And so, the next pissing match between Popeye and Bluto is done through the automobile. We start with Popeye and his modest hunk of junk clunking its way down the road, with an inflated glove for a horn. He stops in front of Olive's apartment. Now some of you more cynical types out there might wonder why anyone would have all their potted plants in such a way that they all fall off the ledge when you open your window covers, or you might even wonder how someone would even do that in the first place! Let's see, I'll dangle them all from strings and gently lower them down onto the ledge from the rooftop...
Meanwhile, Bluto drives up in his half-car, half-grounded plane. "Why not go for a ride in a good car?" Bluto asks Olive. Well, that's progress! Bluto at least acknowledges Popeye's existence. Olive chooses Popeye, despite the inherent setbacks. Then, we get a very very long patented Fleischer 3D background. They're getting more ambitious, especially with next week's two-reeler!
Bluto tries tricking Popeye into taking an outrageous detour, thereby informing Matt Groening's love of anagrams. "I hope he's not too dumb to read it!" sneers Bluto. Popeye gets the last laugh, however, and Bluto resorts to brute force, eventually tearing Popeye's car apart, pretty much piece by piece. Olive protests wildly, then says to Bluto "Don't you touch me!!!!" Love that part.
And then, Popeye gets the spinach, yada yada yada. It ends a bit like that one about skiing with Olive in similar peril. One of my viewing companions said "Ah, Bluto's an old softie" because here's another instance where he ends up sobbing. Another four-star classic. Jack Mercer's chewing sounds are getting better and better, for one. And Popeye's opening ode to the auto is strangely not that antequated!
****
-so sayeth The Movie Hooligan
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