<I>Minnie the Moocher</I>
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1932
name: label: Produced by
content: Fleischer Studios, Inc., American
label: Subject of
content: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
label: Owned by
content: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
notes: label: Caption
content: “Minnie the Moocher” is a 1932 cartoon starring two of Fleischer Studios’ most famous characters, Betty Boop and Bimbo. It heavily features the music of Cab Calloway, including the eponymous song, as well as a short live-action sequence of Calloway and his orchestra performing “St. James Infirmary.”
label: Description
content: Consists of: 16mm Film (a), Original 400 foot Film Reel, and Original Cardboard Box (c).
label: Description
content: 2015.273.2.9.1a: 16mm film. The film begins with a wide shot of Cab Calloway and his orchestra performing an instrumental version of “St. James Infirmary” as the opening credits appear. Calloway performs an elaborate dance as he conducts the orchestra. In the cartoon’s first scene, Betty Boop is castigated by her parents for refusing to eat. Betty’s father’s head turns into a cylinder phonograph and her mother changes the cylinder from his voice to one that plays music when Betty leaves the table in tears. In the next scene, Betty sings “They Always Pick on Me” as she decides to run away and makes preparations to do so. She calls her friend Bimbo to inform him of her departure and he agrees to accompany her. As they make way, Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher” begins to play. They enter a dark cave and encounter a walrus who sings (With Calloway’s voice) the lyrics to the song. While the song plays, Betty and Bimbo see many fantastical and terrifying images, such as skeletons, ghosts, and ghouls. When the song ends, all of the creatures inside chase Betty and Bimbo out of the cave and all the way home, as “Vine St. Blues” plays in the background. The Film concludes with Betty’s note to her parents tearing up to reveal the phrase “Home sweet home.”
label: Description
content: 2015.273.2.9.1b: Original 400 foot film reel.
label: Description
content: 2015.273.2.9.1c: Original cardboard box.
place: label: Place made
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
title: label: Title
content: 16mm motion picture film of Minnie the Moocher
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Composers (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Conductors (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Entertainers
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: The Cabell “Cab” Calloway III Collection
label: Classification
content: Archival Collections
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
label: Movement
content: Harlem Renaissance (New Negro Movement)
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.273.2.9.1abc
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: black-and-white films (visual works)
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Fleischer Studios
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: 16mm Film (a): acetate film;
label: Medium
content: Reel (b): metal;
label: Medium
content: Cardboard Box (c): cardboard.
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 12 Minutes
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film): 380 Feet