Animation Films

90 Day Wondering is a 1956 animated short directed by Chuck Jones for Warner Bros., commissioned by the United States Army to encourage discharged soldiers to re-enlist. The cartoon follows Ralph Phillips, who is overjoyed to be a civilian again after his discharge, but finds civilian life less glamorous than expected. Two pixies named Pete and Re-Pete act as his conscience, debating whether he should stay out or re-enlist. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Close Call is a 1929 animated short from the Aesop's Sound Fables series, produced by the Van Beuren Corporation and distributed by Pathé Exchange. Directed by Harry Bailey and John Foster, it features Milton Mouse and Rita in a series of musical and slapstick gags. The cartoon is an early sound-era entry in the long-running Aesop's Fables series, which began as silent shorts in the 1920s. As a 1929 work, the film entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Comedy

A Date to Skate is a 1938 Popeye cartoon from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. Popeye takes Olive Oyl on an ice-skating date, showing off his skating prowess until Bluto appears to cause trouble. The short features the distinctive Fleischer Studios animation style and the surreal, elastic transformations that characterized the Popeye series. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

A Day at the Zoo is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Tex Avery for Leon Schlesinger Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. The short features a series of rapid-fire gags set at a zoo, with Egghead as a hapless visitor who provokes the animals. Avery's trademark pacing and absurdist humor are on full display, building to a typically explosive punchline. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

A Few Quick Facts About Fear is a 1945 animated short from the "A Few Quick Facts" series, produced by UPA (United Productions of America) for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Directed by Zack Schwartz, it features Private Snafu in knight's armor encountering a fire-breathing dragon, using the allegory to examine the emotion of fear and its influence on human nature. The screenplay was written by Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), who contributed to many of the Snafu shorts. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Educational

A Few Quick Facts About Inflation is a 1944 animated short from the "A Few Quick Facts" series, produced by UPA for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Directed by Osmond Evans, it features Private Snafu learning about inflation and its effects on the wartime economy. The short is one of a series of brief educational cartoons commissioned by the Army to explain complex topics to servicemen in an accessible, humorous way. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Educational

A Hitch in Time is a 1955 animated short directed by Chuck Jones for Warner Bros., commissioned by the United States Air Force to promote re-enlistment. The cartoon follows John McRogers, a character closely modeled on Private Snafu, who dreams about his future after four years in the Air Force. He is guided by Grogan, Technical Gremlin First Class — a reworking of the Technical Fairy from the original Snafu series — who explains the advantages of staying in the service versus returning to civilian life. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Is for Atom is a 1953 animated educational short directed by Carl Urbano for John Sutherland Productions, sponsored by General Electric. The film explains what an atom is, how nuclear energy is released from certain kinds of atoms, the peacetime uses of nuclear power, and the by-products of nuclear fission. The periodic table is represented as "Element Town," with each element depicted in a distinctive shape. The short ends with a majestic atomic giant straddling the earth as the narrator declares that our future "depends on man's wisdom, on his firmness in the use of that power." The film won the Second Grand Award for science films at the Venice Film Festival in 1954 and was seen by more than twelve million people in its first three years. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Educational

A Lamb in a Jam is a 1945 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Isadore Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It features Blackie the Lamb, who is chased by a wolf trying to shear Blackie's wool for a winter coat. The short is part of the Noveltoons series, which ran from 1943 to 1967 and produced over 140 cartoons. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal of copyright.

Animation · Comedy

A Lecture on Camouflage is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, written by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). Using Snafu as an example, Technical Fairy First Class teaches the methods of effective camouflage in a typically irreverent Snafu short, building to a famously shocking ending. As a U.S. government work produced for the Army Signal Corps, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Educational

A Tale of Two Kitties is a 1942 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Bob Clampett for Leon Schlesinger Productions. It features two hungry cats, Babbit and Catstello — parodies of the comedy team Abbott and Costello — who scheme to catch a baby bird in a nest atop a high telephone pole. The bird is Tweety, making his first-ever appearance (then called "Orson"), who would go on to become one of Warner Bros.' most enduring characters. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Africa is a 1930 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walter Lantz for Universal Pictures. Oswald goes on a big-game hunting expedition in Africa, encountering lions, elephants, and other jungle animals in a series of gags. Portions of this short were reused from the film King of Jazz, where they were originally colored in two-strip Technicolor. As a 1930 work, the film entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2026.

Animation · Comedy

Africa Before Dark is a 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, produced by Winkler Pictures for Universal. Oswald goes hunting for big game in Africa, with the cartoon featuring the distinctive Iwerks animation style that characterized the Disney-era Oswald shorts. The film was lost for decades and rediscovered in Austria in 2013. As a 1928 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Africa Squawks is a 1939 Terrytoons cartoon directed by Connie Rasinski, featuring the character Major Doolittle. The paunchy, monocled Englishman and his valet Jarvis go big-game hunting in Africa, where they try to trap a lion by dressing the servant in a lion skin — only to be outwitted at every turn. The short was part of a brief Terrytoons series built around the Colonel Blimp-like Major Doolittle. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Olive Oyl writes a screenplay in which Popeye plays Aladdin, who uses a magic lamp and his spinach-fueled strength to win the princess from a wicked vizier. The third and last of the Fleischer Studios' two-reel Popeye color specials. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Family · Fantasy

The pilot for Walt Disney's Alice Comedies, made at his Laugh-O-Gram studio in Kansas City. A live-action girl, played by Virginia Davis, falls asleep in a cartoonist's studio and dreams herself into an animated Wonderland full of lions, dancing cats, and marching soldiers. The short mixes live-action footage of Davis with hand-drawn backgrounds and characters, a technique Disney would build an entire series around after moving to Hollywood. The film is in the public domain in the United States as a pre-1930 work.

Animation · Silent · Short · Family

All Wet is a 1927 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Ub Iwerks for the Walt Disney Studio, produced by Winkler Pictures for Universal. Oswald works as a lifeguard and gets into various aquatic misadventures. The cartoon was reissued in 1932 by Walter Lantz Productions with synchronized sound. As a 1927 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

A Hunky and Spunky cartoon from Famous Studios, the successor to Fleischer Studios. The mischievous young donkey Spunky gets into trouble when he won't stop kicking, and his mother Hunky must teach him a lesson. The Hunky and Spunky series was one of several cartoon properties Famous Studios continued after the Fleischers lost control of their studio. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Family

Battling Bosko is a 1932 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Hugh Harman for Harman-Ising Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. Bosko tries his hand at boxing, with the usual slapstick results. The short is part of the early Looney Tunes series featuring Bosko, the first recurring character of the franchise. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Superman races to protect a train carrying a billion dollars in defense bonds from a gang of saboteurs who bomb the tracks, wreck a bridge, and commandeer the locomotive. The third of the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Sci-Fi

Felix the Cat seeks shelter in a castle whose boisterous king boasts endlessly of his courage, until the ghosts of those he wronged rise to teach him humility. A Van Beuren Technicolor Felix cartoon directed by Burt Gillett. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Private Snafu blunders through a booby-trapped North African landscape, ignoring every warning about hidden explosives until the traps teach him their lessons the hard way. A Bob Clampett-directed Army training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Bosko and Honey enjoy a day at the zoo until the animals break loose and chase them through the park in a barrage of gags. An early Looney Tunes short directed by Hugh Harman. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Bosko endures the mud, shells, and absurdities of the First World War trenches, keeping spirits up with music until the bees and bullets prove too much. An early Looney Tunes short directed by Hugh Harman. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Bosko, the Talk-Ink Kid is a 1929 pilot short animated by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising. It was never released to theaters but was used as a demonstration reel to sell the Looney Tunes concept to Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. In the short, animator Rudolf Ising draws Bosko on a pad of paper; the character comes to life, talks, sings, and plays the piano before being sucked back into the inkwell. This is the first appearance of Bosko and the founding document of the Looney Tunes franchise. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Bosko joins a fox hunt that goes hilariously wrong as the fox outwits the hounds, the horses, and the hunters themselves. A Looney Tunes short directed by Hugh Harman. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A boy and his dog romp through a Technicolor musical fantasy extolling the joys of pet ownership, originally produced as a sponsored short for Ipana Toothpaste. Walter Lantz directed this Castle Films home-movie perennial. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Popeye is overjoyed about marrying Olive tomorrow, but she dreams of their future twin sons running wild and gives him a frosty reception the next morning. A Famous Studios Popeye cartoon directed by Izzy Sparber. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit works backstage at a theater trying to keep the show going amid chaotic animal acts and a runaway skeleton dance. A Walt Disney-directed Oswald short from the Winkler era. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Colonel Bleep, the extraterrestrial envoy from the planet Futura, arrives on a remote Earth island to establish his headquarters alongside his friends Squeak the puppet boy and Scratch the caveman. An episode of the first color cartoon series made for television. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Sci-Fi · Family

