Sinkin' in the Bathtub (1930)

. . . it's clear that the die has been cast to proclaim Warner Bros.' new animated shorts division as America's Extreme Early Warning System, particularly for its upcoming 21st Century Calamities, Catastrophes, Cataclysms, and Apocalypti. You can look at almost any snippet of SINKIN' IN THE BATHTUB and seem to hear a Morgan Freeman-like voice narrating from the Heavens, "Welcome to Trump World." From the cow spitting a giant glob of black chew at Bosko and Honey while blocking the progress of their touring car in the highway (obviously symbolizing the Environmental Rapist White House Resident-Elect Donald J. Rump has named as America's new "Protector" of Mother Nature) to the automobile itself that turns into a runaway bathtub at the drop of a hat (representing Conspiracy Theory Promoter Michael Flynn, Rump's man to be in charge of National Security), 2017 portends to be so Topsy Turvy that it's likely to be the last to begin under our current U.S. Constitution. When it's YOUR turn to sink below the swampy surface for the third and final time, don't be surprised to hear a Looney Tunes refrain echoing in your doomed brain, screaming "We tried to tell you so!"

"Sinkin' in the Bathtub" is a black-and-white cartoon from the very early days of Warner Bros. and Schlesinger Studios. It runs for 8 minutes almost, a bit longer than they usually do, and features Bosko, a cartoon character who is almost forgotten today, but was somewhat popular back over 85 years ago and existed in several other cartoons too. Unfortunately, this film here is an example of style over substance. Story is basically non-existent and follows in the path of the animation and the little tricks the makers used here. As a consequence, it is all about the wit and metaphors that were referenced in here, but it is not enough to make this video about Bosko and his girlfriend Honey a rewarding watch. Also Mel Blanc is not on board yet, but then again voice-acting is almost non-existent in here and audibly it is all about the (failry forgettable) music. Long way to go for Warner Bros. till their peak. Not recommended.

In this Looney Tunes short, the first Looney Tunes short ever made (the first proper one anyway), the main characters, Bosko and Honey, are black people. This makes watching the cartoon very sad, because Bosko and Honey are portrayed more as animals than people (otherwise it would not be a big deal at all). You grow to love them, but I cannot come over the fact that I am watching cartoon PEOPLE rather than cartoon ANIMALS. Even though I am seethingly against racism, I cannot help but love this cartoon (like a few other racist Looney Tunes shorts, but not in the same way).Anyhow, in this very odd (for today's standards) cartoon, there are two characters called Bosko and Honey. They are both black people, Bosko is a person who manages to make an instrument out of everything and Honey is his sweet sweetheart. They both go out together and find themselves in some quite turbulent adventures, but everything becomes all right in the end and shows that (not avoiding the cliché) love always finds a way. :-)I loved this short because I found Bosko and Honey such cute characters, I liked the "oddness" of the episode and I enjoyed the old type of slapstick involved (which ran through both Looney Tunes and Walt Disney's cartoons at the same time, in very similar ways).I recommend "Sinkin' in the Bathtub" to people who can understand the racism of this episode and not let it spoil the short, and to cartoon historians. It is worth it for every Looney Tunes fan to watch just for the fact that this was the first Looney Tunes cartoon (which was a series that ran until 1969). Enjoy "Sinkin' in the Bathtub"! :-)8 and a half out of ten.

This is the first official Looney Tunes short (there was a demonstration short, called Bosko the Talk-ink Kid, that served as a pilot and got the ball rolling and is actually a more interesting short than this one is, in some respects) and it has the first recurring character, Bosko. As characters go, Bosko is average-not the best, but not the worst either. The main problem with Bosko shorts is the sameness of them. They have some very amusing and occasionally clever bits, but a lot of the gags are repeated ad tedium. I want to talk about some of the things happening in the short, so there may be spoilers below: Almost anything can be a musical instrument in a Bosko short (and often is). The short begins with Bosko in the bathtub, with Bosko humming the song, "Singing In the Bathtub" and playing various "musical" instruments and eventually dancing, where the bathtub also starts dancing as well. Bosko gets dressed and goes to his garage to get his car, which is in the out-house. He drives over to his girlfriend Honey's place and she too is humming the same song in her bathtub. I'm curious to know just how much sheet music for "Singing In the Bathtub" was sold after this short came out. But I digress.After turning various items (including steps) into musical instruments, they go off in Bosko's car. After a misadventure or two, Bosko falls out of the car and breaks into several tiny versions of himself (a gag they would often repeat in later shorts with Bosko and other characters) eventually "pulling himself together" and chasing after the car. In the end, everyone goes off a mountain cliff and Bosko and Honey wind up "Singing In the Bathtub" again-a lake! This is on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 3 and is well worth seeing. The Collection itself is highly recommended.