I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles (1930) is a weird, wet fever dream

Is this worth watching today? Honestly, yes, if only because it is only six minutes long and feels like a time capsule from a world that didn't have rules yet. If you like seeing how people used to amuse themselves before the internet, you will get a kick out of it. People who need a 'story' or high-definition graphics will probably find it annoying or just plain creepy.

It starts with these mice. They are everywhere. They are carrying these buckets of water to wash the other animals, and the water doesn't really look like water. It looks more like grey jelly or maybe heavy syrup. The way it splashes out of the buckets is hypnotic in a weird way.

One mouse is scrubbing a hippo, and the hippo looks like he is barely tolerating the whole situation. There is a specific moment where a bucket falls and just... flatens out. The physics in 1930 were clearly different than they are now.

I noticed that the mice don't really have personalities. They are just like a little army of workers. It reminds me a bit of the energy in Monkeying Around, where everything is just moving for the sake of moving. There is no real reason for the washing, they just do it.

Then we get Bunny Boy. That is what I am calling him because he is a rabbit and he acts like a little man. He blows a whistle or a horn to get everyone together for 'practice.' It is very sudden. The transition is clunky, like they realized they only had three minutes left to get to the song.

The Sing-Along Part

This is where the 'Screen Song' gimmick starts. If you have never seen one of these, a little white ball bounces over the words at the bottom of the screen. It is supposed to help the audience stay in time. I tried to sing along in my living room and felt very silly.

The song is 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles.' It is a pretty sad song if you actually listen to the words. 'They fly so high, nearly reach the sky, then like my dreams, they fade and die.' That is dark for a cartoon with a dancing rabbit, right?

The rabbit is the conductor. He has these big, staring eyes that never seem to blink. He looks directly at the camera, which is to say, he looks directly at you. It feels like he is judging whether or not you are actually singing.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles (1930) through its definitive frames.

There is a part where the bubbles start filling the screen. Some of them have faces. Of course they do. In this era of animation, if something exists, it probably has a face and a pair of white gloves. It is a bit much after a while.

I kept thinking about The Barker while watching this. Both movies have this weird obsession with performance and 'putting on a show' even when the audience is just animals or us. It is a very vaudeville kind of vibe.

The animation is super rubbery. Everything bounces. When the rabbit moves his arms, they look like they are made of noodles. There is no bone structure in this universe. It is actually kind of relaxing to watch if you don't think about it too hard.

I did notice one mistake where a mouse's ear just disappears for a frame. It is right near the beginning when they are hauling the water. It’s those little imperfections that make me like these old shorts more than the perfect CGI stuff we get now. You can tell someone actually sat there and drew this on a piece of celluloid.

• The hippo's face is pure boredom.
• The bubbles making little 'pop' sounds is the best part.
• The rabbit’s bowtie seems to have a life of its own.

Is it a masterpiece? No. It is a commercial for a song. But it is a charming commercial. It feels like something you would find on a dusty reel in a basement and feel lucky to have found.

The ending is abrupt. The song finishes, the bubbles are gone, and that is it. No big wrap-up. Just 'the end.' I kind of respect that. It doesn't overstay its welcome. 🫧

If you have kids, show them this. They will probably ask why the rabbit looks 'wrong,' and you can tell them that is just how 1930 was. It was a weird time for everyone.

I think I liked the first half with the cleaning more than the singing. The mice were more interesting than the rabbit. They had a job to do. The rabbit just wanted attention. Typical.

Anyway, go watch it on YouTube or something. It is a good way to kill five minutes while you are waiting for your coffee to brew. Just don't blame me if the song gets stuck in your head for the next three days. I have been humming it since yesterday and it is starting to annoy my cat.