Chess-Nuts Explained

Chess-Nuts
Director:Dave Fleischer
Animator:James H. Culhane
William Henning
Starring:Mae Questel
Music:Sammy Timberg
Producer:Max Fleischer
Studio:Fleischer Studios
Distributor:Paramount Publix Corporation
Country:United States
Color Process:Black-and-white
Runtime:7 minutes
Language:English

Chess-Nuts is a 1932 Fleischer Studios animated short film starring Betty Boop, and featuring Bimbo and Koko the Clown.[1]

Synopsis

A live action chess game becomes a chaotic, animated quest for the favors of Betty Boop. Betty comes to life as the black queen and Bimbo becomes the white king. The black king, Old King Cole, wants Betty for himself and carries her away to his castle. Bimbo must come to her rescue, with the assistance of Koko and the other chess pieces. When Bimbo breaks into the castle, he engages Old King Cole in a fight, which results in King Cole's death, with Bimbo, Betty, Koko and the other chess characters parading along the chess board. The two men playing chess are shown to have been playing the game for so long that they grow large beards with a spider in a web between the two beards.

The battle contains elements of chess, bowling, football and boxing. Koko appears briefly as part of Bimbo's team of animated chess men.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lenburg . Jeff . The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons . 1999 . Checkmark Books . 0-8160-3831-7 . 142.