Minnie the Moocher: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Consists of: 16mm Film (a), Original 400 foot Film Reel, and Original Cardboard Box (c).

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.”

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1932
• Produced by: Fleischer Studios, Inc., American
• Subject of: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Owned by: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film;
• Medium: Reel (b): metal;
• Medium: Cardboard Box (c): cardboard.
• Dimensions: Duration: 12 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 380 Feet
• Place made: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Composers (Musicians)
• Topic: Conductors (Musicians)
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: A2015.273.2.9.1abc
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Fleischer Studios Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.