Hells Heels

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Pete

This was the 20th Oswald cartoon made by Lantz and it shows he had a very different concept for the title character. The story line makes it abundantly clear this was not made for a child audience. As the film opens Oswald and two other characters are in a desert singing about their upcoming adventure. They pass a sign welcoming them to Heela City – A Naughty Town for Naughty Men. The film becomes as surrealistic as any of the Van Beuren Tom and Jerry cartoons. Skulls sing to them before the three head off to rob the town's bank. Oswald is appointed to light a stick of dynamite then take it into the bank. When he refuses his partner tosses him in, the dynamite explodes, Oswald disappears and his partners have had their skin blown off. They are now skeletons (Blooper. – One of the trio had a wooden right leg before the explosion. Afterward he has two legs.) Oswald drops from the sky, opens a big safe and out jumps a sherriff who pursues Oswald for the rest of the film. At one point the Sheriff makes a neck slashing gesture and his head falls off. He picks up, sticks it back onto his neck but it is backwards. Meanwhile out on the desert a puppy is truing to get milk from a skeleton cow that somehow still has a graphic udder. Oswald appears, tries to help, but learns the pup is the child of the Sheriff. As Oswald tries to find water for the pup they pass a Wanted Sign for Oswald. Despite no picture showing on the poster the pup knows he needs to turn his companion over to his dad. When they finally find water it is poisoned. Oswald saves the pup from drinking it but the pup knocks out Oswald and hauls him off to turn him in. The sheriff shots at Oswald who breaks into many little Oswalds and runs off.