Title: The "Hyp-Nut-Tist" (punctuation is intentional)
Studio: Fleischer
Date: 04/26/35
Credits:
Directed by
Dave Fleischer
Animated by
Seymour Kneitel and Roland Crandall
Series: Popeye
Running time (of viewed version): 6:41
Commercial DVD Availability: Popeye v1d2
Synopsis: Popeye and Olive go to see a hypnotism show, and beatings ensue.
Comments: Text based opening (Times Square style animated sign). It may have been funny at the tie to have a woman pay for the night out. It's kinda lost its impact as a joke. Some nice space themed curtain paintings. This feels kinda like a Mad TV sketch. That's not good. '30s style background folks (like the Judge artist John (Held?), or a little like Milt Gross); at least when they're animated; at other times, the audience is very uncartoony and on the background not a cel. Popeye punches the chicken out of Olive.
For the next year or so, Seymour Kneitel's unit definitely lagged the Willard Bowsky and Dave Tendlar units in terms of improving the look of the Popeye cartoons. Tons of lines on the animation, and not to good effect, while Bluto would go through an 'inflated beach ball' phase that wasn't very appealing.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean Kneitel didn't do some funny cartoons, just that they weren't exactly eye candy (and IIRC, this cartoon deserves a nod as being the first where Gus Wickie handled the voice of Bluto, replacing William Pennell).