Betty Boop M.D. - Toonstalgia

Toonstalgia: Betty Boop M.D.

A Fleischer Studio Cartoon

Directed by Dave Fleischer
Animated by Willard Bowsky and Thomas Goodson
Betty Boop, Voiced by Mae Questel
Released 1932

Rating: Effects may vary

Buy Jippo

Betty, Koko and Bimbo are in a small town selling their Jippo medicine causing effects like hair growth, aging and death.

Important Message about Patent Medicines

"Betty Boop M.D." draws attention to the dangers of patent medicines. Jippo produces many effects including death. Also transforming a baby into Mr. Hyde for the final shot of the cartoon. Thank you to classic cartoons for elucidating the reference. You can see their article on Betty Boop M.D. here.

At the time, many products were sold that claimed to be medicines but weren't. The Great Depression meant people didn't have money for doctors so they looked elsewhere for help. People profited from this desperation by selling elixirs that promised to cure their ills. Unscrupulous businessman made promises to desperate people...some things never change.

The twist in this cartoon is everyone knows Jippo is bad. It says it on the wagon but they buy it anyway because Betty is so beautiful. They suffer the consequences of not heeding the warnings.

Cartoons were not necessarily for kids.

This short shown before 3 different precode films when it ran in the theaters according to the advertising of the time, "The Mask of Fu Manchu", "Love Me Tonight" and "Blonde Venus". I have trouble imagining these movies would be of interest to kids or approved for kids in the case of "The Mask of Fu Manchu" but I don't know. I haven't been able to turn up a conclusive yes or no in my research.

"The Mask of Fu Manchu" is about a group of Englishmen fighting to keep Genghis Khan's weapons out of the hands of Dr. Fu Manchu and his daughter, played by Boris Karloff and Myrna Loy. The movie was a thriller with violent and sexual elements.

While filming the movie, Karloff worried whether his Chinese fans would "object to his British accent" (The Evening News, August 27, 1932). Considering the racist content of the film, worrying about the British accent is strange. The character was so offensive that in 1945, just 13 years later, the Chinese government stopped a new movie from being produced in Hollywood.  Sax Rohmer, the creator of Fu Manchu, objected and claimed he loved China. Sax Rohmer was an Englishman. He had a lucrative contract in place for the new movie (The Des Moines Register, February 23, 1945).

"Love Me Tonight" is a musical, romantic comedy set in Paris and also with Myrna Loy in the cast. I mention this because I like Myrna Loy. She plays a countess with three interests: men, the fun life and getting her hands on her money. Anyway, in the film a tailor falls in love with a princess while pretending to be a Baron and they sing.

In "Blonde Venus", Marlene Dietrich plays Helen, a cabaret singer. She is unfaithful to her husband with Nick, played by Cary Grant, while he is overseas being treated for radium poisoning. He returns and learns of her infidelity. This leads to the breakup of her marriage. The threat of losing custody of her son makes Helen flee.

Cinema was different before the code was enforced. Their content was more "scandalous" and "immoral". The cartoons themselves were precode and they would change later to meet code but not for a few more years.

Sources

Betty Boop, M.D. Dir. Dave Fleischer. Perf. Mae Questel. Paramount Pictures, 1932.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Boop,_M.D.

http://classiccartoons.blogspot.com/2009/06/betty-boop-md.html

Carroll, Harrison. (1932, August 27). Behind the Scenes in Hollywood. The Evening News, pp.2.

(1945, February 23). Called 'Bad Propaganda' Wicked Fu Manchu Dies. The Des Moines Register, pp.3.