The Busy Beavers (1931) Review - Just some hard-working guys and a lot of mud

Is it worth your time?

If you have seven minutes and you don't mind a song getting stuck in your head for the next three days, then yeah, The Busy Beavers is a good sit. It’s perfect for people who like that old-school 'rubber hose' style where everything bounces like it's made of balloons.

You’ll probably hate it if you need a plot or dialogue. There is zero talking. Just lots of rhythmic chewing and slapping noises. 🦫

I watched this on a Tuesday morning while drinking coffee and it honestly put me in a better mood than the news did. The movie starts with the beavers just... being busy. It's basically a construction site but with more fur and better choreography.

One beaver in particular caught my eye. He uses his tail like a flat trowel to pat down mud on the dam. It’s oddly satisfying to watch. Like those modern pressure washing videos but in black and white from ninety years ago.

The way they chew through trees is pretty funny too. They don't just bite; they turn into literal buzzsaws. One beaver gets a tree dropped right on his head and he just kind of shakes it off. Classic slapstick. It reminded me a little bit of the crude energy in Stone Age Stunts, though Disney clearly had more money to play with here.

The Music is the Boss

Everything in this short is slave to the beat. Every time a beaver’s tail hits the ground, it’s a drum beat. Every time they bite a branch, it’s a note on a xylophone. 🎶

It’s impressive how they synced it all up back then without computers. You can feel the effort. It makes the whole world feel like a giant machine that’s working perfectly.

There is a weird moment where the beavers start marching. I don't know why they are marching. They just are. It feels a bit like a military drill but for rodents. It’s a bit much, but hey, it was 1931.

When the Rain Hits

The movie gets much better once the storm starts. The sky turns dark—or at least a darker shade of grey—and the music gets all frantic. The lightning looks like white squiggles drawn directly onto the film. ⚡

You actually start to feel bad for them. They spent the first five minutes being so productive, and now the river is just trying to destroy everything. It’s high stakes for a cartoon about beavers.

The water animation is surprisingly heavy. It doesn't look like real water, obviously, but it has this weight to it when it hits the dam. You can see the logs starting to shift and groan. It’s actually kind of stressful?

I noticed one small detail during the flood. A beaver tries to use a turtle as a stepping stone or a tool—I couldn't quite tell which. It’s a bit mean to the turtle, but that’s early animation for you. They used animals as objects all the time back then, like in Alice on the Farm.

Final Thoughts

The ending is a bit abrupt. But that’s how these shorts usually go. They solve the problem, the sun comes out, and everybody is happy again. It’s simple.

It’s not some deep masterpiece that’s going to change your life. It’s just a well-made little clockwork toy of a movie. I think we need more stuff that just shows people (or beavers) working together and finishing a job. Even if a flood ruins half of it.

• The beaver who eats a tree like a professional lumberjack.
• The tail-slapping percussion. It's catchy.
• The storm sequence is genuinely well-animated for the time.
• No annoying dialogue to ruin the vibe.

If you’re looking for something more 'adult' or experimental from this era, maybe check out The Dream Doll instead. But if you just want to see some critters building a wall, this is the one.

I’ll probably watch it again next time I’m procrastinating on my own work. It makes being 'busy' look a lot more fun than it actually is. 🏗️