Who is Tobie?

[impeccablyhung]

I have come across a wooden toy (resembles a cat) that has the identification "TOBIE copyright 1932"embossed on the back. I have been informed that this character may have been associated with Betty Boop (her cat's cousin). I would appreciate if anyone on this site can validate this and if so, enlighten me as to or what Tobie may be.
I am attaching a photo for reference.

Thanking you in advance, Steven

[BBooper]

hmmmmm never seen this cute kitty before!

BBooper
xxx

[mgchan]

Tobie doesn't ring a bell and it may not be related to Betty Boop.

[impeccablyhung]

Thank you for the IMMEDIATE RESPONSE! I will keep searching, Steven

[bettyboopfan]

I have not heard of Tobie either.....hmmmm

[Candlesnboop]

Looks famialiar to me but not sure I could place him..

[Boopsie-Cola]

i have seen betty boop and bimbo dolls similar to the one you have which may mean they are related in some way but i doubt it, its more likely that they are just made in the same style and are from the same time period (1930's)
since none of us here have heard of him im guessing its fair to say that if he is linked with betty boop it would only be very distantly, and he probably wouldnt have been popular enough to have his own doll. so i rekon its safe to say he isnt linked with betty boop although i cant rule it out 100% why dont you ask our very own betty boop memorabilia expert?? chances are if he hasnt got it then its nothing to do with bb! good luck! bes xx

[Bikerbettyboop]

Great suggestion Boopsie... Between MGCHAN and Leonard, they should be able to answer the question about Tobie and if he is indeed related to Betty Boop. (I don't think so.. but I'm not an expert.)

[bettyboopfan]

Tobie does look strangely familiar.....

[bettyboopfan]

Until recently, only a fragment (about half) of TOBY IN THE MUSEUM was the only "Toby" cartoon around. Four prints were discovered in Europe within the last eight years. TOBY IN CIRCUS TIME was preserved by the UCLA FILM ARCHIVE and a great 35mm print exists in their vaults. TOBY THE MILKMAN, DOWN SOUTH and HALLOWEEN all showed up on TV in France (the program CARTOON FACTORY on Arte). The rest are still considered lost. I think they've all fallen into the Public Domain. No one has the original negatives, though I suppose RKO had them in the 1930s and they could still be in some RKO storage somewhere, if anyone cared enough to look. Turner's rights (now Warner Bros.) to RKO films is limited to TV distribution of feature films only. RKO, which still exists, I believe still owns all other rights to their properties. Mike Barrier says in his book, HOLLYWOOD CARTOONS, that Dick Huemer joined the Charles Mintz studio to make the Toby series (in 1930). The following year, Huemer created the Scrappy cartoons for Columbia release (for whom Mintz had already been doing the KRAZY KAT cartoons).
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/bettyboopfan/toby3.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/bettyboopfan/toby.jpg

[The Moocher]

The character is probably Toby the Pup, although the toy looks a lot more like Bimbo than Toby.

I have no record of Toby (or Tobie) the Cat.

Van Beuren Studios made 13 cartoons featuring Toby the Pup between 1930 and 1931. These were:

Toby the Fiddler (1930)
Toby the Miner (1930)
Toby the Showman (1930)
The Bug House (1930)
Circus Time (1931)
Toby the Milkman (1931)
Brown Derby (1931)
Down South (1931)
Halloween (1931)
Toby the Bull Thrower (1931)
Aces Up (1931)

The cartoons were produced by Charles Mintz. Toby had a girlfriend called Cathy.

Currently I have a very brief synopsis of Toby the Milkman (Toby the milkman sings while doing his route) and Halloween (Toby organizes a Halloween celebration; some witches and elves join the party).

The only cartoon for which I have a decent description is Down South:

A paddle steamer docks and pleasure seekers go on board to be greeted by Toby. Once underway, Cathy sings "Mississipi Mud". The audience enjoys the show but their foot-stomping becomes so extreme that everyone except Cathy is thrown from the boat. Toby chases after the boat, boards it and saves Cathy and himself by moving the paddles to the front of the boat. The paddles become propellors and the boat takes flight just before crashing over a waterfall. Toby and Cathy embrace as the boat flies into the distance.

Mooch

[bettyboopfan]

I have personally never seen a cartoon with Toby in it.

[ooohlala]

Ive seen Toby before...somewhere! I'll have a hunt around....but i'm pretty sure ive seen him somewhere!

[bettyboopfan]

I posted some pics of him in the previous posts but I have never seen his cartoons.