Additional Information about the Theatrical Cartoon Minnie The Moocher (Video)

With Cab Calloway And His Orchestra. (Calloway's first appearance in a Betty Boop cartoon.)

The cartoon begins with actual film footage of Cab Calloway dancing in front of his orchestra, the former Missourians, while they perform the "Prohibition Blues." This is the oldest known film footage of Calloway.

This was the only cartoon in which Betty Boop's parents appear. They are German Jews; the father is named Otto, but the mother is unnamed.

It has been speculated (citing changes in Betty's appearance) that one animator produced the beginning of this cartoon, while a second animator produced the end.

The title tune is sung by Calloway, appearing as a dancing cartoon walrus (rotoscoped over Cab himself). The cartoon concludes with "Vine Street Drag," said to be the only recording of this instrumental with Calloway.

Not currently shown on American television due to potentially offensive African-American characterizations.

The lyrics to the famous song are heavily laden with drug references. "Smoky" is described as "cokey," meaning a user of cocaine; the phrase "kicking the gong around" was a slang reference to smoking opium; and other verses describe Minnie's opium dream, involving living with the King of Sweden and having a "million dollars worth of nickels and dimes."

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