Confidence, a Depression-era cartoon starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

[RetroRabFan]

Franklin Roosevelt was perhaps very popular as a president. It's no wonder why he was reelected three times.

[capritonio]

When I was a kid this cartoon really scared me when the Ghost was flying screaming wahhhh... wahhhhh... I was 4 or 5 years old, now I'm 52...

[DarthZob]

CONFIDENSE! :D

[Paddydhistorian]

The guy with the white hair that Oswald runs into, spilling his papers, is John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner, Roosevelt's first Vice President. Also note that they do not show FDR in his wheelchair.

[saxondog2001]

@Paddydhistorian No .. he was never portrayed that way even in the newspapers. The political cartoons always showed him running places with his sleeves rolled up. a lot of people didn't realize he was IN a wheelchair!

[ImJoeToo]

Obama's job's speech is eerily familiar to this cartoon. We are supposed to believe that if the rich just start spending, all our problems are over. Just ignore the fact the REAL problems are coming from Washington. Pay no attention to that George Soros or Barack Obama behind the curtian. It's really class envy that's keeping you out of work.

[ImJoeToo]

Obama's job's speech is eerily familiar to this cartoon. We are supposed to believe that if the rich just start spending, all our problems are over. Just ignore the fact the REAL problems are coming from Washington. Pay no attention to that George Soros or Barack Obama behind the curtian. It's really class envy that's keeping you out of work.

[RetroRabFan]

Another character who suffered a similar fate like Oswald is Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid. During his days at WB, he was always in his ape-like appearance. But when he moved to MGM, they changed him and made him more like a person. This new Bosko wasn't well appreciated and therefore lead to the character leaving the screen.

[BazookaBuhnull]

Animators in those days did so much to make their characters shine. But the fact that Mickey Mouse was one of the earliest characters to be featured in sound films gathered so much attention. The way that character got a lot of notice was like a black hole pulling everything in its path.

[BazookaBuhnull]

Destroyed him? Not exactly. Oswald was a fairly popular character up until 1935 where they redesigned him to his all-white complexion. They did that, assuming it would boost his popularity. Sadly though, this later version wasn't well-received as the previous.

Although he retired in 1943, Oswald settled to be featured in comic books. His latest publications were as recent as the 1990s.

[365ral]

Universal Studios took this great character, and completely destroyed him.

[chywawii64]

i apologize but oswald from disney was SO MUCH BETTER



[BazookaBuhnull]

One likely culprit on why Oswald never achieved the level of popularity the likes of Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny did is because they keep changing his voice. They change it from one cartoon to another or sometimes scene to scene. Oswald probably sounds best if he has the voice of a young adult speaking in baritone.

[WWEChampion16]

This has got to be the 1st time where a President is in an animated cartoon.

[RetroRabFan]

I like it better for Oswald to wear shorts, shoes, gloves and a shirt. If Mickey wears those things, then applying the same to Oswald would make it more complimentary. I guess that would be good because they are brothers.

[TiCar85]

@RetroRabFan I pretty much agree on that one.The idea of wearing only trunks certainly makes a character look indigent.

[TheSnowyice]

Oswald has a really weird voice fluxuation. It changes like every scene. What's wrong, rabbit puberty?

[TiCar85]

@TheSnowyice Starting in 1932, Lantz was unable find regular voice for Oswald after the first three actors left. Because of that, the studio started letting random actors voice the rabbit. They would change the person at the microphone cartoon after cartoon.

[SuperJordan916]

stop at 6:54

like if you laughed

[RetroRabFan]

It's possible that one of those voicing the characters in an actress.

[Mahaveez]

I feel REALLY sorry for Mildred's birth canal.

Also, depression makes chickens drunk.

[Mahaveez]

I feel REALLY sorry for Mildred's birth canal.

[Hperman09]

4:10 Dr Pill=Dr Phill??!!!!!!!

[HomeoftheGoodGuys]

This was one of the few Oswald cartoons during the post-Walt era.

