I have been regularly watching and adding reviews on a separate account over the past year and a half, and I am currently 153 shorts into this. The original reviews were limited by a character count, and thus may not have gone into as much depth as I would have liked. Most of these reviews will be reposted as is, while a few might be expanded. Once I have 153 of them copied over, I will commence with watching more. One also might hesitate in calling some of these "reviews" so I may just say I am quickly jotting down some thoughts about each short.
Watch out for Red and Blue titles. They denote ones that I either completely despised, or actually enjoyed quite a bit respectively. At least to the point where they have some quality to them that I find worth checking out. These will probably get more numerous as time goes on...
I am using this list of shorts as means of keeping myself organized. If there are mistakes with the list, I'll go back at the end and fill in any cracks.
A few notes: If the short is a Merry Melody I will denote that with an "MM" after the year, I will do this until I get to such a point that the distinction doesn't matter, which is sometime in the mid-40's? Anyways...without further ado...
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#0. Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid (1929)
Interesting first cartoon. I like the idea, at least it's not just a character making random noises. I watched a number of early Mickey Mouse cartoons, before deciding to switch over to Looney Tunes. Early Bosko here, is definitely different from Mickey, in early concept but...that wouldn't last. (7/10)
BOSKO
#1. Singing in the Bathtub (1930)
A cartoon with characters making random noises, exactly what I dread. It's not memorable at all. (7/10)
#2. Congo Jazz (1930)
Racist Cartoon character makes noises in the jungle. (Very common to have racist caricatures in these, in fact, Bosko Himself is kind of one.) All the cute animals party. The end. (4/10)
#3. Hold Anything (1930)
Another one with random noises. Mickey Mouse gets his head chopped at one point. Subtle. (4/10)
#4. The Booze Hangs High (1930)
Bosko gets drunk with piglets on a farm. Then they appear to "Hiel Hitler" at the end. Best one yet. (7/10)
#5. Box Car Blues (1930)
Bosko gets another pig drunk. Their train goes off the rails. They panic and crash anyways. THIS ONE HAD A PLOT!!! A common problem with these early cartoons is the distinct lack of anything resembling a plot. Really, half the time, they are just random noises. (6/10)
#6. Big Man From The North (1931)
Bosko is a mounted police. He kills "not" Pete from Disney. This one has a plot. It also put me to sleep. (5.5/10)
#7. Ain't Nature Grand (1931)
Bosko has a jolly time playing with forest animals. No violence. Suddenly flies attack for no reason. :( (6.5/10)
#8. Ups 'n Downs (1931)
Bosko rips off Mickey. Mickey also appears several times. Then a horse race happens. It's weird. Weirdest thus far. (6/10)
#9. Dumb Patrol (1931)
Bosko sings 'Lala' songs to his plane during a bomb raid. Later he meets a french girl. This one was pretty funny. (7/10)
#10. Yodeling Yokels (1931)
This one was odd. Bosko is a yodeler. There's a subplot where "not Mickey" golfs on cheese. I don't get it. (5/10)
#11. Bosko's Holiday (1931)
Bosko goes on a Picnic. The sound is bad so it sounds like "Piss Stick". Also, he gets slapped for licking a$$.
(5/10)
#12. The Trees Knees (1931)
Bosko is a lumberjack. The plot deteriorates from there. I miss the plots. Also, another rip-off. C'mon now. (4/10)
#13. Lady, Play Your Mandolin! (1931) MM
The first Merry Melody! Starring Foxy. I guess they feature songs? Anyways, it was a nice change. Foxy was pretty much a direct rip-off of Mickey Mouse, so he didn't last long...I liked him though! (7.5/10)
Mickey, duh...I mean, FOXY!
#14. Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (1931) MM
Out of all of these super early cartoons, this one is the only one that I had watched prior to doing this mass watching. The main reason is that the title song of this short was featured right at the end of the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I can definitely say that this is one of my all time favorites (out of what I've seen.) The cartoon itself is just sort of okay, but elevated far above the rest simply because of it's music. (8/10)
What a glorious cartoon!
#15. Bosko Shipwrecked (1931)
*Title Happens* and chaos ensues. He winds up in Africa, and racial stereotypes abound. I laughed once. (6/10)
#16. One More Time (1931) MM
Well, I learned this is Foxy's last cartoon. I wasn't expecting him to be brutally murdered, as in...Foxy literally dies. I know Looney Tunes characters die all the time, but since this is Foxy's last one...he must have truly died, right? Seriously, WTF? (7/10)
#17. Bosko the Doughboy (1931)
More brutal murder. Also wacky antics. Then more brutal murder. Noooo idea what the title means. (6/10)
#18. You Don't Know What You're Doin'! (1931) MM
Piggy replaces Foxy. :( No relation to Porky Pig. Anyways, he invades a musical. Gets drunk. Noticing a pattern here? (5/10)
#19. Bosko's Soda Fountain (1931)
Bosko is a soda jerk. His girlfriend's cat won't play piano, so she orders a cone. ORDERS A CONE. Weird. (A retrospective aside: I assume this simply means exactly what I said.) (5/10)
#20. Hittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land (1931) MM
Oh, boy...this one is one of apparently infamous "Censored 11." Simply put they are 11 cartoons that are so insanely racist, they were cut from the airways!
