The Blue Light (1932) ***

Leni Riefenstahl plays a wild mountain girl in this German film.

Shanghai Express (1932) ****

A mysterious vamp (Marlene Dietrich) meets an old friend while travelling by train in China. Visually striking cinematography and beautifully designed sets.

One Hour With You (1932) ****

Lighthearted musical farce about frivolous wives and philandering husbands. The funniest moments include Maurice Chevalier singing about temptation ("Oh That Mitzi") and a sneaky butler wanting to see his master in tights. Great songs:

"What A Little Thing Like A Wedding Ring Can Do" **
"We Will Always Be Sweethearts" **
"Three Times A Day" **
"One Hour With You" ***
"Oh That Mitzi" **
"We Will Always Be Sweethearts" (reprise) **
"Now I Ask You What Would You Do" **

Horse Feathers (1932) ***

Marx Brothers are clowning again, only this time, they are doing it in a respectable institution of higher learning. "Everyone Says I Love You" is first sung by Zeppo, then sung and played on a piano by Chico, then played on a harp by Harpo and finally serenaded on a guitar by Groucho. Songs:

"I'M Against It" **
"I Always Get My Man" *
"Everyone Says I Love You" **

Grand Hotel (1932) ****

If all soap operas were as classy as this film, the genre would be far more respectable.

Freaks (1932) ****

The "freaks" are circus performers with various physical deformities. They are not the villains of this film. The ending is terrifying, but also very satisfying.

Scarface (1932) *****

The best gangster film of the early 30's. Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Paul Muni as the king of Chicago's underworld.

Trouble In Paradise (1932) *****

One of the greatest comedies ever made, a funny and very sophisticated farce about two con artists (Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins) trying to swindle a rich heiress (Kay Francis). Brilliant dialogues, delightful comic situations and plenty of sexual innuendos. A perfect example of the celebrated "Lubitsch touch".

Love Me Tonight (1932) *****

Glorious and enchanting musical starring Maurice Chevalier as a Parisian tailor courting a young princess (Jeanette MacDonald). A great masterpiece. Superb musical score by Rogers and Hart includes:

"Song Of Paree" *
"How Are You ?" *
"Isn't It Romantic ?" ***
"Lover" **
"Mimi" ***
"The Poor Apache" *
"Love Me Tonight" **
"The Son Of A Gun Is Nothing But A Tailor" ***

Chess-nuts (1932) ****

One of the finest Betty Boop cartoons, set on a chessboard with a jealous Black King lusting after his Queen (Betty Boop), who clearly prefers White King Bimbo. It includes some of the sexiest moments in cartoons.

Flowers And Trees (1932) ****

An old, lecherous tree trunk lusts after a beautiful female tree (drawn to suggest Jean Harlow). Rejected, the mean lecher starts a forest fire, courageously fought by trees, birds and flowers. Beautiful music and an excellent use of color to create mood and atmosphere, highlight this seminal work in the history of animation - the first color cartoon and the first cartoon to win an Oscar.

Crazy Town (1932) ****

A bouncy and effervescent cartoon with Betty Boop and her friends riding a trolley from one town to another (except the trolley isn't moving, the cities are!). People walk on their hands, fishes catch people, bald men get haircuts, women change heads and mice are roaring in cages. Crazy ideas, wacky gags and surrealism galore.

Boop-Oop-A-Doop (1932) ****

Animal trainer Betty must defend her virginity from the lecherous advances of a circus owner. She succeeds with some help from Koko the Clown. Very sexy and kinky, one of the best Fleischers' cartoons. The scene showing Betty whipping wild lions in a cage is superb.

Minnie The Moocher (1932) ****

Betty runs away from home and finds herself in a dark cave with Bimbo. They are soon joined by ghosts and skeletons, all singing the Cab Calloway title tune. A precursor of sorts to Betty's masterpiece, "Snow White" (1933), it's a first-rate musical cartoon, with inventive imagery and interesting ideas.

Betty Boop's Ups And Downs (1932) ****

First, Betty is forced to sell her crumbling house. Then, the Moon and other planets offer their bids for buying the Earth. Finally, the laws of gravity are repelled and everything floats freely in the air. It's the usual Max Fleischer's cartoony nonsense on a huge scale. Very weird.

