This black & white cartoon appeared far before Disney released its version of "Snow White," and it shares little in common with it aside from the the witch with her mirror and the dwarfs. Betty Boop is the eponymous character, and she is a sexy little thing in a black mini-skirt. Roland C. Crandel's animation gives new meaning to surreal. Dave Fleischer directed it, and he took liberties from the original Grimm's fairy tales. If you remember, Fleischer was responsible for the Oscar nominated "Superman" cartoons. Everything gets off on the wrong foot when the Queen learns from her mirror (this is the same mirror that comes to life and shines her snout like a shoe-shine boy) that she is the fairest in the land--that is--until Betty arrives. Interestingly enough, the mirror resembles an African-American singer Cab Calloway. The imagination that went into this brief but memorable seven minute short is nothing short of amazing. There is symbolism to spare here and so many sight gags that you'll have to watch it a dozen times before you can appreciate all of them. Consider, for example, all the skeletons that appear in the background during the last three minutes.
Narratively, Betty Boop visits the Queen's castle in search of her step-mama. When she approaches the Queen, Her Highness sticks her face through her magic mirror as if it were a hoop and her head transforms into a skillet with two fried eyes as she ogles Betty. No sooner has the Queen laid eyes on Betty than she commands her armor-wearing guards that she wants Betty decapitated. The next scene shows Betty tied to a tree while KoKo sharpens his ax. Betty's mournful song distracts KoKo enough that he grins his ax into powder. He shoves his grindstone tool into a huge hole in the ground and his partner Bimbo thrusts a reluctant tree stump into the hole after it. The two of them plunge into the hole with the unwieldy stump, but wind up far beneath the cliff where the hole comes out. Meantime, the tree that Betty is tied to sprouts arms and releases the little vixen. Poor Betty trips up in the snow and ends up in a giant snow ball that rolls into a frozen pond. She emerges in a transparent ice coffin and slides up to the Seven Dwarfs. The heavily bearded dwarfs serve as pall-bearers and take her to the Mystery Cave with skis on their feet. Back near the tree, the Queen sees the garter belt that the tree placed on the spot where KoKo and his friend plunged into the hole. The magic mirror doesn't tell the Queen what she wants to hear and she scoops the snow off the entrance to the hole and steps through her mirror, transforming herself into the witch. She rides the mirror like a broom down to the end of the hole and KoKo and his canine pal follow her. At this point, KoKo warbles a tune but it is really Cab Calloway singing "St. James Infirmary Blues." Truly, this cartoon qualifies as the most unusual rendition of Snow White ever seen!
Narratively, Betty Boop visits the Queen's castle in search of her step-mama. When she approaches the Queen, Her Highness sticks her face through her magic mirror as if it were a hoop and her head transforms into a skillet with two fried eyes as she ogles Betty. No sooner has the Queen laid eyes on Betty than she commands her armor-wearing guards that she wants Betty decapitated. The next scene shows Betty tied to a tree while KoKo sharpens his ax. Betty's mournful song distracts KoKo enough that he grins his ax into powder. He shoves his grindstone tool into a huge hole in the ground and his partner Bimbo thrusts a reluctant tree stump into the hole after it. The two of them plunge into the hole with the unwieldy stump, but wind up far beneath the cliff where the hole comes out. Meantime, the tree that Betty is tied to sprouts arms and releases the little vixen. Poor Betty trips up in the snow and ends up in a giant snow ball that rolls into a frozen pond. She emerges in a transparent ice coffin and slides up to the Seven Dwarfs. The heavily bearded dwarfs serve as pall-bearers and take her to the Mystery Cave with skis on their feet. Back near the tree, the Queen sees the garter belt that the tree placed on the spot where KoKo and his friend plunged into the hole. The magic mirror doesn't tell the Queen what she wants to hear and she scoops the snow off the entrance to the hole and steps through her mirror, transforming herself into the witch. She rides the mirror like a broom down to the end of the hole and KoKo and his canine pal follow her. At this point, KoKo warbles a tune but it is really Cab Calloway singing "St. James Infirmary Blues." Truly, this cartoon qualifies as the most unusual rendition of Snow White ever seen!