Red Hot Mamma (1934)

"♫Hell's Bells, ringing in my ear... ♫It's certainly hot, now isn't that swell; now somebody's got a hold of those bells. ♫They start to ring, they start to sing, and somebody YELLS! It must be Hell's Bells!♫" -Betty Boop

The 1934 Betty Boop animated short Red Hot Mamma sees Betty living alone in her own lovely three story rural home trying to sleep during the frigid snowy weather, which seems to me a very cozy setting. Although I've no idea why Betty would leave the windows open, as the icy wind blows over her making it impossible for her to sleep. Perhaps the snow came without warning, but in order to get her beauty sleep in this freezing cold house she closes all the windows, lights a warm fire and curls up under her blanket next to the fireplace. Betty then proceeds to have a fever dream where she enters a portal to Hell through her fireplace. Sounds spooky, but it is really a lighthearted blast through the underworld. No demonic forces can keep this girl down, as she lights the place up with song and dance. A few demons approach her, who are no match for her "cold shoulder," and another demon wearing a crown, who we can only assume is the lord of hell himself, is frozen to the core by the icy cold stare of our fierce and righteous heroine (this has actually made for a good "not today Satan" GIF that has been pretty popular on social media).

Although Red Hot Mamma was still Pre-Code era (the first post-code film with Betty Boop was Betty Boop's Life Guard released on July 13th 1934), the hammer of the morality code was already starting to come down on Betty, with one of the earliest changes being the axing of Bimbo, Betty's anthropomorphic canine boyfriend (Bimbo's last film was I Heard (1933) from the previous season). Koko the Clown would see his last appearance in the cartoon immediately following Red Hot Mamma known as Ha! Ha! Ha! (1934). By this time, the role of Betty's love interest had already been given to the hunky boyfriend caricature Freddy, seen in the previous film She Wronged Him Right (1934)). I wish Bimbo never had to leave, but one refreshing aspect in a Betty Boop film like this is that Betty doesn't have to be the damsel in distress, so it was awesome seeing her overpower the demons of hell, literally causing it to freeze over. Portraying a place like Hell in a humorous light did cause the cartoon to be considered blasphemous, and it was banned in the UK as a result. Despite being lighthearted, there is still some impressively imposing demonic artwork featured in the background during Betty's initial walk down the passage to Hell while in a nightgown that is showcased in a way that is reminiscent of the gothic horror heroine.

Red Hot Mamma isn't necessarily a Christmas film, but the snowy weather and jingling bells heard outside make it appropriate for the holiday season, and it is my recommendation for a holiday related Betty Boop cartoon. It also features the theme to the popular hit song of the time Did You Ever See a Dream Walking and Betty performing a shining version of the 1932 hit Hell's Bells by Art Kassel.