I Never Changes My Altitude

This is a marvelous short. Olive runs off with Bluto (again) and it turns out badly for her (again-will she never learn? Will Popeye?) until Popeye flies to the rescue. Visually wonderful, as Fleischer shorts usually were. Originally in black and white, this was colorized. Black and white is much better. These were drawn for black and white. The requirements for color are different. But what can you expect in a world where, on the packaging for Young Frankenstein, the pictures are in color? *SIGH* This short is well worth looking for and most recommended.

Olive Oyl has flown the coop with aviator Bluto. Popeye is broken hearted. Then he spots Olive being mistreated by Bluto in the air, and takes off in a plane after them. Olive gets to safety while the two guys fight like junior birdmen.

Director Dave Fleischer was fond of packing as many gags as possible into his cartoons, and this is a fine example of that. To make things even better, the movie starts with one of the better example of the Fleischer's. Tabletop Process a technique that lends a real sense of three dimensions to this cartoon.

We think of Walt Disney as a great innovator in cartoons, and he was quick to latch onto new techniques. At Fleischer, they invented them.

This cartoon is interesting for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that opening 3-D stereo-optical shot that starts off the cartoon. This is also interesting in that I believe it's the first one where Olive is fickled, as the cartoon begins with Popeye reading a "Dear John" letter from Olive where she explains that she's left him for Bluto. As in POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS ALI BABA'S FORTY THIEVES (which was nearing completion around the time this cartoon was released) ) rather than ravage Olive's body, Bluto puts her to work painting his plane while he flies around in it(the FORTY THIEVES force her to do their laundry). I always took the concept of Olive's various kidnappers putting her to work as the Fleischers way of lampooning how "wholesome" their pictures had to be under the Hays Code, the Hollywood censorship policies, which all but destroyed the Fleischer's earlier iconic superstar & sex symbol, Betty Boop(who had to start wearing longer skirts in the cartoons). Once the Fleischers left the Popeye cartoons (around the beginning of the U.S. involvementin WWII) Olive's whole character became that of a fickled woman who leaves Popeye for Bluto in virtually every cartoon, instead of the fleshed out character she is in these early shorts. I really like the umbrella gag in this cartoon too.

Fleischer Studios' cartoons more often than not amused and charmed and were always well made. Not without over-cuteness at times and stories were seldom a strong suit, but they were always made up for significantly in appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.

'I Never Changes My Altitude' is not quite one of the best Popeye cartoons or one of the best Popeye cartoons from 1937 in the best period for the series (the late 30s). That is not knocking it in any way as it's still a great cartoon and saying what was said about it not quite being one of the best 1937 Popeye cartoons is only because really that 1937 was one of the best and most consistent years for the series where all the cartoons pretty much were very good and more, great in the case of many. Everything that is good about many of the cartoons, in primarily the series' prime era, is here in 'I Never Changes My Altitude'.

Have no issues, as ever, with the chemistry between the three leads. Olive's material is not as interesting or as funny as that for Popeye and Bluto but she does amuse and it is not hard to see what the two see in her. Popeye and Bluto always did have stronger material and their animosity always had plenty of fun and tension. Both are obvious in 'I Never Changes My Altitude'. Absolutely love their chemistry, which is deservedly legendary and just sparkles in energ, while Popeye is immensely likeable with great comic timing (Jack Mercer's voice acting helps quite a lot) and Bluto is a mix of funny and formidable.

What could have been formulaic in story is instead done with a lot of energy, entertainment value that never lets up and fresh execution, with some creative moments when in the sky. Lots of gags spot on in timing, with not a misfire in the lot. An example of a memorable bit is with the duck and the spinach. As always, love Popeye's mumblings and asides and there were not many other animated characters to be as funny as Popeye in that regard.

The animation is smooth and detailed enough and the music is full of merriment and lushness.

Voice acting is very good, especially from Jack Mercer while it is not hard to see why Mae Questel was the most popular voice for Olive Oyl.

Altogether, great fun. 9/10

We are shown the 'Hott-Air Airport" and down the road is Olive Oly's restaurant for fliers with the motto painted on the roof, "Come Down And See Me Sometime!"

Meanwhile, Popeye is crying, reading a letter from Olive saying, "Popeye, I am PLANE crazy about aviators. I'm flying away with one. Good-bye. Olive Oyl."

Well, this turns out to be one of the most amusing and entertaining Popeye cartoons I've seen. It's the kind of animated short I remember when I think fondly back on the great Popeye cartoons I saw as a kid. In a nutshell, we have Popeye and Bluto fighting in out in the sky - WWI "dogfight" style.

Popeye used two cans a spinach, giving one of them to a duck, to help save him and defeat his enemy. That's just one example of the many outrageous and totally insane scenes. . This is so good, the time seemed to "fly by" in about a minute. Great stuff!