What -- No Spinach?

Popeye goes into Bluto's diner and tries to order roast duck. However, Wimpy is the waiter, and he tries to mooch everything... especially the hamburgers.

Lou Fleischer provides Wimpy's voice, and yes, he was a relative of Max and Dave: their brother. There was a lot of nepotism in Hollywood at the time; Universal was famous for it under 'Uncle' Carl Laemmle. The Fleischers had brothers-in-laws, nephews, and such on the payroll, but they definitely earned their keep.

As is often the case with the Fleischer cartoons in this period, you had to keep an attentive eye open for all the throwaway gags that Dave instructed his staff to put in.

It's Bluto's restaurant. Wimpy is the short order cook, but he's too eager to eat the hamburgers. Bluto catches him and puts the hamburger in his safe. Popeye comes in and orders a roast duck. Wimpy changes the order to hamburger and tries to eat it himself. Bluto stops Wimpy and finally gives Popeye his roast duck. Wimpy still tries to do some stealing. When Popeye refuses to pay, he gets into a fight with Bluto.

This Popeye cartoon is most interesting for making Wimpy the villain. Popeye and Bluto are simply the victims of his antics and some misunderstandings. His addiction to hamburgers is the true villain of the piece and that's an interesting take.

After Popeye, Wimpy was the most popular character in E.C. Segar's "Thimble Theater" comic strip, but in the Fleischer and Famous Studio cartoons, he was usually just a bit player. This film marks the one time he took center stage.

And it's 100% Wimpy. It takes place in a diner, Wimpy's favorite hangout in the strip. The only difference is that here, Wimpy is an employee, not a patron, but he's still trying to filch free hamburgers from the proprietor, Bluto (who is more or less subbing for Rough House, the greasy spoon cook from the strip). When Popeye enters and orders a roast duck, Wimpy tricks the two into fighting so that he can pilfer some food.

Bluto's a bit more aggressive than Popeye, but they're not playing hero and villain this time, just two straight-men for J. Wellington Wimpy, the comic compilation of the worst traits of W. C. Fields, Stan Laurel, and Oliver Hardy.

It's clear from the film why the cartoonists preferred the more action-oriented Popeye, but it's nice to know that they gave Wimpy his due at least once.

I love the lyrics of songs in the 1930s, from "legitimate hit songs" recorded by stars to little ditties sung in cartoon sung in Betty Boop episodes or these early Popeye cartoons. Here's an example, sung by Wimpy, who is cooking (that traitor) in "Bluto's Restaurant:"

"There's nothing in the world that can compare With a hamburger, juicy and rare

A hamburger lives For the pleasure it gives It's a thrill-on-the-bill affair

Such heavenly food deserves the best A home and contentment Beneath my vest

There's nothing in the world That's so divine As a hamburger tender and fine

I adore you, hamburger mine!

Unfortunately for Wimpy he is clobbered over the head as he is about the devour that "divine" hamburger. Bluto takes it and puts it in the safe! You get in the safe by dialing a telephone. As I've said a number of times, this is one reason I love cartoons: the outrageous things you see.

Anyway, "that's one hamburger he won't get," says the big boss as he locks it into the safe.

This cartoon has a couple of unique sight gags, such as Wimpy having the menu light up on his chest in neon, when Popeye asks what's cooking. It's also different in that Wimpy plays such a large role, and he rather than Bluto, is more of the "bad guy."

Bluto runs a greasy spoon. For some reason, Wimpy is hanging around, eating up all the profits. When he sabotages all the efforts of his boss, Popeye, a customer, is furious. Soon he and Bluto have it out. There are great sight gags and it is quite original.