Rhythm on the Reservation (1939) User Reviews

Nearing The End Of A Great Run For Betty Boop

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 9 September 2007]

This would be considered politically-incorrect but is not mean-spirited in the slightest. It's fault is not the lack of "correctness;" it's that it simply is not funny nor entertaining. Even Betty has bad cartoons once in a while. This is one of them and probably is a good example of why her "career" ended this year. The writing had gotten very weak and our girl lost much of her appeal. It certainly wasn't up to Betty's standards of excellent in the rest of the decade.

Betty's got a "swing band" and a car full of instruments. Driving down the road, she stops at an Indian Reservation where there is a sign post that says: "Wigwam Beauty Shop: Try Our Scalp Treatment."

While Betty is dickering to a buy a tom-tom, some the Indians steal the instruments out of her automobile. Betty sees them, but it's upset. She observes them trying to figure out what these things do and says, "Aw, aren't they cute?" Later, she dances with one of the males who seems infatuated with her until his wife catches him. Really nothing much goes on but silly dancing.

Bollywood churns out around 2,000 films annually . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 6/10 · 25 February 2020]

. . . about the same cinematic output as the Fleischer Brothers, Leader Trump just said on all the live TV channels at 2:06 PM Feb. 24, 2020 (Amedabad, India time). So how does a typical Indian movie--take the most famous, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE--compare to a representative Fleischer flick, say RHYTHM ON THE RESERVATION? After interviewing a panel of experts about the former offering, the only scene which everyone agrees is memorable concerns guys splashing around way deep in pit toilets. Fortunately, RHYTHM ON THE RESERVATION does NOT picture "Betty Boop" breast-stroking across a pool of poop! As film buffs would expect from a more highly evolved and mightier nation such as the USA (Leader Trump just stated that he's already spent $10 trillion to pump up our U.S. Military prowess), Betty instead embarks upon a Crusade to bring Chamber Music (complete with harps) to the less fortunate at the height of America's Great Depression. Though the Natives are initially tone-deaf, off-key and out-of-sync, under Betty's patient guidance this animated short builds to a satisfying climax certain to inspire an upcoming MUSIC MAN feature film, as she creates RHYTHM ON THE RESERVATION!

Enjoyable nonsense.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 31 March 2014]

This is one of the last of the original Betty Boop cartoons. It's pretty obvious this is the case when you watch, as Betty had undergone a recent makeover--to 'de-bustify' her and make her taller and more modern. As far as the content goes, however, it's pretty typical of many Boop cartoons.

Betty arrives at an Indian reservation and meets the locals. The Indians are mostly a bunch of ignorant rubes who mistake Betty's musical instruments for other devices--such as a saxophone being a pipe and a kettle drum being a giant pot. It's all rather patronizing...but fun. My favorite part is the Indian man who keeps trying to sneak away with Betty--with his jealous wife ALWAYS catching him. Overall, well animated but not especially memorable.

Betty Boop goes to the Indian reservation

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 28 February 2017]

A good deal of the pre-Production Code Betty Boop cartoons are daring and creative, with content that makes one amazed at what's gotten away with. While the later Betty Boop cartoons made after the Code was enforced are still watchable and exceptionally well-made, they are so toned down that they feel bland.

Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation. The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her.

One of the last Betty Boop cartoons, 'Rhythm on the Reservation' is watchable, well-made and amusing but when you compare it to the cartoons made before the code (no matter how one tries hard not to it is hard) it underwhelms. The Indian stereotypes are in poor taste and not only is it easy to be squirming seeing how they're portrayed it is easy to see why people would find it offensive.

'Rhythm on the Reservation' is very thin on story and it sometimes affects the energy. One does miss the risqué and surreal edge of the pre-Production Code cartoons, and was mixed on Betty herself, she is cute, charming and has good comic timing but was deserving of more to do.

However, the animation in 'Rhythm on the Reservation' is as to be expected extremely good, being beautifully drawn, crisply shaded and meticulous in detail. The music is infectious, lush and dynamic.

Some fun and clever visual gags too that do induce a number of chuckles, especially the fascinating ways in how the Indians play their instruments. The voice acting is good.

In summary, decent enough but there are much better Betty Boop cartoons. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Some funny moments and some very dated attitudes

[Tweekums · 6/10 · 3 July 2010]

They certainly don't make them like this any more, watching it now in 2010 it is hard to believe that such casual racism would appear in a popular cartoon series, that said I wouldn't be surprised if is seventy years time people will be shocked by certain aspects of current entertainment that we think nothing of.

In this story Betty stops of at an Indian Reservation where she wants to by a drum. One of the men is clearly smitten with her and offers to give her his drum but his wife is not impressed and puts a stop to it. While doing this another group of Indians steal all the other instruments from her car but do not realise what they are and set about using them for other purposes; a trombone gets used as a water pump for example. As one of the Indians is about to light a fire under the kettle drum Betty shows him how it is meant to be played and all the others join in while she dances.

The way the Indians are portrayed as ignorant and Betty referring to them as 'Red Skins' left me feeling a little uncomfortable however there were some chuckles to be had and several clever sight gags. Given that it is in black and white and the animation looks fairly old fashioned I doubt it would appeal to anybody who is not old enough understand that the attitudes shown were just part of the times it was made in.

Offensive, but it's a great cartoon

[zetes · 10/10 · 20 September 2003]

Betty ended her career in 1939. I don't know which is her last cartoon, but I'm hoping it's this one. It would be a great culmination of the cartoon's development. Featuring some very offensive Indian stereotypes, but that doesn't mean it's not exceptional. Betty, transporting swing instruments to her band, stops at an Indian reservation to buy a tom-tom. The Indians steal her instruments and start using them in stereotypical Indian ways. A Hiawatha clone uses the cello case as a canoe, one man uses a trombone to siphon water from a pond, a woman uses drumsticks to crush corn into meal, and another man tries to cook with a bongo drum. Sally stops them and teaches them how to swing.