The Office Boy (1932) ****

Flip becomes an office boy, sorting letters, cleaning desks and flirting with a sexy secretary, whose shapely derriere becomes the "butt" of countless gags (she even looses her skirt and tries to cover her panties with a graph chart). Very kinky and provocative, the film has an undeniable erotic appeal.

Mickey In Arabia (1932) ****

Mickey and Minnie travel to Arabia on a huge, exotic camel. When Minnie is kidnapped by sheik PegLeg Pete, Mickey tries to rescue her, but his camel is completely drunk. Superb action sequences and very elaborate settings make it one of Mickey's best films.

L'Idée (1932) ****

The Klondike Kid (1932) ****

Saloon pianist Mickey must fight against a ruthless Yukon bandit PegLeg Pete in this late entry in the Mickey-Pete-Minnie "kidnapping" series. Excellent visual effects and brief appearances by Pluto and Goofy.

Ape Girl (1932) ***

Freddy The Freshman (1932) ***

Cars racing, folks dancing, owls howling, spectators cheering and freshmen playing ball. Fast, loud, high-spirited romp with plenty of energy to spare.

A Hunting We Will Go (1932) ***

Bimbo and Koko are hunting big game (lions, leopards and bears). They want to impress Betty Boop, but wouldn't she rather be naked than wear fur?

Piano Tooners (1932) ***

Everyone knows Tom and Jerry as a cat and mouse team from the color cartoons by Hanna-Barbera for MGM in 1940's and 50's. But the original Tom and Jerry were two boys, one short, one tall, who starred in a series of black and white cartoons produced by Amadee Van Beuren. Their first film, "Wot A Night" (1931) was a masterpiece of surrealism, but some of their later films also had interesting ideas and weird gags. "Piano Tooners" has the duo fixing pianos before a big concert. Best gags include a key-extraction (without anaesthesia) and a fish-like note flashed down the toilet.

Moonlight For Two (1932) ***

A beautiful forest at full moon is the setting of this gentle musical cartoon with characters riding in wheelbarrows across swift streams, farm animals dancing in the barn and gunfights fought over foxy dames. Quite short, but very memorable, with beautiful backgrounds.

Seeing Stars (1932) ***

Typical Krazy Kat cartoon from the early 1930's.

Studie Nr 9 (1932) ***

A typical abstract film by Oskar Fischinger.

You Try Somebody Else (1932) ***

Ethel Merman sings the beautiful title song. There are also two animated sequences, one featuring Betty Boop defending her refrigerator from a hungry cat, another set in a prison.

Pots and Pans (1932) ***

Tom and Jerry work in a diner. A Van Beuren cartoon.

The Dancing Fool (1932) ***

Bimbo and Koko are painters working on a high-rise building, while Betty Boop is a dancing instructor.

Pencil Mania (1932) ***

A Van Beuren cartoon starring Tom and Jerry (a human duo). Quite innovative.

Stormy Seas (1932) ***

You're Too Careless With Your Kisses (1932) ***

A philandering insect comes home late at night and has a fight with his jealous wife. She runs away and enters an old mansion inhabited by a huge, lecherous spider.

Bugs In Love (1932) ***

A huge spider attacks a peaceful bug colony and interrupts a sweet romance. The intruder is quickly defeated and the lovers can resume their idyllic romp. The last Silly Symphony in black and white.

Pagan Moon (1932) ***

The Wayward Canary (1932) ***

Mickey chases after an escaped bird and demolishes Minnie's home in the process. Pluto tries to help, but gets into a fight with an alley cat instead. Plenty of action, exciting chases and an orgy of destruction.

The Tuba Tooter (1932) ***

A musical cartoon starring the early Tom and Jerry (a human duo). Includes a brief pre-Code scene with scantily-clad dancing ladies.

Music Lesson (1932) ***

Touchdown Mickey (1932) ***

It's "Mickey's Manglers" against "Alley Cats" in this exciting football cartoon. Goofy plays a radio announcer.

