Once again collector Martin Almeyra has shared with us a bunch of the original photographic backgrounds from Walter Lantz Dinky Doodle or Hot Dog cartoons. This batch is unidentified as to which film they are from. If anyone has any idea which shorts these are from, please let us know.
Note that two are candid’s taken on set – Lantz with Clyde Geronomi. I’ve included the inscriptions on the back – click thumbnails below to enlarge. The final image is an original background from one of the earliest sound Oswald Rabbit cartoons, Race Riot (1929). See if you can spot it in the final film (embed below).
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
You know the title of that Oswald cartoon has a whole different meaning today.
That depends upon the context. “Race Riots” in the social sense go back further than the 1950s and 60s.
That was also Lantz’s first film for Universal.
The first is from Pete’s Party, and the fourth is from The Bear’s Short Tail
Should have known Tom would have all the answers. Thanks to Tom and his Bray Animation Project.
It is so utterly awesome to see non-Disney history of this vintage and value. Nothing against Disney in the least, but it’s excellent to know that other studios’ artifacts managed to survive. Thanks, Martin and Jerry!
Well -what with pop culture being the ruination of everything and all, that intro music is so associated with The Beatles, “Help” soundtrack to me.