Private Snafu resents having his mail censored by the Army and wishes for a free hand to tell all, only to learn that his loose letters leak secrets straight to the enemy. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Herman the mouse outwits a hungry cat and a dim-witted dog by pitting them against each other in a battle over the cheese he covets. A Famous Studios Noveltoon, the first solo cartoon for the Herman and Katnip series. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

On Christmas morning an orphanage full of glum children finds their cheap toys breaking one by one, until a kindly inventor wanders in and conjures wonderful new playthings from his bag of tricks. A Fleischer Color Classics holiday short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

A silent Laugh-O-Gram retelling of the fairy tale, in which Cinderella is tormented by her stepsisters, transformed by a fairy godmother, and whisked to the royal ball, with her animal friends lending comic help. One of Walt Disney’s earliest Kansas City cartoons. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Colonel Bleep, an envoy from the planet Futura, receives his first assignment on Earth and sets up his island headquarters with the help of Squeak the puppet boy and Scratch the caveman. The debut episode of the first color cartoon series made for television. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Sci-Fi · Family

Coming!! Snafu is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. This is the very first Snafu short, serving as an introduction to the bumbling soldier character. The cartoon sets the template for the series: Snafu demonstrates exactly what NOT to do in military situations, with humorous consequences. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

A tour through a topsy-turvy town where fish swim in the fire hydrants, babies deliver their own stork, and the laws of physics are suggestions at best. A Famous Studios Noveltoon directed by Izzy Sparber. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Colonel Bleep, Squeak, and Scratch dive to the ocean-covered planet Aqualand, where the villainous Dr. Destructo and his giant octopus Octo have stolen the priceless pearls of the Frog Men. A Colonel Bleep episode directed by Jack Schleh. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Sci-Fi · Family

Colonel Bleep and his companions find their holiday turned perilous when danger threatens their island base, testing the futuristic envoy's futomic powers. A Colonel Bleep episode directed by Jack Schleh. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Sci-Fi · Family

A hapless hound dog's pursuit of a clever bird leads him through a gauntlet of slapstick mishaps in this late Famous Studios Noveltoon. One of the last Noveltoons before the studio was reorganized as Paramount Cartoon Studios. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A farm dog desperately needs sleep before an early morning rabbit hunt, but a scheming rabbit does everything in his power to keep the dog awake all night. A Tex Avery MGM cartoon, one of the few MGM shorts in the public domain. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A narrator introduces a moth who falls ravenously in love with a glamorous female performer, with comic results blending live action and animation. A Bob Clampett-directed Warner Bros. short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A swaggering Spanish toreador squares off against a mischievous bull in a bullring full of sight gags and musical flourishes. An early Walt Disney Silly Symphony. The 1929 film entered the public domain on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Comedy · Music

A 2006 Dutch animated science fiction fantasy short film and the first "open movie" produced by the Blender Foundation. Directed by Bassam Kurdali, the film was created entirely with free and open-source software, primarily Blender. It tells the story of Emo and Proog, two characters exploring a strange and seemingly infinite machine. The elder, Proog, acts as a tour guide, showing off the sights and dangers of the machine to the increasingly skeptical Emo. The film, its production files, and all source assets (roughly 7 GB of data) were released under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license, allowing anyone to remake, remix, and re-purpose the film. The title references a Dutch tradition of abruptly ending children's bedtime stories with a sneezing elephant.

Animation · Sci-Fi

Made by Émile Cohl at Gaumont in Paris, Fantasmagorie is generally considered the first fully hand-drawn animated film. Cohl drew roughly 700 frames on paper, then photographed them onto negative film to create a glowing white-on-black line that constantly morphs: a figure becomes an elephant, a bottle, a clown, a woman's hat, dissolving and reforming in a stream-of-consciousness flow. The title nods to the magic-lantern phantasmagoria shows of the era. The film is in the public domain as a pre-1930 work.

Animation · Silent · Short

A black cat named Master Tom ventures out for a night of music and romance, in the very first appearance of the character soon to be renamed Felix the Cat. Animated by Otto Messmer at Pat Sullivan's studio. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

When a baseball game is rained out and the crowd turns ugly, Felix the Cat takes matters into his own paws to save the day. A silent Felix cartoon animated by Otto Messmer. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Felix the Cat blasts off into space and encounters bizarre alien worlds and cosmic perils in one of his later silent adventures. Animated by Otto Messmer and distributed by Educational Pictures. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Sci-Fi

Private Snafu learns the hard way that a soldier is only as good as his equipment, as he neglects his weapons and pays the price on the front lines. A Bob Clampett-directed Private Snafu training short featuring a Daffy Duck cameo. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

The blustery town mayor Gabby tries to extinguish a cheese-fueled fire that spirals out of control in this Fleischer Studios Gabby cartoon. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A parade of fairy-tale characters gets the Looney Tunes treatment, from a lazy Grasshopper who refuses to fiddle to a Cinderella whose glass slipper shatters. A Friz Freleng-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

A fox reads that fox fur is the latest fashion rage and, mistaking popularity for affection, eagerly turns himself in to a furrier, with predictably comic results. A Chuck Jones-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A college freshman goat arrives on campus and becomes the life of the party, leading a musical parade through a surreal academic world. A Harman-Ising Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

Gabby Goes Fishing is a 1941 animated short from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. The seventh of nine cartoons starring Gabby, the blustering town crier introduced in the Fleischers' feature Gulliver's Travels (1939), it sends the know-it-all to a fishing hole where he sets out to teach a young boy how to land the really big ones — and ends up on the hook himself. Pinto Colvig, the original voice of Goofy, supplies Gabby's voice. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Private Snafu tosses away his gas mask, confident that poison gas will never reach him, until a surreal gas attack proves him catastrophically wrong. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short with a Bugs Bunny cameo. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Gertie the Dinosaur is the earliest animated film to feature a character with a distinct personality. Winsor McCay drew thousands of frames by hand, creating a friendly brontosaurus that eats, drinks, dances, and responds to his commands like a trained pet. Originally performed as a live stage act where McCay "interacted" with the projected dinosaur, the surviving print frames the animation with a live-action prologue. Gertie is a foundational work of character animation. The film is in the public domain in the United States as a pre-1930 work.

Animation · Silent · Short

Private Snafu goes on leave and can't stop blabbing military secrets to everyone back home, with disastrous consequences for his unit. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short written by Dr. Seuss. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A naive prospector heads west to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush, finding more calamity than gold in a landscape of gags. A Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Western

A Van Beuren Aesop's Fables short directed by Vernon Stallings, featuring Cubby Bear as Robin Hood. Cubby swoops in to rescue a princess from an arranged marriage to a sheriff whose face, she observes, looks like a cellar door. The cartoon spoofs the Robin Hood legend with a Friar performing the wedding, a parrot providing comic commentary, and a musical medley of original tunes about the days of Robin Hood. Released February 23, 1934, the short is one of the later Cubby Bear cartoons as the character's career wound down ahead of Van Beuren's shift to color Rainbow Parade films. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Adventure

Little Audrey tries to avoid a spanking from her teacher by hiding in a magical storybook world, where she encounters storybook characters and comic mischief. A Bill Tytla-directed Noveltoons short featuring Little Audrey. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

A Merrie Melodies short directed by Rudolf Ising, and the first appearance of Goopy Geer, a tall, lanky piano-playing dog who entertains patrons at a nightclub. The cartoon is built around the Herman Hupfeld title song, with gags involving a gorilla waiter, a drunk horse seeing hallucinations in a mirror, and a chicken swimming in soup before it is served. Goopy Geer appeared in only three shorts before fading into obscurity, but the character remains a charming artifact of the early Merrie Melodies era when each cartoon was built around a song. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Music

