Van Beuren cartoons are extremely variable, especially in the number of gags and whether the absurdist humour shines through enough (sometimes it does, other times it doesn't), but are strangely interesting. Although they are often poorly animated with barely existent stories and less than compelling lead characters, they are also often outstandingly scored, there can be some fun support characters and some are well-timed and amusing.'Fly Frolic' hardly has the most original of concepts, the fly vs. the spider concept, Disney and Fleischer also did cartoons involving insect conflicts and to me did it better. 'Fly Frolic' is still a decent cartoon in its own right though, and while not quite one of Van Beuren's best overall it is towards the top middle half of the studio's Aesop's Fables series (which saw some decent/good cartoons, a lot of somewhere in between and its fair of average and less ones).As to be expected, the animation is less than great. The backgrounds are an improvement especially when the cartoon becomes more plot-oriented, but the designs are very primitive and it generally is sloppily drawn. It is more an amusing cartoon than a very funny or hilarious one, the first half in the nightclub is cute without being too cutesy and has a few, if not enough, gags that are competently done and amusing but not particularly imaginative. Credit is due for it to be consistent in its melodramatic story nature, making sense and having a story that goes somewhere and doesn't take too long to get there. Having said that, 'Fly Frolic' is on the formulaic side (the outcome is obvious from the outset) and is slightly disjointed though in the change of setting from nightclub to lab and how it goes from cute to a quite creepy 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'-like premise, and the spider's change happens far too early via accidental visual magic and not how he was clearly meant to do it. Not many Van Beuren cartoons manage to do creepy and do it as effectively as 'Fly Frolic' does. The spider character is the most interesting in the cartoon and is genuinely frightening to even a young adult. The fly characters are likeable and charming, while not being bland or going over the top in the sugar. The first half is cute and has moments where it amuses.Best asset about 'Fly Frolic' is the music score, pretty much the best thing consistently of Van Beuren's output. Sometimes even the only good thing. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The Cab Calloway number is very catchy and gives a very upbeat mood that also translates in the cartoon. There is also an upbeat as well as suspenseful energy throughout.Overall, decent and quite well done if not great. 6/10 Bethany Cox

This was another Van Beuren cartoon I just watched on YouTube. In this one, a boy-and-girl fly enters a nightclub where they enjoy the floor show. A spider enters and frightens every fly in attendance but first performs a Cab Calloway-like song that mentions Minnie and "kicking the gong around" before taking the leading girl fly to have his way with her. He then drinks a potion to transform into a handsome version of himself which fools the other flies before...well, I think you have probably guessed what happens next. Anyway, this was quite entertaining musically and is fascinating to watch though I didn't think it was funny, just a bit amusing. So on that note, Fly Frolic is worth a look.

This simply romance story involving a couple of flies turns out to be a sinister Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde tale. It's kind of strange, as many of these early 1930 cartoons tended to be.A fly wants to get inside a house and see his girlfriend, who is on the other side of the window. He gets his buddies to all lift at once and they open the window. He and his girlfriend start kissing. Then they fly out the window and wind up at the "Coffee Pot Cabaret" where they get the red-carpet treatment. Inside, they dance. Some couples are dancing on the ceiling. Flies can do that. A mosquito is sucking down two root-beer floats. We see liquid enter his body, like blood on a real mosquito.Then, a big furry creature enters the place and starts singing a Cab Calloway-type of number. He calls himself "Smokey Joe" and, after his number, runs off with the original fly's girlfriend. He makes it back to his house/lab and now the story becomes Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde as the guy downs a wild concoction. He fools everyone except the girlfriend, who exposes him and the guy changes back into the furry bug and is attacked by all the flies, who kill him.That's all, folks. As I said.....kinda weird.