Bosko's Store (1932) Online

The Bosko cartoons may not be animation masterpieces, but they are fascinating as examples of Looney Tunes in their early days before the creation of more compelling characters and funnier and more creative cartoons. There are some good cartoons, as well as some average or less ones.

'Bosko's Store' on the most part is one of Bosko's better cartoons, even if it has its imperfections. It has been well established by now that the Bosko cartoons should not be seen for their stories, which was never a strong suit (quite the opposite), and the story here is very thin and predictable.'Bosko's Store' falls downhill a little bit when Wilber arrives, Wilber can be tolerable in some of his cartoons but here he is an annoying brat.

As for Bosko himself however, while limited in development, he is fun and more endearing than he can be.

Furthermore, the animation is good. Not exactly refined but fluid and crisp enough with some nice detail, it is especially good in the meticulous backgrounds and some remarkably flexible yet natural movements for Bosko. The music doesn't disappoint either, its infectious energy, rousing merriment, lush orchestration and how well it fits with the animation is just a joy.

Sound quality has clarity and the synchronisation isn't sloppy and has imagination. The way Bosko is animated is well done and remarkably natural. The gags is imaginative and rarely miss or less than very amusing, especially in the great first half.

Overall, very good and one of the better Bosko cartoons. 8/10 Bethany Cox

. . . as the Red Commie KGB enablers making up the majority of the population in the benighted American Fly-Over Red States demand, Warner Bros. warning prophecy out of their psychic Animated Shorts Seers division (aka, the Looney Tuners) entitled BOSKO'S STORE will finally come to pass 75 years after this prognostication first hit the Big Screen. With title character Bosko representing KGB American Czar Vlad "Mad Dog" Putin's Puppet Rump running America--Allegorized here as BOSKO'S STORE--canines, felines, and rodents are shown having the run of the U.S. food supply venues. BOSKO'S STORE shows an anonymous dachshund, Honey's cat Wilbur, and a tube of baloney all being sliced up by the same unsanitary floor fan (with the resulting mix presumably served to we unsuspecting American consumers). Now, it's fine and dandy if Red State Residents are stuck eating this kind of slop (and it would serve them right if they all expire as a consequence, in accordance with their Leader Putin's Plan to kill off as many Americans as he can). However, why should the Innocent Blue State Majority who voted overwhelmingly for Hillary also be force-fed the deregulated gruel of garbage emanating from BOSKO'S STORE?!

This is one of the better Bosko shorts, with some very good sight gags and a slight wisp of a plot. There will be a discussion of some details below, so this is a spoiler warning:

Bosko is working in his store and virtually all of his movements are in time to music. He actually dances through much of the short. The cartoon essentially is in two halves-before the advent of Wilber and after him. The short has some funny gags after Wilber comes in, but the most enjoyable part is before his appearance.

Bosko has to contend with a bologna eating dachshund that becomes like a concertina and a little mouse making a prank telephone call. He dances with a broom as he sweeps the walk in front of his store. There's some very nice stuff in the first three minutes or so. And then comes Wilber.

Wilber is the prime argument in favor of birth control. He makes Damien from the Omen look like Buster Brown. Wilber comes down to the store with Honey and proceeds to cause trouble, first with a rude remark to Honey and then by systematically trying to destroy Bosko's store (and probably Bosko into the bargain). Bosko must have the stamina of Wile E. Coyote in this one. Gags involving bananas and molasses figure prominently and the final gag (involving barbed wire) looks painful and is priceless.

I truly hope this short eventually makes it onto a Looney Tunes Golden Collection in the future and the sooner the better. Most recommended.