Stealin Aint Honest

Popeye and Olive Oyl are on their way to Olive's secret gold mine -- with more signage posted than a 1960s jaunt to South of the Border -- when Bluto steals their map and a march on them.

The Fleischers never did a bad Popeye cartoon, but this one comes pretty close, with most of it being Bluto hitting Popeye (and occasionally Olve) until Popeye eats some spinach. The gags are certainly funny, but they seem to be afterthoughts, added inorganically because the audience is expecting them, like that parrot that shows up all of a sudden to get off a zinger. Still, there are the usual large number of them, and the last one is pretty good, so you end the movie feeling pretty good.

Popeye and Olive Oyl are looking over a map. She has a secret treasure. We know this because when they get to the island, there is a sign that says, "Olive's Secret Treasure." There are other subtle clues as well. Bluto wants in on this and photographs the map. The treasure isn't gold ore. It is turned into coins and rings and other stuff. Anyway, it all leads to Popeye and Bluto getting into it and, believe it or not, there is spinach involved.

Not one of the finer members of the Popeye canon. Popeye and Olive fight Bluto over access to a gold mine, which lamely is full of gold coins lying on the ground. Popeye and Bluto have some half-hearted fighting over the gold, while Olive prances around like an idiot putting it in her basket. Also, this is one of the more dated Popeye cartoons, heavily laden with references to early standard tunes and the frequent use of the word "claim jumping."

Here is another 1940 Popeye the Sailor cartoon from the Fleischers that I like. Popeye and Olive are racing to Olive's secret goldmine before Bluto, the claim jumper, can get there. If it's not a secret, how can it be a "goldmine"? Oh well, for the humor.

I like the scene where Popeye and Olive begin digging elsewhere in search of the gold vein. Their tunnel, however, brings them back to the cave Bluto is trying to exploit. When Poeye bursts in, Bluto, who was blubbering because of a dead end, asks, "Who's that?" And Popeye: "Nobody." Another animated moment by Frank Endres that I especially appreciate is when Popeye hits Bluto, causing his face to skid over the ground. Popeye then cleverly uses Bluto as a drive-on plow. Meanwhile, Olive sings a playful version of "Nuts in May" as she plucks gold nuggets.

You know, I've read some negative stuff about this cartoon, but personally, I think it's another great Popeye cartoon with its "dialogue-humor."

Stealin Ain't Honest (1940)

*** (out of 4)

Fast and fun short has Popeye and Olive Oyl discovering a treasure map but sure enough Bluto spies on them and discovers the location. Now it's a race to the gold.

STEALIN Ain't HONEST runs right at five-minutes so it's a very short film and it runs extremely fast as it seems every is on speed and rushing through things. This makes for an entertaining film even though the story itself really wasn't anything fresh or original. There were several funny moments but the highlight is obviously the violence where Bluto and Popeye are beating each other to a pulp. As you'd expect the animation is top-notch.