Cartoon Reviews

Thursday, March 21, 2019

The Dancing Fool (1932)

"C'mon, baby, don't hesitate! C'mon, baby, cooperate! Gee, you're swell-o, hello, hello baby!" -Betty Boop
Nothing really seems to stand out to me in this cartoon that much, aside from when Betty shows up a little later to do her song and dance thing. I feel a bit remiss dismissing the rest of the episode so outright, but the cartoon just doesn't seem all that inspired until Batty takes over shortly before the four-minute mark, which is too long to wait for Betty, considering the cartoon is a little over seven minutes long.

Still, it is cool to see Betty, Bimbo, and Koko together, and more regularly at this point (I believe their previous adventure was Swim or Sink with the next one being Chess Nuts); that trio is Pre-Code legend. They are all good friends, but Bimbo and Koko sometimes compete for Betty's attention. Betty, Bimbo, and Koko's dancing at the end of the cartoon together literally brings down the house, er, I mean, brings down the building. Betty's dance school is high atop a skyscraper and is filled with none other than the ever lovable cartoon animals that populate Betty's world.

So, yes, Betty saves this one from being forgettable, as Bimbo and Koko's comedy routine at the beginning together just wasn't quite on the mark, but the magic happens when Betty joins and all three are together.

See you next time for Chess Nuts.