Betty Boop and the Old Man of the Mountain: A Fever Dream

Is this for you?

If you have any appreciation for animation history, you absolutely need to see this at least once. It’s got that specific, loose-limbed energy that modern stuff totally lacks. But if you’re the type of person who needs a coherent plot or gets annoyed by characters turning into liquid, you’ll probably hate it. It’s a total trip. 🌀

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Old Man of the Mountain (1933) through its definitive frames.

Honestly, watching this feels like peering into a strange, rhythmic time capsule. Betty is her usual self—bold and seemingly immune to actual danger. She just waltzes right up to this terrifying mountain hermit like she’s visiting a neighborhood grocery store.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Old Man of the Mountain (1933) through its definitive frames.

The Old Man himself is… well, he’s a lot. When he starts singing, the whole screen seems to vibrate. There’s this moment where his limbs just stretch out like taffy, and it’s honestly kind of unnerving. It’s the kind of visual gag that makes you wonder what the animators were actually thinking. It’s brilliant, but also a little bit like a nightmare.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Old Man of the Mountain (1933) through its definitive frames.

Cab Calloway’s presence here is the real highlight. Even in animated form, he brings this swagger that’s impossible to ignore. His movements are so fluid, they make the rest of the scene look slightly stiff by comparison. The rotoscoping here is weirdly hypnotic.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Old Man of the Mountain (1933) through its definitive frames.

Random Observations

• The background art is surprisingly dark and moody, which contrasts hilariously with Betty’s bubbly demeanor.
• I’m still not entirely sure how the mountain itself is supposed to function as a building, but who cares?
• The transition between the dialogue and the musical numbers feels like someone just bumped the projector, but it works.
• It reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in The Ghost Train, just with more singing and less mystery.

There’s a specific part where the Old Man’s beard just takes on a life of its own. It moves like a separate character. I found myself staring at that beard for way too long. It’s weirdly distracting, but in the best way possible.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Old Man of the Mountain (1933) through its definitive frames.

Is there a point to any of this? Probably not. Does it matter? Not really. Sometimes you just need to watch a cartoon lady hang out with a mountain spirit while the whole world shifts around them. 🎶

It’s not as heavy or dramatic as something like Way Down East, obviously, but it’s got a weird, frantic pulse. It sticks with you. Definitely not for everyone, but if you’re bored of polished, digital-perfect movies, give this a spin. It’s pure, unfiltered weirdness.