Mae Questel Movies
American actress/singer Mae Questel was freshly graduated from high school when she won a contest imitating singer Helen Kane, who'd popularized the phrase "Boop boop a doop." It wasn't the only impression Qiestel could do, but her Helen Kane takeoff earned the young performer steady work in vaudeville and, in 1931, a job providing the voice of Betty Boop at Max Fleischer's cartoon studios. She was one of several actresses doing this voice, but before long Questel was the one and only Betty - and was so good at her job that her role-model, Helen Kane, ended up suing Fleischer! The Betty Boop cartoons were released through Paramount, which also hired her to appear in live musical and comedy shorts. In one unforgettable installment of Paramount's Hollywood on Parade one-reel series, Questel, dressed as Betty Boop, was "attacked" by Bela Lugosi, who leaned menacingly toward her neck and declared "You have booped... your last... boooooop." When Fleischer began its Popeye the Sailor cartoon series in 1933, the studio tried out a number of actresses for the voice of Olive Oyl, but Questel eventually won out, and ended up playing Olive for the next four decades. Busy with radio and cartoon work in the '40s, she was called upon to exert her versatility when Popeye's voice, Jack Mercer, went to war; in a handful of Popeye cartoons of the era, Questel actually dubbed in Popeye herself. TV opened a whole new professional world for her as a commercial voiceover: From 1950 through 1960 she could be heard as the Hasbro Kid, Nabisco's Buffalo Bee, the talking Fizzies Tablet, and of course the "interactive" cartoon-and-merchandising star Winky Dink. Questel was seen as well as heard in both the play and movie versions of A Majority of One, and as a middle-aged blushing bride in Jerry Lewis' It's Only Money (1961). She also kept her hand in commercial work as Aunt Bluebell on the Scott paper towel ads. Woody Allen fans most cherish Mae Questel's role as the "Jewish Mama from Hell" Mrs. Millstein in New York Stories (1988), in which erstwhile magician Allen accidentally transforms his mother into a giant ethereal image in the sky, from whence she tells all of Manhattan about her son's many shortcomings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1936
In this "Betty Boop" cartoon, Betty shares the spotlight with James Swinnerton's popular comic strip character "Little Jimmy." In her efforts to stay in shape, Betty has set up an exercise gym in her attic. Paying Betty a visit, Little Jimmy tries to help Betty with her "daily dozen", but succeeds only in causing all the athletic equipment to malfunction. Trapped in a vibrating reducing belt, Betty tells Jimmy to go for help, but the kid manages to get distracted along the way. By the time Jimmy returns, Betty is as skinny as a beanpole--leading to a "laff riot" finale that almost defies descrption. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1936
The "Colossal Carnival" comes to town, and Betty Boop is all set to take little Junior to the big show. Alas, a thunderstorm forces the pair back indoors, whereupon Junior bursts into tears. Fortunately, Betty's resourceful neighbor Professor Grampy puts on his thinking cap and figures out a way to stage an elaborate indoor carnival. Using such household items as a washing machine, a seltzer, bottle, a fan and a kitchen table, Grampy comes up with all sorts of swell rides and sideshow attractions. But the best is reserved for last, as Grampy concocts a way to convert a high-rise apartment into a roller coaster (with the help of Max Fleischer's patented "stereoscopic" process). Song: "We'll Have a Bushel of Fun". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1936
The first Popeye cartoon produced in color, Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor was also the longest Fleischer production to date, and the first to be nominated for an Academy Award. In this colorful tale, Bluto plays the legendary Sindbad, introduced as the toughest and most remarkable sailor around. He lives on an island that floats on the back of a whale and that is populated by ferocious lions, deadly serpents, a two-headed giant, fiery dragons and an enormous bird, the Roc. Popeye, his pal Wimpy and the "irresistible damsel" Olive Oyl appear in the ocean near Sindbad's island. Stricken with desire for Olive, Sindbad sends the Roc to wreck Popeye's ship and to abduct the delectable damsel. Popeye, singlehandedly carrying Wimpy to safety, swims after the bird and his beloved. Once on the island, Popeye must battle with the various dangerous denizens before going one-to-one with Sindbad and proving -- with the help of a little spinach -- that no evil-doing sailor like Sindbad can get the better of him. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- 1935
While Popeye and Olive are peacefully feeding pigeons in the park, sadistic junk dealer Bluto is cruelly abusing his work-horse a few blocks away, urging the nag forward with a huge whip and refusing to allow the animal to drink from a public trough. When Popeye witnesses this sorry spectacle, he chastizes Bluto for mistreating a "dumb aminal", whereupon he himself becomes a target of the villain's wrath. Popeye's extremely strange voice in this episode is provided by Floyd Buckley, who later starred in the Popeye the Sailor radio show on CBS, and whose only cartoon "appearance" this was. The musical score includes selections from such standards as "The Last Roundup", "Love in Bloom" and "Yes, We Have No Bananas". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Popeye and Olive attend a performance by the celebrated stage magician Bluto. Swept up in the excitement, Olive agrees to go on stage as Bluto's assistant, and before long she is under his hypnotic spell, clucking and strutting about like a chicken. Popeye proves a more difficult subject, but Bluto unleashes all his powers in an effort to (literally) make a monkey and a mule out of the one-eyed sailor before a live audience. This cartoon was remade in 1949 as A Balmy Swami. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
