Snow White - Betty Boop, Bimbo and Koko the Clown

 Snow White - Betty Boop Cartoon

This cartoon was released in 1933. It's kind of the story of Snow White with Betty Boop playing the titular role. The short was released in theaters 4 years before Disney's Snow White. Based on the early concept art for Snow White, Betty Boop may have influenced Disney's initial designs for the film.

"St. James Infirmary Blues" 

The two Betty Boop Cartoons I have rewatched the most are Snow White and Minnie the Moocher. This is for one reason. Cab Calloway! His singing in these cartoons bring them to a higher echelon.

Cab Calloway was a Jazz singer and band leader who became popular in the 1930s and continued performing until the mid-90s. He was extremely popular and influential. He was a trail blazer. He could sing and he could dance.

The song "St. James Infirmary Blues" was kind of a cover. It's a song with legends and speculation explaining its origin. Many artists have recorded the song or a variation of it. The song tells the story of a dying gambler. An alternative title for the song was "Gambler's Blues".

Beyond the song, Cab Calloway provided his dance moves. Fleischer Studio created rotoscoping. They used rotoscoping on film of Calloway dancing to animate Koko the Clown's dancing in this cartoon. The man had smooth moves.

The Cartoon

The characters are animated in the rubberhose cartoon style with the added detail of Cab Calloway's dancing. The backgrounds of this cartoon deserve special attention. They feature beautifully rendered pale images of skeletons and monsters. The devastated expressions on Bimbo and Koko's suits of armor when they're ordered to behead Betty are great details.