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit leads a band of animal soldiers in a silent-era parody of war films, complete with cannon gags and battlefield absurdity. A Walt Disney-directed Oswald short produced by Winkler Pictures. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu grumbles about army life until a magical fairy grants his wish to be in charge, with predictably disastrous results. A Friz Freleng-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Fleischer Studios' second animated feature, an adaptation of Jonathan Swift's tale of a shipwrecked sailor who washes ashore in Lilliput, a kingdom of tiny people at war with their neighbors. Made to compete with Disney's Snow White, it was only the second American animated feature ever released. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Adventure · Family

Betty Boop and Koko the Clown are overcome by contagious laughter when a mysterious laughing gas fills their apartment, sending everything in the room into hysterics. A Dave Fleischer-directed Fleischer Studios short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

A talent show at the local theater goes hilariously off the rails as a parade of amateur performers, including an early Elmer Fudd, bumble through their acts. A Tex Avery-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

When a bookstore closes for the night, the characters from its literary classics spring to life in a musical extravaganza featuring caricatures of Hollywood personalities. A Frank Tashlin-directed Merrie Melodies short with Mel Blanc. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

An educational Walt Disney short produced for the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, contrasting two families to teach children in the Americas the importance of personal hygiene and sanitation. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Educational · Family

A beleaguered dog named Hector endures a chaotic household in this Noveltoons short, as his attempts to find peace are constantly thwarted by his rambunctious family. A Bill Tytla-directed Famous Studios cartoon. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Satan presides over a hellish jazz concert where demons and imps dance to a fiendish orchestra, until one rebellious devil challenges the boss. A Ub Iwerks-directed Disney Silly Symphony. The 1929 film entered the public domain on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Comedy · Horror · Music

A jazz-loving cat sneaks into a music shop after hours to conduct a symphony of instruments, only to be tormented by the mischievous mouse Katnip. A Seymour Kneitel-directed Noveltoons short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

Piggy and his girlfriend journey to a caricatured minstrel-show "Hallelujah Land" in this early Merrie Melodies short, the final theatrical appearance of the character Piggy. A Rudolf Ising-directed Harman-Ising production. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

Bosko works on a construction site, finding musical inspiration in every girder and rivet, in this early Looney Tunes short. A Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising-directed cartoon, the third in the Looney Tunes series. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

A pair of Scottish rabbits bedevil a gullible American tourist duck named Claude Hopper in this wartime Looney Tunes short. A Norman McCabe-directed Leon Schlesinger production. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu finds himself in a literal hot spot when he is transported to a devilish atlas come to life, with Bugs Bunny making a brief cameo. A Friz Freleng-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Made by J. Stuart Blackton at Vitagraph Studios, this short is widely cited as the first American animated film. Blackton combines stop-motion photography of chalk drawings on a blackboard with cut-out figures and a few hand-drawn frames, making faces appear to morph, smile, and react on their own. The technique is crude by modern standards, but the idea of bringing a drawing to life on screen was new. The film is in the public domain in the United States as a pre-1930 work.

Animation · Silent · Short

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his pal ride the rails as hungry hobos, scrambling for food and finding comic misadventure in a farmer's field. A Walt Disney-directed Oswald short produced by Winkler Pictures. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A circus parade springs to life with a procession of animals and performers, building to a series of musical sight gags. A Rudolf Ising-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

A young parrot insists he wants to be a sailor despite his parents' protests, setting sail in a washtub with predictably stormy results. A Tex Avery-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu is stationed on the cold, remote Aleutian Islands, where boredom and isolation prove as dangerous as the enemy. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Popeye battles an army of hungry insects that descends on his vegetable garden, using his spinach-fueled strength to save his harvest. A Famous Studios Popeye cartoon directed by Morey Reden and Dave Tendlar. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A band of mice throws a jazz party in a writer's office at night, until the family cat crashes the celebration. A Rudolf Ising-directed Merrie Melodies short that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

It's Murder She Says is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. In this installment, Snafu becomes the victim of a murder mystery aboard a military base, with the cartoon using the whodunit format to deliver its instructional message about military security and vigilance. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Jack the Giant Killer is a 1922 animated short from Walt Disney's Laugh-O-Gram Studio, featuring Julius the Cat — Disney's first named animated character and the precursor to Oswald and Mickey Mouse. A boy and his companions (a dog and the cat) sail to the land of giants to rescue a captured girl, encountering sea creatures and performing monkeys along the way. The short is one of seven fairy tale cartoons produced by Laugh-O-Gram Films before the studio's bankruptcy. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

Jerky Turkey is a 1945 MGM cartoon directed by Tex Avery. A Pilgrim sets out to hunt a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, but the turkey proves to be more than a match for him in a series of wild gags and sight gags. The short is a classic example of Avery's screwball style, with rapid-fire pacing and absurd visual humor. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Jungle Jingles is a 1929 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walter Lantz for Universal Pictures. The short features Oswald in a jungle setting with musical sequences, part of the early sound-era Oswald cartoons produced by Lantz after he took over the series from Walt Disney. As a 1929 work, the film entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Comedy · Musical

Jungle Jitters is a 1938 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A traveling salesman arrives at an African village and tries to sell his wares to the locals, only to encounter their queen who has romantic designs on him. The short is one of the "Censored Eleven" — Warner Bros. cartoons withheld from distribution due to racial stereotyping. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Knight of Death is a 1957 Colonel Bleep cartoon from Soundac Studios, directed by Jack Schleh. From their earth headquarters on Zero Zero Island, Colonel Bleep, Squeak the puppet boy, and Scratch the caveman battle intergalactic villains — in this episode facing the Black Knight. Colonel Bleep was the first color cartoon series produced for television. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Sci-Fi · Family

La Paloma is a 1930 Screen Song cartoon from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. The Screen Songs series featured animated segments leading up to a "follow the bouncing ball" sing-along sequence where theater audiences were invited to join in. This entry features the popular Spanish song "La Paloma" by Sebastián Iradier. As a 1930 work, the film entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2026.

Animation · Musical

Lady, Play Your Mandolin! is a 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Rudolf Ising — the first entry in the Merrie Melodies series and Ising's solo directorial debut. Set in a Mexican cantina, the short features a drunken horseman who arrives at a saloon where a beautiful senorita plays the mandolin. The cartoon was intended to promote Warner Bros.' newly acquired music catalog. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical · Comedy

Confined to the corner with a dunce cap after flubbing a history quiz, Lulu dozes off and dreams of chasing Tubby through the pages of the history book — dodging Indians, meeting pirates, and taking a dip in the Fountain of Youth. One of the best-regarded of Famous Studios' Little Lulu cartoons for Paramount, directed by Bill Tytla with Cecil Roy voicing Lulu and Arnold Stang as Tubby. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Winsor McCay's first animated film, based on his own popular newspaper comic Little Nemo in Slumberland. The short opens with live-action footage of McCay making a bet that he can bring his drawings to life, then cuts to the animation: Nemo and his friends stretch, flip, and grow in surreal ways that were impossible in live action. McCay hand-drew every frame himself, a level of labor that set the standard for character animation. The film is in the public domain in the United States as a pre-1930 work.

Animation · Silent · Short

Little Red Riding Hood is a 1922 animated short from Walt Disney's Laugh-O-Gram Studio, and the first appearance of Julius the Cat — Disney's first named animated character and the precursor to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse. The short reimagines the classic fairy tale with Disney's contemporary humor, featuring a cat who helps Red Riding Hood outwit the wolf. The film is one of the earliest surviving Disney animated shorts. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

Making Good is a 1932 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walter Lantz and Bill Nolan for Universal Pictures. It is the 57th Oswald cartoon produced by Lantz's studio and the 110th overall. The short features Oswald in a series of gags and adventures. The film had an original copyright notice but was not renewed, placing it in the public domain. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Making Stars is a 1935 Betty Boop cartoon from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. Betty Boop introduces a troupe of child performers who take the stage in a series of musical and comedy numbers. The short features the distinctive Fleischer animation style and Betty's trademark charm. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal of copyright.

