Nurse-Mates

Like to love a vast majority of the Fleischer Studios Popeye output, the late-30s cartoons being particularly good and where the high quality was the most consistent. 1940 saw Fleischer Studios starting to decline significantly, the cartoons were mostly well made and scored but they tended to not be very funny, too cute with un-compelling stories and characters. The Popeye cartoons though were among the better ones from this period, in its best theatrical series in the early 40s bar none.

'Nurse Mates' may not one of the best Popeye cartoons overall though or one of the best of the 1940 output. Considering that Fleischer Studios' pre-40s output was mostly decent to brilliant, it is a little disappointing. At the same time though, despite a couple of major problems there are a lot of well done things. 'Nurse Mates' actually compares favourably amongst the 40s Fleischer Studios output in general, when the studio was undergoing bar none its worst ever period (with 1940 being its worst year perhaps).

Yes it is nothing new in terms of story and material, which does take away from any freshness or surprises somewhat. There has been a little more energy in other Popeye cartoons before and even since, coming from someone who consider the earlier Popeye cartoons generally better than the later ones.

And sorry to say it again, but despite Jack Mercer as always being brilliant as Popeye (the only Popeye voice actor for me), Margie Hines and Pinto Colvig never really gelled as Olive, who has little to do here again, and Bluto. Of Bluto's voice actors especially, Colvig is easily the least sinister, robust or formidable and he didn't seem to have as much fun as the others, also couldn't get Goofy (Colvig being Goofy's original voice actor and he was still voicing him when also voicing Bluto) out of my head somehow.

However, the animation is neatly and expressively drawn (especially with Popeye) and still very much like the work that goes into the backgrounds. The music, appropriately like its own character, is as beautifully orchestrated and characterful as ever.

The gags are also a lot of fun despite the lack of originality, the fighting over the baby washing was very funny to watch and didn't get old. The story is not much new but still a lot of energy, with a wonderfully wild final third that is the case for most Popeye cartoons. All three major characters are handled very well (Olive is too underused to be in the same class), especially Popeye, Bluto is also a suitably formidable adversary and Swee'Pea is very cute.

In conclusion, good but falls short of being great. 7/10

Here's a familiar scene: Popeye and Bluto arriving at Olive Oyl's front door at the exact same time. As Popeye said many times: "Whoa!!!" The cartoon turns out to be a baby-sitting contest, of sorts. After both of the guys ask her out to the movies, her only answer is "I have to go to the beauty parlor. You'll have to look after Swee' Pea until I come back. Here's the list of what to do."

So Popeye and Bluto attempt to give the baby a bath and then dress him. Bluto takes charge, as always and his skit showing how to wash a baby is pretty funny. It probably wouldn't make a cartoon today, deemed child abuse, but Swee' Pea didn't seem to mind! Other gags ensue after Swee' Pea slips out of the small tub and gets ink all over himself. Popeye's solution of "spot remover" works a little too well.

Anyway, slapstick rules this cartoon as one misadventure after another happens with the little guy and the two big lugs trying to help but getting in each other's way. There may not be many laugh-out-loud jokes but it's entertaining to enough to rate a "7."

One note: there is no spinach in this one, which is unusual.

Both Popeye and Bluto arrive at Olive Oyl's home at the same time. Neither is willing to give an inch. Both want to take her to the movies. She has to go to the beauty parlor and leaves the guys to take care of Swee'Pea. First, they fight over washing the baby and it goes downhill from there.

This is the classic trio with Swee'Pea. I like this combination and it also suggests that Olive Oyl is a single mother. The audience of that era probably didn't connect those dots in a cartoon. I would like Swee'Pea to cause more havoc. He eventually gets there. Finally, I would like to show the passing time. Olive Oyl didn't go to the beauty parlor for five minutes.

Nurse-Mates (1940)

*** (out of 4)

Bluto and Popeye show up at Olive's house to take her out on a date but she's got a baby there. The men agree to watch him but things don't go as planned.

NURSE-MATES is another very good entry in the early Popeye series and once again it benefits from plenty of fast action as well as the high quality animation that people had come to expect from it. There are many fast-paced action scenes here but the highlight is when the boys are battling each over about the proper way to wash a baby. There's plenty of laughs dealing with the kid being in danger but it's all done in such a way that you can't take it too serious.

Here is a favorite Popeye cartoon from 1940. I have a very specific favorite cartoon from a certain year. This cartoon has plenty of witty dialogue that I enjoy. Dialogue-humor is what I call funny lines. And in this cartoon, it's Disney regular Pinto Colvig as Bluto's voice; I thought he was hilarious as the "big lug."

In this cartoon, Popeye and Bluto (simultaneously) ask Olive out to the movies. Olive has a hair appointment, so the guys will watch Swee'Pea. The two compete against each other to follow Olive's schedule of taking care of Swee'Pea: bathing, dressing, and putting him down for his nap. But it was one argument after another. I also love the 1937 Popeye cartoon "I Likes Babies and Infinks," where Popeye and Bluto argue over Swee'Pea. Of course, the two were trying to make Swee'Pea laugh. That is all I have to say about this cartoon. I don't have a favorite scene in this animated production, as I am enthralled by the entire work, from the initial frames to the climax. I give it a score out of ten for its excellent animation and hilarious conversational comedy.