THE ROBOT (1932)
Animated Cartoon
Article 2814 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 1-20-2009
Posting Date: 4-27-2009
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Voice cast unknown

Bimbo wants to marry his girlfriend, but she won’t accept him unless he wins a round with a boxer called One Round Mike. When it becomes obvious to him that he is outclassed by the boxer, he transforms his car into a robot to help him fight.

I found this cartoon on a Betty Boop collection, though, strictly speaking, this isn’t a Betty Boop cartoon; it’s a Bimbo cartoon. The girlfriend may be a prototype of Betty Boop, but not a close one. This one is a little disappointing, especially as it follows BIMBO’S INITIATION on the same tape, which is not only a surreal classic, but contains a much clearer early version of Betty. This one is amusing, but the gags are nowhere near as inventive as the Fleischer cartoons at their best, and the robot almost comes off as largely a piece of armor most of the time. It’s a little bit racy, too; Bimbo ends up peeking in on his girlfriend while she’s taking a bath, something that could only have flown in the precode days. All in all, a minor entry in the series.