Robin Hood-Winked

"Robin Hood-Winked" (1948) is a Popeye cartoon shot in "Polacolor." Popeye appears as Robin Hood and has a sidekick named Little John, who's actually a little guy, about the size of one of Popeye's nephews. They sing a catchy song about robbing from the wicked to give to the good, with a refrain about "my little bow and arrow." Olive works as a bartender at the Hub Bub Pub and serves them root beer from a barrel with a tree root in it. Bluto is a tax collector who enters the pub and demands to know, "Wherefore art the owner of this joint?" He sees Olive and his heart takes the form of a wolf's head to howl. In Robin's archery contest with Bluto, Bluto's arrow comes with its own target. Bluto knocks Popeye out by spiking his drink with "Ye Olde Michael Finn – King-Size." When Bluto abducts Olive, Little John yells at the unconscious Robin, "Hey, Robby, that male has runneth off with that frail." There are lots of gags like this, but none of them are funny.

This came out a year before "Rabbit Hood," the Bugs Bunny version of Robin Hood and a much funnier cartoon, notable for including a live-action shot of Errol Flynn as Robin. Polacolor was a three-color process developed by the Polaroid Corporation and used by Paramount in a number of cartoons before the process was discontinued in 1949, after which Eastmancolor emerged as the chief competitor of Technicolor.

. . . its title character. Being a life-long researcher of Robin Locks Lee, aka Robin Hood, a compendium of the most authoritative facts relating to Robin's life and times follows. Robin was born in Riding, Yorkshire, on April 15, 1202. Contrary to the distortions of Tinsel Town billionaires, Robin was NOT a rich aristocrat with a heart of tin. In fact, he came into this World of Woe as a simple yeoman, not a future beau of princesses such as Maid Marian or Lady Macbeth. At the tender age of 24, Robin fell afoul of his local tax authorities, launching him on his long-time pursuit of economic equity by "stealing" from the ill-gotten, unearned money mountains of the Rich and giving to the Poor. His partners in "crime" were merry men--such as Little John, depicted here--and NOT Marian!

Popeye is Robin Hood and Little John is his sidekick. They arrive at the pub run by Olive Oyl. Next, evil tax collector Bluto shows up expecting to collect 100% tax. Bluto challenges Popeye in an arrow shooting fight.

It's a Popeye cartoon from Famous Studios. It's better than most Famous products. I do wonder if it's due to Popeye doing something other than a sailor man. I would think that Wimpy could have been his sidekick Friar Tuck. I don't know why they introduce a new character like Little John. Nevertheless, this is pretty good overall.

Fleischer Studios' Popeye cartoons tended to be funnier, more imaginative and better made. Famous Studios' on the most part entertained though their later Popeye, and overall filmography actually, cartoons had tighter deadlines and lower budgets evident. Which accounted for the animation not being as good, less surprises and the material not as imaginative. Speaking as someone who likes the character himself and many of his cartoons.

1948's 'Robin Hood-Winked' is one of the weakest cartoons of what was a fairly undistinguished year for the Popeye series. Absolutely love the character of Robin Hood and his escapades, which have spawned several more than worthwhile films (the definitive film version, the Errol Flynn film, being a masterpiece) and have been parodied and spoofed many times in animation before and since 'Robin Hood-Winked'. More than once by Looney Tunes alone. 'Robin Hood-Winked' is one of the weaker ones.

'Robin Hood-Winked' by all means does have good things. The animation is good. Very colourful, meticulous in background detail, the fluidity in drawing and movement having gotten smoother all the time and the expressions freer. Popeye's expressions and body movements are terrific. As is the music score from regular Famous Studios composer Winston Sharples, always one of the best done components of their cartoons and even the best thing in some. The playful character, how dynamic it is with everything and the beautiful orchestration make it one of 'Robin Hood-Winked's' strongest assets.

The final third does finally have some of the wild energy that was lacking in the rest of the cartoon and there are some amusing gags. Popeye is likeable in the lead role and has charismatic and good comic timing. Bluto has good chemistry and while his role is typecast he fills it formidably. The voice acting all round is very good with Jack Mercer and Mae Questel proving to be the definitive voice actors for Popeye and Olive and Jackson Beck a worthwhile successor to Gus Wickie.

Sadly, the story is very, very predictable, basically formulaic Popeye versus Bluto in the Robin Hood setting, with no real surprises. Including an ending that can be seen from miles away and the conflict, despite nice chemistry, lacking the usual tension due to having seen it exactly the same in previous and succeeding cartoons in the series. 'Robin Hood-Winked' does pick up in the final third, but the rest is fairly dull and uninspired with too few gags and all that are there feeling like less sharp retreads.

Olive has very little to do and is almost pointless other than being a plot device for the sake of giving a reason for Popeye and Bluto to be fighting each other. Little John is even more incidental to the plot and serves little point. The dialogue is also very stilted.

In summary, sadly didn't do much for me. 5/10