Busted Blossoms (1934) User Reviews

Not the D.W. Griffith Silent

[boblipton · 5/10 · 5 February 2015]

Forbidden love blossoms in the Forbidden City in this fairly typical black & white Terrytoon.

The modern viewer may look at this and see racism at work, with its view of pig-tailed Chinese. I think is is an attempt to portray something familiar -- young love -- in an exotic locale. See! They're just like us under the weird clothes and even with the gin-rickshaws!

All of which demonstrates only that you usually take away what you brought. As to the value of this cartoon on its own terms, it's a fairly standard Terrytoon for the period. Lots of competent music by Philip Scheib? Yep. Liberal sprinkling of decent if not particularly original gags? Check. Lead characters who look like small children but behaving like young adults? It's all there. As a result, if you're a fan of Terrytoons from this period, you'll enjoy it. Another case of taking away what you bring.

Doesn't really blossom

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 21 April 2018]

The Terrytoons are oddly interesting, mainly for anybody wanting to see (generally) older cartoons made by lesser known and lower-budget studios. They are a mixed bag in quality, with some better than others, often with outstanding music and with some mild amusement and charm and variable in animation, characterisation and content.

1934, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, more so than the other years even. Of which 'Busted Blossoms' is one of the middling ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons, though one of the better faring ones of the batch up to this point. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'Busted Blossoms' is also watchable, completest sake is the main reason to see it but it's not the only reason.

Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see and some synchronisation is neat.

A few amusing moments and there is some zest and natural charm. A few nice details, like the gin-rickshaws.

Outside of the backgrounds however, the animation is primitive at best with a fair bit of crudeness, over-simplicity and choppiness.

Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic, once again executing an already fairly tired premise with nothing new. Gags aren't enough and there is not much especially memorable about them. The leads and their chemistry are bland (typical Terrytoons protagonists basically), the romance sometimes sweet but generally soppy. Occasionally the material is not for the easily offended through modern eyes, though this didn't distract that awfully.

Overall, watchable but not much more. 5/10 Bethany Cox