The Farmerette 1932 | Van Beuren Aesop's Fables Cartoon | Full Short

Watch "The Farmerette" (1932), an Aesop's Fables cartoon from Van Beuren Studios. Farmer Goat's animals are too lazy to work – until a flapper girl from the city (voiced by Betty Boop's original voice actress) uses song and dance to revitalize the farm. A curious piece of animation history, this cartoon shamelessly copies the Betty Boop formula but features excellent jazz-era music.

Now in the public domain.

About this film:
The Farmerette is a 1932 American animated short film produced by Van Beuren Studios as part of their "Aesop's Fables" series . The film was directed by John Foster and Harry Bailey , produced by Amadee J. Van Beuren . The short was released on June 11, 1932 (though some sources cite June 28) and runs approximately 6-7 minutes .

Plot Summary:
A single farmer is advertising for a "farmerette" (a wife/farm helper) to get his sluggish farm back on its feet . All the animals on the farm are lazy, preferring to sleep than do any work . A young flapper girl from the city (Miss Kitty) sees the advertisement and arrives confident her "big city sensibilities" can get the animals moving . She sings and dances, introducing the animals to jazz, which finally stimulates them back to work .

Cast & Credits:

Role Name
Director John Foster, Harry Bailey
Producer Amadee J. Van Beuren
Miss Kitty (voice) Margie Hines
Studio Van Beuren Studios
Series Aesop's Fables / Aesop's Sound Fables
The "Betty Boop Clone" Controversy:
This cartoon is infamous among animation historians as a shameless ripoff of Max Fleischer's Betty Boop cartoons . The main character, Miss Kitty, borrows Betty's flapper design, her sex appeal, and even her voice .

Key connections to Betty Boop :

Margie Hines (who voices Miss Kitty) was one of the original voice actresses for Betty Boop, having voiced Betty in approximately 33 cartoons for the Fleischer Brothers

Mae Questel (the most famous Betty voice) and Bonnie Poe (6 cartoons) also performed Betty's voice, but Hines was a regular

Interestingly, the Fleischer Brothers didn't appear angry that Hines did "The Farmerette" – they continued using her for Betty Boop cartoons after 1932

Note: Betty Boop was originally a dog in her earliest cartoons, not a cat – making Miss Kitty's species yet another difference .

Technical Details:

Detail Information
Year 1932
Release Date June 11, 1932
Series Aesop's Fables
Runtime 6-7 minutes
Format Black and white, silent (this version)
Original Sound RCA Photophone
Country United States
Public Domain Yes
Critical Reception (Historical):

The film has a modern IMDb rating of 5.6/10.

Positive elements noted :

The music score is "beautifully and cleverly orchestrated... great fun to listen to and full of lively energy"

Margie Hines "does a good job as the titular character" even if the character herself is derivative

Some "neat sound effects here and there"

The gag with the hen laying eggs on an assembly line and the final song "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm?" are highlights

The film "is not as disjointed and makes more sense than many Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoons"

Critical notes :

The animation is "downright bad most of the time" with "erratically sloppy character designs"

The lead character is "a blatant Betty Boop imitation with a little of her sex appeal but with none of her charm or likeability"

The cartoon is "very low on laughs, actually none of it is remotely amusing"
Chapters:
0:00 - Opening Titles
0:15 - Farmer Goat advertises for a "farmerette"
1:00 - Miss Kitty (flapper cat) arrives at the farm
1:30 - Her dance and song begins
2:30 - The lazy animals start moving
3:00 - Assembly line egg-laying gag
4:00 - Jazz music revitalizes the farm
4:30 - Final musical number ("How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm?")
5:30 - The farm is saved / End Titles

Connect & Explore:

Watch more Van Beuren Aesop's Fables cartoons: [Link to playlist]

Watch the original Betty Boop cartoons for comparison: [Link to playlist]

Subscribe for more public domain animation classics.

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Optimization & Hashtags
Optimization Notes:

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Secondary Keywords: "John Foster cartoon," "Harry Bailey director," "Margie Hines voice actress," "Betty Boop clone," "public domain cartoon 1932," "pre-code cartoon"
SEO Tip: Use "public domain cartoon" and "Van Beuren" for discoverability

Hashtags (Place in Description)
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