Let's Celebrake

Popeye and Bluto are friends here, out celebrating on New Year's. They stop to pick up Olive who's living with her 90-year-old mother. Just before they depart, Popeye wants to include the hard of hearing old lady on their night on the town. They end up at dance hall contest where Popeye is trying to coax granny to swing. No luck until a waiter happens by with, you guessed it, an open can of spinach, which Popeye pours down granny's throat.

What follows is what distinguishes this cartoon: granny suddenly dances like Ginger Rogers to Popeye's Fred Astair. The artistry of the dance sequences is incredibly accurate with the cartoonist's syncopation of dance moves with the swing music background. Exceptionally well choreographed and well drawn. Fun to watch cartoon dancing that's so realistic and entertaining.

Popeye is kind enough to invite Olive's grandma to a New Year's Eve party. But when the dance contest starts, she can barely move. Until Popeye uses his favorite drug, Spinach, to solve the problem. This is a very good Popeye cartoon, avoiding a series of fistfights with Bluto.

It is New Year's Eve. Popeye and Bluto ride a sleigh to Olive Oyl's home. They are greeted by her grandma. The boys are taking Olive Oyl out, but Popeye can't stand leaving grandma home alone. He brings grandma along to the club. The place is jumping and Wimpy is the MC.

This Popeye cartoon has no actual violence. It does have some strenuous dancing. I like a lot of this. I love the idea of the grandma. I wonder about the design of grandma. It is a standard weakling old lady. Maybe if she's taller like Olive Oyl or something. I just want a more distinctive design. That would make this more memorable.

Let's Celebrake (1938)

*** (out of 4)

It's a snowy New Year's Eve as Popeye and Bluto show up to Olive Oyl's house to take her out. The three are about to leave when Popeye feels bad leaving her elderly grandmother home alone so he brings her along. Even though she can hardly move or hear Popeye enters them in the dancing contest.

This Popeye short doesn't have any violence and it's actually pretty laid back when you compare it to just about every other short in the series. There's a big dance sequence at the end, which is mildly charming but I'd be lying to say it was anything too special. What makes this short so great is the fact that the animation itself is so wonderful. I've said this throughout watching all of these shorts but the Popeye series had some of the greatest animation from this era. This is especially true in regards to the attention to details. Just take a look at the overall view of the dance floor and see how much detail is there to enjoy.

Popeye and Bluto all dressed up, side by side riding a horse drawn sleigh and singing? Something isn't right. Am I seeing things? These guys are supposed to be fighting. They aren't friends, so what's the deal? Well, it's New Year's Eve and the boys are taking out Olive...and not fighting over it.

Kindhearted Popeye feels sorry for "Grandma," an almost-deaf old lady who lives with Olive, so he escorts her to the "Happy Hour Club," too.

Bluto, who has very little in the way of compassion for anyone, sneers as Popeye asks Grandma to dance, thinking our hero is some sort of sap. He snatches Olive and hits the dance floor. Grandma is a little slow on her feet so when the emcee, Wimpy - of course, announces they are going to award a loving cup to the winners of the dance contest, Popeye gets an idea: feed grandma some spinach!

Well, granny gets her spinach and - wham! - she turns into Ginger Rogers! Watching her and Popeye spin around the floor is a real hoot.

No, there is no fighting, no violence, only a warmhearted story that may not evoke a lot of laughs but is guaranteed to give you a lot of smiles as you watch.