Betty Boop: The Essential Collection, Volume 1

Betty Boop was the “It” girl of 1930s cartoons and reigning sex symbol of early animation—a kewpie doll with big eyes, a peek-a-boo garter belt, a baby-doll figure (and voice to match), and oodles of boop-oop-a-doop sex appeal. Produced by Max Fleischer and directed by his brother, Dave Fleischer, the Betty Boop cartoons sport a bizarre sense of the absurd, as viewers will see in this set of 12 newly-remastered shorts previously unavailable on home video. Although Betty Boop debuted in 1930, most of the cartoons here date from 1932 to 1934, with Mae Questel, Bonnie Poe, and Ann Little voicing the character. Two are mixes of live-action and animation: Chess Nuts (1932), in which Betty is the black queen in a chess game; and Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934), with producer Max Fleischer playing himself and Cab Calloway as an uncredited but unmistakable guest voice. Other entries include Betty Boop for President, Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle, and Betty Boop, M.D. (all 1932); Betty Boop's Penthouse, Betty Boop's Birthday Party, Betty Boop's May Party, and Betty Boop's Halloween Party (all 1933); Betty Boop's Trial and Betty Boop's Life Guard (both 1934), and The Foxy Hunter (1937). Betty's buddy Koko the Clown and her adorable pet dog Pudgy are along for the fun in most of these shorts. Whether these are the “essential” Betty Boop selections is debatable, but these new editions are much sharper than any previously available BB cartoon compilations. A second set, Betty Boop: The Essential Collection, Volume 2, is also newly available. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)