Bimbo’s Initiation (1931) Talkertoons (Max Fleischer)

Bimbo’s Initiation released by Talkertoons (Max Fleischer) was rather unique in that it had a more spooky and ominous theme to the animation. Bimbo (the term Bimbo in the 1920s was mostly associated with men who liked to fight) is walking down the street when he falls into a manhole and into a secret society where one of the members ask if he want to be a member. An interesting side note is that as he falls into the manhole his main animation rival, Mickey Mouse makes a cameo from Walt Disney studios appears to lock the manhole in an attempt to eliminate his rival (it sure looks like Mickey Mouse, curious if there is a back story about that). Bimbo refuses the bearded Society member's offer and then journeys through rooms and dangers (not unlike an Indiana Jones movie) until finally at the end the bearded member takes off its disguise to reveal it's actually Bimbo's love interest Betty Boop. Bimbo then agrees to join and dance with the Secret Society of Betty Boop clones. Bimbo's Initiation was excellently done as a animation thriller, and it might be possible that the modern definition of "bimbo" may have derived from the characterization of Betty Boop.
On a side note, the main character in the animation, Bimbo, is a cartoon dog who was originally Fitz from the Koko the Clown series who Max Fleischer then used without Koko and createded Betty Boop as his love interest.


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