Talking Knives

Knives come to life during an argument over how much they cost in “Choose Yer Weppins,” a 1935 Popeye cartoon. “Aw, make up your mind!” they exclaim in unison.



The background work is always a treat in the earliest Popeye cartoons. Popeye runs a very cluttered pawn shop. I can’t snip together the backgrounds because of the characters being in the way, but here are a couple from the climax of the cartoon, when Popeye and Olive beat up on an escaped crook who tries to rip them off (The sailor man practically strips him. The less said about that the better). The street-scape doesn’t have wonky lamps or crooked buildings but it’s nicely designed and rendered.



Funny, earlier in the cartoon, the shop is on a corner.



Billy Costello, William Pennell and Mae Questel provide the voices while Dave Tendlar and George Germanetti get the animation credits.