Produced by Universal Pictures and Walter Lantz Productions
In Hurdy Gurdy, a bear entertains passersby on a street corner with his music box and pet monkey. When Oswald incapacitates the monkey, the bear forces the rabbit to become his new monkey. This kicks off a series of adventures that lead to Oswald making out with a cat and a hippo mooning the audience as she bathes.
In Permanent Wave, Oswald is the first mate on a boat captained by the bear. Our hero attempts to find food for his oppressive captain, but even the bowl of soup is stolen by a gull. The boat happens upon an island whose main inhabitant is a beautiful singer. Can Oswald win the girl from his evil boss?
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit? More like Oswald the Gets Lucky Rabbit.
In Hurdy Gurdy, Oswald kisses a cat. A lot. At the end, there is even some really obvious interspecies tongue. In Permanent Wave, he's not constantly making out, but he definitely ends up smacking lips with exotic island babe.
Oswald's skirt chasing is at least character-defining, which give these shorts a leg up on the Mickey ones from this year. In Hurdy Gurdy, he seems almost single-mindedly focused on chasing a girl. In Permanent Wave, he's trying to escape his awful job; the girl is just a happy coincidence.
The films also have a preoccupation with butts. We see a hippo's naked rear and learn that boats apparently have butts as well. Weird.
The character design of Oswald's universe remains so close to Disney's characters it's frightening. Disney did not own the rights to Oswald so when he went out on his own, he abandoned his creation. Even with Universal now producing the films, they remain very close cousins to the signature look of the mouse.
As to the quality of these shorts. They are fine. Not terribly funny, but not terrible either. They are good for what they are, but not something I'm going to remember for the long haul.
Hurdy Gurdy: ***
Permanent Wave: **1/2
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