You're a Sap, Mr. Jap

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!!

You're a Sap, Mr. Jap (1942)

*** (out of 4)

Popeye is out at sea when he comes across a Japanese ship and it's his American duty to try and destroy them all by himself.

Obviously with a title like YOU'RE A SAP, MR. JAP, you're not dealing with something that is politically correct by today's standards but that's why it's so important to remember that when this movie was made Japan was the enemy. We were fighting them in WWII and I'm sure Americans got a kick out of seeing Popeye beat them up on the screen. The stereotypes that are shown here will probably be offensive to a lot of people but that's why keeping them in context is so important. As far as the film goes, it's pretty fun as it's non-stop action and there are several funny bits including the tricks the Japanese soldiers try to pull to kill Popeye.

This World War II Popeye cartoon had some very good sight gags in it, and its decidedly above-average for its genre. It was nicely drawn, too, with some great angles, good detail and....well, lots of interesting sights.

What it amounts to is Popeye out at sea in his little boat and accidentally running into a small Japanese boat, with two guys on it. (Incidentally, why were the "Japs" always pictured with big, round glasses and bucked teeth?).

Anyway, these harmless-looking Japanese sailors want Popeye to sign a peace treaty. Oh, boy, thinks the gullible Popeye, "wait until the Admiral sees this!" In one of those great artwork scenes I was alluding to above, we slowly see how that little Japanese ship is really a big destroyer.....and Popeye is in deep....um, water! "Why, you double-crossing Ja-pansies!," yells our Sailor Man.

How he gets out of the situation is fun to watch.

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.

'You're a sap, Mr. Jap, to make a Yankee cranky - You're a sap, Mr. Jap, Uncle Sam is gonna spank you!'

It's with these words this short propaganda movie starring Popeye starts. Popeye's ship happens to meet up with a japanese war ship. At first, the Japanese pretend they want to make peace with him, only to try and kill him behind his back. But Popeye (finally) finds out what they are doing and starts his own private war. Which he wins, but that will come to you as no surprise.

Short comedy provides some laughs but it's not the best WWII propaganda ever made (not the worst either), although it always occurred to me Popeye probably is the most convincing character taking on a whole army of the enemy.

6/10.