Walt Disney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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 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

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