Max and Dave: Betty Boop 1933… Things are Looking Up!
By early 1933, Betty Boop appeared to be on top of the world. Not only enjoying great success on screen, but crossing over into the realm of the phonograph record.
By early 1933, Betty Boop appeared to be on top of the world. Not only enjoying great success on screen, but crossing over into the realm of the phonograph record.
Miss Betty Boop was proving to be a charmer, in both the Screen Songs and in her own series, where sense of humor remained as anarchic as ever.
Bimbo washes up on a tropical isle in his outboard, landing in the canoe of native girl Betty (whose reaction of “Holy Smack” may be a curious ad lib).
As the 1931-32 season ended, the Fleischer Screen Songs were starting to feature more live action sequences with favorite radio stars and Broadway personalities.
In this instalment we cover these final episodes, as the Talkartoons became virtually indistinguishable from the “new” Boop series which would immediately follow.
It was becoming clear that Betty Boop was the star of the Talkartoon series. I wonder how much of a surprise this was to Max and Dave.
During the remainder of the 1931-32 season, the Screen Songs began to feature more live footage from well known radio artists.
Just as the Talkartoons developed during the 1931-32 season, the Screen Songs had developed too. They began to use more up to date song material, rather than relics.
By the end of this season, both Bimbo and Betty were getting occasional screen credit, which indicates they were both becoming attractive to exhibitors.
Subject matter was becoming more exotic, developing a house style weirdness that didn’t at all cater to being ootsy-cutesy.