{"id":1544,"date":"2013-03-16T00:01:52","date_gmt":"2013-03-16T07:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/?p=1544"},"modified":"2013-03-15T23:16:17","modified_gmt":"2013-03-16T06:16:17","slug":"betty-boop-in-be-up-to-date-1938","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cartoonresearch.com\/index.php\/betty-boop-in-be-up-to-date-1938\/","title":{"rendered":"Betty Boop in “Be Up To Date” (1938)"},"content":{"rendered":"\"boop_model\"\n

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Today we’ll dig into one of those later Betty Boop cartoons – you know, the ones produced after the Production Code<\/a> went into effect. No character was more affected than Fleischer’s Betty Boop. Still popular enough to warrant her own starring series, the Fleischer’s began saddling her with supporting characters – Pudgy the Dog, niece Buzzy Boop, Grampy, boyfriend Freddy, Sally Swing, comic strip icons Henry (“The Funniest Living American”<\/em>), The Little King, Little Jimmy, and on and on… <\/p>\n

They also had to remove the sexual element. Betty’s late-30s model chart (above<\/em>) was altered to lengthen her dress, and her face rounded to create a more wholesome look. She became a progressive, modern woman – introducing audiences to new ideas (The New Deal Show<\/em>), new fashions (Keep In Style<\/em>) and promoting healthy habits (More Pep<\/em>). <\/p>\n

Below is what may (or may-not) be the storyboard for Be Up To Date<\/em> (released 2\/25\/38), a typical entry in the series at this point. Is this the actual storyboard? Fleischer boards are very rare so it’s hard for me to be sure – this one seems more simplistic than the boards I’ve seen from other studios at the time. Maybe they were in a rush to move to Miami. That said, if you compare it to the finished film (below<\/em>) its all there. Thirty-three scenes on 11 pages – with notes as to who animated which shot – Frank Enders, Hal Walker, Otto Feuer and Tom Johnson handle all the chores. Note the first scene is indicated as an “ad-lib” setback shot (animated car by Johnson). <\/p>\n

Click thumbnails below to enlarge<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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