Burlesque: A vintage cartoon escape

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you’re a completionist when it comes to early animation history or you’ve got a weird itch for 1930s slapstick. If you’re looking for a plot that hangs together, you’re looking in the wrong place. But if you want six minutes of jittery, hand-drawn chaos, pull up a chair.

The whole thing starts with these two prisoners making a break for it. The animation is exactly what you expect from Terrytoons—a bit rough around the edges and constantly moving, even when the characters are standing still.

There's this one moment where they’re sprinting past a fence that feels like it repeats about four times too many. It’s hypnotic, in a glitchy, old-school way. You start wondering if the background artist just wanted to go home early.

The main event

Once they actually get to the burlesque show, the movie really loses its mind. The dancers are these rubbery, stretched-out figures that move like they’re made of warm taffy. It’s weirdly charming but also kind of unsettling if you stare at it too long. 💃

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Burlesque (1932) through its definitive frames.

I couldn't help but think about how much more grounded the animation felt in The Vagabond King. This feels much more like a fever dream by comparison.

There is a sequence with a fan dance that is just pure, unadulterated nonsense. It’s clear they were just trying to fill space with something rhythmic. The pacing here is frantic—it's like the animator was fueled entirely by burnt coffee and bad intentions.

• The sound design is mostly just tinny, repetitive trumpets.
• The characters have faces that shift shapes every other frame.
• There is a distinct lack of logic regarding how they actually fit into the theater.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely a trip. It’s not trying to tell a deep story about the human condition, which is honestly a relief. Sometimes you just want to watch two cartoon criminals stare at dancing stick figures while the world burns in the background. 🎞️

If you're curious about other stuff from that era, I'd say maybe skip this and go look at Dumb Luck instead if you want to see a slightly tighter gag rhythm. But if you’re already here, just lean back and enjoy the weirdness.