Blow Me Down!

This is the third Popeye cartoon from the Fleischer Brothers and as such, this was a very fresh and original cartoon. Later cartoons sometimes just seemed like re-treads with all too familiar plots-- fortunately this one manages to be quite creative.

The cartoon begins with Popeye arriving in Mexico. There he soon sees Olive Oyl dancing in a cantina--where she performs one of the strangest cartoons in movie history. Soon, Bluto the Bandit arrives and it's up to our hero to take care of this dangerous jerk. And, when the rest of Bluto's gang arrives, it's spinach time!

This is a pretty good Popeye cartoon--and I like how Popeye AND Olive work together on this one. Interestingly, you can tell it's a pre-code cartoon, as Popeye and Bluto have a small drinking contest---something you'd be unlikely to see later in the 1930s. Well worth seeing.

This is an early Popeye short, if i'm not mistaken, the first official Popeye cartoon (his first appearance was in a Betty Boop with the title, "Popeye the Sailor") and the seams show a bit here. The basic concepts are started here and it's an enjoyable cartoon, but nothing special. Worth watching. Recommended.

Blow Me Down! (1933)

**** (out of 4)

Popeye travels to Mexico to see Olive Oyl who's working in a Mexican bar when Bluto shows up to start trouble. Once again we get some great humor with a lot of in coming in the politically incorrect form. The scene where a Mexican bandit shoots Popeye in the head only to have to bullet fly back and hit him is great as is the scene where Popeye and Bluto have a shooting contest.

I Yam What I Yam (1933)

**** (out of 4)

Second film in the series has Popeye, Olive Oyl and Wimpy landing on an island when they're attacked by Indians. There are several funny moments here including a great scene where Popeye goes duck hunting and the Indian coins is another great gag. The spoof of Ghandi also works quite nicely in this politically incorrect short.

Boy, people are hostile wherever Popeye appears....at least in these first few cartoons. In his second cartoon, the one before this, Indians attacked he and Olive when he landed in America. Now, Popeye rows down to Mexico and the locals are taking gunshots at him when he walks down the street.

He finds Olive doing some wild dance in a saloon and we get a few sight gags with that, when suddenly a huge Bluto - bigger than how he looked later in Popeye cartoons - comes in with guns blazing! He's "Bluto The Bandit" according to the big reward sign posted on him at the bar.

The rest is just a sock 'em affair with Bluto and Olive and then Bluto and Popeye, nothing special but enough sight gags to make it worth watching.

In this very early offering in the Popeye saga, the backgrounds are quite primitive with the focus on the principle characters. Popeye finds himself in old Mexico, being assaulted by stereotypical Mexican bad guys. He throttles them without any trouble. Olive is the real star here, working as a dancer. Of course, Bluto shows up as a wanted criminal. Popeye ignores him and then the battle is on. It's pretty basic stuff, but entertaining.