Best movie of this year hands down!

hyped garbage

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

"Sinkin' in the Bathtub" is a black-and-white cartoon from the very early days of Warner Bros. and Schlesinger Studios. It runs for 8 minutes almost, a bit longer than they usually do, and features Bosko, a cartoon character who is almost forgotten today, but was somewhat popular back over 85 years ago and existed in several other cartoons too. Unfortunately, this film here is an example of style over substance. Story is basically non-existent and follows in the path of the animation and the little tricks the makers used here. As a consequence, it is all about the wit and metaphors that were referenced in here, but it is not enough to make this video about Bosko and his girlfriend Honey a rewarding watch. Also Mel Blanc is not on board yet, but then again voice-acting is almost non-existent in here and audibly it is all about the (failry forgettable) music. Long way to go for Warner Bros. till their peak. Not recommended.

As others have pointed out, this is the first official Looney Tunes cartoon to be released, so it certainly has historical merit. I like it because it has the odd, early '30s cartoon humor. It's hard to explain but because it's so dated, it has its own flavor to it, as Betty Boop did around this time. Is it almost primitive-looking in spots? Of course, but it was made at the beginning of sound being heard on screen and, well, it's over 75 years old so that's what you get. Frankly, in an innocent basic way, the cartoons of this period offer something different.It's still innovative in that you see some great sights that only animation can give you, like Bosco switching the shower to aim out the window, then surfing on the spray out the window, then pulling out a giant harmonica - that's bigger than he is - out of his pants! Outrageous!I don't believe I laughed out loud once during the eight-minute cartoon, but I enjoyed every minute of watching "Bosco" and his girlfriend and thought there were a lot of "cute" things in here. It got a little repetitive near the end but overall had enough sight gags to still call the whole thing "entertaining." That's not a bad way to start off the famous "Looney Tunes."

"Sinkin' in the Bathtub" is a very important landmark in the history of theatrical animated cartoons: it just happens to be the very first Looney Tune! Starring Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid (created by animators Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising), this rather sprightly musical cartoon is full of cheer and optimism, and it was made during the Great Depression, when the United States most definitely needed a good cheering up. In "Sinkin' in the Bathtub," which was animated by Friz Freleng (soon to become a director), Bosko joyously anticipates a road trip with his girlfriend, unaware that various perils await them! My favorite scenes from this wonderful cartoon include the following (but don't read any further until after you have actually seen this film). The opening scene has Bosko whistling "Singing in the Bathtub" and playing a few "instruments" while taking a bath; the bathtub itself becomes quite animated as it dances while we hear a brief snippet of Felix Mendelssohn's "Spring Song." Before Bosko drives to his girlfriend's house, he plays a short harmonica solo, which ends with "Shave and a Haircut." Bosko attempts to serenade his girl with a saxophone (made from parts of his vehicle), but she disapproves and dumps a tub of soapy water into the saxophone's bell; Bosko's tune changes to "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" as the girl wiggles her torso and hops onto each floating bubble. Right after that, Bosko and his girl happily tap dance on a series of wooden xylophone bars that lead toward the girl's house. And as Bosko struggles with all his might to control his vehicle as it rapidly charges down a steep hill, he gets smacked in the head (and groin) with rocks and trees.Bosko never did become a big star in the Warner Bros. cartoons, and he may have secretly been jealous of all the recognition Mickey Mouse was receiving at the Walt Disney studio. In fact, the Warner Bros. cartoon studio had to wait several years before any star characters would emerge, but that didn't really matter. "Sinkin' in the Bathtub" got the series off to a great start, eventually resulting in several decades worth of classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons!

This is the first official Looney Tunes short (there was a demonstration short, called Bosko the Talk-ink Kid, that served as a pilot and got the ball rolling and is actually a more interesting short than this one is, in some respects) and it has the first recurring character, Bosko. As characters go, Bosko is average-not the best, but not the worst either. The main problem with Bosko shorts is the sameness of them. They have some very amusing and occasionally clever bits, but a lot of the gags are repeated ad tedium. I want to talk about some of the things happening in the short, so there may be spoilers below: Almost anything can be a musical instrument in a Bosko short (and often is). The short begins with Bosko in the bathtub, with Bosko humming the song, "Singing In the Bathtub" and playing various "musical" instruments and eventually dancing, where the bathtub also starts dancing as well. Bosko gets dressed and goes to his garage to get his car, which is in the out-house. He drives over to his girlfriend Honey's place and she too is humming the same song in her bathtub. I'm curious to know just how much sheet music for "Singing In the Bathtub" was sold after this short came out. But I digress.After turning various items (including steps) into musical instruments, they go off in Bosko's car. After a misadventure or two, Bosko falls out of the car and breaks into several tiny versions of himself (a gag they would often repeat in later shorts with Bosko and other characters) eventually "pulling himself together" and chasing after the car. In the end, everyone goes off a mountain cliff and Bosko and Honey wind up "Singing In the Bathtub" again-a lake! This is on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 3 and is well worth seeing. The Collection itself is highly recommended.