Minnie the Moocher (1932)

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation.The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. That charm, sensuality and adorable factor is not lost anywhere here, nor her comic timing and she is very well supported by the ever fun Bimbo, the two have great chemistry together too.'Minnie the Moocher' (title taken from the famous Cab Calloway song) is quintessential Betty Boop. If anybody is a fan, 'Minnie the Moocher' is a must watch, and perhaps even people not so hot on her might get a lot of value out of it.As always, the animation is outstanding, everything is beautifully and meticulously drawn and the whole cartoon is rich in visual detail and imagination. Every bit as good is the music score, which delivers on the energy, lusciousness and infectiousness, great for putting anybody in a good mood.Like with pretty much all the early Betty Boop cartoons, meaning before the production code tightened up and everything became tame, 'Minnie the Moocher' certainly does not disappoint when it comes to being risqué, creative or delightfully bizarre. As a pre-code cartoon, a lot of the content here is very daring stuff, very ahead of its time back then and you don't see much like the pre-code Betty Boop cartoons made today. And it's done in a very hugely creative and humorous way, with a very high spirit and spookiness throughout. The voice acting is good as always.Overall, wonderful cartoon and for Betty Boop fans it's quintessential. 10/10 Bethany Cox

That age-old fathead Betty Boop decides to teach her tee-totalling ma and pa a lesson by running away with her hip little dog pal Bimbo. She's so annoying and boring, I much prefer Toot Braunstein myself. Suffice it to say, what they experience on their little sojourn would make even the most die-hard of runaways run screaming back home to mama! The whole short is packed with the patented loony and brilliant images that make these particular types of old cartoons dark works of art. I just love how everything on show seems to spring to life. There's so many strange and macabre things to see that are leaping about and at the screen, fantastic indistinct blurry demonic things all swirling around the two characters in a satanic kind of dance around the maypole. Some of my favourite sight and fright gags are when Betty's father warps into some kind of old-timey radio, the skeleton cat and her kittens-freaking twisted, and the skeletons who die again and come back as skeleton ghosts! Then what the hell were they before?! I also spotted a miniature version of Koko the clown who can briefly be seen as he leaps out of an ink well. I was once again struck by the three-dimensional feel of the animation. I don't know if other people thought so, but there seemed to be a great sense of depth to it. Not only were there imps witches and all manner of leering sprites all bounding towards and bombarding the audience, but there were beautifully drawn Gothic skulls, faces and stalactites in the background that really gave a richly detailed perspective. It almost works as a 3D set, rather than merely a flat background for the figures to prance around in. This sense of added depth helps to create a much more atmospheric experience for the viewer, almost like we're right there in that nightmare cave with them! It must have especially been something amazing to see way back in 1932!::: Once more we are treated to the magic moves and sweet soulful tones of Cab Calloway.(RIP) Hey, now we know where the Moonwalk came from! This time he is in the guise of the walrus-goo goo ga-joob! Is there any greater honour than being animated as a jazz singing ghostly walrus version of yourself? If there is I don't wanna know about it! Loved this, another great little animated vision of madness. It's so masterfully weird and spooky. Not just "for it's time" for any time-hell, for all time!!!

Spoilers herein.Spooky in three ways. The first is in the implied use of the derogatory for the black performers. The second is in the bizarre story involving a visit to hell. Of all the strange Boop adventures, this is perhaps the most disconcerting (together with `Red Hot Mama') visits to the demonic side. The more unsettling it becomes, the more you think about it. No Scooby do here, this is real.The third spookiness is in how the rotoscope imbues the ghost on the screen with the personality and very subtle movements of the lively Cab, a man haunted by his own demons.This was during the period that it was possible to have a character (in Betty) that superficially looked and acted silly but conveyed deep and dangerous tides of sex. If these would have been in color, she would be redheaded, like Clara Bow.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Everything works here-the song, "Minnie the Moocher" goes hand in glove with the character of Betty Boop, the music and the animation are a wonderful fit, Cab Calloway has just the right flair to pull it all together, it all works splendidly and gives the viewer a treat for both eyes and ears. Betty Boop was animation's answer to Clara Bow, the "It" Girl and the early shorts were more risque and playful than the later ones, after The Code took effect. An excellent short, in print and available. Well worth seeing. Most highly recommended.