My Artistical Temperature

My Artisical Temperature (1937)

*** (out of 4)

Bluto and Popeye are artists and Olive Oyl walks in requesting for a statue to be made of her figure. She agrees to go with whoever makes the best portrait and sure enough it leads to a fight.

MY ARTISICAL TEMPERATURE isn't the greatest Popeye short ever created but it's got enough fast action and violence to make it entertaining. Obviously the highlights come as Bluto and Popeye beat the fire out of one another, which of course leads to the spinach. Once again the animation itself is grand and there's a certain flow that all of these Popeye shorts had. The short isn't a masterpiece but it's certainly entertaining.

Sometimes some of the best humor on these old Popeye cartoons is right in the opening shot, where they show a business. Here it's "Sweet Art Studio," which advertises on the side of the building "Portraits Painted: If It Looks Like You....$10; If It Doesn't....$15." There are a few more corny signs, too, and funny.

Popeye is a sculptor in this story, if you can believe it. He inadvertently creates the armless Venus de Milo! That's the good news. The bad news is that Bluto shares the place. He's an artist, too - a painter - and starts off the hostilities by throwing paint at Popeye's new "masterpiece."

"That stuff's not art," he tells Popeye. "Only painting is art, especially if it is painted by a first-class artist like meself. Ha ha.".

"Well, it don't look like a masterpiece to me," retorts Popeye, who then squeezes a tube of paint which transforms the sun in Bluto's painting to a black face which says "Mammy!" (Yes, I know....cartoons were overtly racist back then.)

Anyway, when Olive enters the store and wants a likeness of herself, the "war of the artists" is on!

This is very good, with both humorous sight gags and some great mumblings by Popeye, such as "This resembles you, but doesn't look like you" or "this is going to be the best statue I ever chiseled anyone out of," etc. (I put the English subtitles on so I catch all his mumbling comments, most of which are very entertaining.)

There are so many good things in this cartoon I would hit the word limit describing all them. It's one of the better Popeye cartoons in this DVD collection of his theatrical efforts from 1933-1938, which says a lot because there were a lot of great ones.

Much of the output of Dave Fleischer and Fleischer Studios was charming and amusing, as well as well made with some of the techniques used innovative. Some of the output was a bit too cute at times and the stories were never a strong suit, but the characters generally appealed and the animation and music were a consistent strength, often outstanding.

Although not really the Popeye series at its best, all those elements are evident in 1937's 'My Artistical Temperature'. 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. Do think though that there are better representations of those than 'My Artistical Temperature' which had more room to be more creative than it was, it was a nice concept and had real potential to be one of the most imaginative Popeye cartoons and was executed slightly ordinarily. That is not to say it's bad, it's still very enjoyable but it could have been even better.

Like most Popeye cartoons, 'My Artisitical Temperature' is formulaic. But many others have consistently funnier and fresher gags and more consistent energy.

Did think that the energy occasionally flagged, particularly in the latter stages, and the material for Olive Oyl is not as strong as that for Popeye and Bluto, who have more to do.

However, 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.

A vast majority of the gags are amusing and well timed and Popeye, as likeable as ever, and Bluto, even funnier and more interesting, and their chemistry together drive 'My Artistical Temperature' with gusto. The violence comes thick and fast, without being excessive and the verbal humour is very witty. The voice acting is very good, with top honours going to Jack Mercer whose delivery of Popeye's asides and mumblings adds enormously to the entertainment value.

Overall, very enjoyable but could have been more creative considering the premise. 8/10

Popeye and Bluto share an art studio. Bluto paints. Popeye sculpts. Olive Oyl wants an image of herself. She's not sure if she wants a painting or a statue. She says she'll buy the one that looks better. Popeye and Bluto get to work, then fight.

It's a typically good Fleischer Popeye cartoon, with lots of gags big and small scattered throughout. One unusual point is that Popeye escalates the fight just as much as Bluto in this one, if not more. Usually it's Bluto who is the aggressor. Of course we know that Popeye will inevitably win in a spinach-fueled frenzy, but it's a good time getting there.