Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle

In some of Betty Boop's early films, the orchestra providing music in the cartoon is shown (usually at the beginning). In this case, The Royal Samoans (a Polynesian style group performing native style songs) is featured. While there was a lot of racism in Hollywood at this time (and a bit later in this film), I was impressed that Fleischer Brothers Studio often featured non-white groups in these cartoons—such as Cab Calloway and The Royal Samoans.

The film begins with Bimbo the dog on his tiny boat. He zips about and the film is even more crazily anthropomorphic than usual—and I loved the way his trip was shown on the map. Eventually, he lands on some South Seas island and meets a dark-skinned Betty Boop. They romance* and this little get together is interrupted by savages with bones through their hair. Now I am pretty sure some folks will blanch at the way these people are portrayed—it is certainly NOT politically correct. Bimbo is scared and wants to fit in, so he darkens his face and puts a bone through his hair. The tribesmen love him and make him their leader. To celebrate, Betty dances a nice little tune---TOPLESS! She clearly isn't wearing a top but her boobs are covered with a lei. While this was quite acceptable at the time it was released, this never would have been allowed when the new Production Code was enforced starting in mid-1934—and the Fleischers were forced to make Betty more family-friendly. I thought it was actually pretty innocent and fun. In the end, Bimbo's cover is broken—and there is a crazy chase that made me chuckle. All in all, I liked the music, I liked the cartoon and I recommend you see it—even with its flaws.

*When Betty Boop first began, she had long doggy ears. So, having her being romanced by Bimbo the dog wasn't a big deal. But once they made her 100% human, such interactions seemed really creepy. Apparently others also thought so and her romance with Bimbo soon fizzled. Later, Betty got a dog of her own (Pudgy)—one that acted like a dog!

The Betty Boop cartoons -- or "Talkartoons" were always superior musically to the competition but Disney usually was better in terms of animation. The Fleischer Brothers, however, were always ahead technically, both with sound (in 1924) and here, were the dance numbers are clear animated using rotoscope.

If you can put up with the modest racism, you can enjoy the Polynesian Bette. We start with some Samoans doing their thing and then move to Bette and her Buddy falling into their usual surrealist shtick. It does involve some blackface and stereotypical "natives," but the creativity is there for the viewing.

This is a great cartoon featuring Betty in all her glory. There is a phrase, "Anything can happen in a cartoon" and that describes the early Fleischers in general and the Betty Boop series in particular. These cartoons are animated insanity in some cases and are quite engaging for the viewer, because anything (well, almost anything) is likely to happen and the charm is trying to catch lots of little things. In print and available. Well worth watching. Recommended.

I know I said "Mask-A-Raid" is my only favorite Betty Boop cartoon featuring Bimbo that I love. I also adore "Minding the Baby" and "Betty Boop's Bamboo Island." I had watched it on YouTube, and now this cartoon has become another favorite of mine. The cartoon showcases island dances, including Betty's hula dance, which the animators rotoscoped, and a top-notch soundtrack by a group called The Royal Samoans. I was curious whether they had released any albums prior to this cartoon.

I like the scene where Bimbo pretends to be a native by painting his face and wearing a bone in his hair to impress the Samoans and become their king. However, it's important to note that there are offensive portrayals of black island natives in the cartoon. It's essential to acknowledge these inaccuracies and ensure political correctness. Rather than removing these cartoons entirely, it's valuable to discuss them with older relatives to gain insight into the historical context.

Overall, I still think it's another superb Betty Boop cartoon that co-stars Bimbo.