''Race Riot'' (film)

The title card of Race Riot.

Race Riot is a 1929 animated short film which is presented by Carl Laemmle and was produced by Walter Lantz,[1] who would go on to produce and create the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker with his wife,[2] Gracie Lantz.[3] The film, which both its story and animation was composed by Walter Lantz, 'Bill' Nolan and Tom Palmer,[1] features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit,[1] as he attempts to win a horse race with his horse.[1]

The film was recorded with Western Electric apparatus,[1] which was an early sound-on-film system. This sound system was used in another Oswald short film entitled Hurdy Gurdy,[4] which involves Oswald being substituted as a street performer's dancer after the original one was comically swallowed up by Oswald's chewing gum, or more specifically, bubblegum.[4] That film was released in the same year as this one,[5] albeit later.[5]

Copyrighted on 26 July 1929,[5] and released on 2 September that same year,[5] Race Riot was released by the film company Universal Pictures,[1][5] so thus, is part of the Universal series of Oswald short films.[1]

Plot

Oswald's horse comically swallows a boulder.

The film begins with Oswald's horse comically sleeping in a bed, designed for humans. Oswald then enters the room, and wakes the horse with a scream. Oswald then informs the horse that the race takes place today. The horse, who does not want to participate in the race, then attempts to fake being ill, with music from "Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning", in order to get out of the race. In response, Oswald attempts to administer castor oil to the horse. However, due to castor oil being a laxative, the horse comically dives through the wall and no longer pretends to be ill. After that, Oswald gets a scale and attempts to weigh the horse. However he is unsuccessful, as the horse comically flattens the scale. After that, Oswald whistles to a cigar smoking piano playing dog to signal him to play a song. He compiles, whilst Oswald is signalling to the horse that he should do some stretches. However, the poor execution of the stretches angers Oswald, who storms off. The horse then goes up to the piano player, and whispers to him that he should play something different. The piano player complies, and the horse dances to the new song that is being played. Oswald then comes back, and notices the horse's dancing. So in response, he punches the horse in the gut, which makes the horse's dancing cease. Oswald then comically comments on the horse's dancing, rather than him not doing the stretches that Oswald originally commanded the horse to do. Just then, Oswald notices the applause of the race, signalling that the race is about to commence. So, Oswald mounts on the horse, and quickly explains to the horse what's going on. The race starts without them, but the crowd still clap both Oswald and the horse on, as they both start the race. As they get to their first opponent, Oswald uses one of his ears to comically burst the opponent's hippo (which a dog is using for racing.) However, the dog comically starts to run in place of the hippo, who is comically now tiny. Oswald and the horse jumps over both of them, making them third in the race. Once they both get to the second racer (who is a elephant and a mouse,) Oswald uses a match, to comically burn up the elephant. The mouse, now without the elephant, comically attempts to run the rest of the race. Oswald and the horse, now after hindering that racer's ability, now jumps over the elephant, which makes them second in the race. After that, Oswald gets to the last racer. In order to get back them, Oswald comically tries the opponent's horse's legs into a knot. After that, Oswald and the horse both pass the other racer, making them now first in the race. Just then, Oswald's horse tries out and the second racer that they just passed overtakes them. Oswald, who is angered at the events and also yells at his horse, comically feeds the horse a piece of fence to get over the boulders at the next section. However, as this section, the horse comically swallows one of them and is comically turned into a boulder. Oswald's horse then comically flattens the opponent ahead. This allows Oswald to go ahead and comically run the rest of the race, which also allows him to win the race. However, whilst Oswald is bowing and comically tipping his ears to the audience, his horse (who is still a boulder) comically flattens him, and the films ends with a set of mini Oswald's and horses running around in different directions.

Characters

In this film, there are a variety of characters. One of them is Oswald, who trains his horse and ends up comically running a section of the race after his horse turns into a boulder and comically flattens a opponent near the end of the film.[1] Another character is the horse, who originally does not want to participate in the race and attempts to fake being ill in an attempt to get out of the race. However, they both end up winning the race at the end of the film.[1] There is also the opponents who all participate in the race.[1] They are all defeated by Oswald in that race near the end of the film.[1]

Reception

Race Riot was well received by the cinema magazines at that time.[6][7][8] Variety said that the film was "Silly stuff, as usual",[7] and also said that the film would "make for a bright filler spot".[6] Whilst The Motion Picture News said that film had "some highly amusing and clever cartoon work",[7] and also said that the film contained "plenty of fun"[7] and would "please anybody, anywhere, should he be man, beast or exhibitor".[7] And, The Film Daily said that the film contained Good Cartoonantics,[8] and also said that the film is "excellent cartoon entertainment".[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Walter's Lance (2016-07-19), RACE RIOT (1929), retrieved 2018-07-12
  2. ↑ Press, The Associated. "Gracie Lantz, 88, Dies; Cartoon Figure's Voice". Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  3. ↑ FOLKART, BURT A. (1992-03-19). "Gracie Lantz Dies; Invented Woody Woodpecker". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  4. 1 2 Walter's Lance (2016-07-21), HURDY GURDY (1929), retrieved 2018-07-12
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Bradley, Edwin M. (2009-04-27). The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926–1931. McFarland. ISBN 9781476606842.
  6. 1 2 Variety (1929). Variety (July 1929). Media History Digital Library Media History Digital Library. New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Motion Picture News (1929). Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1929). New York The Museum of Modern Art Library. New York, Motion Picture News.
  8. 1 2 3 New York, Wid's Films and Film Folks (1929). The Film Daily (Jul-Dec 1929). Media History Digital Library. New York, Wid's Films and Film Folks, Inc.
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