Animation · Comedy · Musical

Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu is stationed in a jungle where a malaria-carrying mosquito named Malaria Mike targets him as his next victim. The cartoon was part of a series of instructional films designed to teach soldiers about malaria prevention in tropical theaters. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Man Hunt on the Moon is a 1957 Colonel Bleep cartoon from Soundac Studios, directed by Jack Schleh. From their earth headquarters on Zero Zero Island, Colonel Bleep, Squeak the puppet boy, and Scratch the caveman pursue villains across the solar system. Colonel Bleep was the first color cartoon series produced for television. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Sci-Fi · Family

Meet John Doughboy is a 1941 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett for Leon Schlesinger Productions, featuring Porky Pig. Porky tours a military training camp and observes the preparations of the "Doughboys" — American soldiers — as they train for service. The short was part of a wave of patriotic cartoons produced before the United States entered World War II. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

A 1929 Mickey Mouse short directed by Walt Disney, structured as a vaudeville-style revue hosted by Mickey. The cartoon features a parade of animal performers dancing, singing, and doing acrobatics, culminating in Mickey performing the song "Minnie's Yoo Hoo," the first original song written for a Disney cartoon. The short is a snapshot of the early Mickey Mouse era, when the character was more mischievous and the cartoons were essentially animated variety shows. Published in 1929, the film entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Music

Much Ado About Mutton is a 1947 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Isadore Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It features Blackie the Lamb in his final appearance in the Noveltoon series, once again matching wits with Wolfie the Wolf. The short is part of the long-running Noveltoons series that produced over 140 cartoons between 1943 and 1967. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Mutt and Jeff: On Strike is a 1920 animated short from the Mutt and Jeff series, produced by Bud Fisher Films Corporation and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The short features the popular comic strip duo Mutt and Jeff in a labor dispute storyline, reflecting the era's fascination with industrial relations and strikes. The Mutt and Jeff animated series ran from 1913 to 1926, producing over 300 short films. As a 1920 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Naughty but Mice is a 1947 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Seymour Kneitel and distributed by Paramount Pictures. City mouse Herman visits his country cousins and helps them deal with a menacing cat. The short features animation by Dave Tendlar and Al Eugster, with music by Winston Sharples. Herman the Mouse would become a recurring character in the Noveltoons series, often paired with Katnip the cat. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Neptune Nonsense is a 1936 Popeye cartoon from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. Popeye's pet goldfish appears lonely, prompting Popeye to venture underwater to find a companion, where he encounters Neptune and various sea creatures. The short features the distinctive Fleischer Studios animation style and surreal underwater transformations. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Nightmare is a 1957 Colonel Bleep cartoon from Soundac Studios, directed by Jack Schleh. From their earth headquarters on Zero Zero Island, Colonel Bleep, Squeak the puppet boy, and Scratch the caveman face a terrifying dream adventure. Colonel Bleep was the first color cartoon series produced for television. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Sci-Fi · Family

No Buddy Atoll is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu finds himself stranded on a tropical island, where he believes he has found a companion — only to discover that his new "buddy" is actually a Japanese sniper. The cartoon is one of the later Snafu shorts, produced near the end of World War II. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Oh Teacher is a 1927 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walt Disney. Oswald competes with a rival for the affections of a female rabbit in this early silent short. The cartoon was produced during Disney's brief but influential period with the Oswald character, before he lost the rights to Universal and created Mickey Mouse. As a 1927 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Oh What a Knight is a 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walt Disney. Oswald is a knight who must rescue a princess from a castle, with plenty of gags along the way. The short features medieval fantasy settings and the distinctive animation style of Disney's Oswald period. As a 1928 work, the film entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2024.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

One More Time is a 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger Productions. The short features a police dog character named Foxy (similar to Mickey Mouse) who sings and dances through a musical adventure. The cartoon was part of the early Merrie Melodies series, which Warner Bros. used to promote its music catalog. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical · Comedy

Operation Snafu is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. In this dialogue-free short, Snafu does something right for once — he personally steals Japanese war plans and captures Tojo himself. The cartoon is one of the final Snafu shorts, released near the end of World War II. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Ozzie of the Mounted is a 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walt Disney. Oswald appears as a Canadian Mountie on patrol, pursuing a wanted outlaw through the wilderness. The short features the slapstick humor and visual gags characteristic of Disney's Oswald period. As a 1928 work, the film entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2024.

Animation · Comedy · Adventure

Pagan Moon is a 1932 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Rudolf Ising for Harman-Ising Productions and Leon Schlesinger. The seventh entry in the Merrie Melodies series, the short features a tropical island setting with musical numbers and animated performances. As a 1932 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical · Comedy

Pantry Panic is a 1941 Woody Woodpecker cartoon directed by Walter Lantz for Walter Lantz Productions, distributed by Universal Pictures. The third cartoon in the Woody Woodpecker series, it features Woody facing a hungry cat during a harsh winter when food is scarce. The short is notable as one of the few early Woody cartoons where he does not say "Guess Who?" in the opening titles. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Pastry Town Wedding is a 1934 animated short from the Van Beuren Corporation's Rainbow Parade series, co-directed by Burt Gillett and Ted Eshbaugh and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. The first entry in the Rainbow Parade series, it is set in a fantastical world made entirely of pastries where a young couple's wedding is celebrated by pastry chefs. The short was the first Van Beuren cartoon produced in two-strip Cinecolor. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

Payday is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu receives his first paycheck and must decide what to do with his newfound wealth, learning lessons about financial responsibility and the dangers of gambling. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Pest Pupil is a 1957 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Dave Tendlar and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The short features Baby Huey, the oversized and dimwitted duckling, who causes chaos on his first day of school. Baby Huey was one of the most popular characters in the Noveltoons series, debuting in 1950's Quack-a-Doodle-Doo. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Pigs in a Polka is a 1943 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A parody of Disney's Three Little Pigs, the short retells the familiar story set to the music of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances. The Big Bad Wolf uses various disguises to trick the pigs, with the classical music underscore driving the comedy. The cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoon). The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Musical

Pioneer Days is a 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon directed by Burt Gillett for Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures. Mickey and Minnie travel west in a covered wagon as part of a pioneer wagon train. When Minnie is captured by Native Americans, Mickey must rescue her, eventually frightening off the attackers by pretending to be an entire army of soldiers. The short features Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow in supporting roles. As a 1930 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Western

Playing With Fire is a 1926 Mutt and Jeff animated short produced by Bud Fisher Films Corporation and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The short features the popular comic strip duo in a series of fire-related gags and misadventures. The Mutt and Jeff animated series ran from 1913 to 1926, producing over 300 short films. As a 1926 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Pleased to Eat You is a 1950 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Isadore Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The short features a hungry lion who escapes from the zoo and attempts to find a meal, encountering various animals and people along the way. The cartoon features animation by Myron Waldman and William Pattengill, with music by Winston Sharples. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Poor Cinderella is a 1934 animated short from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was the first color cartoon in the Betty Boop series, produced in two-strip Cinecolor. Betty Boop stars as Cinderella in this retelling of the classic fairy tale, with the Fleischers' signature surreal animation style and musical numbers. The short was a departure from Betty's usual urban, adult-oriented comedies. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Fantasy · Musical

Popeye the Sailor Meets Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp is a 1939 two-reel Popeye cartoon from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. The longest of the Fleischer Popeye specials at approximately 21 minutes, the short features Olive Oyl as a storyteller recounting the tale of Aladdin, with Popeye as the hero and Bluto as the villain. The cartoon was produced in Technicolor and features elaborate set pieces and musical numbers. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Fantasy · Adventure

Cooking with Gags is a 1954 Popeye cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by I. Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. On April Fool's Day, Bluto plays a series of practical jokes on Popeye and Olive Oyl — including a prank picnic that goes wrong for the prankster. Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, and Jackson Beck voice Popeye, Olive, and Bluto. The cartoon is in the public domain through non-renewal of copyright.

Animation · Comedy

Floor Flusher is a 1954 Popeye cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Izzy Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Olive Oyl's kitchen sink won't stop running, so Popeye volunteers to fix the plumbing — but rival plumber Bluto is determined to sabotage the job and flood the house in the process. The escalating water damage builds to the usual spinach-powered showdown, with Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, and Jackson Beck supplying the classic voices. It is in the public domain in the United States.

Animation · Comedy

Gopher Spinach is a 1954 Popeye cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Seymour Kneitel and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Popeye plants his spinach bed, only to discover a gopher stealing his baby plants. What follows is a battle of wits between Popeye and the resourceful rodent. The cartoon was the first entry of the 1954-55 film season. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Popeye's four nephews — Pipeye, Peepeye, Poopeye, and Pupeye — refuse to eat their spinach, so Popeye tells them the story of his great Uncle Hercules, the legendary strongman of ancient Greece. In the flashback, Hercules battles the Bluto-like Brutus in a series of mythological contests, powered by a can of "spinachus." A Famous Studios Popeye cartoon directed by Seymour Kneitel and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal of copyright.

