Dizzy Dishes

While Fleischer cartoons are generally well-animated and thus worth watching from that standpoint, the only real point of interest is the comparatively brief look at Betty Boop-version 1.0. Originally, Betty Boop was conceived as a dog and gradually evolved into the Betty Boop most recognizable today. There isn't much to say about the short itself, as it's nothing terribly special. The gags are occasionally cute, but it isn't especially memorable for anything other than Betty. I've had waiters this bad before, however. Dizzy Dishes is on Betty Boop-The Definitive Collection, an excellent compilation. Maybe Popeye will receive similar treatment on DVD sometime before the heat-death of the universe. For completeists only.

...Never in my life have I watched a Betty Boop cartoon - until today. I thought I could give this one a go, as this was Betty's debut and I wanted to see what she would be like.

Betty Boop only appears in this odd and old episode for a little bit of it, but seems to be an important character. In this appearance she has dog ears, to attract the dog waiter who is the main centre of the episode. He is catering for a pub-type place with a stage for dancers (Betty Boop is a dancer and the waiter seems to dance for her later because he loves her so much). The main plot-line of the episode is the fact that the waiter is incredibly slow and everyone is waiting for him. The most stressed out customer is a rather big dog who wants roast duck. The waiter is just about to bring the roast duck to him until he is distracted by Betty Boop and dances with the duck (cooked and prepared).

Anyhow, that's pretty much the plot of the episode. I thought it was cute, entertaining and one that I would watch again. As for Betty Boop, she was not a character to interest me enough (partly because she was not the main character), so I think I'll have to watch some newer episodes with her to have a better idea of her.

I recommend this episode to people who like lots of arbitrary dancing and music in a short cartoon episode and to people who want to see Betty's first appearance - with dog ears. Enjoy "Dizzy Dishes"! :-)

7 and a half out of ten.

Besides Walt Disney, the Fleischer brothers, Max and Dave, were one of the main producers of animated cartoons in the early 1930s. Much of their success could be attributed to a flapper gal who began her career as a cross between a dog and a female singer. Her name: Betty Boop.

Betty's debut was in August 1930's "Dizzy Dishes" where she's singing a brief song that includes her soon-to-be famous catchphrase 'Boop-Oop-a-doop.' Her birth in film was just an afterthought. "Dizzy Dishes" main character was Bimbo the Pup. Betty doesn't appear until around the six minute mark, while Bimbo, whose name was derived from the term at that time to mean men who like to fight, was seen right from the beginning. "Dizzy Dishes" was part of a 42-cartoon series, labeled 'Talkartoons' that augmented Fleischer Studio's earlier "Screen Songs" series. Those musical animations morphed from the even earlier 'Ko-Ko the Clown" cartoons, who emerged from the 1918 'Out of the Inkwell" series. Ko-Ko later was featured in the follow-the-bouncing-ball films with songs featuring the clown, one of cartoon's first short films with a sound track. Bimbo the Pup was born in that string of cartoons because the Fleischers felt their clown needed a pet.

The Fleischers turned to Bimbo to headline their new Talkartoons. The dog's first lead role was in March 1930's 'Hot Dog.' In Bimbo's seventh featured cartoon, "Dizzy Dishes," Bimbo plays a stressed waiter who can't please anyone in a busy restaurant. While he's serving a table with food, he spots cabaret singer Betty on the stage. She appears as a human, but with a button dog nose, long puppy ears and Cocker Spaniel-like eyes. Betty was drawn to appeal to Bimbo. It was over a year, in January 1932's "Any Rags," before Betty dropped the dog ears, turning them into human with large earrings while she became more feminized.

Max told his animators to pattern the flapper dog Betty after actress singer Helen Kane. The likeness to the movie star was so obvious that Kane sued the Fleischers in 1932 in a $250,000 infringement lawsuit. The actress' case was based on her singing style and her "Boop-Oop-a-doop" signature phrase. The Fleischers refuted Kane's claims by pointing to Harlem singer Esther Jones, a.k.a. Baby Esther, who originated Betty Boop's trademark stanza. Turns out Kane had adopted Jones' singing style and claimed it was her own. The judge agreed with the cartoon studio's contention that Betty Boop was a combination of several singing artists.

The Best thing about this talkartoon feature was it the first cartoon to feature the animated character Betty Boop. Betty was nameless in this feature and was Originally meant as a Caricature of Helen Kane. she most likely was meant to have been Helen kane only in a cartoon form and thats why she was nameless also not to mention Betty Boop was a canine.

to avoid confusion margie hines was the first helen kane soundalike chosen to record the singing for this cartoon meaning she was first to voice Betty Boop.

The Caricature Performs one of Helen kanes Novelty Hits (I Have To Have You) with some scat lyrics of Boop Oop a Doop/ Poop Poop a Doo/ Boop Boop a Doop. the cartoon has the regular fleischer studio Gags. basically revolving around bimbo the dog. Gus the gorilla can also be seen in this short who was actually one of the characters from the Betty Boop series. Betty boops singing doesn't last very long but its great to see all the expressions in her face, some are really scary. if only her sequence went on longer.

I give this cartoon 10/10 because it was the first cartoon to feature Betty Boop. she was classed as ugly in this appearance but sooner or later she went though a few more changes which resulted in her becoming the title name called The Betty Boop Cartoons.

I won't dwell on the obvious first appearance of Miss Boop. She really is a dog. This is about one of those restaurants with a bunch of waiters and no cooks. There is one character who dominates the screen and he is totally incompetent. As watcher of cartoons we shouldn't ask questions like, How can this night club even exist?"