[KGofeny831]

WHAT DID THEY DO TO OSWALD!

FU UNIVERSALS!

YOUR THE REASON NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT OSWALD!!!!!!! B/

[spookyKrishna]

Doctah doctah!!!!

[UberMan5000]

This is pretty funny because Franklin Roosevelt says you can stop the Great Depression with "confidence" rather than going to war with the Germans, and he's dancing around even though he had polio which hampered his mobility. He would have loved this cartoon.

[zane4772]

this cartoon is about the great depression 

[MrCaerbannog]

5:31 - LOL, the hair parting and the shadow below the President's nose make him look more like Hitler than FDR!

[winkster9795]

LIL MICKEYS

[Thenumber1yoshi]

I have to say even though Disney's Oswald is superior I still do enjoy watching the Walter Lantz Oswald shorts. Sure he put Oswald through a really bad dork age but I still enjoy them if only for their narmy and weird humor (you know a so bad it's good thing) in fact if Oswald wasn't so obscure I'd be questioning why the Lantz Oswald shorts weren't used in any Youtube Poop, because as I said they're narmy and weird, well narmy and weird enough to be used in Youtube Poops but then you *2bcont.*

[Thenumber1yoshi]

*Continued* but then you remember how obscure Oswald and his cartoons were and kind of still are (be them the Disney originals or the Lantz shorts I bet there weren't as many Oswald stuff on Youtube before Epic Mickey and that the videos of his cartoons that were on Youtube didn't have as many views before Epic Mickey reintroduced him) and then you know why the Lantz shorts aren't in Youtube poops despite how narmy and weird they are.

[Tofuman452]

this verion is pretty bad

[winkster9795]

LMAO BEST OSWALD VOICE EVER.

[Mr100dragon100]

in 2;07 oswald voce sounds depper

[linkers56]

he looks like a dog and disneys oswald is funnier

[MegaSnow22]

Poor Oswald was lost from Disney so long. I'm glad they made a game starring him.

[linkers56]

@MegaSnow22 yeah but it was so short he not in it all that much

[MegaSnow22]

@linkers56 I have this weird feeling they'll be including him in future things...

[x0xjjhxgurrlx0x]

i think this is about the great depresion. isn't oswald the lucky rabbit supposed to be a sighlent cartoon tough?

[DerUntergangRush]

Dr. Jonas Salk's confidence serum!

[MissMinnieMousegirl]

I like how he cartwheels into the White House...

[365ral]

0.0 Universal took a legendary character and completely fucked him up!

[Mixtoplix]

5:45 what is this about? 

[AetherSingularity]

Gah this oswald is scary as hell.

[MegaAkatsukiGirl]

2:08 his voice! O.O wtf psycho XD

[TheSpazSquad101]

I HATE WHAT THEY DID TO OSWALD!!! I'll go cry for an hour now.

[SSdetectiveagency]

1:20 THAT'S OSWALD?!?! He looks so young like a toddler almost

[lAdySl33Py650]

he sound like a girl

[Xarcifen]

6:24 - 7:16 so that's how aids and hiv were spread during the depression. THANK YOU OSWALD YOU ROCK :D

[RiseOfTheNerd]

3:37 Jerry Seinfeld?...

[brb1006]

why does oswald's voice change from childish to a deep man voice

[LumpyKingOfCheeseHTF]

@brb1006 Puberty can hit fast with Oswald.

Then castration in the middle.

[pqribber]

awesome seeing FDR back on his feet, again!

[ChrisTheCat21]

So that's how you beat depression! Once again the 30's has shown us the way!

[RoseCrystal1983]

Now that's the most stupidest thing to do losing Osward like that. No wonder he's so bitter of being left out..

