Betty Boop’s Ups and Downs (1932)

Betty Boop’s Ups and Downs Review

Betty Boop’s Ups and Downs is a 1932 animated short film from the Betty Boop series. It is a very strange, interesting short.

The subject of this cartoon was a timely one for 1932 – the era of the Great Depression. Every house is on sale as Betty tries to find one for herself. Eventually, the entire planet is up for sale. This leads to a very odd, surreal imagery of the planet losing gravity as people and animals are moved toward the skies. This entire prolonged sequence was meant to be funny, but it was only mildly amusing. It was an original conceit for sure, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

The ending was also rushed, but the beginning was quite interesting. The comedic highlights include Saturn buying Earth and the building in the first scene trying to repair itself. Those crazy, surreal Fleischer moments are always a treat. This is a stellar short that is thematically grounded and serious, but the lightweight treatment made it more palatable for children. The animation is stunningly detailed as always.

Betty Boop’s Ups and Downs has a messy second half, but it remains a positively strange cartoon with terrific animation and some memorable surreal moments.

My Rating – 3.7