We Aim to Please

We Aim to Please (1934)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Popeye and Olive Oyl open a new diner but things get a little rough when Bluto walks in and refuses to pay. This short contains all the greatness that the series had to offer in that it's fast, hilarious and action packed. There are countless laughs to be found here with the biggest coming from a trick Popeye plays a Bluto, which involves a napkins around his eyes. The action scenes are also very well done with some great fights and a hilarious ending. Wimpy is once again featured here and I believe this was the first short where he asked for a hamburger only to pay next Tuesday.

Popeye and Olive Oyl open a diner. Their first customer is Wimpy, who bums a hamburger and leaves, promising, as always, to pay on Tuesday. This encourages Bluto also order and try to stiff the proprietors. As usual, a fight ensues.

There are no bad Popeye cartoons in this period, when the Fleischers and their staff were figuring out what they could do with the character, as long as they obeyed Dave Fleischer's rule to put as many gags into a cartoon as possible. That's what goes on here. There are big gags, like how Popeye changes the location of the diner, and there are medium gags, like how Olive makes sandwiches, and tiny gags like the menu.

Dave Fleischer was responsible for many gems. 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.

While maybe not quite classic Popeye, though it is close, 'We Aim to Please' is still very good and very funny, using the diner setting cleverly. Have always enjoyed many of the Popeye cartoons a good deal and like Popeye very much, Fleischer's efforts were always well animated and scored with lots of entertainment value and great chemistry between Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto. 'We Aim to Please' has everything that makes the Popeye series so appealing in its prime era and does nothing to waste the three main characters or make them less interesting.

The story is an interesting and beautifully paced one, never being dull, if formulaic (not uncommon with the Popeye cartoons), though with a lot of variety and creative moments. The humour and gags make it even more entertaining with very amusing to hilarious gags that cleverly utilises the diner, and the cartoon is hardly devoid of them.

All three characters are great, though Olive Oyl's material is not as great as Popeye and Bluto's, though she is used very nicely. Those two are spot on and their chemistry drives 'We Aim to Please' and has so much energy. Popeye is always amusing and likeable but for me Bluto is here the funnier and more interesting character. Stealing the cartoon though is Wimpy, always a very entertaining character who should have been in more cartoons and this is one of his funniest appearances with the best line (mentioned already).

Furthermore, the animation is beautifully drawn and with enough visual detail to not make it cluttered or static and lively and smooth movement. The music is also outstanding, 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.

Voice acting is dynamic and of very good quality. Mae Questel fits and voice Olive Oyl well, much better than Bonnie Poe. The same can be said for William Costello, though there is a preference for Jack Mercer.

All in all, nearly a classic but not quite. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Popeye and Olive Oyl open a restaurant. Unfortunately, their first customer is Bluto, who eats a bunch of food and then stiffs them on the bill. This leads to the usual fisticuffs with Popeye getting pummeled until you know what. Not too much suspense here.

We aim to please is one of my favorite Popeye cartoons, the concept isn't too exciting, Popeye and Olive running a diner, but everything works out well. First off, Popeye and Olive's musical act of "We Aim to Please" is very well rendered. Then Wimpy and Bluto try their hand at freeloading in Popeye and Olive's diner. I always like the bit where Bluto orders sandwiches and then Popeye and Bluto do a bit of magic. Beware of poorly retraced colorized versions. This is Wimpy's first appearance in a Popeye cartoon and his debut was very good. There is a goof in the original made more obvious in the colored version where Bluto's hair and beard becomes gray in one scene.