Watching Betty Boop's Big Boss is a weird trip

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for the surreal, rubber-hose animation of the 1930s, sure. But if you’re looking for a plot that makes sense or a healthy depiction of, well, anything? Skip it. It’s mostly for people who like their cartoons slightly unhinged and a bit messy.

The whole setup is basically a desk job nightmare turned into a fever dream. Betty is just trying to be a secretary, but the boss is a total creep. And here’s the kicker—she’s not exactly fighting him off. It’s a very specific kind of vintage dynamic that’ll make you shift in your seat a little bit.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Betty Boop's Big Boss (1933) through its definitive frames.

I found myself staring at the background art more than the actual action. Those ink-blot shadows have this weird, wobbly life of their own. It’s almost hypnotic how the furniture seems to melt when the boss starts chasing her around. Nothing stays solid for more than five seconds.

There is this one moment where the boss tries to be smooth, and his face just goes completely lopsided. It looked like the animator was having a laugh or maybe just ran out of coffee. It’s the kind of mistake that makes these old shorts feel more human than anything digital. ✏️

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Betty Boop's Big Boss (1933) through its definitive frames.

If you want to see some other weird stuff from that era, you might get a kick out of Frozen Frolics. It has that same frantic, bouncy energy that makes no sense but keeps your eyes glued to the screen.

Honestly, the pacing is all over the place. One second they are filing papers, the next everything is exploding into a jazz-fueled mess. It’s not deep. It’s not trying to win an award. It’s just noisy.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Betty Boop's Big Boss (1933) through its definitive frames.

I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it. It’s just a cartoon where everyone moves like they are made of noodles. But the weird tension between Betty and her boss? It’s tough to ignore. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you this is all just a bit of lighthearted fun. I wasn't buying it, but I couldn't look away either.

• The boss's mustache is a character on its own.
• The way Betty giggles when things go wrong is… a choice.
• The ink work is surprisingly sharp for something this old.

It’s not as polished as The Mask, but it’s got that raw, frantic soul. If you’ve got ten minutes to kill and a high tolerance for vintage weirdness, give it a go. Just don't expect a masterpiece.