A good deal of the pre-Production Code Betty Boop cartoons are daring and creative, with content that makes one amazed at what's gotten away with. While the later Betty Boop cartoons made after the Code was enforced are still watchable and exceptionally well-made, they are so toned down that they feel bland.
Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation. The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. Her trademark pre-Code personality is toned down and she has very little to do here (her most memorable contribution being the catchy campaign song), but she is still cute, charming and fun.
'The Candid Candidate' is a Betty Boop cartoon where the star of the show is actually Grampy, a riotous and adorable character with ingenious inventions and solutions, especially the bicycle/lunch counter/cane. Anybody who loves those traits to Grampy (count me as one) will not be disappointed at all.
On top of that, the animation, as always, is extremely good, being beautifully drawn, crisply shaded and meticulous in detail. The music is infectious, lush and dynamic. 'The Candid Candidate' is very funny in spots such as the fire fighting gag, is wonderfully wild in pace and it is cute without being too saccharine. The voice is reliably good.
Most later post-Production cartoons come over as a little bland as a result of the lack of surreal and risqué edge. That edge is lacking here too, but 'The Candid Candidate' has more oomph than most Betty Boop cartoons this period due to some of its insane nature and that it's one of the funniest and more creative later Betty Boop cartoons.
In summary, very good, though one where Grampy fans will be delighted and Betty fans a little disappointed. 8/10 Bethany Cox