Betty Boop for President (1932)

Betty Boop for President Review

Betty Boop for President is a 1932 animated short film from the Betty Boop series. It is an uneven, but unique short for its unusually political narrative.

Betty’s campaign tries to appeal to everyone. Real candidates are parodied, but campaign promises are a bit bizarre. This movie was original on so many fronts. It was a rare political cartoon for the time and it featured the first female as well as fictional president on screen. Because Roosevelt became a candidate later down the line and the movie had been made up that point, they parodied the previous candidate along with the Republican candidate Herbert Hoover. These parodies must have been hilarious back then, but are now just creepy in their grotesqueness.

This short is rather crazy and silly in Betty’s tactics and politics employed. The Mr. Nobody gag did not go anywhere and a stronger opponent was needed here. The second half went to such ridiculous scenarios, but a couple of them did stand out. The weatherman putting a giant umbrella over the city to protect it from the rain was great cartoon imagery and the highlight was Betty’s idea to turn criminals into sissies. That was hilarious. The animation here was as surreal and creative as always.

Betty Boop for President has a silly plot, but a couple of memorable, funny moments nonetheless. It’s a uniquely political short for the series.

My Rating – 3.8