While police officer Wimpy is distracted by a hamburger display, his prisoner, a smarmy "gentleman" thief, slips out of his handcuffs and into Popeye and Olive's pawnshop. Stealing a set of knives, the brash criminal tries to sell them back to Olive, but she won't match his price. Popeye tells the crook to beat it, only to be slapped in the face and challenged to a duel. For a while, it looks as if the crook has the upper hand--but Olive comes to the rescue by reminding Popeye that it's time for his spinach lunch. A beautifully animated game of "mumblety-peg," and a magical moment in which a row of knife handles suddenly comes to life, are but two of the many highlights in this above-average entry. Choose Yer 'Weppins' was later excerpted in the 1936 "cheater" I'm in the Army Now. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Pulling into port after a long sea voyage, Popeye proposes to his girl friend Olive Oyl, only to be informed that she loves another sailor. What follows is a cartoon-length rendition of the notoriously ribald drinking song "Barnacle Bill the Sailor", with bowderlized lyrics and generous doses of slapstick. Since Popeye's romantic rival Barnacle Bill bears a startling resemblance to his old adversary Bluto, an outsized brawl over the affections of "fair young maiden" Olive is a foregone conclusion--and this time, it's all set to music. Beware of Barnacle Bill is not a remake of the 1930 Fleischer"Talkartoon" Barnable Bill, though many of the gags are similar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Olive is flattered when both Popeye and Bluto come a-courting, but she gets quickly fed up by the two rivals' constant fighting--and when she ends up on the receiving end of their punches, it's the last straw. "One of you will have to leave!" declares Olive, whereupon Bluto suggests a contest: "The guy that does the best trick stays." Of course, Popeye plays fair with his harmless stunts--but Bluto's idea of a "trick" borders on the homicidal. The sprightly musical score includes a brace of Bing Crosby standards, "Love Thy Neighbor" and "Love is Just Around the Corner". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
"Professor" Popeye runs an exercise gymnasium for ladies, which happens to be right next door to a cheap cabaret owned by Bluto. Upset that Olive Oyl prefers exercise to entertainment, Bluto decides to get even with Popeye by making him look ridiculous in front of his women customers. To do this, Bluto shaves his mustache, dons a curly wig and sashays into the gymnasium in female drag--and then challenges Popeye to several awesome feats of strength. The highlight of this cartoon is Bluto's "female impercolation", even though his limp-wristed mincing may not entirely fall within the boundaries of political correctness. Vim, Vigor and Vitaliky was remade in 1950 as Gym Jam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
This landmark cartoon opens with a live-action sequence, in which a little boy purchases a "Adventures of Popeye" comic book and heads homeward. En route, the youngster is tormented by a big bully, who knocks the poor kid down and calls him a sissy. Appalled by this spectacle, an animated Popeye emerges from the cover of the comic book and assures the crying boy that tough guys can always be defeated if you remember to eat your spinach every day. To prove his point, Popeye turns the pages of the book, whereupon the illustrations come to life. Adventures of Popeye is the first of several entertaining "cheaters", utilizing stock footage from earlier cartoons as a cost-cutting strategy. In this case, we are treated to excerpts from the 1933 entries Popeye the Sailor, I Eats My Spinach and Wild Elephinks, as well as 1934's Axe Me Another. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
It's a real battle of the bands when Popeye's rag-tag symphony orchestra (including Olive Oyl on harp and Wimpy on percussion) shares rehearsal space with "The Great Maestro" Bluto and his army of long-haired musicians. At first, Popeye is clearly outclassed by Bluto, who not only wields a mean baton but also accompanies himself on violin and piano. But after a healthy dose of spinach, Popeye is instantly transformed into a musical virtuoso. Showing off his newly acquired skills by playing the piano with his fingers, toes and elbows, Popeye wraps things up by literally "socking over" a spirited orchestral rendition of Von Suppe's "Poet and Peasant Overture". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Attending a football game with Popeye, Olive becomes enamored of brawny team captain Bluto--so much so that she hops on the field and begins leading a cheer, spelling out Bluto's name with her scrawny body. Disgusted by this spectacle, Popeye joins the opposing team and squares off against Bluto on the gridiron. For a while, it looks like the one-eyed sailor is outclassed by his rival, but a quick jolt of spinach evens the playing field: indeed, Popeye literally morphs into a "one-man team." Complementing the action is the cartoon's popular title song, originally written in 1933 by Al Sherman, Buddy Fields and Al Lewis. You Gotta Be a Football Hero marks the last "appearance" of the redoubtable William Costello (aka "Red Pepper Sam") as the voice of Popeye. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
