Making Stars

Bette presents a show of "future stars," all babies who give us quick vaudeville-type song and dance numbers. They play the spoons are cry to the music. All of the baby acts cry and most of them have to have something to quiet them down as they leave the stage.

One part is definitely racist in that the black babies are lured off by a big watermelon. None of the acts: white, black or Asian are funny, to be honest.

The only one that make me at least smile was the act where babies were doing a Russian dance.

Overall, not of Betty's best.

As a history teacher and lover of films, I occasionally like watching cartoons that have been banned, as they tell us a lot about our society and how far we have come over the years. What was perfectly acceptable decades ago is now, in some cases, seen as gross and inappropriate. Occasionally, these cartoons which have been removed from screening aren't particularly offensive but often, as in the case of this cartoon, they are so god-awful it's hard to imagine that people would have laughed at and enjoyed these films! Thirteen of these cartoons have been packaged together on a DVD entitled "Cartoon Crazys: Banned and Censored" and while the print quality of many of the cartoons is less than stellar, it's a great chance to see how sensibilities have changed.

This cartoon consists of a talent show put on by Betty Boop. However, the acts are all babies and none of it is funny or interesting. While this is not too unusual for Boop cartoons, this one is definitely less interesting than usual AND has the added bonus of some amazingly gross Black stereotypes. First, there are some performing babies that look a lot like Little Black Sambo, not humans. Second, there is an appallingly gross scene of a Black child in the audience who is screaming and is only quieted when his mother gives him a huge slice of watermelon! The result is a god-awful and embarrassing mess. While I am a huge proponent of the First Amendment right to free speech, in a rare case I am happy this film was pulled from circulation--horribly dull, too many dumb baby scenes AND completely offensive don't make for especially good viewing unless you are a pedophile or Klansman.

Betty Boop, with the voice of Mae Questel, is the host of a show where future stars do their tricks. These future stars are all babies. They make their music or they dance, they end up crying and taken of the stage. Between the performances we see Betty Boop announcing the next future star, and we have a little intermezzo in the audience.

Although this short has some nice moments there is an offensive part in the middle that ruins the short a little. I liked the song that Betty sings, I liked most of the babies and if the black triplets were not presented the way they were I might have enjoyed that part, and the part in the audience, as well. Now that part was offensive and therefore not very funny.

A good deal of the pre-Production Code Betty Boop cartoons are daring and creative, with content that makes one amazed at what's gotten away with. While the later Betty Boop cartoons made after the Code was enforced are still watchable and exceptionally well-made, they are so toned down, with the risqué and surreal edge and creativity of the pre-Code cartoons gone, that they feel bland.

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. The good news is that she has not lost her charm, she is still cute and her comic timing is decent.

The animation is rich in detail and beautifully and meticulously drawn and the music is infectious, lyrical and dynamic. The voice acting is fine.

Unfortunately, that is pretty much all 'Making Stars' has going for it. It is not hard to see why it is seen as offensive, the acts are stereotypically characterised and not in a way that's funny, imaginative or cute and parts like the "Hi De Ho" one are not in good taste. 'Making Stars' has more problems than it being offensive though.

If anybody enjoyed the pre-code Betty Boop cartoons for being wonderfully surreal and for its daring risqué content that was ahead of the time back in the 30s and wouldn't be seen a lot now in cartoons, they will be disappointed here. Both are completely absent here, as well as any creativity, humour and only Betty shows any signs of cuteness. The story is non-existent and has very little energy due to the material being so lacking.

Overall, a misfire and unless one is a Betty Boop cartoon completest easily skipable. 3/10 Bethany Cox