When Fleischer Studios was on form, their output was brilliant. So stuff like 'Somewhere in Dreamland', 'A Car-Tune Portrait', Betty Boop at her most daring and the best of the Popeye cartoons (most of them in the late 30s). The 30s period did have some disappointments, with the "Color Classics" series being very hit and miss, with 'Somewhere in Dreamland' being one of the classics but there were also misfires such as the worst of the Hunky and Spunky cartoons, which were not good.
1935's 'Time for Love' is neither one of the best "Color Classics" cartoons or one of the best of the studio. It is also not one of the worst and not indicative of a quality decline, like most of the studio's 40s output (so the "Stone Age" and "Gabby" theatrical series). Personally would put it in the middling category, along with the likes of 'Bunny Mooning', being a cartoon that is pleasant and inoffensive but also with not much that is exceptional or wow-worthy and other cartoons in the series and from the studio hold up better.
'Time for Love' has a lot of good things. The best aspects are the animation and the music, which was hardly surprising as that was very common with the studio and the only two things done outstandingly in all the "Color Classics" cartoons. While there are more visually innovative cartoons of theirs, the attention to detail in the backgrounds, the lush and atmospheric colours and the smooth way everything is drawn is really lovely to watch. The music never works against the action and fits very well with it instead, it is also characterful and cleverly and beautifully orchestrated.
Some very cute and not too over-sentimental moments can be seen and the caddish rival swan is a character with a lot of personality that doesn't lean on the wrong side of too sinister or too annoying. Did think that the lovers charmed enough and weren't too bland. The message is a good one that is still relevant today
Having said all of that, the story is incredibly slight to near non-existence in parts and the conflict could have had more tension if it wasn't so predictable. Also did think it was pretty bland atmosphere-wise, any humour is next to none and that the pace tended to be pedestrian due to not having enough content to sustain a length that is not even that long.
Other Fleischer Studios cartoons hold up a lot better as 'Time for Love', some of the song's lyrics and the attitudes towards love have aged quite a bit overtime. Not many love rivals have ways of thinking today than the way the rival swan here thinks, which was very of the time and has been mostly out of date for a while. Interesting to see it from a different point of view and see how attitudes have progressed since though.
Concluding, watchable and pleasant enough if fairly average. 5/10.
