TheLittleSongbird 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.The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. That charm, sensuality and adorable factor is not lost anywhere here, nor her comic timing and she is very well supported by the ever fun Bimbo and the scary evil wolf. 'Dizzy Red Riding-Hood' to me is among the best of the early Betty Boop cartoons and among her better ones overall. It has all the elements that make her pre-Code cartoons so worthwhile and does do so much, almost everything, right and little wrong. Story-wise, it is slight but it is an example of an old story adapted many times in animation given freshness through some wonderfully wacky and racy humour and content.The animation is outstanding, everything is beautifully and meticulously drawn and the whole cartoon is rich in visual detail and imagination. Every bit as good is the music score, which delivers on the energy, lusciousness and infectiousness, great for putting anybody in a good mood.As hoped, the fun is ceaseless, with some very well timed and funny gags, and delivers on the creativity and imagination as well as (for Betty Boop especially) a surprising darkness and surrealism. As well as a raciness that one associates pre-code Betty Boop with. The voice work and such is good.In summary, Betty Boop fans will find a lot to enjoy here. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Dizzy Red Riding-Hood" is another black-and-white short film starring Betty Boop from the early 1930s, so this one has its 85th anniversary this year and it should not come as a surprise that Betty is not too known today anymore. I myself cannot say that this makes me too angry as I am not the biggest fan of her as a cartoon character. Here we see Fleischer's take on Betty as Red Riding Hood and using her as famous fairytale characters is not a rarity. She also has her own little Snow White version. As usual with Betty, the film runs for under 7 minutes and includes really more music than a truly funny or memorable tale in terms of drama. I liked the tune of "London Bridge" the most about this short film here I guess. Other than that, it is not really worth the watch sadly. Thumbs down.

Tweekums This short sees Betty taking on the role of Little Red Riding Hood as she walks through the forest to visit her grandma. Bimbo follows behind despite being told to stay at home. On the way some talking trees warn her that there is a wolf in the forest but she continues and meets the malevolent creature; it is clearly intending to eat her but Bimbo kills the wolf. Bimbo then wears the wolf's skin and gets to Grandma's ahead of Betty. Betty then sings to 'Grandma' who is really Bimbo but looks like the wolf.While this isn't as inventive as the later Betty Boop version of Snow White it is a good take on the 'Little Red Riding Hood' tale with an enjoyable twist. The wolf was a particularly villainous creature; we see how he is planning to cut her throat; so it was a lot of fun when Bimbo defeated him. As always there is a lot of inventive animation; some of it funny like when she uses her picnic basket as a boat and it grows an outboard engine and some of it mildly disturbing like the singing fish she intends to take to Grandma's. As is often the way with her early cartoon there are some risqué moments: here her garter belts slip down and as usual she shows rather a lot of leg. I'm sure fans of Betty and Bimbo will enjoy this one.

Brian Camp "Dizzy Red Riding Hood" (1931) is an early attempt by the Fleischers to place Betty Boop in a children's tale setting with surreal imagery and the occasional ribald gag. It's not as successful as the Boop version of "Snow White" (1933), one of Fleischer's undisputed masterpieces, but it is enthralling, occasionally funny and offers a surprising portrayal of Betty's dog sidekick, Bimbo, as more of a leading man. Here, Betty, dressed up as Red Riding Hood, ventures into the dark, foreboding forest on the way to Grandma's despite warnings (by the trees) of a wolf at large. She sings a song about picking flowers and includes a verse about pansies, to which an effeminate tree responds in song, "And the fairies like them, too." The hungry wolf, who follows Betty with knife and fork at the ready, offers only a momentary threat. The one Betty really has to worry about is the lusty Bimbo himself who makes short work of the wolf, puts on his skin and beats Betty to Grandma's house where he waits in bed disguised as the wolf disguised as Grandma. As Betty sings a song to "Grandma" about how big "her" eyes, ears, teeth, etc. are, Bimbo seems to take great glee in groping her and lifting her up. The ending is surprising, but quite satisfying, especially for fans who've always wanted poor Bimbo to get more of a break.As usual with the early Boops, the black-and-white animation is filled with objects and pieces of nature that come to life and talk to Betty. It's a fun cartoon to watch, although it's never as inspired as the peak period Boops of 1933, such as "Snow White" and "Minnie the Moocher." Despite the risqué gags, which will go over the heads of the very young, "Dizzy Red Riding Hood" should still be safe for the same kids who enjoyed such family-friendly Betty Boop children's tale parodies as "Mother Goose Land" and "Betty in Blunderland."