Animation · Comedy

Parlez Vous Woo is a 1956 Popeye cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Izzy Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Olive Oyl has fallen for "The International," a suave, romantic television personality — who turns out to be Bluto in disguise. When the smooth-talking rival invites Olive to his penthouse for dinner, a jealous Popeye follows to expose the phony, and the evening erupts into the usual spinach-fueled brawl. One of the later entries in the long-running series, it features the classic voice trio of Jack Mercer, Mae Questel, and Jackson Beck. It is in the public domain in the United States.

Animation · Comedy

Shuteye Popeye is a 1952 Popeye cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Izzy Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. A very tired Popeye retires for the night, but his window-rattling snoring disturbs a small mouse trying to sleep in the same room. The mouse's escalating attempts to silence the sailor — and Popeye's oblivious, sleepwalking responses — drive the escalating gag structure typical of the studio's early-1950s output. The cartoon is in the public domain in the United States through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Spree Lunch is a 1957 Popeye cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Seymour Kneitel from a story by Jack Mercer and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Popeye and Bluto run rival restaurants and compete aggressively for the patronage of Wimpy, whose legendary appetite for hamburgers — and reluctance to pay for them — makes him a challenging customer. The short is notable as the final theatrical film appearance of both Bluto and Wimpy before the Popeye series moved to television. It is in the public domain in the United States.

Animation · Comedy

Popeye and Bluto run rival taxi services and race across the city to pick up fares, wrecking each other's cabs at every turn. When both drivers compete for the same passenger — Olive Oyl — the feud escalates until spinach decides the outcome. A Famous Studios Popeye cartoon directed by Seymour Kneitel and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal of copyright.

Animation · Comedy

Popeye and Olive Oyl, traveling through the desert, are captured by the bandit Abu Hassan and his forty thieves, and Popeye must break loose and clean out the thieves' cave. The second of the Fleischer Studios' two-reel Popeye color specials. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Wimpy land on an island ruled by the boastful Sindbad and his menagerie of giant beasts, and Popeye must square off against Sindbad and his two-headed giant. The first of the Fleischer Studios' two-reel Popeye color specials, made in Stereoptical 3D. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Prest-O Change-O is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Two curious dogs wander into a magician's house and encounter a series of magical transformations, including a two-headed dog and other surreal creatures. The short is an early example of Jones's developing style, blending Disney-esque charm with the anarchic humor that would later define his work. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

The first feature-length animated film made in China, produced by the Wan brothers at Shanghai's Xinhua Film Company in the middle of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Drawn with rotoscoped movement in a style openly inspired by Disney's Snow White, it adapts an episode of Journey to the West: the Monkey King and his companions are halted by the Mountain of Flames, and only the magic fan of the reluctant Princess Iron Fan can quench the fire. Made under brutal wartime conditions, the film doubled as a patriotic allegory of united resistance, and its influence reached Japan, where a young Osamu Tezuka credited it with inspiring his own career in animation. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Fantasy · Adventure

Puddle Pranks is a 1930 Flip the Frog cartoon directed by Ub Iwerks for Celebrated Productions, distributed by MGM. Flip the Frog was Iwerks's own character, created after he left Disney to start his own studio. In this short, Flip enjoys a day by a pond, fishing and encountering various aquatic creatures in a series of musical and slapstick gags. The Flip the Frog series ran from 1930 to 1933. As a 1930 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Puss in Boots is a 1922 animated short from Walt Disney's Laugh-O-Gram Studio. Based on the classic fairy tale, the short features a clever cat who helps his master win the hand of a princess. The cartoon includes Julius the Cat — Disney's first named animated character — in a supporting role. Like the other Laugh-O-Gram fairy tales, the film reimagines the traditional story with contemporary humor and gags. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

Puss n' Booty is a 1943 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A woman is distraught because her pet cats keep mysteriously disappearing, and she hires a mouse investigator to solve the case. The short is a film noir parody with a surprising twist ending. Tashlin's live-action-influenced directorial style is evident throughout. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Mystery

Quack-a-Doodle-Doo is a 1950 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Isadore Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The short marks the very first appearance of Baby Huey, the oversized and dimwitted duckling who would become one of the most popular Noveltoons characters. A fox attempts to make a meal of the newly hatched Huey, but the enormous duckling's innocent clumsiness inadvertently foils the predator's plans. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Rival Romeos is a 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walt Disney. Oswald and a rival suitor compete for the affections of a female rabbit, with each attempting to outdo the other in a series of romantic and slapstick gags. The short is a classic example of the competitive courtship formula common in silent animation. As a 1928 work, the film entered the U.S. public domain on January 1, 2024.

Animation · Comedy · Romance

Robin Hood Makes Good is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Three young animals play at being Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but when a real fox villain appears, they discover that pretend heroics are very different from the real thing. The short is an early Chuck Jones work, showing his developing storytelling sensibility. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Adventure

Rumors is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu overhears a rumor about an impending enemy attack and spreads it through the camp, demonstrating how rumors can spiral out of control and damage morale and military effectiveness. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

A 1970 animated Christmas film directed by Barry Mahon and Tony Benedict. When a park ranger tells two bear cubs, Nikomi and Chinook, about Christmas and Santa Claus, they become determined to stay awake instead of hibernating so they can meet Santa. Their mother, Nana, cynically tells them there is no Santa, but the cubs' faith persists. The ranger is eventually persuaded to impersonate Santa to fulfill their wish. The theatrical release includes live-action bookend sequences directed by Barry Mahon, often edited out in television broadcasts. The film aired in syndication regularly during the holiday season for decades and is marked Public Domain on Archive.org.

Animation · Family · Fantasy

Saps in Chaps is a 1942 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A Western-themed gag cartoon featuring sagebrush sight gags and wild west wackiness, with horses, cowboys, and desert humor. The short was the last black-and-white Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Freleng. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Western

Saved by the Bell is a 1950 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Seymour Kneitel and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The short features Blackie the Lamb and Wolfie the Wolf in one of their recurring confrontations, this time set in a school context. The Blackie and Wolfie characters were staples of the Noveltoons series throughout the 1940s and 1950s. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Scrappily Married is a 1945 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Seymour Kneitel and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The short features Herman the Mouse and Henry the Rooster in a domestic comedy. Henry is a henpecked rooster whose overbearing wife drives him to despair, while Herman schemes to help him. The cartoon was the first Noveltoons entry to use the "Featuring" title card and fanfare. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat is a 1941 animated short from Walter Lantz Productions, distributed by Universal Pictures. A boogie-woogie playing laundry woman inspires a sleepy town's inhabitants to clean up and dance. The cartoon is a swing-era musical with the popular boogie-woogie sound of the early 1940s. Like many cartoons of the era, it contains racial stereotypes that reflect the prejudices of its time. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Musical

Seaman Tarfu in the Navy is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by George Gordon for Harman-Ising Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. This is the only Snafu cartoon not produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons — it was instead produced by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising's independent studio. The short follows Snafu's misadvent ures in the Navy, with the usual bumbling behavior that gives the character his name (Situation Normal: All Fouled Up). As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

The very first Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. Bosko, a cheerful, rubber-limbed character, sings the title song in his bathtub before a series of gags involving his car, his girlfriend Honey, and a goat. The short established the formula for the early Looney Tunes: a song-based cartoon built around Bosko, animated in the round, fluid style that Harman and Ising had developed at Disney. The title tune, "Sinkin' in the Bathtub," was the first of many popular songs the series would showcase. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Music

A 2010 animated fantasy short film and the third "open movie" produced by the Blender Foundation. Directed by Colin Levy and created entirely with Blender and other free/open-source software, the film follows Sintel, a lonely young woman who befriends a wounded baby dragon she names Scales. When Scales is taken by an adult dragon, Sintel embarks on a perilous quest across years and continents to find her lost friend — leading to a devastating conclusion. The film, its production files, and all source assets are released under a Creative Commons Attribution license, making it freely available for distribution, remixing, and reuse.

