Wooden Money (1920) is six minutes of weird, bouncy fun

Is it worth your time?

If you have six minutes and a soft spot for black-and-white drawings that look like they’re vibrating, then yes. It’s a total trip. 🌀

Historians or people who just like seeing how they drew cats a hundred years ago will love it. If you need a plot that actually goes somewhere, you’re gonna hate this.

I found myself watching this right after Fangs of Justice and the energy shift was insane. One is all grit and the other is just a guy getting hit with a wooden nickel.

The Farmer and the Fake Cash

Paul Terry has this very specific way of drawing Farmer Al Falfa. He looks like a thumb with a beard and he is always angry about something. 😠

In this one, he’s dealing with 'wooden money' which is such a weird, specific old-timey fear. Like, who is out here carving nickels out of oak trees?

There is a scene where Al looks at the coin and his eyes actually detach from his face for a second. It’s those little moments that make these old shorts better than the stuffy dramas like The Mayor of Casterbridge.

The Cat is the MVP

There is a cat in this movie that I swear has no bones. It just flows around the screen like a liquid. 🐈

At one point, the cat does a little dance that goes on for maybe four seconds too long. It’s awkward and I loved every second of it because it felt like the animator just didn't want to stop drawing it.

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

The background is super sparse, almost like they forgot to finish the set. It makes the whole thing feel like a fever dream happening in a void.

I noticed a weird smudge on the right side of the screen during the middle part. Probably just a hair on the original film, but I spent two minutes just staring at that smudge instead of the farmer. 🕵️‍♂️

Final Random Thoughts

It’s much faster than Land o' Lizards, which felt like it took a decade to finish. This just zips by.

The physics don't make sense, the logic is out the window, and the ending just... happens. No big lesson, no moral, just the end. 🎬

I think we need more movies that are just six minutes of a guy being annoyed by his pets. It’s relatable content even if it’s from 1920.

If you’re looking for something deep like Shadows of the Past, keep walking. This is just a silly little drawing about a guy who got scammed. 🪵💰

The way the characters walk is so rhythmic. You can almost hear a beat even though it's totally silent. 🎵

Anyway, it’s on the internet for free probably. Just watch it while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew. It’s better than scrolling through news apps.