Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios () was an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures in 1942, the parent company and the distri ...
Betty Boop
Betty Boop is a cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Max Fleischer. She originally appeared in the '' Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pic ...
animated short
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
, directed by
Dave Fleischer
Dave Fleischer (; July 14, 1894 – June 25, 1979) was an American film director and producer who co-owned Fleischer Studios with his older brother Max Fleischer. He was a native of New York City.
Biography
Early life and career
Fleisch ...
.
Plot
The cartoon opens with
Bimbo
''Bimbo'' is slang for a conventionally attractive, sexualized naive woman. The term was originally used in the United States as early as 1919 for an unintelligent or brutish man. As of the early 21st century, the "stereotypical bimbo" appea ...
as a sailor playing a
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...
and riding in a
motorboat
A motorboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine; faster examples may be called "speedboats".
Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the inter ...
. His motorboat goes faster and faster, until it crashes into a tropical island shore. Bimbo is thrown from the wreckage and lands in another boat owned by Betty Boop, portrayed as a dark-skinned, topless (except for a strategically placed lei) island princess.
Bimbo introduces himself and sings to Betty before they go over a waterfall, and are flung from the boat into a clearing surrounded by spirited tree that sing an eerie song. A group native warriors approach, so Bimbo disguises himself by painting his face black with dirt and sticking a bone in his hair. The natives are ready to attack Bimbo at first, but treat him as an honored guest after hearing him sing. Bimbo is entertained by Betty who does a
hula
Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant (''oli'') or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), ''mele''). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli ...
dance, after which a sudden rainstorm washes off his disguise. The natives immediately turn on Bimbo, and he and Betty are chased from the village. They run until they reach Bimbo's motorboat to make a narrow escape. When it seems that they are alone, the two proceed to kiss in private behind an
umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...
, with a convenient hole.
Production
Betty's
hula
Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant (''oli'') or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), ''mele''). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli ...
dance was a visual high point of this episode and appears to be closely modeled on the hula dancer that appeared in the opening live action sequence (though the dancer was not "topless" as Betty is). This is one of the more apparent examples of the
rotoscope
Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action. Originally, live-action film images were projected onto a glass panel and traced onto paper. This pr ...
technique which the Fleisher Studio used for realistic animation. The hula sequence was later reused for Betty's cameo in 1933's ''
Popeye the Sailor
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Betty Boop's Rise to Fame''.
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...