The Navy (1930) User Reviews

Fancy Footwear

[terrigunmor · 6/10 · 22 February 2012]

For the past two years prior to this short, Oswald's only outfit was his shorts. But in this cartoon, he's wearing shoes for the first time. Therefore, this marks the beginning where he becomes more decent overtime as the stories go.

In the film, Oswald says goodbye to his boss at the pier, and goes on to have a date with someone in some large house. Unfortunate for him, that someone he wants to date happens to be owned by his boss. Therefore, he has to go back working on the ship.

The animation and the gags here are as good as any quality cartoon of its time. Surrealism is also a good element added.

Oswald with shoes

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 11 June 2017]

Despite Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his cartoons being popular and well received at the time, they have been vastly overshadowed over time by succeeding animation characters. It is a shame as, while not cartoon masterpieces, they are fascinating for anybody wanting to see what very old animation looked like.

Not all the Walter Lantz Oswald cartoons are good representations of Oswald or Lantz, a few for historical interest only. Some are good however. 'The Navy' is a good example of the latter, one of the better Lantz Oswald cartoons and almost as good as the best of the Disney and Winkler eras. 'The Navy' is also notable for being the first time Oswald wore shoes.

The story, not unexpected, is flimsy and not much of one, and the pace occasionally is a little frenetic.

However, there is very little wrong. The sound quality for a cartoon so old and techniques still in its early days is not as primitive as it could have been. Oswald is very endearing.

Music is as energetic as ever too. The animation is mostly quite good, with evidence of smoothness and detail. Oswald's movements, expressions and gestures are well done and the detail and smoothness is there. The gags are funny and imaginative and the pacing is mostly lively.

Overall, one of the better Lantz Oswald cartoons. 8/10 Bethany Cox