Animation · Fantasy

A 2008 American independent animated musical written, directed, produced, and animated by Nina Paley. The film intersperses events from the Ramayana, light-hearted discussion of historical background by a trio of Indian shadow puppet narrators, musical interludes voiced with 1920s jazz recordings by Annette Hanshaw, and scenes from the filmmaker's own life. The ancient mythological and modern biographical plots are parallel tales, sharing numerous themes. After a prolonged copyright battle over the Hanshaw recordings, Paley released the film under a CC-0 public domain license, waiving all rights to the extent possible under law. The film has been widely distributed and shown freely online, becoming a landmark case in copyright reform advocacy.

Animation · Comedy · Musical · Drama

Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! is a 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger Productions. The short features Foxy, an early Mickey Mouse-like character, who rides a streetcar and encounters various musical passengers. The cartoon is notable as one of the earliest Merrie Melodies entries, part of the series that Warner Bros. used to promote songs from their music catalog. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical · Comedy

Snafuperman is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. A Superman parody, the short features Snafu gaining superpowers after reading a comic book, only to bumble his way through a mission with his usual incompetence. The cartoon includes a brief cameo appearance by Superman himself (as "Super-Snafu"). As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy · Parody

So Much for So Little is a 1949 educational animated short directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Produced for the Federal Security Agency Public Health Service, the cartoon advocates for public health spending, arguing that a few cents per person per year can prevent disease and save lives. The short was theatrically screened and won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Educational

Spies is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu inadvertently leaks military secrets to enemy spies through careless behavior, demonstrating the dangers of loose lips. The cartoon features a memorable sequence where Snafu is pursued through a nightmarish landscape of espionage. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Springtime is a 1929 Silly Symphony cartoon directed by Walt Disney for Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures. The first Silly Symphony to use synchronized sound throughout, the short depicts the awakening of spring in the natural world, with flowers dancing, frogs performing, and spiders spinning webs in time to the music. The cartoon was an important technical milestone for Disney, demonstrating that animation could be synchronized to music without a central character. As a 1929 work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical

The short that introduced Mickey Mouse to the world, and the first cartoon with fully synchronized sound. Walt Disney directed and voiced Mickey, with Ub Iwerks handling the animation at a furious pace to get the film finished. The plot is simple: Mickey pilots a steamboat, torments a parrot, and plays the animals like instruments to the tune of "Turkey in the Straw." What made it a sensation was the sound. Audiences had never seen a cartoon whose movements locked to a soundtrack that precisely, and it landed only a year after The Jazz Singer proved synchronized sound was viable for live action. Steamboat Willie's success bankrolled the Disney studio and set the course of animation for the next decade. The 1928 short entered the United States public domain on January 1, 2024.

Animation · Comedy

Destruction, Inc. is a 1942 Superman animated short, the tenth in the Paramount series and the second made by Famous Studios after the Fleischer brothers' reorganization. Saboteurs infiltrate the Metropolis Munitions Works, murdering the elderly night watchman and planting explosives throughout the plant. Lois Lane follows the story undercover and is captured by the gang, leaving Superman to stop the destruction and rescue her before the whole works goes up. Released on Christmas Day 1942, the short leans hard into wartime sabotage paranoia. I. Sparber directs, with Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander voicing Superman and Lois. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Adventure

Electric Earthquake is a 1942 Superman animated short from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. A Native American villain uses an electric ray device to threaten Manhattan with earthquakes, demanding the return of the island to his people. Superman must stop the destruction and save the city. The Fleischer Superman cartoons were noted for their art deco style, cinematic animation, and mature storytelling. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Sci-Fi

Lois Lane's plane is shot down over Africa and she's captured by a German force occupying a jungle temple, where they use the natives' drums to signal strikes on Allied convoys. Superman follows her trail and turns the drums' own warning system against the occupiers. The fifteenth of the Paramount Superman cartoons, made by Famous Studios after the Fleischer brothers' departure, and the series' most direct piece of wartime propaganda. It is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · War

Terror on the Midway is a 1942 Superman animated short from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. When a circus gorilla breaks loose, panic erupts at the carnival. Lois Lane is trapped in the chaos, and Superman must subdue the rampaging beast. This was the last Superman cartoon produced by Fleischer Studios before the studio was reorganized as Famous Studios. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Adventure

The Arctic Giant is a 1942 Superman animated short from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. An expedition to the Arctic uncovers a frozen Tyrannosaurus Rex, which thaws and rampages through Metropolis. Superman must stop the prehistoric creature before it destroys the city. The cartoon is notable for its dinosaur sequence, which predates similar scenes in later films by decades. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Sci-Fi

The Magnetic Telescope is a 1942 Superman animated short from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. A scientist invents a magnetic telescope that can attract meteors from space, but the device goes out of control and threatens Metropolis with a catastrophic comet impact. Superman must destroy the deadly projectile before it hits the city. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Sci-Fi

The Mechanical Monsters is the second of the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons, released by Paramount in November 1941. A mad inventor sends an army of flying robots to loot Metropolis — banks, jewel houses, anything they can carry — and captures Lois Lane when she stows away inside one of the machines. Superman battles the mechanical army and flies to the inventor's lair to save her from a vat of molten metal. The robot designs influenced decades of animation, from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow to a famous homage in The Iron Giant. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Adventure

Lois Lane is taken prisoner by a race of bird-men living in caverns beneath the earth after a mining expedition discovers their hidden world, and Superman has to burrow down to rescue her before she is thrown to a lake of lava. The last of the seventeen Fleischer/Famous Studios Superman shorts and one of the strangest — directed by Seymour Kneitel with Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander voicing Superman and Lois. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Adventure

Volcano is a 1942 Superman animated short from Fleischer Studios, distributed by Paramount Pictures. When a dormant volcano on a populated island begins erupting, Superman must save the inhabitants from the lava and ash. The cartoon features spectacular destruction sequences and showcases the Fleischers' talent for cinematic action animation. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Adventure

Gabby, the pompous town crier spun off from Gulliver's Travels (1939), takes charge of spring cleaning at King Little's castle and turns the job into chaos — brooms, ladders, and buckets flying as he bosses around the Lilliputian castle staff to the tune of a swing band. The seventh of Fleischer Studios' eight Gabby cartoons for Paramount, with Pinto Colvig (the original voice of Goofy) as Gabby and Jack Mercer voicing King Little. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Short

The first of four Mr. Hook cartoons made for the US Navy to sell war bonds. Set in 1953, sailor Hook tells his young son how buying bonds a decade earlier helped him defeat a Japanese fighter pilot attacking his aircraft carrier. The only Hook short produced at Walter Lantz Productions — in Technicolor — before the series moved to Warner Bros., and the only one directed by James "Shamus" Culhane, with Dick Nelson voicing Hook. A US government film in the public domain; like much wartime propaganda it trades in the racial caricatures of the era.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Private Snafu training short directed by Frank Tashlin for Leon Schlesinger Productions, commissioned by the US Army Signal Corps during World War II. An armada of malaria-laden mosquitoes trains like a military squadron and attacks American troops, finding Private Snafu woefully unprepared with his mosquito netting and repellent. The cartoon was part of a series written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel and voiced by Mel Blanc, designed to teach soldiers about hygiene and discipline through humor that was too risqué for civilian audiences. The film is in the public domain as a US government work.

Animation · Short · Comedy · War

Teacher's Pest is a 1950 Noveltoons cartoon from Famous Studios, directed by Isadore Sparber and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The short features Junior Owl on his way to his first day of kindergarten, trying to live up to the reputation of owls being wise. But Mr. Wolf knows a few tricks of his own, and Junior ends up in the wolf's pot of boiling water before Mama Owl saves him. This was Wolfie's final appearance in the Noveltoon series. The film is in the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

The oldest surviving animated feature film, made by Lotte Reiniger over three years using silhouette animation. Reiniger cut every figure by hand from paper and lead, then photographed them frame by frame on a multiplane camera she and Carl Koch designed. The story draws from the Arabian Nights: Prince Achmed rides a mechanical horse, battles demons, and courts Princess Peri Banu across a world of shadow and color tinted by hand. The film is in the public domain in the United States as a pre-1930 work.

