1931-32 Talkartoons: Give Us More Betty!
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.
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.
One of the things most attractive about old cartoons is their music. The orchestra heard on Fleischer shorts during this period features some of New York’s finest studio musicians
Despite the fact the public’s tastes for musicals had waned, the Fleischer’s kept up with what they had done in the previous season.
The “Talkartoons” featured Bimbo, who went through much tweaking and development, changing his appearance markedly from cartoon to cartoon.
Even though many businesses were realizing that times were getting hard, this may not have been the case at the Max Fleischer studio.
Nobody knew how deep the depression would get – but in keeping spirits up, the Screen Songs continued and the ball kept bouncing.