Cartoons of the 1920s: The Silent Twenties
The oldest films in our library come from animation's silent era — shorts built entirely on pantomime, rhythm, and visual invention, made to share a bill with silent features and live accompaniment. Many arrived at the very moment sound was taking over, and you can feel the medium changing under their feet.
15 films in rotation from this era · 9 with full summaries
Skating Hounds (1929 · 7 min)
In a wintry setting, a cat ventures out in the snow while Farmer Alfalfa tries to play solitaire indoors. Mice intervene and cause chaos, with a hot dog vendor and polar bears adding to the commotion.
House Cleaning Time (1929 · 7 min)
Farmer Al Falfa tackles housecleaning with the help of a cat and a washerwoman, but mischievous mice continually get in the way and escalate the mayhem.
A Stone Age Romance (1929 · 7 min)
Oil's Well (1929 · 7 min)
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit takes his girlfriend Kitty on a canoe ride and proposes marriage, but a jealous rival bloodhound kidnaps Kitty. Oswald pursues them on a flying stork, and in the confrontation, accidentally strikes oil — uniting all parties as newfound business partners.
The Fly's Bride (1929 · 7 min)
Permanent Wave (1929 · 7 min)
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit works as a deckhand under a bullying captain. When the captain sets his sights on a beautiful island dancer, Oswald steps up to protect her.
Port Whines (1929 · 7 min)
Krazy Kat serves aboard a sailing ship under a tyrannical captain. While the crew frolics on deck, a Chinese cook's attempts to prepare the captain's breakfast lead to a spiraling confrontation of slapstick violence.
Summertime (1929 · 7 min)
A cheerful frog wanders through a warm summer landscape where animals enjoy the season. Farmer Al Falfa struggles to beat the blazing heat as various musical gags and creature antics unfold.
Noah's Lark (1929 · 8 min)
Noah's ark lands at Coney Island's Luna Park, where all the animals disembark to enjoy the amusement park rides and attractions in this early Fleischer Talkartoon.
The Barnyard Melody (1929 · 7 min)
Farmer Al Falfa provides the drone for a barnyard musical performance. A silk hat passes between a cat and mouse, providing the framing for a series of comic musical gags.
Amature Nite [No Soundtrack] (1929 · 6 min)
Hurdy Gurdy (1929 · 6 min)
An organ grinder's monkey gets swallowed up by Oswald's bubblegum, so the grinder forces Oswald to take the monkey's place as street performer. Oswald dances through the streets collecting coins and eventually wins the day.