Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (1933)

Not one of the best Betty Boop cartoons, not by a long shot. Still a fine cartoon in many ways, and while very kid-oriented that shouldn't put adults off from seeing it.Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation. The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. That charm, sensuality and adorable factor is not lost anywhere in 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers'.As ever in a Betty Boop cartoon, the animation is still incredibly good, the detail is immaculate, there are the typical imaginative moments (especially with the toys) and everything is beautifully drawn. Every bit as good and even better is the music, which is full of energy and lyrical elegance, and accessible to anybody. The supporting characters are good enough (if perhaps a little too many), while the voice acting suits the characters and cartoon well. The story is very thin structurally and may feel saccharine and cutesy for some, but paced in an efficient way that still makes 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers' engaging.While there are Betty Boop cartoons that are more surreal, 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers' is one of the most risqué of the 1933 bunch of her cartoons, and boasts some imaginative visuals, humorous gags (like with the chimney) and clever touches like the ending. A lot of fun throughout.On the whole, not a favourite of the Betty Boop cartoons but still with a lot to like. 8/10 Bethany Cox

"Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" is a Betty Boop cartoon from over 80 years ago. It has sound, is black-and-white (as almost all of her cartoons) and runs for 8 minutes, a minute longer than cartoons usually did back then. Dave Fleischer and Seymour Kneitel are the directors and both, especially the former, belong to the most lauded cartoon makers of their era. There is always something weird and enigmatic to these Betty Boop cartoons and this one is no exception. Sadly it is not really as funny as I would have liked. My favorite scene is probably the short one with the bunnies disappearing and reappearing very differently than they went in. In 1933, the (still today) popular movie "King Kong" came out, so it's probably not a coincidence that the antagonist here is a big gorilla and Betty plays a sort-of Fay Wray character. Interesting reference, but not enough to let me recommend it.

Like so many early Betty Boop cartoons, there is a guest musician who is shown at the beginning of the short. In this case, you see Rubinoff and His Orchestra performing a bit of the music for the cartoon.In this cartoon, Betty is dropped into a toy shop (literally) where she and the toys all sing and dance. Unfortunately, a nasty gorilla doll comes alive and begins destroying things. So, it's up to the toy soldiers to organize a counter-strike and save poor Bett.As far as "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" goes, I heartily agree with the other reviewer who thought it was designed for little kids. I cannot honestly see teens or adults sitting through this sort of drivel and I am pretty sure when it debuted, a lot of folks too bathroom and snack bar breaks during this film! It's just so gosh-darn saccharine and has absolutely no laughs at all. So, despite great animation, I really couldn't recommend this one.

Once again, we hear and see Rubinoff playing the violin to open up this Betty Boop cartoon. He plays soft, quiet music as an introduction until Betty gives ups her "oop, oop be doop" opening. Then we get to the story, where we first see big-city buildings, all linked to a toy factory, producing a mystery package that is transported by a small train and then by a plane. Eventually, it is dropped down a chimney to a magical house with wooden soldiers. Inside the box is Betty, in toy-soldier form! The wooden soldiers come to life, play the trumpets and all the toys come to life.From that point, it's a lot of song and dance until a big ape comes to life and tries to harm Betty. That's when the soldiers come to the rescue! In all, nothing super and geared a lot more to little kids.