122 cartoons starring Popeye the Sailor were produced by Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios (later known as Paramount Cartoon Studios) from 1942 to 1957, after Paramount took ownership of Fleischer Studios, which originated the Popeye cartoon series in 1933. All cartoons were one-reel in length (6 to 10 minutes). The first 14 shorts (You're a Sap, Mr. Jap through Cartoons Ain't Human) were in black-and-white. All remaining cartoons, beginning with Her Honor the Mare, were in color.
For more about Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 2 and the Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 2 Blu-ray release, see Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 2 Blu-ray Review published by Randy Miller III on June 24, 2019 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.5 out of 5.
Released roughly six months after the first volume, Warner Archive Collection's Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 2 picks up right where we left off: during the early years of Popeye's post-Fleischer "Famous Studios" era, soon after the long-running series switched over to full color. This one-disc collection serves up 15 more classic shorts starring Popeye, Bluto, and Olive; while it doesn't do much to expand the boundaries of what made the series so great to begin with (almost to a fault), it's still an extremely watchable collection that fans should enjoy digging through. As such, there aren't many all-time fan favorite episodes on board but we don't get many clunkers either. Short story shorter: if your idea of a perfect Popeye cartoon is a basic love triangle mixed with spinach-fueled brawls, you'll have a decent time. High art this ain't -- at least from a storytelling perspective -- but the animation and voices are as reliably good as anything else from the Famous Studios era (which would continue for another full decade, believe it or not). It's a slight step down overall from the first volume, in my opinion, but perhaps more consistent in its presentation style.
For a slighter broader overview of the franchise and its history, please read my review of Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1, which includes 14 earlier Famous Studios shorts originally released between 1943 and 1945. For now, enjoy bite-sized episode recaps of all fifteen Volume 2 shorts and a run- through of the Blu-ray's A/V presentation.
House Tricks? (1946) - Olive Oyl needs a new house, so naturally Popeye and Bluto race to build separate halves to impress her. Not the most colorful entry but full of some great visual gags. It's also the second of only 10 shorts featuring Harry Foster Welch (filling in for Jack Mercer) as the voice of Popeye.
Service with a Guile (1946) - Olive runs into serious trouble at her new service station when Popeye and Bluto clumisy compete to repair the sleek yellow car owned by a Navy Admiral.
Klondike Casanova (1946) - Popeye and Olive struggle to operate a tavern in The Great White North, but things turn ugly when Dangerous Dan McBluto shows up with the hots for Popeye's partner. Strangely enough, this one's based on Robert Service's 1907 narrative poem "The Shooting of Dan McGrew".
Peep in the Deep (1946) - Now aboard a salvage ship, Popeye and Olive seek out a mysterious underwater treasure. After eavesdropping on their plan, Bluto attempts to thwart Popeye's underwater hunt.
Rocket to Mars (1946) - Probably the most well-known short in the bunch. After trapping himself in a space-bound rocket ship, Popeye lands on the surface of Mars and is captured by the planet's mean green Emperor. Can our brave sailor break free in time to save Earth from an impending invasion?
Rodeo Romeo (1946) - As the headliner of a popular rodeo, Badlands Bluto captures the heart of Olive as she swoons from the stands during her date with Popeye. After a hearty helping of spinach, our hero shows off a few roping tricks of his own...but not before hallucinating on locoweed and hitting on a bull.
The Fistic Mystic (1946) - A Middle-Eastern adventure, no longer shown on TV, in which "Bourgeois" (Bluto) uses his snake-charming magic to seduce Olive. Popeye intervenes but is turned into a parrot. :(
The Island Fling (1946) - Popeye and Olive dock on the island of "Robinson Crusoe" (Bluto), who attempts to keep the lady for himself. Like The Fistic Mystic, this short is no longer shown on television for its portrayal of a few African natives but is likewise presented here in its uncut, original form.
Abusement Park (1947) - During their evening trip to an amusement park, Popeye and Olive are harassed by you-know-who as he attempts to win her favor...and a few prizes. One of my favorites in this set, and also the last short featuring Harry Foster Welch before Jack Mercer returned to voice Popeye full-time again.
I'll Be Skiing Ya (1947) - Popeye and Olive hit the ice for a little skating, but she's a total beginner. Naturally, instructor Bluto (now with a French accent) is quick to step in and show her a few things.
The Royal Four-Flusher (1947) - Our sweethearts enjoy an afternoon feeding animals in the park, but "Count Marvo" (Bluto) rides in to humiliate Popeye in front of his wishy-washy girlfriend. Notice a pattern here?
Popeye and the Pirates (1947) - Popeye and Olive sail into a band of merciless pirates led by "Pierre" (guess?), who takes a liking to the latter. Luckily, he's distracted by a rather fetching lady in a red dress.
Note: This short begins with a disclaimer regarding "lost footage" (a short scene featuring Popeye in drag) that was edited for its theatrical release due to production code censorship of the era. Unfortunately, this footage was removed from the original negatives and all prints, and is assumed to have been destroyed decades ago.
Wotta Knight (1947) - It's the main event at "Ye Olde Jousting Tournament" as Sir Popeye and Sir Bluto compete for the prize of waking up "Sleeping Beauty" with a big ol' smooch.
Safari So Good (1947) - Popeye and Olive hunt In the deep jungles of Africa, but end up facing different kind of beast: the Tarzan-like Bluto. Once a can of spinach gets opened, no animal is safe.
All's Fair at the Fair (1947) - Bluto the Bravo thrills everyone at the County Fair, including Olive. Popeye is't impressed, but their date is cut short after he's framed for a few innocent mistakes. Olive is sexually harassed, immediately regrets her decision, spinach ex machina, cue the ass-whooping, and roll credits.
Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 2 Blu-ray, Video Quality
Much like the last Blu-ray collection, Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Vol. 2 is sourced from brand new 4K remasters of each short's original nitrate negative. Not surprisingly, the amount of detail and natural film grain here is extremely pleasing and likely makes this Blu-ray as close to its theatrical presentation as any classic cartoon in recent memory. The shorts on this collection seem to cover a slightly broader range of locales, from multiple trips to amusement parks to tropical jungles and even the surface of Mars; more often than not, these exotic locations display more vivid color palettes, showcasing strong primaries that pop without suffering from oversaturation or bleeding. Warner Archive Collections's careful treatment of the delicate negatives reveals balanced, natural hues that outshine those pink-tinted masters used for TV broadcast during the last several decades. Black levels also hold up nicely with excellent shadow detail and no obvious signs of black crush. A handful of shots seem much softer than others but retain a high level of film grain -- evidence of this being a source material issue, and one that thankfully hasn't been manipulated with contrast boosting, edge enhancement, or other "corrective measures". Likewise, there are no obvious compression artifacts, aliasing, or banding, easily landing this in "5/5" territory like the previous volume. This is inarguably top-tier work and makes me all the more enthusiastic for future animated collections, which may even include Blu-ray editions of Warner Bros.' earlier Popeye DVD sets (although they're back in print if you can't wait that long).
Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 2 Blu-ray, Audio Quality
Similarly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (mono) track stands far above broadcast versions, which were loaded with hissing, pops, crackles, and other age-related wear. Very little of that damage remains due to the careful treatment of said negatives, resulting in clean audio and music from start to finish. The material still shows its age in spots, but likewise maintains a pure and authentic quality that avoids faux-surround gimmickry. Even if the audio is doomed to trail slightly behind Warner Archive's sparkling remasters, this is very solid work that fans should appreciate.
Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during all 15 shorts and are formatted nicely with no sync issues.
