The Bum Bandit is a weird, sweaty fever dream from 1931

Is it worth seven minutes of your life?

Yeah, probably. Especially if you like old cartoons that feel like they were drawn by someone having a minor breakdown. 🚂

Animation nerds will love the weirdness. People who want things to make sense will hated it.

I watched this on a loop this morning because I couldn't get over how Bimbo looks in that mask. It doesn't even cover his face right.

The whole thing starts with a train that is basically a living creature. It breathes and pants like it’s running a marathon.

I love how the Fleischer brothers never cared about the laws of physics. The train tracks just kind of wiggle.

Bimbo is the 'Bum Bandit' here. He’s trying to be a tough guy.

He’s got this little horse that’s way too small for him. It’s funny for about three seconds and then it’s just sad.

Then we get to the main event. The robbery.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Bum Bandit (1931) through its definitive frames.

Betty Boop shows up and she’s got these long floppy dog ears. It is so distracting.

If you’ve seen The Bull-Slinger, you know how these early designs can be a bit jarring. But this is next level.

She doesn't sound like Betty yet. The voice is Harriet Lee.

It’s deep. It’s almost operatic? It feels like it belongs in a different movie entirely.

The weirdest part is when she starts talking about her kids. She has like, thirty of them on the train.

Bullet points of weird stuff I noticed:

• The way the train 'drinks' water looks like a vacuum cleaner having a stroke.
• Bimbo’s gun looks like a toy but it makes a really loud, sharp noise.
• There is a lot of sweat. Why is everyone sweating so much in 1931?
• The background characters all have the same face.

There is a scene where the train stove starts acting up. It’s just pure chaos.

The animation is that classic rubber-hose style. Everything is bouncing. Always bouncing.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Bum Bandit (1931) through its definitive frames.

I think I prefer this to some of the more polished stuff like Wood Choppers. There is a grit to it.

It’s dirty. The lines are thick. It feels handmade in a way that’s almost gross.

Bimbo tries to be mean, but Betty just sings him into submission. It’s a weird power dynamic.

Actually, is she his wife? The ending implies they know each other way too well.

The 'plot' doesn't really matter. It’s just a sequence of gags that don't always land.

One gag with a coin goes on way too long. I stopped laughing and just stared at the screen. 😐

But then there’s a shot of the train’s wheels turning into legs. That was cool.

It reminds me of the energy in My Baby, where things just happen because the animator thought it looked neat.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Bum Bandit (1931) through its definitive frames.

The music is great though. Very jazzy. Very 'Great Depression' era energy.

You can tell they were just making it up as they went along. No script, just vibes.

The ending is kind of a letdown. It just... stops.

I guess they ran out of paper? Or time?

Anyway, if you want to see Betty Boop before she was a human icon, this is a must-watch. Even if it’s a bit of a mess.

It’s better than a lot of the 'safe' cartoons from the same year. It has teeth.

I missed the squeaky voice, though. The deep voice makes her feel like a completely different person.

Or a completely different dog-person. Whatever.

Go watch it if you like surrealism and trains that look like they need a doctor. ✌️