Swim Or Sink (1932) ***

Passengers are abandoning a sinking ship. Three survivors, Betty Boop, Koko and Bimbo, are rescued by cruel pirates. Aka "Betty Boop's SOS".

Goopy Geer (1932) ***

Uneven, but quite zany cartoon about a pianist.

King Neptune (1932) ***

Bosko And Bruno (1932) ***

Uneven cartoon starring Bosko and his dog. An exciting finale saves the film.

Mickey's Revue (1932) ***

Goofy (in his film debut) is among the spectators of an otherwise routine revue show - he sports a weird beard, but he's easily recognized by his trademark silly laugh (voice by Pinto Colvig).

Carnival Capers (1932) ***

Amusing Oswald cartoon.

Mickey's Good Deed (1932) ***

Poor street musician Mickey, hungry and cold (it's winter, of course) decides to sell his pal Pluto to buy gifts for poor children. A fine Mickey short, quite sentimental, but rich in gags. The funniest (and cruelest) involves Pluto tormented by his new owner, a rich spoiled brat.

Betty Boop For President (1932) ***

Betty is a presidential candidate. Her opponent is a certain Mr Nobody.

The Mad Dog (1932) ***

Mickey washes Pluto, but the dog swallows a soap and runs away, scaring everyone in sight. An effective chase cartoon.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1932) ***

The beautiful title song by Ethel Merman is the prime reason to see this Betty Boop cartoon. She plays a child nurse who flirts with Bimbo, while the baby wanders off on its own. That part is quite boring. Best of all is the bouncing-ball song itself (some lyrics are written as charades).

Birth Of Jazz (1932) ***

Excellent musical cartoon starring Krazy Kat.

Battling Bosko (1932) ***

Little Bosko is training for a crucial boxing match against a huge and ugly opponent. Their fight is perhaps more predictable than one might expect (Bosko loses), but this fast-paced, energetic cartoon has plenty of other surprises in store.

Babes In The Woods (1932) ***

Two little children are lost in the woods. Kidnapped by an evil witch, they are rescued by little red dwarves. An excellent adaptation of the Grimm Bros' "Hansel and Gretel".

It's Got Me Again (1932) ***

A precursor of sorts to the Tom & Jerry cartoons of the 1940's, this Oscar-nominated film has dozens of playful mice and a vicious cat determined to exterminate them. But the brave rodents put up a stiff fight (using flame throwers, bows and arrows, even a gramophone machine-gun).

Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle (1932) ***

Bosko The Lumberjack (1932) **

Honey is kidnapped by a lumberjack.

The Grocery Boy (1932) **

Mickey delivers groceries to Minnie's house. An average Disney cartoon.

The Queen Was In The Parlor (1932) **

A virtually plotless cartoon set in a medieval castle. Well animated, but short on gags.

Oh How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning (1932) **

Irving Berlin's immortal song illustrates this rather mediocre little cartoon about army life. Directed by Dave Fleischer.

Just Dogs (1932) **

Pluto escapes from a dog pound.

Barnyard Olympics (1932) **

Mickey wins a bike race.

The Duck Hunt (1932) **

First, Mickey and Pluto are hunting ducks. Later, ducks are hunting Mickey and Pluto.

Bosko At The Beach (1932) **

Bosko, Honey and Bruno are playing on the beach.

Crosby, Columbo And Vallee (1932) **

An early Merrie Melody set in a Native American village, with people and animals singing, dancing and listening to the radio.

The Cat's Canary (1932) **

Directed by J.Foster and M.Davis. Produced by Van Beuren. A cat swallows a canary and starts to sing.

The Milkman (1932) **

Flip milks cows and encounters crying infants in this eventful, but rather mediocre cartoon.

The Bully (1932) **

Flip the Frog stands up to a bully and has to fight him in a boxing ring. A slowly paced film with a few inventive ideas.

What A Life! (1932) **

Flip and his sidekick are two hungry street musicians running away from a ruthless cop.

The Bird Store (1932) **

A hungry cat wrecks havoc in a bird store.

Stopping The Show (1932) **

Betty Boop is imitating various performers (including Fannie Brice and Maurice Chevalier).

