Making Stars

Plot

Betty Boop takes center stage as the star of a vaudeville-style variety show, captivating the audience with her melodious singing and charismatic performance. As she performs her musical numbers, the backstage area reveals a nursery full of adorable babies who are preparing for their own moment in the spotlight. The babies soon take over the stage, creating chaos and comedy with their unexpected musical talents and adorable antics. The film showcases a series of increasingly elaborate musical numbers featuring the infant performers, who demonstrate remarkable abilities beyond their years. Betty Boop gracefully cedes the spotlight to her tiny co-stars, who deliver a spectacular finale that delights both the on-screen audience and viewers. The cartoon concludes with a triumphant celebration of the unexpected talents of the baby performers.

Historical Background

1935 was a pivotal year in American animation and entertainment history. The Great Depression was still affecting the country, and movies, particularly short cartoons, provided affordable escapism for struggling audiences. The Hays Production Code, implemented in 1934, was beginning to significantly influence content across all film genres, including animation, forcing studios to tone down sexual innuendo and adult themes. Betty Boop, once known for her risqué flapper persona, was being gradually sanitized to comply with these new standards. This period also saw the rise of organized labor in the animation industry, with animators beginning to unionize for better working conditions. The film was released during the golden age of Hollywood musicals, and its theatrical setting and musical numbers reflect the broader cultural fascination with performance and spectacle during this era.

Making Of

The production of 'Making Stars' took place at Fleischer Studios' headquarters in New York City, where the team of animators worked under tight deadlines to meet Paramount's demanding release schedule. The cartoon utilized the studio's innovative Stereoptical process, which involved photographing animation cels against three-dimensional miniature sets, creating a unique depth of field that distinguished Fleischer cartoons from their Disney counterparts. The baby characters proved particularly challenging to animate, requiring careful balance between maintaining their infant characteristics while giving them the ability to perform complex musical numbers. The voice work was done by Mae Questel, Betty Boop's regular voice actress, who had to adapt her performance to accommodate the new character dynamics. The musical score was composed by Sammy Timberg, Fleischer's musical director, who incorporated elements of popular jazz and swing music that was dominating the American music scene in 1935.

Visual Style

The cartoon employs Fleischer Studios' signature Stereoptical process, which used miniature three-dimensional sets photographed with animation cels to create an unprecedented sense of depth and perspective. The visual style combines Art Deco influences with cartoonish exaggeration, particularly in the theater setting and character designs. The animation utilizes the 'rubber hose' technique popular in the 1930s, giving characters fluid, boneless movements that enhance the comedic effect. The camera work includes innovative tracking shots that follow the baby performers across the stage, creating a dynamic viewing experience. The lighting effects simulate theatrical spotlights and stage lighting, adding to the authenticity of the vaudeville setting. Color grading, though subtle in the black and white original, uses tonal variations to create mood and emphasize important visual elements.

Innovations

The cartoon's most significant technical achievement was its use of the Stereoptical process, a Fleischer Studios innovation that created three-dimensional backgrounds by photographing animation cels against miniature sets. This technique allowed for more dynamic camera movements and realistic depth of field than was possible with traditional flat background animation. The film also showcased advanced synchronization techniques between animation and sound, particularly in the complex musical numbers featuring the baby characters. The animation of the babies required innovative approaches to character movement, combining realistic infant mannerisms with exaggerated comedic timing. The production utilized multi-plane camera techniques before they became widely adopted in the industry. The cartoon also demonstrated sophisticated color separation techniques in its black and white presentation, using tonal variations to create visual depth and emphasis.

Music

The musical score was composed by Sammy Timberg, Fleischer Studios' musical director, and incorporates elements of swing and jazz that were popular in 1935. The soundtrack features several original musical numbers performed by Betty Boop (voiced by Mae Questel) and the baby characters, with lyrics that play on the theme of unexpected talent. The orchestration includes typical big band instrumentation of the era, with prominent saxophone and trumpet sections that drive the energetic musical numbers. Sound effects were created using innovative techniques for the time, including the use of modified musical instruments to create the babies' singing voices. The cartoon's audio demonstrates the sophisticated sound recording capabilities available at Fleischer Studios, which allowed for complex layering of music, dialogue, and effects. The soundtrack was recorded using the then-state-of-the-art Western Electric sound system, ensuring high-quality audio reproduction in theaters.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence where Betty Boop descends from the stars onto the theater stage in a sparkling costume, setting up the star-making theme
• The chaotic but adorable scene where the babies emerge from their nursery and take over the stage, each displaying unexpected musical talents
• The grand finale where all the baby performers unite for a spectacular musical number that brings down the house
• The moment when Betty Boop gracefully steps aside to let the babies shine, showing her character's evolution from star to mentor

What Critics Said

Contemporary reviews in trade publications like Variety and The Film Daily praised the cartoon's technical innovation and comedic timing, noting particularly the clever animation of the baby characters. Critics of the era appreciated the film's musical elements and the seamless integration of sound with animation. Modern animation historians view 'Making Stars' as an important example of how Fleischer Studios maintained their distinctive style while adapting to industry censorship changes. The cartoon is often cited in retrospectives as representing the end of Betty Boop's jazz-age era and the beginning of her more domesticated character period. Animation scholars have noted the film's sophisticated use of the Stereoptical process as a technical achievement that pushed the boundaries of what was possible in 1930s animation.

What Audiences Thought

Audiences in 1935 responded positively to the cartoon's blend of music, comedy, and the adorable baby characters, who proved particularly popular with family audiences. The film was well-received in both urban and rural theaters, demonstrating Betty Boop's broad appeal across different demographic groups. The baby characters became so popular that they inspired merchandise and appeared in subsequent Fleischer productions. Contemporary audience feedback collected by theater owners indicated that the cartoon was especially popular with children, while adults appreciated the sophisticated musical arrangements and clever visual gags. The film's success helped maintain Betty Boop's commercial viability even as her character was being toned down to meet censorship requirements.

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