[KidAuthorFilms]

0_0 How'd is his voice change so drastically? First he sounded like a little kid to an adult with a deep voice, then DOCTAH DOCTAH, then a little kid again, then he's a singing young man! Is it supposed to be funny or did the little kid get sick twice, DOCTAH DOCTAH sick once, and the adult for the whole thing. I wonder if they will put his voice changing throughout Epic Mickey. God, that would be effin' hilarious.

[Greatsaiyakirby]

So, it was Oswald who cured the Depression, a Confidence injection. :D

[Wilford870]

I read the description near the end of the video.

I KNEW this wasn't made by Walt Disney!!

It's too corny and... I don't know what word to use!

[365rl]

I can't wait to see Oswald in the new Epic Mickey game!

[365rl]

0.0 WTF did Universal do to Oswald?! Disney's original character is far superior!

[Flowerpowernluv]

The Depression goul is funny. This is so great! I loooove vintage cartoons. :P

[erd5]

why is oswald the RABBIT a MOUSE???

[Greatsaiyakirby]

@erd5 Looks more like a dog to me. :D

[Nodog438]

There were Mickeys on the drums!

[Mixtoplix]

@Nodog438 LOL!!!!! XD

[Ardamess]

This one creeps me out because his voice changes a few times O_0

[BaaBaaFilms]

Why is FDR in a office in the Capitol building?Shouldnt he be in the white house?

[RavenX85]

Oswald is back on the Disney team and he will make his long expected return this fall on the Epic Mickey videogame for the Nintendo Wii as a villain seeking revenge against Mickey (I wonder if he will attack Mickey by summoning the depression ghost)

[fireflydayparade]

@RavenX85 Thankfully, he didn't. (Plus, this was Universal-Oswald, not Disney-Oswald. That's why he looks so messed-up.)

[astroboy1960]

Notice in the animator credits they list Fred Avery, better known as Tex Avery

[zizumia]

isnt this after Walt got this taken away from him and he made mickey mouse...?

[herring7]

@zizumia Yep. Disney lost Oswald to Lantz in a poker game.

[cisonhart]

@herring7 actually Disney lost the rights to Charles Mintz. Mintz held the rights to Oswalds name and told Walt he would cut his salary in half, basically. Walt chose to walk away. There was no poker involved. A year later Universal, the controlling studio, then took the rights away from Mintz and handed them over to Lantz in a move similar to what Mintz did to Disney.

[Tifaeria]

@herring7 I know it's late, but wasn't it Laemmle that lost to Lantz in a poker game? Disney technically lost it to Mintz and then Laemmle fired him and had Oswald until Lantz took the character in a poker game. In fact, he even called Disney to ask permission after he owned Oswald to use him, which Disney said yes to. ~*The More You Know!*~ :D

[herring7]

@Tifaeria

Yep, you guys are right. Disney lost Oswald to Mintz. Universal got tired of dealing with Mintz and Lantz saw an opening. So he bet Laemmle in a friendly poker game and won.

Sorry, don't know how I got that story confused.

[TwilightLink77]

@herring7 and Walt sent a friendly letter to Laemmie and Lantz about his time working for Universal with a picture of Mickey & Oswald.

[jackalexandermacrae]

@herring7 Really? do you have any proof? if so send me the link..... i would like to see that for myself

[fireflydayparade]

@herring7 It was actually something in Walt's contract, he went to ask for more money for the cartoons, but Universal fired him and took his staff and Oswald.

[zane4772]

@herring7 no thats not what he did at all walt lost oswald because of the contract he tried to renew but he couldnt

so that is how he lost oswald to universal

[jmmm608]

@herring7 he got him back in feb-14-2006 it was great!and also he was in Epic Micky for his return!

[RetroRabFan]

@herring7 Actually, it wasn't Disney who lost Oswald to Lantz in poker. It was Mintz, the one who took the character from Disney.

