The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia: 1929

Race Riot Release Date: 9/2/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: Walter Lantz, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: Bert Fiske Notes: Production Number: 5031 The first theatrical cartoon released by the Walter Lantz studio The first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon produced by Walter Lantz First onscreen credits for Bill Nolan and Tom Palmer at Lantz The first musical score by Bert Fiske The copyright synopsis for this cartoon refers to Oswald's horse by the name "Mopey." The titles for the early Lantz Oswalds have an animated Oswald popping out from behind a fence to laugh at the audience. These titles were used until early-1930.

Oil's Well Release Date: 9/16/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: Walter Lantz, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: Bert Fiske Notes: Production Number: 5032 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Earlier films such as this used specialty closing titles, suiting the cartoon. The soundtrack of this cartoon features the tune Sing a Little Love Song, written by Con Conrad, Sidney D. Mitchell, and Archie Gottler for the 1929 Universal musical Broadway based on the play of the same name by George Abbott and Philip Dunning.

Permanent Wave Release Date: 9/29/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: Walter Lantz, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: Bert Fiske Notes: Production Number: 5025 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Copyrighted as The Permanent Wave Motion Picture News erroneously lists this cartoon as a silent release. Leonard Maltin incorrectly lists the release date of this cartoon as being September 30, 1929.

Cold Turkey Release Date: 10/15/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: Walter Lantz, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: Bert Fiske Notes: Production Number: 5043 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon The first cartoon where Oswald speaks. Leonard Maltin incorrectly lists the release date of this cartoon as being October 14, 1929. We currently do not have a copy of this film. If you have a print, please contact us. Some online sources claim that Bill Nolan provided Oswald's voice for this cartoon. However, such an assertion cannot be verified, given the fact that written records stating this have yet to surface, that a print (or at least a soundtrack) of this particular film has yet to surface, and that an audio recording of Bill Nolan's voice has yet to surface. If at least the latter two of these three were available, only then, through a comparative audio analysis, could this claim be confirmed either way.

Pussy Willie Release Date: 10/28/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: R. C. Hamilton, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: Bert Fiske Notes: Production Number: 5063 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon First onscreen credit for R. C. Hamilton at Lantz Leonard Maltin incorrectly lists the release date of this cartoon as being October 14, 1929. We currently do not have a copy of this film. If you have a print, please contact us.

Amature Nite Release Date: 11/11/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: R. C. Hamilton, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: David Broekman Notes: Production Number: 5083 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Copyrighted as Amateur Night The first musical score by David Broekman Motion Picture News erroneously lists this cartoon as a silent release. Maurice Horn incorrectly cites this film as the first Walter Lantz cartoon, even though it is indeed Race Riot Our only copy of this film has no soundtrack. If you have an original print with the soundtrack or just the soundtrack alone, please contact us.

Hurdy Gurdy Release Date: 11/24/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: R. C. Hamilton, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: David Broekman Notes: Production Number: 5126 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Loosely based on the 1928 Disney Oswald Hungry Hoboes Michael Fitzgerald incorrectly lists this cartoon as a January 1930 release. Love Me, and the World Is Mine (written in 1906 by Ernest Ball) is included on the soundtrack of this cartoon.

Snow Use Release Date: 11/25/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: R. C. Hamilton, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: Bert Fiske Notes: Production Number: 5042 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon The soundtrack of this cartoon features the tunes Winter (written in 1910 by Albert Gumble and Alfred Bryan), Hi-Lee, Hi-Lo, and A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight (written in 1896 by Theodore August Metz and Joe Hayden).

Nutty Notes Release Date: 12/9/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: Walter Lantz, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: David Broekman Notes: Production Number: 5062 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Click here to see the original poster for Nutty Notes We currently do not have a copy of this film. If you have a print, please contact us.

Ozzie of the Circus Release Date: 12/23/29 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Animation: Walter Lantz, "Bill" Nolan, and Tom Palmer Synchronization and Score: Bert Fiske Notes: Production Number: 5024 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon The final musical score by Bert Fiske, David Broekman would take over until mid-1930. Many sources give this cartoon an erroneous January 5, 1929 release date (therefore citing this as the first Walter Lantz cartoon instead of Race Riot). January 5, however, is actually the short's copyright date. This issue was present in the first two editions of Jeff Lenburg's Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. In the third edition, it was corrected in the Oswald filmography, but not in the Oswald character description. We currently do not have a copy of this film. If you have a print, please contact us.