Lost and Foundry

Lost And Foundry (1937)

*** (out of 4)

Olive Oyl is out with Swee' Pea when Popeye asks if she wants some of his lunch. The two adults aren't paying attention and the baby winds up in the factory where his life is in danger.

LOST AND FOUNDRY is the perfect example of bad dangering and drama from the "child in peril." For the most part this here is another entertaining short in the series but it falls well short of being a classic. I think the highlight is one again the animation, which just looks fabulous and so many of the scenes are just full of wonderful detail. There are some nice laughs throughout as well including the scene where Swee' Pea must come to the rescue and eat some spinach.

Popeye goes on lunch break at his job at the Useless Machine Works. Olive Oyl meets him outside the plant with lunch for two and Swee'pea in a baby carriage. While the adults start to eat, the baby crawls out of the perambulator and into the factory., activating the dangerous machinery. Popeye tries to ave the child, but keeps getting tangled up.

It's clearly a gloss on Chaplin's MODERN TIMES, released the previous year. While the thrill gags are carried out very well, I found my eyes drawn not to the action, but to the background work, in which the huge machines are drawn with a beauty and cleanliness that was lovely.

At the Useless Machine Works, Popeye is having his lunch break outside the factory entrance. Olive Oyl passes by and joins him. Swee'Pea sneaks into the factory. Popeye follows in pursuit with an overwhelmed Olive Oyl behind. Swee'Pea sets off all the machines and dangers abound.

This is a year after Charles Chaplin's Modern Times. It is a little different to put a baby in danger rather than a story about a man being dehumanized by the machinery of industrialization. Nevertheless, this has a lot of the same idea of people being endangered by the massive machines. That is certainly a lot of fun thrills.

Dave Fleischer made many good to fine cartoons. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques. Some of his best work was with the best of Popeye in the mid/late 30s.

While not quite one of my favourite Popeye cartoons, 'Lost and Foundry' is still very well made and great fun, with plenty of amusement and managing to not be too cute. This is not a Popeye versus Bluto cartoon, and another change of pace for Popeye, which are every bit as enjoyable and in a good deal of them even more so than the Popeye versus Bluto efforts. The premise is not an original one, so the cartoon is on the formulaic side, but 'Lost and Foundry' has enough invention to stop it from becoming predictable and repetitive, or too much so at least. It is a fine example of why Popeye and his cartoon appeal a lot to me and what makes them work so well is all evident here.

Olive Oyl is on the bland and underused side, but Popeye and Swee'Pea are dead on. Popeye is very easy to like and is is amusing yet easy to feel sympathy for, but despite being a baby Swee'Pea manages to be an even more interesting character, avoiding being obnoxious or too cute and is both adorable and funny. Their chemistry/interaction was essential for 'Lost and Foundry' to work and sparkles.

There are many clever and very amusing to hilarious gags, the cartoon is hardly short-changed in this regard. The asides and mumblings are even funnier and helped by Jack Mercer's ever genius vocal delivery, just wish there was more of them. Swee'Pea coming to the rescue is a highlight definitely.

Regarding the animation, it is very good as always from this period. It's beautifully drawn and with immaculate visual detail, that doesn't ever feel cluttered or static, and lively and smooth movement. The music likewise, lots of merry energy and lush orchestration, adding a lot to the action and making the impact even better without being too cartoonish. Fleischer's direction is always accomplished and his style is all over it.

Jack Mercer easily steals the show when it comes to the voice acting, for all the above reasons.

In conclusion, very nicely done Popeye cartoon. 8/10