Never Sock a Baby

Popeye spanks Swee' Pea and he ain't getting his supper. Popeye has second thoughts as his inner demon battles his inner angel. Eventually, he changes his mind but Swee' Pea has run off out the window. Swee' Pea running away is an often-used story in Popeye. This early one has a few interesting bits like pulling the cliff from across the way to cross a cut bridge. It's only six minutes and it has its fun.

As this cartoon opens, Popeye is spanking Sweepea for unspecified reasons, and then sending him to bed without supper. As Popeye's conscience bothers him, Sweepea prepares to run away form home.

It's certainly an entertaining Popeye cartoon, if not up to the usual high standards of the Fleischer cartoons. The gags are fewer in number, and only one is topnotch. On the other hand, we don't have to witness yet another interminable fight between Popeye and Bluto, nor any sign of Olive Oyl. Perhaps that simplicity of story may appeal to you, but I look on it as a chance to spotlight the little tyke.

Like to love a vast majority of the Fleischer Studios Popeye output, the late-30s cartoons being particularly good and where the high quality was the most consistent. By 1939 the studio, before they declined drastically in the early 40s, was still going solidly and so was the Popeye series. All the 1939 output was decent to great, the previous Popeye cartoons for that year being a mix of very good and excellent, so again a very solid output.

'Never Sock a Baby' is not one of the best 1939 Popeye cartoons though, for me it is one of the lesser ones and compared to the high quality the series enjoyed in the late-30s it was a little disappointing if not a total let-down. Entertaining and well made still sure (hardly surprising for Fleischer Studios' Popeye cartoons and somewhat expected) with a lot of great things, but also with a couple of big problems. It is interesting for having neither Olive or Bluto and just being Popeye and Swee'Pea.

Will start with the good things. The animation is fine, neatly drawn and lovingly detailed, especially the backgrounds and Popeye's expressions and movements. The music adds a lot to what is going on and even enhances it, loved the characterful energy and the sumptuous orchestration. Which is hardly surprising as these traits were present in all the Popeye cartoons from both Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios, even in the lesser ones.

There are plenty of amusing moments, especially in the fun and suspenseful climax, and it all goes at a lively pace. Despite disliking him at the beginning, Popeye's regret and learning from his mistake makes one quickly endear to him again. Swee'Pea avoids being too cute or too bratty, felt sympathy actually in parts. The voice acting is great.

Did also find the message laid on too thick to the point that it's like being beaten around the head with it, the title alone is enough to make one get it.

Also felt, despite the fun and suspenseful final third overall, that the very end was a cop-out.

Overall, good but not great. 7/10

Never Sock a Baby (1939)

*** (out of 4)

Popeye has to spank Swee'pea and before long it starts to bother him. His good conscience tells him he was in the wrong but his bad conscience says that he doesn't want the kid to turn into a sissy. Things take a dramatic turn when the kid runs away from the house.

For the most part NEVER SOCK A BABY is a pretty entertaining Popeye short that has plenty of nice action once the ending comes. The final moments of the film are certainly the highlight and especially with the little speech Popeye gives at the very end. The animation is as great as always and the story itself is rather funny and there are some good laughs throughout.