Betty Boop – The Ultimate Collection (Delta)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: D     Cartoon Shorts: B-

 

 

There is no doubt that Betty Boop lives.  The merchandise alone sells on its look and name constantly across retails stores and the Internet all over the country and there is always talk of a film revival.  The Pop Icon also has seen endless video titles issued of her shorts as much of the Fleischer Studio catalog is being ignored by owners Republic (Viacom/Paramount) and comes out as “public domain” more or less.  Delta has issued their own double DVD Best Of Betty Boop and as usual for Betty, the quality is disappointing.  The 25 shorts are as follows:

 

1)     Betty Boop’s Ker-Choo

2)     Betty Boop’s Crazy Inventions

3)     Is My Palm Read?

4)     Betty In Blunderland

5)     Betty Boop’s Rise To Fame

6)     Poor Cinderella

7)     Baby Be Good

8)     Betty Boop & Grampy

9)     Judge For A Day

10)  Making Stars

11)  Betty Boop With Henry

12)  Not Now

13)  We Did It

14)  A Song A Day

15)  More Pep

16)  You’re Not Built That Way

17)  Training Pigeons

18)  Be Human

19)  Whoops! I’m A Cowboy

20)  The Hot Air Salesman

21)  Pudgy Takes A Bow-Wow

22)  On With The New

23)  My Friend The Monkey

24)  The Scared Crowe

25)  Rhythm On The Reservation

 

As is often the case in broadcasts on TV, not all the shorts are with Boop, but ancillary characters who are never as interesting and were created to distract, domesticate and “de-sex” her.  This is a passable set for kids, but diehard fans will only want this set for the shorts they may not have at this time, whatever ones they would be.  The full frame image is always black and white from old TV prints and the PCM 2.0 Mono is a few generations down.  There are no extras, but the one big gripe outside of performance is that Poor Cinderella is the only full color Boop short, but it is here in a black & white print that is actually the worse of the set.

 

If you want to see it in color, VCI has it in their Somewhere In Dreamland set, reviewed elsewhere on this site.  It should be additionally noted that VCI intends to eventually issue an update of that set and we look forward to it.  The Delta Betty Boop set is an inexpensive stopgap set that will do for now.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo