Popeye Shakes the Diner

There’s a neat effect that the Fleischer studio came up with to enhance the force of the impact from Popeye’s spinach-fueled violence. Here’s a great example from “We Aim to Please” (1934) where Bluto gets punched out. Notice how the diner becomes bent and twisted in the background drawing. It’s as if the blows are warping the building.



Because the two drawings of the background alternate after only several frames, there’s a nice violent flashing effect. Very clever.

Willard Bowsky and Dave Tendlar get the animation credits in this one. The title song has always been a favourite of mine.