You're a Sap, Mr. Jap

Am somebody who likes to love a vast majority of the Popeye cartoons and likes the character himself. A likeable character whose chemistry and animosity with Bluto one that drives the cartoons with such fun and energy, always a highlight. Do have a preference for the Fleischer era cartoons, that are generally funnier, more imaginative and of higher quality, though many of the Famous Studio offerings entertain, just inferior in quality.

'You're a Sap, Mr Jap' is not one of my favourite Popeye cartoons, nowhere near so. 'You're a Sap, Mr Jap' is amusing and well made, and do appreciate what it aimed to do, which was done reasonably well if not completely successfully. It is one of those cartoons that is not going to appeal to all and be easy to criticise, but as a cartoon and product of its time it is intriguing.

There are many good things. It is well made visually, the backgrounds have lost none of the meticulous attention to detail, it's fluid, Popeye still looks good and is recognisable in design and the shading has atmosphere. Every bit as good is the lively and lushly orchestrated music score, that has character and adds a lot to the action and enhances it.

Popeye is amusing and likeable still, he is convincing as a single character taking on a much larger army, and Jack Mercer doesn't disappoint with the voice acting. There are a lot of dialogue and gags that are timed beautifully and are very funny and the energy doesn't let up. It is not a dull cartoon and has good intentions.

It does fall into the trap that a wartime cartoon has danger falling into and has fallen into, it does get rather too heavy-handed and lays what it's trying to say too thick. Other cartoon characters have worked and gelled better in a wartime setting, for Popeye it feels too on the serious and out of character side. Just my thoughts on this.

Furthermore, 'You're a Sap, Mr Jap' is not for those easily offended. Even for somebody judging it as a product of its time, the Japanese are stereotypically drawn and characterised and not only will it not bode well it also doesn't hold up. For Popeye, 'You're a Sap, Mr Jap' is on the bland side, it is great to have a change of pace where the usual characters and conflict are not seen and numerous Popeye cartoons have done this very well, but part of me did miss the zaniness and imagination of the best Popeye cartoons and the conflict lacking. Didn't find the Japanese strong enough as characters.

Concluding, interesting and not bad at all but left me a bit conflicted. 6/10 Bethany Cox

This Popeye animated short, made after Pearl Harbor, shows us how he alone destroys a complete Japanese ship. First they offer peace but while Popeye is signing the peace contract they start attacking him. After they have hurt him a little he takes his famous spinach and shows the Japanese how to fight.

For me the only funny thing was Jack Mercer as the voice of Popeye. When he talks he always makes me smile, but when that is the only good thing in a short it is not enough. In black and white the animation is not bad, although sometimes things look a little messy. For war propaganda is probably pretty good, but for an entertaining short today it doesn't work.

This short was the first short released by Paramount Famous Studios and was one of several done by the studio showing Popeye engaged directly against the enemy, most often the Japanese. While Warner Brothers, Disney and, to a lesser extent, other studios, did shorts often depicting Germans as foils, the majority of Famous Studios efforts focused on the Japanese. Given Pearl Harbor and Popeye's naval ties, this is quite understandable. This is an average short. Seein' Red, White an' Blue and Spinach For Britain have aged better. But it's still worth watching. Recommended.

THE FEELING of the need to have someone play the role of Arbiter of Public Taste and Political Correctness always manages to get under our skin. It does seem that these self-appointed, self-superior, pseudo-intellectual types do appear everywhere; be it in one's family, church or bowling league.

THESE are the guys who would have society completely disregard and ignore all that went before us; unless, of course, whatever 'it' is does not fly in the face of today's "acceptable" language, mores and general "standards" of "proper" behavior.

SO it is that these latter day, high tech book burners have targeted a great deal of what was Hollywood's greatest achievement; namely their participation in our own Allied Propaganda via their unselfishly crafted message and theme films.

COLDLY brutal in its generation, the Banned Code and List of Now Unacceptable extends into the Wartime Cartoons that don't meet with the new touchy, feely socially engineered 'official' attitudes; which these "Thought Police" have foisted down upon us.

WE were truly surprised to see that there seem to be volumes of such animated short subjects. The majority we are aware of are from Warner Brothers' LOONEY TUNES and MERRIE MELODIES; featuring Bugs, Daffy, Elmer & Porky, all in conflict with Hitler, Goerring, 'Il Duce', Tojo and the like. Surprisingly though, we found an ample supply of cartoons from MGM, Walt Disney, Lantz, Paramount-Famous Studios and the Brothers Fleischer.

YOU'RE A SAP MR. JAP (Famous Studios/Paramount Pictures, 1942) is a prime example of just what we're talking about.

BEING virtually indiscernible from the cartoons that were the output of the Studios of Max and Dave Fleischer before the 1941 business coup-de-tat that moved them out, bringing the new name of "Famous" Studios, YOU'RE A SAP MR. JAP bore none of the bland plot elements that would reduce the latter day Popeye Cartoons down to the level of the ultimate formula short movie.

WE all remember how we'd have Popeye and Olive Oyl together. Enter Bluto, usually the exponent of wolf whistle and an on acceptable on-screen version of a Male reaction to feminine pulchritude. Olive falls for Bluto's less than honorable attentions; until he gets a little too physical and invariably blurts out, "Hey Babe, how 'bout a kiss?" At this point we hear "Help! Help, Popeye and the diminutive sailor shows up to save the day; replete with the obligatory can of Spinach! DO we exaggerate, Schultz? ONCE again this JAP SAP cartoon is nothing like any of that. Oh sure, it follows the storyline of now having Popeye in the U.S. Navy. The Brothers Fleischer put the little guy in the service in 1941 to conform to the mood in the country and as an open gesture of support for the men now being conscripted in the first Peacetime Draft in United States History. Max and Dave even put Popeye in service aboard the mythical Battleship, the U.S.S. Pensyltucky.

OUR point is just this. YOU'RE A SAP MR. JAP and others like SPINACH FER Britain aren't cartoon vehicles for comic relief in the Theatre's program at all in the true sense. Rather they are a sort of grouping of Editorial Cartoons much like those from any "Great Metropolitan Newspaper". These animated shorts, much like those still one panel illustrations, have characters that are highly symbolic and representative of Nations, Ideas and Ideals, such as a just and lasting Peace. In most cases, the hero (Popeye, Bugs Bunny or whoever) is alone with the symbol of the Enemy. Both are highly exaggerated visual metaphors for abstract concept and thought; even if they are cloaked in humorous trappings for wider palatability.

OUR liberal stupidgencia (the antithesis of intelligencia) may not see themselves this way; but for this sort of behavior, they are no more than Neo Nazi Book burners.

PLEASE, allow the future generations to view and appreciate a view of past happenings that is both Historical and Humorous.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

If you are very sensitive when it comes to extreme racial stereotypes, this cartoon is not for you. But if you are strongly interested in seeing a rare piece of wartime animation, come on in!

In this cartoon, Popeye is patrolling the seas and discovers what looks like a Japanese fishing boat. The two Japanese fishermen trick Popeye into thinking that they want a peace treaty signed. But looks can be deceiving; the fishing boat turns out to be a Japanese navy ship! What follows is considered today to be morale-boosting propaganda.

Be forewarned, the representations of the Japanese in the film are done in a mean-spirited fashion. Keep in mind, though, that there was a war going on at the time. But I strongly recommend this cartoon to those who are interested in the WWII era.