[chywawii64]

@herring7 to all of you he SOLD him to lantz because they needed money

[femlycan]

Did you say a statue of Vladimir Putin? I think that it was supposed to be Jefferson LOL

[williefleete]

gotta love the classics, i think with the new technology cartoons have no charm these days

[badluckshadow13]

Side-effects of Depression may include: cat-voiced roosters, rabbits that look like dogs, presidential spoken-word numbers, wig propellers, wheel-barrel monkeys, decreased egg-size or egg production, inconsistent voice actors, and shingles.

If you are patriotic or plan on becoming patriotic, please consult FDR before taking Depression.

[battybuddy]

@badluckshadow13 If your confidence lasts for longer then four years, contact your physician.

[MrLogoman007]

@badluckshadow13 And in the current game, Oswald doesn't even get a word in edgewise. Instead, we have the various sounds created by Frank Welker.

[SilverZeo88]

5:24. Wonder if this speech is going to be in Epic Mickey?

[ilikethecoke]

Mickey: I don't know if I can beat the Phantom Blot...

Oswald: Sure you can! All you need is CONFIDENCE!

[fromthesidelines]

This was originally released in July 1933, and was an accurate reflection of the renewed "confidence" the United States was feeling after F.D.R. took office [newsmen and cameramen were tactfully advised NEVER to show Roosevelt in a wheelchair or wearing leg braces- he finally admitted to having them during a March 1945 address to Congress]. The "Great Depression" took several more years to conquer, of course, but the influence of this cartoon might have helped those who eventually defeated it.

[gretablash49]

Love to hear the music that my uncle James Dietrich wrote for these cartoons!!!

[MeltingMan234]

Why does Oswald keep changing his voice? I still enjoy Walt's Oswald. Screw you Charles Mintz for stealing the character!

[PennStateBaby43]

god i love old cartoons. its refreshing compared to the cartoons that we have now. i don't care who its by but its just completely refresing

[Clayton0001]

1) I don't like Oswald here. 2) Depression era propaganda! O.O

[TwilightLink77]

@Clayton0001 You now know why Mickey became famous than his big brother Oswald.

[baryldrummer]

Kinda creepy. xD This is actually the first time in any cartoon that I've seen the president fully exposed and identified. Not just another headless man in a suit.

[conker2756]

haha wtf?

[conker2756]

i like Walt's Oswald better.

[ziggy2007dn]

Wow...disturbing XD

[fawfulmark2]

the irony. a cheerful cartoon with Oswald released during the Great depression.

and now, a dystopic game with Oswald coming out during the current recession.

[AetherSingularity]

@fawfulmark2

Oswald got us through a depression already, he will do it again!

[FigmentJedi]

Oh look a very early Dementor

[TheCancerMan]

That is the most psychotic looking depiction of F.D.R I've ever seen.

[Matt10670]

Well, at least FDR's cartoon legs work.

[chronotriggerfan]

God, what propaganda. Throwing FDR's face up there singing song and rhyme about "confidence" to the kiddies when all he was really doing was amassing a bloated Federal bureaucracy the likes of which still plagues this nation to this day. Undoubtedly one of the worst presidents in American history.

[SiNN4R]

Enjoy your delusion.

[myronfalwell]

Notice the painting of "T.R.," Teddy Roosevelt, at 5:40.

It seems odd watching FDR stand up during the "confidence" sequence, but of course no one publicly knew the lengths by which FDR went to in order to hide his physical limitations.

With that back-story, however, it is both ironic and sad at the same time, considering the message expressed here (and in other movies and cartoons of this period).

[2tabano]

I am looking for the 1938 Oswald classic, "The lamp lighter."

Help. Is it on DVD?

[herring7]

Well, I just checked and it is not on either of the two Woody Woodpecker DVD releases. Those are the only releases of Walter Lantz' work that I know of, so I'm pretty sure that the answer to your question is "no". Sorry.

If you do somehow obtain a copy of it, please upload it and notify us here.

[KrazyKartoonKid]

This cartoon is great!

[MattBL]

2:42 to 2:49, I remember seeing this in a Woody Woodpecker documentary.

