Africa Before Dark

Last updated
Africa Before Dark
Oswald Africa Before Dark Poster.jpg
Poster
Directed by Walt Disney
Ub Iwerks
Story byWalt Disney
Ub Iwerks
Produced by Charles Mintz
George Winkler
Animation byUb Iwerks
Hugh Harman
Friz Freleng
Les Clark
Rollin "Ham" Hamilton
Color processBlack and white
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • February 20, 1928 (1928-02-20)
Running time
6 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent

Africa Before Dark is a 1928 American animated short film featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks.

Contents

Plot summary

Full short

Oswald is big-game hunting in Africa, and is riding an elephant, which is itself riding a bicycle, the elephant rides into an area of ground littered with large rocks, crashes into one of them after narrowly dodging the rest, tips onto it's trunk and tusks, and then accidentally sits on Oswald, crushing him flat. The elephant blows air into Oswald, reinflating him. A variety of African animals are playing games, including two monkeys playing tic-tac-toe on a tiger's back. Oswald stealthily approaches with a rifle and shoots numerous shots at the animals, who all vanish. An owl laughs at Oswald, and angered, he shoots the owl. A baby tiger approaches Oswald, kicks him and runs away. Oswald chases it and the tiger runs into a burrow in the ground. Oswald tries to shoot it but the tiger redirects his rifle so that Oswald shoots himself. The tiger runs into a hollow log and Oswald produces an enormous handgun. Instead of the baby tiger, several huge lions emerge from the log, and Oswald's gun dwindles into a tiny pop-gun. Oswald runs away, chased by the lions. He leaps onto his elephant's back and they continue to run from the lions. The elephant then flaps his ears and flies away, carrying Oswald to safety.

Releases

The short was released on February 20, 1928, by Universal Pictures. [1]

The film was thought to be lost before a fragment was discovered in 2009 and later a full copy was found at the Austrian Film Museum in Vienna. [2] The film was restored by Walt Disney Animation Studios and shown at a screening on June 13, 2015, with live orchestration provided by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. [2] [3] [4] [5]

It was released as a bonus item on the 2017 Blu-ray release of Bambi .

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References

  1. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 40. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7.
  2. 1 2 "The Birth of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit". Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. 28 May 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Poor Papa: Long-lost Disney cartoon gets new life thanks to the LA Chamber Orchestra". KPCC. 11 June 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Mickey and Oswald Take Center Stage For a Magically Orchestrated Evening". Disney Insider. 10 June 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  5. ↑ "LACO @ the movies". UCLA Film & Television Archive. Retrieved November 29, 2015.


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