Beau and Arrows

Oswald is leading a wagons train across the plains when it is attacked by a war party of Indians in this excellent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon.

There is a large assortment of well-executed gags in this one, including a couple of extreme rubber-tube animation gags that are well thought out -- a horse swallows cannon balls and a goat rams him in the rear to shoot them at the Indians; however, the horse complains about being butted and Oswald ties a pillow to the goat's horns to soften the blows. In addition, there's some interesting playing with angles. The Indians riding around are shot as if from a camera planted in the ground only a few feet away. This sort of extreme POV was usually associated with Frank Tashlin. Tash, however, was working as an animator for van Beuren in New York. Apparently this was in the air at the time.

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.

After a mostly disappointing standard of the 1931 Oswald cartoons, with the only above average or more ones being 'Country School', 'The Farmer', 'Radio Rhythm', 'The Bandmaster', 'The Hunter' and 'Wonderland', the 1932 batch got off to a promising start with 'Grandma's Pet' and 'Mechanical Man' before returning to mediocrity with 'Wins Out'. 'Beau and Arrows' returns to the good promising standard set by the first two 1932 Oswald cartoons.

The story may lack originality and forward momentum isn't always there, but there is very little wrong with 'Beau and Arrows'. Despite the presence of the Indians there is nothing here really that offends or shocks which is a good thing.

It is the animation that is the bright spot here. It may occasionally lack refinement, but most of it is smooth and detailed with Oswald's movements, gestures and expressions still very much natural, like the generally freer, more elaborate and faster look of a good deal of Oswald cartoons at this time. Drawing has occasional crudeness but is mostly fine and transitions don't feel as choppy and incomplete as some of the worst Oswald cartoons.

Music is another strength. It has an energetic nature, fits well and is dynamic with the action, then again the music is nearly always good in the Oswald cartoons. Synchronisation is good.

'Beau and Arrows' gags are very amusing and often more so than that. Oswald is likable as ever and fun to watch.

In summary, very good and one of the best of the 1932 batch of Oswald cartoons. 8/10 Bethany Cox