Here's the question, WHY DIDN'T THEY SHOW OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT OR POOCH THE PUP OR SWING SYMPHONIES CARTOONS in the Woody Woodpecker Show (1988-1994).

Donald Duck Presents (1983 to 1992) did show their black and white works and so Looney Tunes when it aired on Nickelodeon.

BTW, I have King Klunk on my channel.

[SavCub]

I don't get it?

[Neptunesalad]

Is it safe to share "Confidence" syringes? I mean, I might put my money into the bank, but now I have AIDS. Thanks FDR! You had Polio, you should know better!

[TR4VI5]

2:08 ??? o.0 wt?

[HeroesRox5]

i know lol.there there

[bhayes06]

We definitely need a cartoon like this in these times; the message is so pertinent today.

[gamahucheur]

Ah, but a Confidence Game makes for an unsustainable economy. We lost hope then and we've lost a lot of hope now because our hopes were based upon illusions created by things such as federal manipulation of interest rates.

[DisneyDork1901]

hey look what i found an OSWALD fan site.. oswaldsbuddy. proboards. com/index.cgi?

[herring7]

Oswald is not a Disney character, as the linked site implies.

[cisonhart]

@herring7 He is a Disney character now. He never really was before, but in 2006 Disney studios bought the rights back from Universal. Iger stated when he took control as Disney CEO that one of his goals would be to bring Oswald back to the Disney.

[rasheobob]

@herring7 now he is....does epic mickey ring a belly?

[JayFoxFire]

@herring7

Read an article that Oswald is back in the disney family now.

[RHAMES1234]

AMEN

[rnigma]

I forgot to mention the excellent condition of this print, with the original titles (not a battered TV print or Castle Films home print).

[herring7]

The DVD is even better. Unfortunately, some artifacts were introduced during the conversion process from DVD to .mp4 and youtube's conversion into flash really seemed to accentuate them. It's possible I could have done a better job if I'd understood more about the settings in the software.

I think it's worth it to watch the video in "high quality" if you've got the bandwidth for it.

[safecracker777]

i was looking up the 1932 depression and these cartoons keep distracting me all the time.

[rnigma]

Fred Avery - better known as Tex - worked on this cartoon.

The scene with the spectre of Depression floating over the 3D globe was impressive. So were the backgrounds of the Capitol.

I wonder who was the gray haired guy Oswald kept bumping into? Harry Hopkins, perhaps?

[yohannbiimu]

I noticed Tex's inclusion in the credits also. I guess you have to start SOMEWHERE.

[deadlyshoesalesman]

The gray-haired man Oswald bumps into is John Nance Garner, the Vice President.

[rnigma]

That would make sense. (FDR's later VPs, Wallace and Truman, were the only ones that came to my mind)

[MrFonny61]

F.D.R could stand and walk in this short! (His affliction with polio was being kept from the public at this time.)

[goodmaro]

@MrFonny61 Sure, FDR could walk, but chickens could dance! If chickens goose-stepped, did that mean geese would chicken-step?

Notice the rip-off of Felix the Cat (with a bleach job) gut-punching the large animal? It's at 0:23 and again later when the footage is, uh, recycled. True to Felix, he's obviously hitting below the belt.

[alexofthepelhams]

lol im o

[usedtobe803]

is it just me or did oswald's voice changed 3 times?? weird. also, what i think is strange is cartoons back then are meant for adult, but appealed to children. a child wouldn't get or care about the depression to get anything out of this cartoon.  but overall, for 1933, it's a great cartoon with great animation.

[CodenameSailorEarth]

Perfect cartoon considering today's financial climate. I especially love the animation where the depression ghost went over the world, ver realistic. The voice casting was great too, hard to beat an oldie like that. Thanks for putting it up!

[saxondog2001]

my God! I used to see this cartoon when I was a little boy -- and I loved it. The Oswald Rabbit cartoons were the best, this chief among them.

Thank you! MORE! :)

[herring7]

Note the statue of Vladimir Putin at 5:53!