Blow Me Down!

This is the third Popeye cartoon from the Fleischer Brothers and as such, this was a very fresh and original cartoon. Later cartoons sometimes just seemed like re-treads with all too familiar plots-- fortunately this one manages to be quite creative.

The cartoon begins with Popeye arriving in Mexico. There he soon sees Olive Oyl dancing in a cantina--where she performs one of the strangest cartoons in movie history. Soon, Bluto the Bandit arrives and it's up to our hero to take care of this dangerous jerk. And, when the rest of Bluto's gang arrives, it's spinach time!

This is a pretty good Popeye cartoon--and I like how Popeye AND Olive work together on this one. Interestingly, you can tell it's a pre-code cartoon, as Popeye and Bluto have a small drinking contest---something you'd be unlikely to see later in the 1930s. Well worth seeing.

In this very early offering in the Popeye saga, the backgrounds are quite primitive with the focus on the principle characters. Popeye finds himself in old Mexico, being assaulted by stereotypical Mexican bad guys. He throttles them without any trouble. Olive is the real star here, working as a dancer. Of course, Bluto shows up as a wanted criminal. Popeye ignores him and then the battle is on. It's pretty basic stuff, but entertaining.

This is an early Popeye short, if i'm not mistaken, the first official Popeye cartoon (his first appearance was in a Betty Boop with the title, "Popeye the Sailor") and the seams show a bit here. The basic concepts are started here and it's an enjoyable cartoon, but nothing special. Worth watching. Recommended.

Boy, people are hostile wherever Popeye appears....at least in these first few cartoons. In his second cartoon, the one before this, Indians attacked he and Olive when he landed in America. Now, Popeye rows down to Mexico and the locals are taking gunshots at him when he walks down the street.

He finds Olive doing some wild dance in a saloon and we get a few sight gags with that, when suddenly a huge Bluto - bigger than how he looked later in Popeye cartoons - comes in with guns blazing! He's "Bluto The Bandit" according to the big reward sign posted on him at the bar.

The rest is just a sock 'em affair with Bluto and Olive and then Bluto and Popeye, nothing special but enough sight gags to make it worth watching.

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, 'Blow Me Down!' is still pretty good and amusing. 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. 'Blow Me Down!' 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) and at times repetitive, though not without its creative moments. The humour and gags make it even more entertaining with mostly very amusing if not quite hilarious gags, and the cartoon is hardly devoid of them.

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 'Blow Me Down!' and has so much energy. Popeye is always amusing and likeable but for me Bluto is here the funnier and more interesting character.

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 whereas Poe's deeper voice jars.

Concluding, pretty good but not Popeye at his best. 7/10 Bethany Cox