Studie Nr 12 (1932) **

Oskar Fischinger's experimental short, one of the last (and weakest) in the series.

Mickey's Nightmare (1932) **

Mickey has a dream about marrying Minnie and living in a house full of braty little mice, who trash the place and torture him and Pluto. Remade in 1954 as "Donald's Diary".

A Great Big Bunch Of You (1932) **

Incoherent, but quite pleasant Merrie Melody with plenty of music and no plot.

Betty Boop Limited (1932) **

Betty Boop and her theatrical company are travelling by train and giving short performances. Quite tame for an early Betty Boop cartoon.

Spooks (1932) **

Flip visits a haunted house inhabited by skeletons. It's neither scary nor particularly amusing.

The Whoopee Party (1932) **

Mickey and his pals throw a wild party. One completely innocent scene, showing matches burning and then looking like Al Jolsons in blackface (and saying "Mammy!"), have been removed by politically-correct censors.

Santa's Workshop (1932) **

Merry Santa's helpers (dwarfs in green and blue costumes) help their boss prepare gifts for children. Many "assembly-line" gags.

Trader Mickey (1932) **

Cannibals are trying to eat Mickey Mouse.

The Bears And The Bees (1932) **

Bears love honey. Bees hate bears who steal honey.

Rudy Vallee Melodies (1932) **

Rudy Vallee sings three bouncing-ball songs to Betty's party guests - "Deep Night", "A Little Kiss Each Morning" and "Stein Song". He also sings "Goodnight Sweetheart" as a lullaby for Betty.

Room Runners (1932) **

Flip tries to sneak out of a hotel without paying his bill. Plenty of chases, but few funny gags.

Just A Gigolo (1932) **

Betty Boop is selling cigarettes in a nightclub, where singer Irene Bordoni croons a sad, but beautiful song about a gigolo. It's quite odd to hear about "selling romance" and "paying for every dance" in a cartoon for kids. A lesson in family values circa 1932.

The Goal Rush (1932) **

An ordinary Flip The Frog cartoon.

School Days (1932) **

Flip The Frog at school.

The Circus (1932) **

An average Flip The Frog cartoon.

The Robot (1932) **

Bimbo builds a metal robot to defeat a boxing champ.

I'll Be Glad When You're Dead (1932) **

Savage natives kidnap Betty, while Bimbo and Koko barely escape with their lives. A very weak cartoon by Fleischers' standards.

The Nurse Maid (1932) *

Flip takes care of a little toddler. Slow moving, forgettable effort.

Bosko's Dog Race (1932) *

It's actually Bruno's dog race.

Bosko At The Zoo (1932) *

Bosko wrecks havoc at the zoo.

I Wish I Had Wings (1932) *

A mediocre Merrie Melody set on a farm.

Bosko's Store (1932) *

Mediocre cartoon set in Bosko's store.

Betty Boop's Museum (1932) *

Betty visits a museum, where she admires dinosaur skeletons and other exhibits. Locked inside the building at night, she's forced to sing while the skeletons are dancing.

Betty Boop's Bizzy Bee (1932) *

Betty runs a fast-food joint, but she has only wheat cakes on the menu. Bimbo and Koko are among her customers.

Betty Boop MD (1932) *

Betty, Koko and Bimbo are travelling medecine salesmen. Their product, called "jippo", allegedly removes teeth, grows tonsils, flattens feet and makes young men old.

Musical Farmer (1932) *

Mickey plays the title role.

Bosko's Party (1932) *

It's Honey's birthday party.

Any Rags (1932) *

Bimbo's collecting old rags and other useless objects - little else happens in this mediocre cartoon, co-starring Betty Boop.

Big-Hearted Bosko (1932) *

Bosko finds an abandoned baby in the snow.

I Love A Parade (1932) *

A circus parade with lions pounding drums and kangaroos playing clarinets. A forgettable mediocrity with one funny gag (a lion putting his head in his trainer's mouth).

Romantic Melodies (1932) *

Bimbo and his pals are playing music under Betty's window.

Admission Free (1932) *

Betty works in a penny arcade, where short films are shown in special viewing boxes. Bimbo and Koko are among the customers.