The Dance Contest

I can rarely rate any Popeye cartoon very high, mostly because most Popeye installments are pretty much the same. In each, Popeye takes spinach in order to beat the crap out of evil Bluto. Fortunately, while this is trye in "The Dance Contest", there's a bit more to it...hence my score of 7.

When the story begins, Popeye and Olive are entered in a dance contest...something VERY popular in the 1920s and 30s but which has gone out of fashion since. As judge Wimpy eliminates couple after couple, it looks like Popeye is doomed to be next, as he cannot dance and keeps stomping on poor Olive's feet.

Soon the suave Bluto arrives and Olive (who is an idiot and has forgotten about the dozens of previous times she was assaulted by him) joins him in the contest. Feeling dejected, Popeye takes his spinach and it makes him an instant Fred Astaire! But, as you'd expect, it soon turns into a butt whipping of Bluto when he gets fresh with Olive.

Although the general formula of the Popeye cartoons is here, the setting and effects of the spinach make it a bit more interesting. Plus, you never can fault the Fleischer Brothers' animation...which is always top-notch despite only being in black & white.

Dance contests were pretty big back in the old days, especially during the Depression. People, desperate for money, would do about anything to get a cash prize The worst, of course, were the grueling "marathon dances," but many times the contests just involved regular dances and judging what couple looked best. Fred Astaire featured some of these type of contests in his movies.

The chief judge here, Wimpy, has a unique way of eliminating couples. He pulls a switch and the floor gives way in that section, making the people disappear with an "ohhh," a thud and a bang! This guy was a brutal judge.

Anyway, Popeye is no Astaire, but Bluto is pretty slick (with his hair, too.) He grabs Olive and waltz's her pretty good around the floor. He's actually impressive as a hoofer. A dejected Popeye claims, "I guess I have no sex appeal." He forlornly walks back to his table and eats a bowl of spinach. Well, that spinach goes right to his feet - and, look out!

This was different in that I wouldn't picture these two macho guys competing as dancers, but it made for another entertaining cartoon and I'm sure audiences who were familiar with all dances back then, loved it. Both the guys - and Olive, who was almost like Ginger Rogers with her moves - were steppin' out! Good fun all-around.

Dance Contest, The (1934)

*** (out of 4)

Popeye and Olive Oyl are at a dance contest but the poor sailor can't dance so Bluto cuts in. This here is another enjoyable short from the series and manages some nice laughs as well as some good fighting scenes. The highlight here is without question the sequence where Popeye beats Bluto to a pulp but he does it here with the step of a dance. Wimpy is also on hand as the judge and of course eating his hamburgers. There are several funny sequences including the way Wimpy gets rid of the bad dancers.

Popeye and Olive Oyl go to a dance contest. Popeye keeps stepping on Olive's feet, so Bluto pushes him aside to dance with the dame. Fortunately, there's a bowl of spinach for Popeye to eat, which gives him the moves to wow contest judge Wimpy. So Popeye and Bluto do an Apache dance with each other.

It's a good Popeye cartoon of the era, with lots of nice gags, and the actual battle between the boys is better than usual, because of the dance motif. There do appear to be some budgetary concerns, what with the dancers on the floor repeating, but my major issue is with the paucity of gags. The result is a good, if not outstanding episode.

Popeye and Olive vie for a dance trophy. They do some neat tango movies. Jealously, Bluto steps in and messes things up. He is quite the dancer though he does that violent French stuff where the man throws the woman around. Popeye moves in, but soon Olive is gone and Popeye is dancing with Bluto. Quite funny, actually.