Bright Lights (1928 film)

Bright Lights is a 1928 silent cartoon short by Walt Disney Productions featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It is among the few short films of the series Disney worked on before leaving that same year.

Overview
Previously in 1927, Oswald had an oval face, a chubbier waist, and pants with a single suspender. By 1928, he's given a makeover in having a rounder head, a slimmer waist, and shorts. Despite this change, the rabbit's 1927 appearance would still appear on the title cards until High Up. His shorts would be his only outfit until the year 1930.

Plot summary
A show composed of a concert, circus acts and broadway was taking place at a theater in the city. One of the stars of the show was a lady cat dancer whom Oswald suddenly had affection for upon seeing a poster. For admission, patrons had to pay 50 cents. Unfortunately for Oswald, his pockets are empty.

Oswald noticed a stage entrance where performers and certain officials can come in, and admission was unnecessary. Because of this, Oswald came up with idea of impersonating a performer by bulging his chest (possibly pretending to be a stuntman). The guard by the door wasn't deceived and started preventing the penniless rabbit from coming in. After a bit of a struggle, Oswald tied the guard to a lamp post and proceeded toward the inside of the theater. However, he was forced back outside by the glaring performers.

While thinking of way to get back in, Oswald saw a man in a thick fur coat coming out of a taxi and heading towards the theater entrance. Oswald went on by hiding under the man's shadow. As the man with the coat was entering, the guard became suspicious upon noticing a lump on the shadow. Thinking he made it inside undetected, Oswald came out but doesn't notice the guard approaching him. When he learned that guard was right behind, Oswald quickly made his move.

Oswald prevailed in losing the guard by going inside a cage. However, he was met with more trouble when the cage contained a jaguar. The jaguar chased the him into the stage where acrobats were doing a balancing act with a long pole. Oswald climbed up the pole and grabbed the ceiling for his safety. One of the acrobats also went up the pole also and clung onto the rabbit's legs. Bothered by having someone hanging under him, Oswald grabs a mallet and strikes off the acrobat. Oswald also plunged by not holding on anything and dropped on the jaguar. The jaguar was angered more than ever and the frightened Oswald fled the stage.

Other vicious animals, such as the lions, broke out of their cages, forcing everyone else to leave the theater. Believing everyone disappeared from the scene, Oswald came out of a toilet booth, only to realize that one lion was still in the vicinity. The lion starts chasing him into the horizon.

Versions
The cartoon has two versions which mostly involves the soundtrack used. One of them features a couple of jazz tunes (the second of which is Tiger Rag). The other features calliope music which is used throughout the entire film, as well as some footage played in reverse.

Home media
The short is available in a 2-disc DVD title as part of the Walt Disney Treasures: Wave Seven.