The Anvil Chorus Girl

Popeye and Bluto are walking past a blacksmith's shop when they realize Olive Oyl is running it. She can't even lift the hammer to work on horseshoes and longs for a big strong man. What follows are some pretty nice sight gags using every manner of blacksmith's gear. Of course, in the end, spinach gets into the act. There is the usual one-upsmanship between the two gents. Quite a good Popey feature.

Like to love a vast majority of the Popeye cartoons. Also like Popeye 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 later Famous Studio offerings entertain, just inferior in quality.

While not one of my favourite Popeye cartoons, 'The Anvil Chorus Girl' is a note-worthy one in more than one respect (that will be mentioned at various times throughout the review). And more than just being a colour remake of 1934's 'Shoein Hosses', to me that is one of the best Popeye cartoons. 'The Anvil Chorus Girl' may not be quite as good, but it is to me one of the best Popeye cartoons from this period and one of Famous Studio's best Popeye cartoons (perhaps of their overall output as well). It was their first cartoon after their move from New York to Miami, yet there are no signs of them struggling to find their feet. And despite being a remake of an existing cartoon, there was enough fresh to it to stop me from questioning the point of it.

As with pretty much all of Popeye's cartoons, the story is thin and quite formulaic, though the ending is a surprising one and there are a couple of nice twists throughout. The variety stops 'The Anvil Chorus Girl' from being repetitive and the energy is constant and incredibly endearing and fun. Olive doesn't come as underused too much and her material, while not as strong as Popeye and Bluto's, doesn't waste her.

Expectedly, the animation cannot be faulted, 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 colours are wonderfully vibrant, which really does make the setting come alive. Even better, and a contender for the thing that makes the cartoon (practically in a way it feels like it is the cartoon), is the highly characterful and lush music score, that not only fits seamlessly and enhances the action but it is like its own character.

Popeye is amusing and likeable still and Jack Mercer doesn't disappoint with the voice acting. A more muscular in character design Bluto is even funnier and the chemistry between the two sparkles and carries the cartoon brilliantly.

'The Anvil Chorus Girl' boasts lots of gags that are timed beautifully and are never less than very funny, Popeye's asides and mumblings are something of a hilarious art-form of its own, and the energy never wavers. Mercer is not the only one to excel at the voice acting. After a hiatus from voicing Olive, Mae Questel (the best Olive Oyl voice actress) returns and it was like she had never left. Jackson Beck makes his debut voicing Bluto, to me he proves himself to be as great as William Pennell and Gus Wickie before him.

Overall, a great cartoon and in retrospect it is one of the more interesting Popeye efforts. 9/10

Popeye and Bluto pass by Olive Oyl working in her blacksmith shop. Olive is overwhelmed by the heavy work and the boys offer to help. They start competing to be the best. It's a color remake of an earlier cartoon. It has the basic elements of the classic Popeye story. The boys are friends until they meet Olive and competition begins. I don't see Olive as a blacksmith even remotely reasonable. I would like some minor changes like when Popeye u-turn the nails, they should form an outline of Bluto. Popeye should not be aiming at Bluto. This is a very basic story and it's fine for the most part.

This short is a remake of a Fleischer Studios effort, the title of which escapes me at the moment, and is impressive enough that it can hold its own against the earlier cartoon, not often the case with Famous Studio work. Lots of sight gags, but the voice work is excellent. Beck was the best of the voices for Bluto over the years and Mercer and Questal were always marvelous. Bluto and Popeye fight over Olive and, as usual, Popeye wins-or does he? You decide. Well worth tracking down. Recommended.