over.

It’s not a masterpiece, and the pacing is kind of a mess toward the end. But it’s got that specific Terrytoons charm where everything feels slightly unhinged.

If you’ve seen Maybe It's Love, you know how these early thirties shorts can feel a bit repetitive. This one stays fresh just because it’s so short and weird.

The ending is abrupt, like someone just pulled the plug on the projector. It’s worth a look if you’re into animation history or just want to see a farmer get bullied by a dream. 🔨