We wanted to make sure you didn't miss the announcement of our new Sustainer program. Once you've finished reading, take a moment to check out the new program, as well as all the benefits of becoming a Sustainer.
Betty Boop in Snow-WhiteDave Fleischer directed this 1933 Betty Boop cartoon for Paramount, with song vocals by, and the rotoscoped dance moves of, Cab Calloway. Animation is credited to Roland C. Crandall. This is not a conventional telling of the Snow White tale.In the book The 50 Greatest Cartoons, As Selected by 1000 Animation Professionals, Leslie Cabarga reports that “Doc” Crandall animated the whole cartoon himself, working on it over six months. The sheer volume of screen action is breathtaking. And the bizarre surrealism - a hallmark of Boop cartoons - is thoroughly fascinating. In his encyclopedic Of Mice and Magic, Leonard Maltin devotes several paragraphs to describing details of the film’s action, and he calls particular attention to the throw away gags, which are abundant throughout. Regular Fleischer characters Bimbo and KoKo the Clown are prominent supporting players, but even wardrobes and props contribute to the action, and pieces of the background scenery have speaking parts. The cartoon doesn’t feature a typical linear storyline, rather it displays a stream-of-consciousness run amuk. It’s quite the tour de force of animation.
Be a Sustainer
We surveyed thousands of readers and asked what they would like to see in a monthly giving program. Now, for the first time, we're offering three different levels of support, with rewards at each level, including a magazine subscription, books, tote bags, events and more—all starting at less than 17 cents a day. Check out the new Sustainer program.
More articles by Brian Zick
The ITT List
FBI Director Mueller Contradicts Gonzales
The ITT List
Democrats Request Special Counsel Be Appointed to Investigate Perjury Charges Against Gonzales
The ITT List
Rove and Deputy Jennings Subpoenaed by Senate Judiciary Committee
Similar articles

The ITT List
Why My Students Don’t Need Armed Guards
Ashley Lauren Samsa
The ITT List
Fahreed Zakaria Rips Bush a New One on Daily Show
Brian Zick
The ITT List
Gates Approved by Armed Services Committee
Brian Zick