Buddy in Africa (1936) - A bizarre, cringey time capsule

So, should you watch Buddy in Africa today? Absolutely not, unless you are an animation historian or someone who likes cringing at 1930s racial stereotypes. 😬 Normal viewers will probably hate it, but cartoon nerds might find it interesting as a museum piece.

For some context, Buddy was the guy Warner Bros. brought in to replace Bosko. He is famously known as the most boring cartoon character ever created.

In this one, he is running a traveling "variety store" on a weird bicycle cart. He’s got everything from top hats to musical instruments.

A plot that just sort of happens

The story is basically nonexistent. Buddy shows up, sings a song, some native caricatures dance, and then a gorilla steals his clothes. 🤷‍♂️

The music is actually the only saving grace here. The Four Blackbirds do the harmony singing, and it is genuinely catchy despite the visuals being highly yikes.

There is a moment where Buddy tries to sell a top hat to a wild animal, and the animal just stares at him. The scene goes on about 10 seconds too long and feels totally flat.

It reminds me of other bizarre early talkie era cartoons like Red-Headed Baby, where the energy is just so different from the Looney Tunes we grew up with.

If you have seen other weird films from this era, like the thriller The Menace, you know how wild 1930s media could get. But this cartoon is a different kind of strange.

Odd little details

The animation itself is pretty rubbery and cheap-looking. Buddy’s face has this permanent, slightly terrifying grin that never goes away, even when he is in danger.

• The gorilla wears a bowler hat at the end.
• The background trees look like they were painted in five minutes.
• Buddy's dog, Towser, does almost nothing useful.

Honestly, the whole seven minutes feels like a fever dream. You can finish it quickly and then immediately want to wash your eyes out.

It is not good, but it is fascinating in a car-crash sort of way.