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Memorable, crazy movie

Just what I expected

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Chess-Nuts (1932) ** 1/2 (out of 4)This is a rather bizarre mix of live action and animation. The film starts off with two men playing chess and then we turn to the animation as Betty Boop, Bimbo and KoKo take form on a chess board. We then see others come to life and before long a football game breaks out while the King chases Betty. I wouldn't necessarily call this a "good" movie but at the same time it's at least interesting enough to where fans of the series should be mildly entertained. Once again the animation itself is quite good but the first portion of the film is rather boring. Things finally pick up once Betty comes under attack as we're given some very Pre=code moments including her getting her dressed pulled up. The score is good but one wishes the film had gotten off to a better start.

This black-and-white Betty Boop cartoon short was one of those issued on one of the recent BluRay collections and, again, is singled out for inclusion among that "All-Time Top 3000" list on the "Wonders In The Dark" website. Therefore, I had every reason to believe that it was going to be a good one. However, apart from some mildly risqué Pre-Code images of Betty in her garters, there is little to commend it except for its historical value nowadays.The word-play of the title – which also starts with live-action footage of two old men staring each other down over a chess board and ends with them engulfed in their long white beards and a spider's web! – would suggest something akin to Vsevolod Pudovkin's CHESS FEVER (1925) or Laurel and Hardy's ME AND MY PAL (1933). However, the end result is rather bland: Betty Boop, her dog Bimbo and even Koko The Clown are pawns in a chess game who, when they come to life, are pursued by a lecherous king!

I love how they mix the live-action and the animation at the beginning as the initially realistic chess game quickly springs to life and becomes a typically chaotic fight between the hideous Old King Cole and Bimbo over the affections of the ever-musically-boppin' Miss Boop, who appears after a spot of cigarette ash falls on the black queen chess piece. I think all all of those magically strange little "Toon Town" style moments still look very effective and interesting, even today. This one's a little weak, but there's more than enough charm and creativity put into the animation that can still be admired. I love the stylish monochrome pattern of the board, it gives the short a really cool distinctive look. I enjoyed how the loony chess fight soon further devolves to include some elements of other sports. My favourite part is an impressive moment of scrolling animation when King Cole rolls one of his underlings across the board like a bowling ball! And I also liked Bimbo's altered design in his appearance as the white king. He was all white, including his ears and other parts of him that are usually black. There really wasn't any random spooky elements or anything here except for two odd little creatures that I think were supposed to be mice that popped in and out of the walls a few times to harass Betty and sabotage her pie-throwing skills! And the closing image of the two old chess players as their beards grew long as the cute little toon spider came down beside them was mighty peculiar and funny! It was also very weird when the characters went off into crazy spats of tuneless chains of mostly nonsensical gibberish syllables every now and then. ::: Overall though, it's too bad they didn't make all that much use of the chess motif, which was what I liked the best about this. It wasn't all that great, I agree with the "Movie Man's" review, it just wasn't as good as it could have been. Too short, slightly tedious and no sight gags! It's still worth watching for a neat idea, or just plain if you're a fan of the early Fleisher cartoons. It makes no sense whatsoever, but given the animator's other, far greater projects, I'd say we've come to expect that. And in this case, actually enjoy it. Checkmate!

This short is one of the most eccentric cartoons the Fleischer Brothers ever did! It opens with two men at a chess board, apparently playing a match and then turns its focus onto the pieces for the most bizarre game of chess played since Lewis Carroll penned Through the Looking Glass! Very odd, even for a Betty Boop in the early 1930s. Wonderful short. I sincerely doubt, however, that another commenter was talking about this short, from the gist of his or her comments. In print and available. Well worth watching. Highly recommended.