Cartoon a Day: Betty Boop's Penthouse

Betty Boop's Penthouse
1933
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Available on: YouTube

I had to not blog for several days, due to a puppet festival and a very sick child at home. So here we go again, enjoy "Betty Boop's Penthouse," courtesey of YouTube.



From the very first frame you can tell this is going to be a creative short. The broken smoke stack haphazardly repaired with smoke that twists around as it comes out is such an original gag, it sets the tone for what's to come.

The short doesn't actually spend that much time at Betty's penthouse. Bimbo and Koko's science lab is a source for a lot more humor. Their experiments at the opening of the film are classic Fleischer and have a great progression as the gags build on each other. When they discover Betty on the roof of a building across the street, well, it's a perfect example of just how risque Miss Boop could be. As they watch her cool herself off with a garden hose I couldn't help think of David watching Bathsheba.

My only complaint with this short is that the ending is a bit abrupt, otherwise this is a great Betty Boop short.