The Football Toucher Downer

Swee'Pea does not like the spinach that Popeye is trying to feed him. Nothing seems to work. So Popeye recounts a childhood story of him playing football against Bluto's much bigger team. It goes badly until he gets his jolt of spinach.

The Swee'Pea story is only there to set up a junior Popeye against a junior Bluto football game. I do wonder if it would work better if it just has the junior Popeye story. Another issue is that I don't think I've ever heard Swee'Pea's voice. That's weird. I want to put this simply. Junior Popeye is amazing. I also want Baby Popeye. I want it all now and they don't need a wrap-around story.

I wonder how many times Popeye flexed his biceps over the years? I wouldn't know, probably 100 or so, but each time it's humorous because you never know what shape you're going to see - or what you are going to see inside his biceps! In this one, we see an upper body the proportions of a pro bodybuilding come stretching out of Popeye's biceps, doing their own posing routine - all inside Popeye's upper arm! I'm telling you: the imagination these writers had on these mid-to-late 1930s Popeye efforts was terrific.

That show of brawn in here was for Swee Pea's benefit as the tyke doesn't want to eat his spinach. Popeye winds up telling him a story about how he was a weak little kid playing football with the neighborhood kids.

What's really funny is to see what Popeye and Olive Oyl looked like when they were about 10 years old. You almost laugh out loud looking at them. They didn't change the voice, though. That's still Jack Mercer's weird Popeye adult voice and it's still Mae Questel's "Olive." Soon, we see a young Bluto and Wimpy. Only the latter sounds like a little kid.

The funniest part of this football farce, to me, was the signal-calling. Both Popye and Bluto had some humorous clever ways to calling out to have the ball hiked. A couple of times I stopped and put on the English subtitles to make sure what I heard. It's good stuff, believe me. (Watch these on the recent Popeye The Sailor Man 1933-38 Volume One" DVD, if you can.)

The signals, and the innovative ways Bluto propels himself to the end zone each time make this a very enjoyable cartoon. Bluto and his team came up with crazy formations and plays that even make the Marx Brothers look tame! This is outstanding material!

Have somewhat of a fondness for the Popeye cartoons, especially the mid-late-30s ones. On the other hand, while still perfectly watchable the late Famous Studios Popeye cartoons (well actually most of their output during that period) were inferior and showed budget and time constraints that were not present with Fleischer. The Popeye cartoons featuring Swee'Pea are worth the watch, though it is dependent somewhat on your stance on Swee'Pea.

'The Football Toucher Downer' is one of their best and wildest (in a good way) pairings. The presence of Olive and Bluto is always more than welcome as well and the football setting is hardly squandered, taken full advantage of actually. Also consider it among the better Popeye cartoons during this particular period, which was the overall best period for the Popeye series in one of the studio's most consistent (again in a good way) years. Popeye's appeal is more than understandable and 'The Football Toucher Downer' is a cartoon where you can see why.

Story-wise, it is pretty formulaic and wouldn't have said no to more Olive with a little stronger material. If there has been a frequent criticism of mine it is that Olive is not as strong a character as Popeye and Bluto and her material nowhere near as funny.

Rest of the characters are on point however. Popeye is amusing and likeable as always with his as ever hilarious asides and mumblings, and Bluto is an even funnier and imposing foil. Love their chemistry, which was always a strength even in their lesser efforts. Not making Swee'Pea sugary sweet and obnoxious would have not been easy, but 'The Football Towner Downer' just about achieves not doing it/either and Swee'Pea was a scene stealer in a way.

Animation is drawn beautifully with some nice detail, not looking cluttered or static. Neither does the music underwhelm in any way, 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.

Loved everything with the characters' younger selves, but it was agreed the signal calling where 'The Football Toucher Downer' was at its cleverest and funniest. Especially Bluto's. Gags are plentiful and all range from humorous to hilarious. Jack Mercer is especially good of the voice actors, his vocal delivery being why the asides and mumblings make as much impact as they do.

Whoever knew football could be so wild or fun? 'The Football Toucher Downer' is one of the strongest examples of cartoons that do that brilliantly. 9/10

This is as bizarre a game as the one the Marx Brothers "played" in Horse Feathers! It's also an opportunity to see the main characters as children. Wimpy still looks like Wimpy and acts like Wimpy and the other characters are younger version of themselves as well. Wonderful cartoon and one of my favorites. Well worth watching. Recommended.

The Football Toucher Downer (1937)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Popeye is babysitting and trying to get the kid to eat spinach but he refuses. Popeye then tells the story of when he was a little kid playing against Bluto in a football match.

Fans of the series will certainly find a lot of entertainment in this short, which is another classic. There are a lot of creative bits here including the various football plays done by Bluto and his team. There's some really creative and funny stuff being performed here including a human tower. As you'd expect from the series, the animation itself is extremely good and the attention to details are as incredible as always. If you're looking for a fast short with great action then look no further.