Bosko at the Beach

The early Bosko series of early Looney Tunes are rarely seen. First, because they are in black and white, and most people don't have the patience for black and white. Second, because Bosko and Honey, his girlfriend, are supposed to be Black -- or Afro-Americans, depending on which term you prefer -- and are offensively drawn according to the standards of the era. Lastly, because their construction is not very good -- this is the third of perhaps two dozen in which I have seen the same "carousel" gag.

Nonetheless, there are small variations in quality, mostly in terms of the artwork. I think I see some superiority in the ones in which future director Friz Freleng -- here credited under his real name, Isadore, is one of the animators. The lines are a little cleaner, the detail done better and certain things, such as water, is drawn more interestingly.

I cannot seriously recommend this or, indeed, any of the Bosko cartoons to a casual watcher, nor any of the Looney Tunes of the era, but if you wish to study them for historical interest, the variations mentioned above are something to watch out for.

The Bosko cartoons may not be animation masterpieces, but they are fascinating as examples of Looney Tunes in their early days before the creation of more compelling characters and funnier and more creative cartoons. There are some good cartoons, as well as some average or less ones.

'Bosko at the Beach' is enjoyable, though hit and miss. It has been well established by now that the Bosko cartoons should not be seen for their stories, which was never a strong suit (quite the opposite), and the story here is very thin and predictable. Some of the material borders on the repetitive and the pacing is not always as tight as it could have been.

While he is decent and fun enough, Bosko is sort of limited as a character. His dog Bruno is a much funnier and more interesting character, as well as being more endearing. Wilber is tolerable, more so than usual.

As always, however, the animation is good. Not exactly refined but fluid and crisp enough with some nice detail, it is especially good in the meticulous backgrounds and some remarkably flexible yet natural movements for Bosko. The music doesn't disappoint either, its infectious energy, rousing merriment, lush orchestration and how well it fits with the animation is just a joy.

Sound quality has clarity and the synchronisation isn't sloppy and has imagination. The way Bosko is animated is well done and remarkably natural. The gags are mostly very nicely done.

On the whole, enjoyable. 7/10 Bethany Cox

There are many aspects of "Bosko at the Beach" that are annoying and have not aged well. This one features Bosko and Honey singing "La, La, La, La" repeatedly....which is positively godawful! There also is a bit with dancing hotdogs...something which was seen already in a previous installment. This is lazy, as there had been only a couple dozen Bosko shorts before this one.

For the most part, the film consists of Bosko, his dog Bruno, Honey and Honey's unnamed cat all cavorting about the beach. Later, the cat nearly drowns and Bruno comes to the rescue.

While this is not among the most sickly sweet Bosko shorts, it is pretty sweet...and hard to take because of this. There is nothing in the way of humor or edginess...and the cartoon would bore most kids. I only watched it because I am a masochist and because I love the history of animation...and even if I generally hate Bosko, he was the first Looney Tunes character and because of that, I don't mind watching these shorts.