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Minnie The Moocher (1932) - a Betty Boop review
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I watched another Betty Boop. Minnie The Moocher is mostly Cab Calloway singing and dancing.....as a ghost walrus. At least they showed you the music made in a film clip, so you could see where the Walrus got its jazz moves... Still, it was something else.
Courtesy of blogspot.com
Once again, Betty Boop proves that it was a bit cursed. I'm not too phased by it anymore, not after more than three shorts. This one is all about Betty Boop not eating a horrible dinner, crying to inanimate objects after some bad family moments, and then leaving home with Bimbo. The two then get scared, go in a cave, and watch a ghost walrus sing Minnie The Moocher (the song by Cab Calloway) while it dances like Calloway himself. They then run straight back home after the ghosts chase them down the street. The end.
What I liked
The song itself is weird and out of place in this cartoon, but the song alone is also good jazz. I liked the credits showing Cab Calloway and his orchestra performing. It made me realize the walrus was modeled on Calloway's dance moves. I did like that.
You'll notice that this section is real short. That's because I wasn't too into the rest of it. Betty and Bimbo running is a very reasonable response to their experiences.
What was weird
Once again, the ghosts were everywhere being weird. Why the walrus singing (aside from the song actually being good)? Why the ghosts with beer guts going to the electric chairs? Why the ghost at all? I've gotten used to inanimate objects suddenly singing, but this was a lot of ghosts singing along with a ghost walrus.
You'll notice this isn't a long review. Why? Because the only events in the short are Betty and Bimbo running from a house and then running back to it. The middle is all Calloway's song while he dances as a walrus. It's a little weird, not going to lie.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, not the worst Betty Boop, about a seven-star short because I liked the song. I did like seeing Calloway dance in a filmed session (early credits). I was not prepared to have him be a ghost walrus, but this is Fleischer and they make strange decisions with Betty Boop. Make no mistake - Popeye is much better. I prefer Popeye cartoons. Betty Boop gets a little trippy, like your popcorn got drugged.
Seven stars out of ten. Good song, strange animation choices.
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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