Oh, go on then. Here’s Minnie the moocher (1932), Boop at her best, Calloway rotoscopes and my all favourite themes of the rubberhose era (Ghosts and Ghouls!)
Here we have a Dog ( I can only assume it’s Bimbo, Fleischer studios you!) and an early predecessor of Betty Boop, a Poodle called “Nancy Lee”, in what I think might be one of the earliest example of a Bimbo and Betty pairing up.
However, instead of the loveable Bimbo we know , we have a shameless womaniser, liar , cheat and all round sneaky character. Also singing the single cleanest version of “barnacle bill the sailor” i’ve ever heard. still, most unlikeable, but then again, it shows his development as a person in these animations.
Here’s a silly symphony for yous, one of the few directed by Walt Disney.
Featuring a cast of bugs and beasties, this short is a great little showcase of the variety of shapes used in character design at the time, and also an example of the recycling of characters.
The mosquitos particularly hark back to the dancing devils from “Hell’s Bells” (1929), the Frogs bear a striking resemblance to Iwerk’s own Flip, and of course the Owls are of the same design as those in the original Silly Symphony “The Skeleton Dance” (1929). While this is to be expected of any studio using standardised character designs, it is particularly interesting to see popular characters, such as Flip the Frog, be utilized in such a way.
Longterm followers of this blog will know I am not personally a fan of Betty’s latter day escapades. I think the fun of the character came from the flapper girl personality, the tenacity of a “rule breaker” and of course, the persuasiveness of a pretty girl who can sing and dance, and get herself into and out of exciting situations.
The later films attempt to domesticate her into a mother figure, as the roaring 20′s faded unfashionably into the past, and suddenly, a flapper girl was old hat, something your parent’s would enjoy. So it goes.
However, this film is a lot of fun for the wild special effects, quite exciting for the times
A mad offering in this (admittedly rough, but charming!) 1932 Betty and Bimbo short. This was only around a year after Betty was depicted as a long eared dog, and you can certainly see some of the animating hangovers in her oddly fleshy hoop earrings (previously floppy ears!), scenes, and puppy dog nose (especially in the opening number!)
Our couple take a trip to Crazy Town, keep your eyes peeled for some great gags- an elephant with an unusual “trunk”, a fish fishing for people, some eccentric eating habits and a zoo filled with animals showcasing all sorts of silly behviour!
Hey, they can’t all be hits, but what this short lacks in finesse and songs, it makes up for in a lot of daft charm!
I realised I haven’t posted here in a loooong time. College, amiright? I’m sure you’ve all got the shakes and cold sweats from rubberhose withdrawl. Fear not, the doctor is here with the right medicine, have some Boop and Calloway!
