What's cookin'?
A Max and Dave Fleischer Betty Boop cartoon that first released in theaters on November 25, 1932.
As Betty Boop, Bimbo and Koko the Clown are on an expedition through an African jungle, they are ambushed by a tribe of cannibalistic African natives who kidnap Betty and it's up to Bimbo and Koko to rescue her.
The cartoon features music and a special guest appearance from jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra playing the background music as well as the titular song, "You Rascal You". This short is one of Louis Armstrong's earliest film appearances.
Tropes Used In This Short:
- Adventurer Outfit: Betty wears a safari outfit while Bimbo and Koko wear their normal clothes but with safari hats.
- Cannibal Tribe: The natives are this.
- Chased by Angry Natives: A majority of the cartoon is this.
- Chekhov's Volcano: As Betty, Bimbo and Koko are running across a mountain while the natives chase them, it erupts just as the natives run across it, subsequently defeating them.
- Damsel in Distress: Betty gets kidnapped by the native savages and Bimbo and Koko have to save her.
- Detectives Follow Footprints: Koko and Bimbo follow the footprints of the cannibals that kidnapped Betty, but it becomes frustrating when the footprints start flipping to the opposite direction.
- Description Cut: At one moment Koko is telling Bimbo how he's gonna get revenge on the cannibals and while he's talking, it cuts to the two of them in a giant stew pot and surrounded by said cannibals.
- Flying Face: What starts as a single cannibal, turns into a giant cannibal head and then turns into the live action head of Louis Armstrong that chases them all throughout the song sequence.
- Goofy Print Underwear: All the natives are shown wearing polka-dot underwear under their grass skirts as a repeated animation shows them jumping in a circle, losing their skirt and pulling up the previously laid skirt left on the ground.
- Hollywood Natives: The African Natives are depicted as short, violent cannibals.
- Jungle Jazz: And how. And all set to Louis Armstrong's music.
- Knockout Ambush: The trio get ambushed by the natives and kidnap Betty. Koko and Bimbo aren't knocked out, but they were too disorientated to immediately pursue.
- Match Cut: A scene of a cannibal stirring a boiling pot fades to a live-action scene of a drummer in Armstrong's band before fading back to the animation.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: Bimbo and Koko have to swing past one, luckily it doesn't chase them.
- Overly-Nervous Flop Sweat: While being chased, Bimbo sweats so much that he dissolves into nothing. How he reappears later is anyone's guess.
- Revenge Ballad: The titular song "You Rascal You" is about looking forward to revenge on another man after he cheats with the singer's wife. The song of course has no relevance to the short's plot.
- Right Out of My Clothes: As Koko is running from the giant head, he outruns his clothes and his clothes (and underwear) continue to run without him.
- Roger Rabbit Effect: Louis Armstrong's head is shown over the cartoon during the song sequence.
- Rump Roast: The cartoon ends with the cannibals thrown into the air with volcanic rocks colliding with their butts.
- Smash Cut: As Bimbo and Koko were about to vine swing past an alligator, the vine acts as a pull rope and we suddenly cut to live action Louis Armstrong and his band performing.
- Spike Shooter: To save Betty, Bimbo and Koko weaponize a porcupine to shoot quills at the cannibals.
- Stewed Alive: Bimbo and Koko are Jump Cut into a giant stew pot.
- Titled After the Song: The short is titled after the song "You Rascal You", even though it's lengthened to the full lyric, "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You".
- Too Important to Walk: The short opens with Bimbo and Koko carrying Betty in a litter through the jungle. While the duo wipe their brows the litter walks itself.
- Vine Swing: Bimbo and Koko do this to get past an alligator, but between them swinging and landing it cuts to Louis Armstrong and his band performing.
- You All Look Familiar: All the natives look exactly the same.