To be honest though...It's not that bad, especially compared to some later ones. Mostly just a racist drawing than anything. Oh, and the guy's name is "Uncle Tom." Hmmm... Otherwise, a rip-off of several Disney Cartoons. Eh. I barely consider it worth watching. (3/10)
#21. Bosko's Fox Hunt (1931)
Not much to say, except the Fox reminds me of Foxy. Seriously, I still can't get over how he was murdered. RIP. (5/10)
#22. Red-Headed Baby (1931) MM
I love the irony of the title (it's a B&W cartoon) otherwise, a cute Christmasy cartoon. I did like this one quite a lot. (7.5/10)
#23. Bosko at the Zoo (1932)
*Title*. This one was pretty good. Kind of silly, but it made me smile. I liked the Ostrich and the kangaroo. (6/10)
#24. Pagan Moon (1932) MM
This one was weird. Which isn't saying much. It was about Hawaii, then it turned into an under the sea thing. Blah. (4/10)
#25. Battling Bosko (1932)
Wow! Lots of Dialogue. (Hey, the rest thus farhad almost none...) Bosko is a Boxer. A few good laughs too, "10...11..." (7/10)
#26. Freddy the Freshman (1932) MM
A cute short. A few bizarre-ass football moments. Caught off guard by rip-off Disney characters everywhere. A prime example of the early over use of these types of Disney-esque characters. (4/10)
#27. Big-Hearted Bosko (1932)
Bosko goes ice skating and finds an abandoned infant. I don't think the infant ever appears again. Uhhh... (5/10)
#28. Crosby, Columbo and Vallee (1932) MM
Bing Crosby's Band's Music "Thrills" Native American Girls. In the end, the whole forest burns. WTF? (Retroactive aside: The name of this one still comes back to me every now and then, even though I don't remember anything else and that was a year and a half ago that I watched this.) (6/10)
#29. Bosko's Party (1932)
Bosko has a surprise party for his gf. A few funny gags. Like a crowd cheering at the most random things. (6/10)
#30. Goopy Geer (1932) MM
Man, fuck this cartoon. Awful. Lot's of recycled animation. Completely nonsensical "jokes". Just a dog playing piano for 7 minutes. Ugh. Almost definitely the worst out of the first 153 that I watched. (2/10)
Man, screw this guy.
#31. Bosko and Bruno (1932)
Bosko walks his dog. Reused animation. A layout mistake makes it look like they are trying to die. Mediocre. (5/10)
#32. It's Got Me Again! (1932) MM
Some weird-ass pseudo-Tom-and-Jerry stuff going on. Lots of "not" Mickey Mouse. Apparently, this one was nominated for an Oscar. Odd... (6/10)
#33. Moonlight for Two (1932) MM
Goopy Geer is back, and he's slightly less boring. I wish the living stove could have his own series instead. (3/10)
#34. Bosko's Dog Race (1932)
*Title*. Legitimately the funniest cartoon yet. The workout scene with his dog was the funniest thing yet.
(7.5/10)
#35. The Queen Was in the Parlor (1932) MM
Goopy Geer is a court jester in a cartoon with a plot that's so stupid and silly that it's good. Dammit. (6.5/10)
#36. Bosko at the Beach (1932)
*Title*. (So many of these are self-explanatory aren't they?) An otherwise average cartoon is saved by a ending featuring a dog rescuing an drowning infant. Fun! (5.5/10)
#37. I Love a Parade (1932) MM
A random assemblage of parade, carnival, and circus gags. Kinda boring. Kinda not funny. (4/10)
#38. Bosko's Store (1932)
Bosko remains optimistic despite many attempts to sabotage his store. What a swell thing he is! Ok toon though. (5/10)
#39. Bosko the Lumberjack (1932)
You'll never guess what Bosko is now ! Lots of Lumberjack jokes. It's okay, if you're into that... ;) (4.5/10)
#40. You're Too Careless with Your Kisses! (1932) MM
Quite good! It actually had a story, with (bug) characters and an arc. That's a first! (Retroactive aside: I think I am expecting too much out of these early 7 minute shorts, yes?) (6/10)
#41. Ride Him, Bosko! (1932)
The only(?) Bosko toon that isn't Public Domain, is also the most bizarre. The animators (live action) just kind of give up at the end. Which, I guess harkens back to the original concept of the character? To be fair though, this is probably the most ambitious Looney Tunes short I've watched yet. (6/10)
#42. I Wish I Had Wings (1932) MM
Farm fowl humor. It was fine, nice catchy song...and a funny "mom in labor" gag with a Hen. (6/10)
#43. Bosko The Drawback (1932)
I expected re-used animation from #26, but got none that I could see. Amen for that! It was very cute otherwise. Funny, in a "haha funny" kind of way. (5.5/10)
#44. A Great Big Bunch of You (1932) MM
A wooden man leads trash in song. (Retroactive aside: Fairly certain I meant that literally.) Most of it was random gags stuck together by this set piece. Dumb. (5/10)
#45. Bosko's Dizzy Date (1932)
(AKA: Bosko and Honey. Apparently this one has two titles?) Wow! This feels like it belongs in a different time. A story! Talking! Really nice! (7/10)
#46. Three's a Crowd (1932) MM
Book characters come to life to sing/dance. Pretty random. The title song doesn't seem to fit at all. Weird. (6/10)
#47. Bosko's Woodland Daze (1932)
The "it was all a dream" excuse is now needed for weird things to happen. Bosko changed. That's good! (5/10)
#48. The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (1933) MM
The most emotional short yet. Only a little sad. Don't get carried away. Otherwise average. (6.5/10)
#49. One Step Ahead of My Shadow (1933) MM
In ancient(?) China(?) stuff happens. T'was confusing, dumb, and maybe racist. I really don't know. (3/10)
#50. Young and Healthy (1933) MM
Felt like a cinematographic experiment. Weird angles and camera movements. Otherwise kinda boring. (5/10)
#51. Bosko the Speed King (1933)
The title gives away the ending. Not much else to say about this mediocre cartoon. Bosko failed me. :( (4.5/10)
#52. Bosko In Dutch (1933)
Bosko in a foreign language?! Just kidding. Bosko IN HOLLAND! A nice song and some good action. A slow start... (5.5/10)
Speaking of a slow start, sorry that there's so much mediocrity in here. I'll throw a random picture of a dog in here for good measure, I suppose.
