Can You Take It

The only studio to give Disney any serious competition during the early sound era was that of Max Fleischer. That this was mainly due to the popularity of Popeye, The Sailor Man, is obvious. Even if Fleischer's Betty Boop is today possibly even better known than Popeye, it was Popeye that the kids wanted to see. He was a good-natured tough guy for the boys and had a girl fiend with her own machinations, Olive Oyl, which pleased the girls in the audience. Later on Sweet Pea was added to make Popeye even more family oriented, though Sweet Pea did not belong to Popeye and Olive Oyl, or did he? Supposedly, Sweet Pea was a foundling adopted by Popeye.

"Can You Take It" evolves around the Bruiser Boys Club headed by President Bluto. Olive Oyl is a nurse next door in charge of taking care of those who can't take it. Popeye is put through the mechanical gauntlet blindfolded even destroying a revolving contraption that should have cut him in half. Then Bluto's he-men take over to put Popeye in the hospital under Olive Oyl's care. Olive tells him he can't take it. Then enrages Popeye to the point of calling forth his secret weapon of strength and endurance, spinach. Popeye proceeds to show all concerned that he indeed can take it, but that Bluto cannot.

Though in black and white, this early Popeye cartoon is a winner all the way. His many fans will not be disappointed.

Can You Take It (1934)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Popeye is taking Olive Oyl to work when he notices that she's working at a club for tough guys. The club is being ran by Bluto but when Popeye tries to join they work him over but not for long. This is one of the better films in the series as it contains non-stop violence and some very funny scenes as well. The highlight of the film is during the opening interview when Popeye and Bluto try to out do one another with strong hand shakes. Another classic moment is when the two battle with cigars. There's an obstacle course that Popeye has to go through, which also adds some great laughs. The animation is once again very strong with nice direction throughout.

Popeye escorts his girl, Olive, to her new job at the hospital--which is adjacent to the Bruiser Boys Club. Popeye is curious what the place is and it turns out the club is for he-men--though considering all the stupid things they do to the initiates, I think they're all a bunch of idiots and sadists! They beat the crap out of them--and it's even worse when Popeye is blindfolded and sent into a house of horrors--with spinning circular saws and the like! Eventually, this even gets the best of Popeye--who ends up in the hospital next door. But, not wanting Bluto and his pals to win, he uses his spinach and cleans house.

This is an enjoyable but insane installment of Popeye. It's even more violent and senseless than usual. But it's also entertaining as well. Strange but well made and fascinating.

Popeye is following Olive Oyl down the street. When she turns into the entrance of the hospital annex of the Bruiser Boys Club, saying it's where she works, Popeye decides he wants to join. But the initiation is rougher than he anticipates.

There were a lot of short comedies during the silent and early sound eras in which someone wished to join a fraternity, sorority, or fraternal order, only to find an utterly bizarre initiation; it was often combined with a fright comedy theme. This one is simply brutal, as filled with cartoon violence as any.

It was the sort of cartoon that clueless moralists later decried as encouraging violence. Show Bluto attacking Popeye with a fire axe would convince small children they could do the same without any harm being done. That was a lie, of course. When my brother and I fought, it was specifically to harm each other.

"Can you Take It" is one of the wildest Popeye cartoons I've ever seen and easily the most frenetic of the early ones. In fact, I think it's safe to say this is one most entertaining and different "adventures" Popeye ever had. The cartoon following this also was insane, so it looks like Popeye's outrageous humor began with this effort.

After dropping off Olive at her place of work, a hospital, Popeye notices on a sign on the place next door: "Bruiser Boy's Club - Can You Take It? - We DARE You To Join"

Well, macho Popeye isn't going to turn down that challenge. Great sight gags when Popeye meets Bluto, president of the club as they exchange brutal hand shakes and blowing smoke in each other's face. (better seen than explained).

Bluto then says, "OK, boys, put him tru da woiks!"

Wow, it's unbelievable after that. Popeye goes through his medieval-like torture place that has to be seen to be believed. This is pretty sadistic and brutal, but the bad guys wind up taking their deserved lumps. I won't say more than that, except this is extremely entertaining with an edge to it.