Be Up to Date (1938)

Be Up to Date Review

Be Up to Date is a 1938 animated short film from the Betty Boop series. It is a pretty good cartoon.

Betty Boop’s Traveling Department Store comes to Hillbillyville. The mountain folks find old uses for the new gadgets, such as using a waffle iron for ironing hair, or playing music, in which Betty joins in on the fun. This is one of the most entertaining entries in the series and one of the most underrated. Yes, it doesn’t have a plot to speak of and it is a one-gag cartoon, but that gag was quite funny.

This movie provokes discussion about racism as white villagers were here depicted as lazy, stupid and ugly, which felt very similar to the depiction of black people in these cartoons. But the villagers were still a lot of fun and the music was phenomenal. The titular song is hilarious and so good while the dance sequence is lively and so much fun. The animation is another highlight – the village was gorgeously composed and the 3D panning effect at the beginning was truly astonishing to witness.

Be Up to Date is slightly plotted, but so funny in Betty’s casual racism against the country folk. The lively music and polished animation were the highlights here.

My Rating – 4