A blog for writers writing everything from history to suspense. Wife, blogger, writer.
Bimbo's Initiation (1931)
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I'm doing more research while I wait for beta readers to finish. Today I watched Bimbo's Initiation from 1931. It was something else and could have been a whole Cuphead level. Let's get into it.
Courtesy of intanibase.com
The first thing I noticed watching this cartoon was the mouse that locked Bimbo below the street. It looked an awful lot like Mickey. Was this a dig at the joke animators used to make? The joke made, for reference, was that a tunnel led to Disney. This was because Fleischer Studios lost many animators to Disney. It crossed my mind that this might be a reference to Disney converting Fleischer's animators. I say this because it starts with Bimbo falling into a manhole and getting padlocked in by a mouse.
This whole cartoon is unhinged. The whole concept is Bimbo the dog being converted into a cult, saying no multiple times, and being effectively tortured into saying yes. He only says yes when Betty Boop performs an anatomically questionable dance, then asks him to join. The cult reveals itself to be Betty clones.
The Most Unhinged Parts
Nothing is hinged in this cartoon. This could be a huge inspiration behind Cuphead. If it isn't, it's at least the worst funhouse I've ever seen. We start with cult members holding planks with nails (fortunately, they don't beat him with them, but I almost thought they would). We jump to him trying to find the exit, only to find a wall in its place. Falling crusher with spikes? It's there. I haven't even mentioned the moving floor and the knife on the far wall that forces him to run on the floor (treadmill floor). The spanking bike machine was probably the weirdest thing, second to that treadmill room. He ran through falling spike blocks, axes poised to hit him, and had his shadow beheaded - all to a soundtrack of music he moved to the beat of.
You want the most unhinged bit? These were Betty Boop clones - every single member. He says yes after a dance I'd interpret as anatomically impossible. She smacks her butt back and forth like rubber and does some arm movements no one could possibly achieve in real life. This was something else. He also lets out a laugh that sounds more like crying... which makes sense after all poor Bimbo has been through.
Overall Thoughts
Alrighty then, I'm giving this a 5 out of 10 stars. It was at least interesting. I knew this one was cursed going into it. It's famously strange. Knowing what I was getting into helped. I think a Cuphead level could be made of this cartoon alone.
Morrow is released! This novella is the story of two women writing a family history for the Morrow family. They find a nasty secret while researching. Will they survive their internship?
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