Sadly Over-hyped

Boring

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is going to be fairly similarly worded to some of my other reviews for the Betty Boop cartoons made after the Production Code, as they all have the same strengths and flaws pretty much.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, with the risqué and surreal edge and creativity of the pre-Code cartoons gone, 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.In one of her cartoons made after the Production Code was put in place, Betty Boop stars with Henry in a cartoon that is nowhere near among her best (though certainly steps up from her previous cartoon 'Making Stars' which was very much a misfire), and she herself is past prime but cute and amusing enough with some inventive moments.'Betty Boop with Henry the Funniest Living American' is very cute with the animals, and there are amusing moments such as the lengths Henry goes through to get the birds back and some good imagination in the visuals and timing. The animation is beautifully drawn and detailed and the music infectious and dynamic. The voice acting is good.Henry gives the cartoon some fun and he doesn't veer on the wrong side of annoying or freaky, if never really living up to the cartoon's deceptively hyperbolic title. The animals are nice.On the other hand, although Betty hasn't lost her charm or sense of comedy (and she works well with Henry), what made her such a popular and prolific character (her sensuality and sex appeal, with daringly risqué material) at the time is heavily muted as a result of the Code so she does feel somewhat bland.Similarly the cartoon in general in comparison to her pre-Code cartoons. If anybody enjoyed the pre-code Betty Boop cartoons for being wonderfully surreal and for its daring risqué content that was ahead of the time back in the 30s and wouldn't be seen a lot now in cartoons, they will be disappointed here. Both are missing which gives a rather tame. More creativity and more consistent humour would have been more welcome, as well as a story with more variation and material.Overall, cute and amusing but not representative of Betty Boop at her best. 6/10 Bethany Cox

This Betty Boop cartoon took me by surprise. I had no idea that Henry* was ever in cartoons and this was an interesting combination that occurred, probably because of Fleischer Studio's relationship with King Features Syndicate—the same organization that published the Popeye and Henry cartoons in the newspapers. However, judging from the results, I can see why Henry never became much of a movie star, as he's just kind of creepy and possibly brain-addled. The cartoon begins with the always mute Henry coming to Betty Boop's pet shop. He wants a dog (Pudgy) and Betty tells him he can have the dog IF he minds the store for her. However, he pretty much ruins the place and Betty is furious. However, I kept thinking why would you leave a mute bald kid with a HUGE head in charge of a pet shop?! In the end, Henry redeems himself and everyone is happy.The title card for this short calls Henry "The Funniest Living American". Perhaps this was a reference to the death of the humorist Will Rogers that same year. Or, it was an indication of just how depressing the Depression was. After all, if this annoying bald freak was the funniest guy we had to offer, life must have really, really sucked! Simply put, he wasn't very funny. Freaky, yes…but funny,…not in the least.*Carl Anderson introduced this comic character in 1932 and he lasted in newspapers all the way up to 1979 and even later with reprints of old strips. I loved him as a kid because I could enjoy him without being able to read.

The silent one-panel cartoon Henry comes to Fleischer Studios, billed as "The world's funniest human" in this dull little cartoon. Betty, long past her prime, thanks to the Production Code, is running a pet shop and leaves Henry in charge for far too long -- five minutes. A bore.

This cute animated short features two comic icons - Betty Boop and Henry.Henry is the bald, slightly portly boy from the comics who never speaks.Well here he does speak!He wants to get a puppy from Betty Boop's pet store, and when he is left to mind the store - some hilarious hijinks ensue.Betty sings a song about pets, Henry gets in a battle with birds and a monkey, but everything works out in the end.