Animation · Silent · Fantasy

The Bandmaster is a 1931 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon directed by Walter Lantz and Bill Nolan for Walter Lantz Productions, distributed by Universal Pictures. Oswald leads a marching band through a series of musical gags and surreal sight gags, showcasing the Keaton-like physical comedy that characterized the Lantz-era Oswald cartoons. The short features animation by Clyde Geronimi, Manuel Moreno, Ray Abrams, and Tex Avery. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Musical

Mickey Mouse plays fiddle and dances with Minnie at a lively barn dance, competing with Pete for her affections. A Walt Disney-directed Mickey Mouse short, the third in the series. The 1929 film entered the public domain on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Comedy · Music

Bosko revels on the farm, dancing with a cow, playing a horse's tail like a violin, and getting tipsy with three pigs in this early Looney Tunes short. A Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising-directed cartoon. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

A bored cuckoo bird in a clock grows restless with his repetitive routine and ventures out into the world for adventure, with comic results. A Bill Tytla-directed Noveltoons short from Famous Studios. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Mickey Mouse is a convict on a chain gang who escapes with the help of a pair of bloodhounds, marking the first appearance of Pluto. A Burt Gillett-directed Mickey Mouse short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu learns the importance of not wasting food, as his gluttony in the mess hall leads to a surreal lesson in military discipline. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Felix the Cat visits the circus, where he tangles with performing animals and finds himself in the center ring amid a parade of sight gags. An Otto Messmer-animated Felix the Cat short, later retitled Frolics at the Circus. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Bucky and Pepito, a young boy and his Mexican sidekick, try to catch a wily coyote in the Old West in this early television cartoon. An episode of the infamously low-budget Bucky and Pepito series produced by Sam Singer. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Western

Three pranking brothers at Pimento University must rescue their sweetheart Dora Standpipe from the villainous Dan Backslide. A Chuck Jones-directed Merrie Melodies short, considered a landmark in animation for its limited-animation style and breakneck pacing. The film entered the public domain in 1970 through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A duck farm becomes a parody of Axis powers as a Hitler-duck, Mussolini-goose, and Hirohito-duck rise to power, until a peaceful dove finally has enough. A Norman McCabe-directed Looney Tunes wartime propaganda short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

A sinister mouse agitator infiltrates a peaceful mouse community and turns them against each other, a parable for fascist fifth-column subversion during World War II. A Friz Freleng-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Four animal musicians—a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster—set out for Bremen to become town musicians, but end up outwitting a band of robbers in a lonely house. A Walt Disney-directed Laugh-O-Gram short based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Private Snafu learns the hard way that goldbricking—shirking duty and faking illness—has consequences when his laziness gives the enemy an opening. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Mr. Hook cartoon made for the U.S. Navy, in which the sailor Hook dreams of the girl he left stateside and the egg that represents his future happiness. A Chuck Jones-directed Warner Bros. wartime short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Felix the Cat rescues a goose that lays golden eggs from a greedy farmer who wants to exploit her, in this Van Beuren Rainbow Parade cartoon. A Burt Gillett-directed short featuring Felix in his brief 1930s color revival. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

A 1929 Mickey Mouse short directed by Walt Disney. Mickey takes shelter from a storm in a haunted house, where he encounters skeletons, ghosts, and a menacing figure who forces him to play the organ. The cartoon blends comedy with Gothic atmosphere, with the skeletons dancing to Mickey's music in a sequence that echoes Disney's own Skeleton Dance, released the same year. The short is a fine example of the early, spookier Mickey Mouse cartoons, before the character was softened into a more wholesome figure. Published in 1929, the film entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Horror

A starving cat wanders into a haunted house hoping to catch a mouse, only to find the mouse is a ghost who torments him with supernatural gags. A Tex Avery-directed Looney Tunes short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Horror

Private Snafu imagines what his family is doing back home, picturing a carefree civilian life that contrasts sharply with his own hardships, until reality sets in. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu endures the grueling marches, drills, and discomforts of infantry life, learning that the blues of the foot soldier are the foundation of military victory. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Felix the Cat uses his wits to invent solutions to impossible problems, from mechanical contraptions to clever schemes. An Otto Messmer-animated Felix the Cat short, originally released as Felix Turns the Tide and later reissued under the title The Inventor. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A 1929 Mickey Mouse short notable as the first cartoon in which Mickey speaks, with Walt Disney providing the voice. Mickey works at a carnival, selling hot dogs and dancing with a pair of cats who perform a shimmy routine. The hot dogs, animated with a life of their own, are the highlight: Mickey spanks one into submission when it refuses to be eaten. The short is a landmark in the series, marking the transition from purely physical comedy to the character-driven humor that would define Mickey Mouse for decades. Published in 1929, the film entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Short · Comedy

Cubby Bear, a mail carrier in a Gold Rush-era frontier town, braves the wilderness to deliver the last mail, racing against time and a villainous raccoon. A Mannie Davis-directed Van Beuren Aesop's Fables short featuring Cubby Bear. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Western

Little Audrey dreams of a fantastic adventure through a surreal dreamscape, only to find her dream turning into a comic nightmare before she wakes up. A Bill Tytla-directed Noveltoons short featuring Little Audrey. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

The first episode of the 1958 Felix the Cat television series, created by Joe Oriolo. Felix strolls through the countryside carrying his Magic Bag of Tricks, a shape-shifting satchel that can become anything he needs—an escalator, a canoe, a picnic table. The Professor, watching from his laboratory, becomes obsessed with stealing the bag and uses a shrink ray to reduce Felix to miniature size. But the bag has a mind of its own, and Felix's ingenuity proves more than a match for the Professor's gadgets. The episode introduced the Magic Bag concept that would define the series across its 260 episodes, with Jack Mercer providing Felix's voice. The series is in the public domain.

Animation · Family · Comedy

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit rides a mechanical cow that causes chaos when it goes haywire, leading to a wild chase through the countryside. A Walt Disney-directed Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A colony of merry dwarfs celebrates with music and dancing in a forest clearing, in this early Silly Symphony short. A Ub Iwerks-directed Disney cartoon. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

Clark Kent and Lois Lane investigate the mysterious death of an Egyptologist at the Metropolis Museum, where Superman must battle the undead guards of an ancient king. An Izzy Sparber-directed Superman cartoon from Famous Studios. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Action · Adventure

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit attempts to hop across the ocean, encountering sea creatures and comic obstacles along the way. A Walt Disney-directed Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A wolf and a lamb engage in a classic shell game con, each trying to outwit the other in a series of escalating tricks. A Seymour Kneitel-directed Noveltoons short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu is stationed on a remote island outpost, where isolation and boredom lead him into typical Snafu-style trouble. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

An educational animated cartoon directed by Denis Gilpin, written by P.D. Eastman, and produced by Ed Cullen for the Equitable Life Assurance Society. The film uses an owl and a human character named Fred Jones to teach lessons about financial responsibility and planning, in the sponsored-film tradition of the 1950s when insurance companies and corporations produced educational content for schools and community groups. P.D. Eastman, later famous for children's books like Are You My Mother?, brought his character design sensibility to the animation. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Family

The parrots of Parrotville spring into action when a fire breaks out, manning their rickety fire engine with predictably chaotic results. A Burt Gillett-directed Van Beuren Rainbow Parade cartoon. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Mickey Mouse takes Minnie on a picnic, but their outing is disrupted by a mischievous Pluto making his first animated appearance. A Burt Gillett-directed Mickey Mouse short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Mickey Mouse plows a field with the help of his animals, turning farm work into a musical comedy of errors. A Ub Iwerks-directed Mickey Mouse short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

Sailor Mr. Hook regales his skeptical shipmates with his post-war plans, funded by his diligent war bond purchases, convincing them to invest too. A Robert McKimson-directed Mr. Hook short, his first directorial credit. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Winsor McCay's animated depiction of the 1915 torpedoing of the RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat, an event that helped pull the United States into the First World War. McCay made the film as a piece of wartime propaganda, animating the liner, the attack, and the drowning of passengers in a somber, documentary-like tone unlike his comic Gertie work. It is one of the earliest serious animated films and a rare example of animation used for journalism. The film is in the public domain in the United States as a pre-1930 work.

