“The Lonesome Stranger” is a 1940 MGM animated short directed by Hugh Harman.
- Bandito: The Killer Diller Gang is made up of stereotypical Mexican banditos, complete with sombreros and bandoliers.
- Big, Thin, Short Trio: The Killer Diller Boys gang is comprised of a tall and bulky fellow, a slender man, and a short little guy.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: The characters constantly talk to the audience, especially the Killer Diller Gang leader.Leader: Don't you just hate us?
- Bullet Hole Spelling: One of the Killer Diller Boys shoots bullets at the sheriff’s door writing “is a sissy” under “Sheriff.”
- Dead Hat Shot: After the Killer Diller Boys explode, their hats float down into the hole created by the explosion.
- Delayed Reaction: It takes the Lonesome Stranger a couple seconds to catch on when Saliver informs him that the sheriff has been shot.
- Denser and Wackier: This short is more gag-oriented and wild in its animation than most other MGM animated shorts.
- The Hyena: The Killer Diller Gang Leader, who cackles like a maniac.
- Karmic Death: The Killer Diller Boys, who have been terrorizing people, are all killed by the gunpowder they tie the Lonesome Stranger to.
- Large and in Charge: The biggest of the Killer Diller Boys is the leader of the gang.
- Literal Metaphor: After the Native American delivers his telegram, he turns his back to the camera, revealing the caption "The Vanishing American
" on his shirt. He then fades away, startling Saliver. - Made of Iron: Despite being tied to the gunpowder barrel when it explodes, the Lonesome Stranger doesn’t die in the explosion like the Killer Diller Boys.
- Magical Native American: The Vanishing American, who literally disappears after delivering telegrams.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The Lonesome Stranger is a caricature of Lou Costello, and his horse, Saliver is a caricature of Eddie "Rochester" Anderson.
- Offscreen Teleportation: The Killer Driller Boys are already inside the saloon when the Lonesome Stranger shows up. When the banditos devise their strategy to sneak up on him, the screen pans over to the door. As the Lonesome Stranger enters the saloon, the Killer Driller Boys suddenly following him in.
- Ostrich Head Hiding: While being pursued by the Killer Diller Boys, the stagecoach horses hide their heads in the ground as a huge bullet falls toward them like a bomb.
- Parody: The cartoon’s title and the eponymous character are a spoof of the Lone Ranger. The Lonesome Stranger’s horse is named Saliver, a spoof of the Lone Ranger’s horse, Silver.
- The Pig-Pen: The smallest member of the Killer Diller Gag is always surrounded by flies, which he occasionally shoos away.
- Singing Telegram: The Lonesome Stranger receives one from a Native American, which goes "The Sheriff has been shot, the Sheriff has been shot" set to "A Hunting We Will Go". Later, he delivers another one about the Killer Diller Gang robbing a stagecoach, although he sings the previous telegram by mistake first.
- Voice for the Voiceless: The Leader of the Killer Diller Boys does all the talking for his gang while the other two banditos remain silent.