Anyways, let's continue!
#53. The Organ Grinder (1933) MM
The sounds in this one were a tad...creepy. Otherwise, it only "gets hot" once the monkey starts dancing. ;)
(4/10)
#54. Bosko in Person (1933)
I loved this cartoon. So much so that I actually took the music from this and slightly remixed it into some of my own works (I like to make videos in my spare time.) It's really just Bosko putting on a little song and dance number, but it's actually very charming. I very highly recommend. (10/10)
The song is titled "Whistle and Blow Your Blues Away" and is the most 1930's song ever, in my opinion.
#55. Wake Up the Gypsy in Me (1933) MM
Ra-Ra-Rice Puddin'! This one was great. Rasputin, I mean Rice Puddin' = amazing. Every now and then, there's a good villain in these Merry Melodies, this is one of those cases. (7/10)
#56. Bosko's Knight-Mare (1933)
Bosko has a nightmare where he's a knight. Straightforward enough...but, kind of a boring cartoon. Blah. (6/10)
#57. I Like Mountain Music (1933) MM
Magazine cover people come to life. I think I would have liked it more if I recognized the caricatures...Every now and then you'll get these ones. The most recognizable characters in these early ones are the Marx Bros. (6/10)
#58. Bosko The Sheepherder (1933)
...God. What an awful cartoon. I thought Bosko was beyond this basic no-plot random music trash. I try to keep these thoughts based on what I've seen before, but this feels like a major step back. (3/10)
#59. Beau Bosko (1933)
Bosko is in the French Army. (Okay?) And he gets into a rather dull adventure. A few laughs, but mostly forgettable. (4/10)
#60. Shuffle Off to Buffalo (1933) MM
In this bizarre-ass toon: a baby factory. Apparently defective ones are thrown in a washer. WTF?? Haha! A prime example of the kind of short you'd see just sort of randomly without context. Maybe at an old theater, or something. (7.5/10)
#61. We're in the Money (1933) MM
I know this song! It's a rather dull cartoon elevated only by it's well known title song. Boo! (5.5/10)
#62. Buddy's Day Out (1933)
Buddy is Bosko's replacement after his creator left the studio. He's pretty okay. (Retroactive aside: Or us he?) This one is trying new things and it's good to see something genuinely "fresh". There's a few more Bosko cartoons left, but he's on his way out. :( (6/10)
#63. Bosko the Musketeer (1933)
What sounds like an exciting concept, winds up being mostly dancing. Ugh. 2 more Bosko cartoons to go. :/ (5.5/10)
#64. Bosko's Picture Show (1933)
The last Bosko MADE. (1 more shown.) Like a finale, but not quite. Think The Beatles "Abbey Road" Album (last produced, but 2nd to last released) vs. "Let it Be" (last released, 2nd to last produced.) Celebs appear more than Bosko himself, so he doesn't get much spotlight. (5/10)
#65. I've Got to Sing a Torch Song (1933) MM
Oh god. It's just random people listening to the radio, barely any jokes. It was so boring. (3/10)
#66. The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon (1933) MM
Interesting. Very inconsistent. Some dishes/food are alive. Others aren't! It's kinda funny. (6/10)
#67. Bosko's Mechanical Man (1933)
The last Bosko Looney Tune. It's pretty good, and better than #64. Top 5 for sure. #54 was the best tho. I consider both #64, and #65 worth watching. (7/10)
And, thus the era of Bosko ends, and the era of Buddy begins...shudders...
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This first page is getting pretty long, so I think I'll stop here for now...What will happen in the next era of Looney Tunes? Will Buddy prove himself worthy of the mantle? Or will he turn out to be terrible?
Well, for now...
-Alavem (All of them.)
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