Let's Celebrake

This Popeye, set on New Year's Eve, doesn't feature a brawl over Olive, or over anything else, for that matter. Popeye. a good-natured sort, decides it's not right that Olive's grandma be left at home while they go out, so he invites her along. Bluto escorts Olive and they both find it amusing that Popeye asked out grandma. Popeye is the soul of courtesy to grandma. A perfect example of the type of small kindnesses the world can never have enough of, then or now.

Wimpy puts in a cameo (with a different voice) and the ending is quite funny. Listen for some of Jack Mercer's asides. This is a wonderful cartoon altogether different in mood and tone from the standard Popeye shorts, appropriately so, for the New Year's Eve setting. I wish all who read this a happy and healthy year. This short is well worth seeking out. Most recommended.

This is a rare Popeye cartoon in that he doesn't fight Bluto and they don't compete for needy, damsel in distress, Olive Oyl.

Popeye and Bluto visit Olive Oyl on a horse-drawn sleigh. Olive says they are going for a dance on New Year's Eve. Popeye sees Olive's hard of hearing grandma sat all alone looking miserable and offers to take her dancing. It's bizarre to see Popeye acting charming by helping her with her coat and giving compliments.

The couples go to a dance off. There's a funny scene were Popeye tickles Grandma's chin with a whistle and Bluto looks on with gritted teeth. Grandma can barely move when Popeye tries dancing with her. Luckily a waiter has a can of spinach on a serving tray. Popeye asks her to open wide and drops the spinach into her mouth. You can probably guess what happens next.

It's a very charming, but not one of the best Popeye shorts. It certainly doesn't compare to the colourful glory of "Popeye The Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves" or "Sinbad the Sailor". The dance scenes also take up about half the film and lack the visual flair and Brechtian creativity of Tex Avery cartoons from around this time. It still comes recommended for animation fans.

Popeye is kind enough to invite Olive's grandma to a New Year's Eve party. But when the dance contest starts, she can barely move. Until Popeye uses his favorite drug, Spinach, to solve the problem. This is a very good Popeye cartoon, avoiding a series of fistfights with Bluto.

It's New Year's Eve. Popeye and Bluto show up amiably, ready to take Olive Oyl out to celebrate. But Popeye won't leave Miss Oyl's arthritic old grandmother alone on the evening, so they take her along to a night club.

Wimpy and even Gus show up here, so it's a general celebration for Thimble Theater fans. More than that, it's nice to see Bluto and the Popster competing amiably, along with a happier use for spinach than beating up people.

There's some nice, understating use of the Fleischer's rotating layout, the usual plethora of gags that director Dave Fleischer insisted on, and a sincere tone of peace on earth in this cartoon.

Popeye and Bluto all dressed up, side by side riding a horse drawn sleigh and singing? Something isn't right. Am I seeing things? These guys are supposed to be fighting. They aren't friends, so what's the deal? Well, it's New Year's Eve and the boys are taking out Olive...and not fighting over it.

Kindhearted Popeye feels sorry for "Grandma," an almost-deaf old lady who lives with Olive, so he escorts her to the "Happy Hour Club," too.

Bluto, who has very little in the way of compassion for anyone, sneers as Popeye asks Grandma to dance, thinking our hero is some sort of sap. He snatches Olive and hits the dance floor. Grandma is a little slow on her feet so when the emcee, Wimpy - of course, announces they are going to award a loving cup to the winners of the dance contest, Popeye gets an idea: feed grandma some spinach!

Well, granny gets her spinach and - wham! - she turns into Ginger Rogers! Watching her and Popeye spin around the floor is a real hoot.

No, there is no fighting, no violence, only a warmhearted story that may not evoke a lot of laughs but is guaranteed to give you a lot of smiles as you watch.