User Reviews

The Swing Symphony cartoons do have a lot in common to each other. That there is little to fault about the animation (apart from some of the character animation in a few) and absolutely nothing to fault about the music, but almost all of them (apart from a couple of exceptions like 'The Hams that Couldn't be Cured') have little story and the number and quality of the gags vary (usually in the solid and more range on both counts). Overall they are worth tracking down.

Which can be said about 'Abou Ben Boogie'. Yes it is another Swing Symphony cartoon that has some stereotyping that won't sit well with everybody, and this is not meant in a derogatory way but simply an acknowledgement and warning, but there is a lot more to 'Abou Ben Boogie' than just that and they should not be overlooked. Am saying this due to living in a time where one thing is fixated upon and most of everything else is ignored, not just talking about film and music but also about opinions on topical issues.

By all means, 'Abou Ben Boogie' isn't perfect. The slightness of the story does show in some uneven pacing. Most of it being extremely lively, namely later on, but it does take a little time to find its groove.

A little lacking in freshness too on occasions, like early on, where the material could have done with a little more variety. Wasn't always too fond of the character design of the lead character, which was exaggerated in places.

However, so much is good. The music once again steals the show, just love its characterful energy, vibrant rhythms, sumptuous orchestration and how cleverly and enthusiastically it's performed all round. Everybody involved clearly loved and understood the swing style and made the absolute most of it. Close behind in quality is the animation, which is lush and colourful with vivid attention to detail and inventive movements in the sight gags. Really loved the Tex Avery-like facial expressions and body language.

Luckily one is not short changed when it comes to the number of gags, of which there are many, and they are all delivered with energy and are funny. The pace is lively on the whole as are the characters. Was very surprised at how sensual in a daring way it was, very Avery-like. The second half as well is truly joyous.

In summary, worth seeing. 7/10.

Abou Ben Boogie is one of Walter Lantz' Swing Symphony cartoons that relied heavily on the swing-jazz music that was so popular during the '40s era this short was made in. It takes place in some Arabian country at a restaurant where all the men go ga-ga over a dancing harem girl with bare midriff who sings the title song. Many gags abound around the men, that girl, and a camel who also dances. Lots of Tex Avery-inspired scenes like the enormously widening eyes and other funny reactions to the sexy dancing of the girl provide most of the short's humor as hilariously directed by Jimmy "Shamus" Culhane. Well worth seeing for any '40s animation buff.

. . . the salacious goings on of ABOUT BEN BOOGIE. During the 1900's, anthropologists discovered that most women in Asia were involved in harems, gentlemen's clubs and belly dancing expositions. BEN BOOGIE documents this sordid decadence, faithfully rendering the nearly bare outfits covering very little of these cavorting bimbos. The wench featured here has been bred, born and raised to be a man magnet, corrupting any male with whom she shares proximity. Entangled with her enticements, men stand very little chance of surviving her corrupting influences. Ulysses, as least, could order his men to block their hearing against the perverse siren song. But if the guys in Asia blindfold their eyes in the face of all these fatal females, they'd be likely to bump into things and skin their knees.