Battling Bosko
| Battling Bosko | |
|---|---|
Title card | |
| Directed by | Hugh Harman |
| Produced by | Hugh Harman Rudolf Ising Leon Schlesinger |
| Music by | Frank Marsales |
| Animation by | Isadore Freleng Paul Smith |
| Color process | Black-and-white |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6 min., 40 sec. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Battling Bosko is an American animated short film. It is the eighteenth film in the Looney Tunes series featuring Bosko.[1] It was directed by Hugh Harman,[2] with musical direction by Frank Marsales. The film was released on February 6, 1932.[3]
Synopsis
Pugilist Bosko stands on a chair, merrily boxing his punching bag at home. Honey reads that her sweetheart is going to fight the Champion and listens to the news on the radio. Honey reacts with disdain when the announcer mocks Bosko's chances of victory, while kissing his portrait. The Champion is gigantic Gas House Harry. Bosko's training concludes when he is knocked off his seat by his punching bag. His telephone rings, with Honey, to his delight, on the other end. He reassures her of his chances and the two engage in a scatting duet, joined by Honey's piano.
Stuffed trolleys carry fans to the match, deflating as passengers depart. Honey sits at home, playing her piano as the radio sounds. Graham Cracker (a parody of Graham McNamee) announces that the fighters are entering the ring. Bosko serenades his fans with a song. Gas House Harry laughs at something his manager whispers to him. The match begins when the referee, an ostrich, rings the bell with a cat's tail. The Champion has an early advantage, knocking Bosko back with a mighty punch. Bosko's manager rushes to his aid, fanning him and gently spraying him with water until he playfully insists that his manager stop it. Bosko blasts the Champion such that the ship tattooed on his chest sinks. A hippopotamus-spectator holding a lollipop continually cheers for Bosko. The ostrich-referee is watching closely, occasionally coming between the competitors until they mutually knock him out of the arena. Bosko dodges punch after punch, while Honey nervously listens. Later, Champion is seen standing upon Bosko's feet, punching him repeatedly such that he falls backward only to bounce up to again meet the assailant's fist. Bosko seems finished and the count begins.
Honey and Bruno race towards the stadium (briefly delayed when Bruno's tail is caught in the door). She reaches Bosko's side and calls out to him. Rising briefly, bleary-eyed Bosko turns to his sweetheart and then to the audience with a sleepy "Aw, hot dang!" Reaching for a corner, he draws up a layer of the arena as though it were a blanket, draping it over himself as he falls asleep.
Reception
Motion Picture Herald called the film a "Good Cartoon".[4]
References
- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 9. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 57-58. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: a History of American Animated Cartoons. Von Hoffmann Press, Inc., 1980. p. 404
- ^ "Shorts". Motion Picture Herald. 106 (6): 42. February 6, 1932. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
External links
- The short film Battling Bosko is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- Battling Bosko at IMDb
- Battling Bosko on YouTube