This festive entry opens with a lusty rendition of the title song, written by Bob Rothberg and performed by the eponymous "King" Bluto, an accomplished acrobat, sword swallower, high diver, tightrope artist and snake charmer (One quibble: If Bluto is "King of the Mardi Gras", why does the entire story take place on Coney Island in New York?) While Bluto draws a huge crowd, his tap-dancing competitor Popeye performs before an audience of one--namely, Wimpy. Gradually, Popeye wins over the Mardi Gras revellers in general and Olive Oyl in particular, prompting the humiliated Bluto to try to kidnap the heroine. The climactic roller-coaster chase is a tour de force of virtuoso height-and-perspective gags This cartoon marks the debut of the immortal Jack Mercer as the voice of Popeye, a job he filled well into the 1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Tired of cleaning his dingy apartment and burning his dinner, Popeye decides that it's time to get a wife. He heads down to a seedy-looking matrimonial bureau, where he and fellow bachelor Bluto vie for the affections of a modestly veiled Olive Oyl. Temporarily disposing of his rival, Bluto drags Olive to the nearest justice of the peace (who else but Wimpy?)--with Popeye, grotesquely scrunched like an accordion by a pile driver, hot on the couple's heels. This bizarre entry serves to introduce the Fleischer studio's unique "3-D" background effect, with the animated characters cavorting before a "live" tabletop-model background. The musical score inclues the lilting "Stay as Sweet as You Are", written byMack Gordon and Harry Revel for the 1934 movie musical College Rhythm. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Salvage divers Popeye and Bluto team up to recover a treasure from a shipwreck on the ocean floor. Though they'd agreed to share the profits "50-50", Bluto is determined to claim the entire treasure for himself, so naturally he plays as dirty as possible. But despite such additional obstacles as sharks, giant oysters and "bara-coodies", Popeye emerges the winner of this race for the gold. The cartoon's best gags include Popeye's form-fitting diving helmet, complete with windshield. The background music includes the old reliable "Stars and Stripes Forever" during the climactic underwater fistfight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1934
Yank-'Em Stadium is filled to capacity in anticipation of the big fight between Bluto the Champ and Popeye the Sailor. Terrified that Popeye is "liable to get hoited", Olive demands that he call off the bout, then walks out on him when he refuses. But when the radio ring announcer declares that "Popeye is down!", faithful Olive rushes to the arena (accompanied by the strains of Von Suppe's "Light Cavalry Orchestra") with a can of spinach clutched in her dainty little hand. This is the last "Popeye" cartoon to include the famous "out of the inkwell" closing title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1934
Popeye and Bluto are volunteer firemen in this one, with Popeye working for "Company D" and Bluto employed next door at "Company C". Two very loud alarm bells summon both smoke-eaters to the home of Olive Oyl, which is engulfed in flames (several of them "humanized" in time-honored cartoon tradition). In their efforts to douse the fire, Popeye and Bluto spend most of their time attempting to one-up each other, even unto using their hoses as dueling weapons. When Bluto and Olive are both trapped on the blazing roof, Popeye makes a final assault on the fire--this time backed up by his faithful can of spinach. The Two-Alarm Fire was remade in 1953 as Fireman's Brawl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1934
Proprietors of a small restaurant, Popeye and Olive introduce themselves by singing the cartoon's title song, written by Jack Scholl and Sammy Timberg). After the couple moves their establishment to a better location (courtesy of Popeye's muscles), those perennial moochers Wimpy and Bluto try to cadge a free meal. Though Wimpy successfully obtains a free hamburger with his patented "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday" palaver, Bluto is less successful when he attempts to down six sandwiches without paying the necessary 60 cents (this is mid-1934!) Not surprisingly, a fistfight ensues, with all manner of edibles flying through air--and Wimpy grabbing each and every one of them as they pass by. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1934
While working on an "Alice in Wonderland" jigsaw puzzle, Betty Boop falls asleep, and promptly dreams her way not only into Wonderland but also the land Behind the Looking Glass. Wearing an incongrously sexy "Alice" costume, our heroine climbs through a mirror, falls down a rabbit hole (misleadingly labeled a "subway"), drinks "Shrink-Ola" to gain entrance into Wonderland, then meets all the familiar Lewis Carroll characters, including the Mad Hatter and March Hare, the Walrus and the Carpenter, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the White Rabbit and the Mock Turtle. Unfortunately, the fearsome Jabberwocky spoils all the fun by kidnapping Betty (or is it Alice?). forcing her new friends to race the rescue. Heard on the soundtrack are such familiar Paramount-owned tunes as "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking" (from 1933's Sitting Pretty) and "Everyone Says I Love You" (from the 1932 Marx Bros. classic Horse Feather). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1934
This clever "cheater" begins with a live-action sequence, in which animator Max Fleischer is being interviewed by a newspaper reporter (played by Max's brother--and this cartoon's director--Dave Fleischer). When asked how he makes all those "Betty Boop" cartoons, Max demonstrates by grabbing his pen and bringing Betty to live on his drawing board. Our heroine then regales the reporter with lengthy highlights from her previous cartoons (taking time out to change costumes in an inkwell). The rest of the cartoon features Betty's celebrity imitations from 1932's Stopping the Show, her sexy hula dance from 1932's Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle, and a lively duet with a rotoscoped Cab Calloway from Old Man of the Mountain (1933). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
