Let's You and Him Fight

Dave Fleischer was responsible for many gems. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.

While maybe not quite classic Popeye, 'Let's You and Him Fight' is still extremely well done and never less than very funny, its best parts being hilarious. Have always enjoyed many of the Popeye cartoons a good deal and like Popeye very much, Fleischer's efforts were always well animated and scored with lots of entertainment value and great chemistry between Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto. 'Let's You and Him Fight' has everything that makes the Popeye series so appealing in its prime era and does nothing to waste the three main characters or make them less interesting.

The story is an interesting and beautifully paced one, never being dull, if formulaic (not uncommon with the Popeye cartoons). The humour and gags make it even more entertaining, 'Let's You and Him Fight' makes boxing fun to watch and interesting, avoiding the trap of repetition.

All three characters are great, though Olive Oyl is a bit underused and her material not as great as Popeye and Bluto's. Those two are spot on and their chemistry drives 'Let's You and Him Fight' and has so much energy. Popeye is always amusing and likeable but for me Bluto is here the funnier and more interesting character. Wimpy's cameo is a highlight too.

Furthermore, the animation is beautifully drawn and with enough visual detail to not make it cluttered or static and lively and smooth movement. The music is also outstanding, lots of merry energy and lush orchestration, adding a lot to the action and making the impact even better without being too cartoonish. Fleischer's direction is always accomplished and his style is all over it.

Voice acting is dynamic and of very good quality on the most part, William Costello and especially William Pennell give Popeye and Bluto so much life. Was less taken with Bonnie Poe, Mae Questel fitted the character and her design much better.

In conclusion, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

It's Bluto, "the champ," verses Popeye, "the sailor man," in the "fight of the century."

I think this theme - a big boxing match between these two guys - was used in a couple of other Popeye cartoons down the road, but I enjoyed this one the best. Boxing was a subject used in a lot of feature films in the 1930s and '40s. In the '30s, three sports ruled in the United States: baseball, horse racing and boxing.

Anyway, this cartoon has the insane sight gags of the '30s I enjoy where inanimate objects are anything but that, such as microphones turning into mouths and correcting each other's grammar! How about Bluto working out on a 1,000-pound iron punching bag, which he pulverizes and turns into an automobile? (Popeye did a lot of these things in these early cartoons such a punch a big fish and having it turn into hundreds of sardines. Things like that.)

The big fight, held at "Yank-Um Stadium," another pun used many times in cartoons of the '30s and '40s,

This might have been the first cartoon in which Popeye uttered a popular phrase describing himself: "I am what I am and that's all that I am!" He says that after Olive comes into his pre-fight dressing room and says if he boxes, she's going to leave him.

The boxing match, of course, was funny with some unique aspects that drew some laughs from me. Just one example: Bluto's trainer cooling him off waving a towel at his chest and the tattoo of a sailboat sailing off with the breeze. It that's kind of cartoon lunacy that makes this genre entertaining.

Popeye and Bluto fight a boxing match.

I have mixed feeling about this early Popeye cartoon. On the downside, it's simply and purely the same thing that would be run into the ground over the next twenty years in the series. Popeye and Bluto fight. Bluto is winning until Popeye eats spinach, whereupon Popeye wins. Yawn. Also, Bonnie Poe voices Olive Oyl. I have nothing against her except that she isn't Mae Questal, but even so...

On the plus side, this is the Fleischer era, and one thing director Dave Fleischer always insisted on was lots and lots of gags, big ones and little one. So there's always something interesting to look at.

Let's You and Him Fight (1934)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Popeye and Bluto in the ring fighting it out. I think this is the first of the Popeye shorts that didn't make me laugh a single time. If all you want is action then there's quite a bit here but most of the jokes fall flat on their faces. Wimpy makes a cameo here, which is the highlight of the film.

The Warner 4-disc set features perfect transfers and some great extras. If you're a fan then you'll certainly want to add these great cartoons to your collection.

Bluto is the boxing champ. Popeye The Sailor is the challenger. The crowd is large at Yank'em Stadium. Olive Oyl is desperate to stop Popeye from fighting and she walks out on him. Wimpy is eating his hamburgers and keeping time. The fight goes badly for Popeye. At home, Olive is listening to the fight and grabs a can of spinach.

It's the second year of the cartoon. The drawings are still somewhat primitive. Bluto is looking rough. Olive Oyl's voice is still wrong. Nevertheless, this is a classic Popeye story with all the early main characters. You can't ask for more than that. It is what it is.