Buddy's Beer Garden

Now a fairly obscure character, Buddy was the second Warner Brothers Looney Tunes character, after Bosko and followed by Beans the Cat. Buddy didn't last long, being retired in 1935 after 23 cartoons starting in 1933.

After the historically significant but average debut cartoon 'Buddy's Day Out', Buddy's second cartoon is a marginal improvement, being not as high on the cutesy factor, but is still rather unexceptional. Can still sort of understand why the character didn't last long. Buddy certainly isn't annoying here, but that he is still not a particularly interesting or compelling character and rather bland instead is a large part of the problem.

The laughs still don't come consistently, while there are still parts that make one cringe. The story is non-existent and lacks energy and the supporting characters, apart from the lady singer, are not very memorable.

However, there are good elements. The animation is nicely drawn and detailed. Music played a big part in the Buddy cartoons and it was essential for it to work. Luckily it has the liveliness and energy, as well as the lush and vibrant orchestration, that was lacking elsewhere.

Parts are amusing too, the first half is pretty fun but the highlight is the lady singer and the overhanging dress being torn. The cutesy factor is toned down, which is a good thing, and the lady singer entertains.

On the whole, decent but unexceptional. 6/10 Bethany Cox