Bimbo's Express is six minutes of pure, weird 1930s energy

You should definitely watch this if you have six minutes to spare and a taste for the unsettling side of early animation. It’s perfect for people who like seeing inanimate objects grow legs and dance, but if you want a plot that actually makes sense, you'll probably hate it. 🚚

Betty Boop is moving houses, but this is early Betty, so she still has those weird floppy dog ears. It’s a look, I guess, but it always catches me off guard how much she changed later.

Bimbo shows up with a moving van that is basically its own character. The way the truck pants and breathes like it’s about to have a heart attack is... a lot to take in first thing in the morning.

The Music is the Real Star

Most of the cartoon is just Bimbo trying to flirt while moving heavy furniture around. He sings "Hello Beautiful" and it’s actually pretty catchy in a scratchy, old-record sort of way.

I love the moment where the furniture starts moving itself. It’s lazy writing but the animation is so fluid you don't really care that it makes no sense.

There is a bit where he’s carrying a piano and it feels like the animators just gave up on gravity. It just sort of floats or bounces or whatever it wants to do.

I noticed a small poster on the wall in one shot that looks like it belongs in a different movie entirely. It’s those tiny, messy details that make these old shorts feel so alive compared to the clean stuff we get now.

It kind of has the same frantic energy you see in A Damsel in Distress, just with more rubber-hose limbs. The way Bimbo moves is so bouncy it's almost exhausting to watch.

The ending isn't even a real ending, honestly. It just sort of stops after a musical number like they ran out of ink or time. 🐶

One reaction shot of Bimbo looking at Betty lingers way too long. It starts to feel a bit creepy, but that’s just how these 1930s cartoons were—a lawless wasteland of weird vibes.

I think I enjoyed the background art more than the actual characters this time. The way the rooms are drawn feels very lived-in, even if the furniture is currently dancing.

If you like this, you might also find the weirdness of Soft Shoes interesting for its era. But really, come for the "Hello Beautiful" song and stay for the breathing truck.

It's not a masterpiece, but it’s fun. Just don't think too hard about the dog ears. 🎹