Animation · Silent · Short · War

The first Silly Symphony, and the short that proved Walt Disney's studio could do more than Mickey Mouse. Animated almost entirely by Ub Iwerks, it shows four skeletons rising from their graves in a graveyard at midnight and dancing to Carl Stalling's score, itself inspired by Saint-Saëns's Danse Macabre. There is no story and no dialogue, just movement cut to music, and the timing is so sure that the gags still land nearly a century later. The picture was a hard sell at first, exhibitors balked at the "gruesome" subject, but it became a hit and launched the Silly Symphony series, which the studio used as a laboratory for the techniques that would eventually make Snow White possible. Published in 1929, it entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Short · Horror

Donald Duck faces a wartime dilemma: spend his paycheck on fun, or save it to pay his income taxes and fund the fight against the Axis. A thrifty Scotsman and a lavish spendthrift battle for his wallet in this Disney propaganda short made for the U.S. Treasury Department, which helped convince millions of Americans to pay their income tax for the first time. Clarence Nash voices Donald; Jack King directs. As a work made for the U.S. federal government, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · War

A superstitious cat tries to catch Buzzy the Crow for breakfast, but the clever crow uses the cat's belief in bad luck omens to outwit him at every turn. A Seymour Kneitel-directed Noveltoons short, marking the first appearance of Buzzy the Crow. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Bucky and Pepito tangle with a vexatious Texan who causes trouble in their frontier town, in this episode of the infamously low-budget Bucky and Pepito series. Directed by Reuben Timmins and Edwin Rehberg. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Western

Paddy the Leprechaun emerges from his fairy shoe shop to mend shoes for the townsfolk at night, until he is discovered by a little girl who befriends him. A Bill Tytla-directed Noveltoons short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

Private Snafu's three brothers—Tarfu, Fubar, and the Technical Fairy—each demonstrate a different branch of military service, with Bugs Bunny making a cameo appearance. A Friz Freleng-directed Private Snafu training short written by Dr. Seuss. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Underground gnomes must wake Old Man Winter and coax Spring to arrive, painting the landscape with flowers and greenery in a vibrant Technicolor musical. A Happy Harmonies short and the directorial debut of William Hanna, co-directed with Paul Fennell. One of only three MGM cartoons in the public domain. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

A satirical tour of wartime Japan, lampooning Japanese military culture, propaganda, and industry through a series of blackout gags. A Norman McCabe-directed Looney Tunes propaganda short, his final Warner Bros. cartoon before being drafted. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Mr. Hook battles the propaganda of Tokyo Rose, who tries to convince sailors not to buy war bonds, by firing a shell carrying a sentient war bond to Japan. A Bob Clampett-directed Mr. Hook short made for the U.S. Navy. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

The first released Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and animated almost entirely by Ub Iwerks. Oswald plays a trolley conductor whose packed car runs afoul of a stubborn cow, a steep hill, and a runaway descent. The short was a hit, launching Oswald as Universal's cartoon star and establishing Disney and Iwerks as major talents. Universal had rejected the first-produced Oswald short, Poor Papa, as too sluggish, so Trolley Troubles became the character's debut. Published in 1927, the film entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2023.

Animation · Short · Comedy

The 1931 sound reissue of the 1927 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short, re-released by Walter Lantz Productions after Lantz took over the Oswald series from Walt Disney. The original silent cartoon was fitted with a synchronized music and sound effects track to compete with Disney's sound Mickey Mouse cartoons. Oswald the trolley conductor packs his car with passengers, battles a cow on the tracks, uses a goat to climb a hill, and then loses control on the way down. The reissue was published in the United States between 1929 and 1963 and the copyright was not renewed, placing it in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy

George Pal's Puppetoon short, photographed in three-strip Technicolor, tells the story of Jan and Janette, a young Dutch couple whose windmill country idyll is overrun by an army of mechanical Screwball soldiers — an unmistakable allegory for the Nazi occupation of Pal's native Netherlands. When a thunderstorm rusts the invading machines into scrap, the tulips grow again. A young Ray Harryhausen worked on the film's replacement-animation puppets. Released by Paramount in 1942, it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short and was added to the National Film Registry in 1997. The film entered the public domain because its copyright was not renewed.

Animation · War · Short

A Noveltoons short from Famous Studios, directed by Seymour Kneitel. Lightning is said to be the fastest horse around and a sure bet for the Ups and Downs steeplechase, but when race time comes, the horse decides to take a nap instead. The jockey tries everything to wake him, and the real fun begins as he devises a plan to enter the race with a sleeping horse. Released June 9, 1950, the cartoon was produced by Famous Studios for Paramount Pictures. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Family

A Looney Tunes wartime cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, set on a farm where the animals are preparing for World War II in a series of blackout skits. A narrator tours the barnyard, finding chickens rationing feed, a horse collecting scrap metal, and a duck dodging air raid drills. The gags are disconnected and rapid-fire, mixing patriotic messaging with Clampett's characteristic absurdity. Released July 11, 1942, the short was produced by Leon Schlesinger for Warner Bros. and is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy

What Makes Us Tick is a 1952 animated educational short produced by John Sutherland Productions for the New York Stock Exchange. Through the everyman figure of John Q. Public, the cartoon explains how corporations raise capital by selling shares, how stocks are bought and sold on the exchange, and why ordinary Americans might choose to invest. It is a polished example of the sponsored "fun and facts about business" films Sutherland's studio made for corporate clients in the postwar years — the same shop that produced A Is for Atom for General Electric. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Educational

An episode of Calvin and the Colonel, the 1961-1962 ABC animated sitcom created and voiced by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll of Amos 'n' Andy fame. Colonel Montgomery J. Klaxon, a shrewd fox, and Calvin T. Burnside, a dimwitted bear, propagate an insurance scam: after the Colonel breaks his nephew's car, they try to buy auto insurance and cash in on the damage after the fact. The plot would have been right at home in Amos 'n' Andy, transplanted into a cartoon animal format to sidestep the controversy that had ended the live-action show. Aired February 3, 1962. The episode is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Family

The sixth Mickey Mouse cartoon, and a curious one: Mickey and Minnie are depicted as actual mouse-sized mice, while Tom Cat is the size of a person. When Tom Cat staggers out hunting, Mickey, Minnie, and a swarm of mice break into his house and throw a musical party, playing the piano and turning household objects into instruments. The short is a loose remake of Disney's 1925 Alice Comedy, Alice Rattled by Rats, and the last time Mickey was portrayed at real mouse scale. Animated by Ub Iwerks and Ben Sharpsteen with a Carl Stalling score. Published in 1929, it entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2025.

Animation · Short · Comedy

One of the last and strangest Felix the Cat shorts, directed by Otto Messmer and produced by Pat Sullivan. Felix stays out late on New Year's Eve and gets spectacularly drunk, stumbling home through a surreal nightmare of pink elephants, dancing skeletons, and menacing apparitions before facing the greatest demon of all: his angry wife. Originally a silent film released around 1928, it was reissued by Copley Pictures in 1930 with added sound effects and music. Animation historian John Canemaker called it one of the best Felix films ever made, a final burst of creative energy from a series that would end a few years later. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy

A 1956 animated industrial short directed by Carl Urbano for John Sutherland Productions, made on commission for the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Finchly has just received a sixty-dollar raise and wants to know the best way to invest it, prompting a brisk lesson in how everyday Americans can buy shares and put their money to work. One of the many glossy sponsored cartoons Sutherland's studio produced for corporate clients in the 1950s, it is a charming artifact of postwar consumer-capitalist optimism — and, like the rest of the studio's industrial output, it is in the public domain.

Animation · Documentary

The first Van Beuren Tom and Jerry short, a duo of cab drivers not to be confused with MGM's later cat and mouse. On a dark and stormy night, Tom and Jerry drive two mysterious bearded men to a castle, only for the passengers to vanish without paying. The cabbies follow them inside and find themselves in a haunted castle full of skeletons, ghosts, and ghouls. Directed by John Foster and George Stallings, the short is a clear riff on Disney's The Skeleton Dance, with Jim Tyer's animation lending it a looser, weirder energy. The series was later reissued as Dick and Larry to avoid confusion with the MGM characters. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Horror

A Noveltoons short from Famous Studios, directed by Isadore Sparber. Spunky the donkey tries to enlist in the WAGS, an elite corps of Army dogs, but is rejected after a series of physical tests deem him unfit for service. When a flea attack cripples the dog unit, Spunky proves his worth by saving the day. Released October 27, 1944, the cartoon is a wartime morale piece wrapped in barnyard comedy, produced by Famous Studios for Paramount Pictures. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Family

A Merrie Melodies short directed by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. A crowd of animals and humans gathers at a carnival, where gags pile up around a merry-go-round, a sideshow, and a fireworks finale. The title song, like all early Merrie Melodies, is the real point of the cartoon, with the animation built around showcasing the tune. The short is a time capsule of early sound animation, made when Warner Bros. was still finding its footing in the cartoon business. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy