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Let's Celebrake (1938)

*** (out of 4)

It's a snowy New Year's Eve as Popeye and Bluto show up to Olive Oyl's house to take her out. The three are about to leave when Popeye feels bad leaving her elderly grandmother home alone so he brings her along. Even though she can hardly move or hear Popeye enters them in the dancing contest.

This Popeye short doesn't have any violence and it's actually pretty laid back when you compare it to just about every other short in the series. There's a big dance sequence at the end, which is mildly charming but I'd be lying to say it was anything too special. What makes this short so great is the fact that the animation itself is so wonderful. I've said this throughout watching all of these shorts but the Popeye series had some of the greatest animation from this era. This is especially true in regards to the attention to details. Just take a look at the overall view of the dance floor and see how much detail is there to enjoy.

This is a rare Popeye cartoon in that he doesn't fight Bluto and they don't compete for needy, damsel in distress, Olive Oyl.

Popeye and Bluto visit Olive Oyl on a horse-drawn sleigh. Olive says they are going for a dance on New Year's Eve. Popeye sees Olive's hard of hearing grandma sat all alone looking miserable and offers to take her dancing. It's bizarre to see Popeye acting charming by helping her with her coat and giving compliments.

The couples go to a dance off. There's a funny scene were Popeye tickles Grandma's chin with a whistle and Bluto looks on with gritted teeth. Grandma can barely move when Popeye tries dancing with her. Luckily a waiter has a can of spinach on a serving tray. Popeye asks her to open wide and drops the spinach into her mouth. You can probably guess what happens next.

It's a very charming, but not one of the best Popeye shorts. It certainly doesn't compare to the colourful glory of "Popeye The Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves" or "Sinbad the Sailor". The dance scenes also take up about half the film and lack the visual flair and Brechtian creativity of Tex Avery cartoons from around this time. It still comes recommended for animation fans.

It's New Year's Eve. Popeye and Bluto show up amiably, ready to take Olive Oyl out to celebrate. But Popeye won't leave Miss Oyl's arthritic old grandmother alone on the evening, so they take her along to a night club.

Wimpy and even Gus show up here, so it's a general celebration for Thimble Theater fans. More than that, it's nice to see Bluto and the Popster competing amiably, along with a happier use for spinach than beating up people.

There's some nice, understating use of the Fleischer's rotating layout, the usual plethora of gags that director Dave Fleischer insisted on, and a sincere tone of peace on earth in this cartoon.

Popeye is kind enough to invite Olive's grandma to a New Year's Eve party. But when the dance contest starts, she can barely move. Until Popeye uses his favorite drug, Spinach, to solve the problem. This is a very good Popeye cartoon, avoiding a series of fistfights with Bluto.

Popeye and Bluto all dressed up, side by side riding a horse drawn sleigh and singing? Something isn't right. Am I seeing things? These guys are supposed to be fighting. They aren't friends, so what's the deal? Well, it's New Year's Eve and the boys are taking out Olive...and not fighting over it.

Kindhearted Popeye feels sorry for "Grandma," an almost-deaf old lady who lives with Olive, so he escorts her to the "Happy Hour Club," too.

Bluto, who has very little in the way of compassion for anyone, sneers as Popeye asks Grandma to dance, thinking our hero is some sort of sap. He snatches Olive and hits the dance floor. Grandma is a little slow on her feet so when the emcee, Wimpy - of course, announces they are going to award a loving cup to the winners of the dance contest, Popeye gets an idea: feed grandma some spinach!

Well, granny gets her spinach and - wham! - she turns into Ginger Rogers! Watching her and Popeye spin around the floor is a real hoot.

No, there is no fighting, no violence, only a warmhearted story that may not evoke a lot of laughs but is guaranteed to give you a lot of smiles as you watch.