Bedelia (1930) Review - A very weird dog and a singing ball

Is it worth a watch?

If you have six minutes and you like old-school weirdness, then yeah, give it a look. It’s perfect for people who love animation history or just want to see what people thought was funny ninety years ago. 🐶

Most regular movie fans will probably hate it because it’s not really a "movie" with a plot. It’s more like a karaoke session from the Great Depression.

So, the whole thing starts with this dog. He’s walking along, clearly on a mission to see his girl.

The animation is that classic squishy style where everything—even the trees—seems to be breathing. It’s a bit distracting if you stare at the background for too long.

Then we meet Bedelia, the girlfriend. The movie is honestly kind of mean to her! 😅

She’s a dog too, I think? But she’s wearing a wig and she has her teeth sitting in a glass by the bed.

It’s such a specific, gross little detail for a cartoon. It made me laugh, but also, poor Bedelia.

Our main dog guy doesn't seem to care, though. He’s just happy to be there.

The music is handled by Billy Murray. No, not the guy from Ghostbusters—the famous singer from back then who sounded like he was smiling through every single note.

His voice has that scratchy, tinny quality that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a dusty attic. I kind of love it.

The "Bouncing Ball" part is the main event here. It’s supposed to help the audience sing along in the theater.

I tried to follow it, but the ball moves so fast. I felt like I was failing a rhythm game on my phone.

The lyrics are all about how Bedelia is a "fine lady," which is funny considering the movie just showed us her hair falling off. It’s got this sarcastic vibe that I wasn't expecting from 1930.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Bedelia (1930) through its definitive frames.

It reminded me a little bit of the animal energy in A Close Shave, even though that’s way newer and actually has a story. There’s just something about a dog trying his best that always works.

I noticed a small mistake in the drawing where the dog’s ear disappears for a frame. You have to really look for it, but once you see it, it’s all you can look at.

The whole thing feels very handmade. Not like the perfect digital stuff we get now.

There’s another short called Trying to Get Along that has a similar simple feel, but Bedelia is definitely the weirder of the two. It’s the teeth. I can't get over the teeth.

Why did they think that was the best joke to put in? It feels like a joke an uncle would tell at Thanksgiving after one too many drinks.

The song itself is actually pretty catchy. I’ve been humming "Bedelia, I'd like to steal ya" for the last hour and it’s starting to annoy my roommate.

The way the lyrics crawl across the screen is a bit clunky. Sometimes the words overlap the drawings.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a vibe. It feels like a time capsule that someone dug up by accident.

If you’ve seen Where North Holds Sway, you know how those old films can feel a bit slow and empty. This is the opposite—it’s fast and loud and then it’s over.

I think I liked the first half better than the singing half. The dog’s little walk had more character than the bouncing ball did.

Anyway, it’s a weird little nugget of history. Watch it if you want to feel like you’re in a 1930s movie theater for five minutes. 📽️

Just don't expect it to make much sense. It’s just a dog, a wig, and a song.

Sometimes that's all you need on a Tuesday night. Or maybe I just need to watch more normal movies.

One last thing—the way the dog waves at the end is really cute. It’s the most human moment in the whole thing.