Mask-A-Raid (1931)

Um, Bimbo? Betty's eyes aren't down there...

Most noted for being the first Talkartoons animated short where Betty Boop is portrayed as a human and not a French poodle (by making the slight adjustment of turning her dog ears into hoop earrings), Mask-A-Raid is a jumbled mess of amusing hijinks that center around Bimbo's effort to court the queen of the masquerade ball, Betty Boop.

Bimbo is conducting the music act at the ball, and while on stage he spots Queen Betty entering. Bimbo's attraction to Betty is so obvious that she notices right away, and in a bout of cartoony coquetry, she exposes a little shoulder and displays her unique talent of making her shoulder dance like a serpent for Bimbo's gaze. This titillation is enough to make him fall in love instantly, giving him the gumption to approach the queen on her throne and take her heart and her hand. Alas, true love is never met without resistance, as the masquerade king vies for Betty's heart as well. With Betty's suggestion and apparent approval, Bimbo and the king must duel for her affections.

I do like the way the battle escalates in to all out chaos between a heap of anthropomorphs; no one knows who's fighting who and for what purpose anymore. It's like a bar fight brawl in a western.      

This is the first instance of a recurring antagonist type for Betty, the lecherous old man (although to be fair, Bimbo is kind of lecherous too). It's done for gags, but it really is in poor taste. At least Betty thwarts the antagonist and ends up saving Bimbo, and she also breaks sexist tradition by asking Bimbo to marry her, an early instance of female empowerment in cartoons. Got to love the Boop.

Although the music Betty, Bimbo, and the king sing in trio is quite catchy, especially the 'AH-AH-AH' part, it still loses points for sorely outdated use of ethnic jokes.

Betty would go one more round as a poodle in the next Talkartoons film Jack and the Beanstalk before staying in human form for good starting with Dizzy Red Riding Hood.