ReFrederator Blog

“Betty Boop and Grampy” is today’s addition to our “Singular Duos Week” — another terrific team from the Fleischer cartoon mill. Toondom’s foremost inventor and certainly the most uninhibited character ever to wear spats, Grampy always brought out the best in Betty during the later part of her film career. Let’s be honest — once her hemline came down, and her lyrics turned strictly PG, La Boop could be just a bit boring at times. Enter the animated elder statesman, a guy who always has an idea for a good time (the only reason he even uses his magical thinking cap.) Pretty soon Betty is her old happy go lucky self, hoofin’ it up with just about anyone hanging around (in this film, Grampy tells BB to bring the gang to a party at his house — the “gang” turns out to be all the men she meets for the very first time, walking along a stretch of sidewalk.)

Of course, this all brings up the delicate question of exactly what the relationship is between Betty and Grampy. We could just take things at face value, and assume that they are some sort of blood relatives — granddaughter and grandfather, or some such — there’s not much of a physical resemblance, but they do both seem to know some of the same dance steps!

ReFrederator redoubles its efforts with another cartoon tomorrow!

Dave Kirwan