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.
The previous two cartoons 'Buddy's Day Out' and 'Buddy's Beer Garden' were not great cartoons and did show why Buddy as a character didn't last long, but they had their moments that made them average fare than bad. 'Buddy's Show Boat' has a few good things but really doesn't have that much to it. It is interesting to see very early cartoon characters like Buddy before Warner Brothers Looney Tunes went on to much better things with far better and deservedly longer preserved characters. It was interesting to see a cartoon where the Code had not yet been enforced and cartoons were able to get away with much more.
'Buddy's Show Boat' is really pretty much for those interest points and not much else. Part of the trouble is the character of Buddy himself, one can see why he didn't last long. Not annoying as such and less of a stereotype than Bosko, but he isn't the most interesting or compelling of characters. Pretty bland to me actually and rarely funny.
Like the previous two cartoons, 'Buddy's Show Boat' is pretty dull and is not very funny. The previous two cartoons however had a few good moments, especially 'Buddy's Beer Garden', whereas here the laughs and creativity are lacking severely. Even the weirder, more daring elements don't amuse and don't feel right within the cartoon.
It's far too cutesy too and the dialogue is nothing to write home about at all. The story is non-existent and the pacing is never lively and often dull.
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.
Cookie is charming and the voice actors do their best with little to do.
So summing up, worth a look as a one-time watch for interest, but re-watch value is zero. 4/10 Bethany Cox
