How To Spot Directors On Fleischer/Famous Studios Cartoons

You may have noticed while watching Fleischer's cartoons that all of the cartoons with a directors credit list Dave Fleischer, or Izzy Sparber/Seymour Kneitel on most Famous Studios cartoons. While they may be listed as directors, in actuality the real director is the top animator credited. The people listed as directors were more like production supervisors than directors. The top animator listed usually had much more to do with the making of the cartoon than the credited director. To show you this we'll look at two different Popeye cartoons. One from Fleischer's, and one from Famous Studios.

So for instance 1935's "Choose Your "Weppins"" Dave Tendlar is really the director.

1953's "Shaving Muggs" it's Tom Johnson. Tom Johnson directed many of the Famous Studios shorts from this period until the end of the series in 1957.

That's about it really just a tip, and fun fact for those who didn't know, and love these golden age cartoons like I do.

Popeye Rundown #1 "How Green is My Spinach"

Welcome to what might become a regular appearance around here. Where I take a look at one cartoon in particular and analyze it. Looking at the animation, gags, story, and etc.

Today i'll be looking at a pretty good Popeye that came out when the series was taking a sharp nose dive down in quality.

Voices: Jack Mercer (Popeye) Jackson Beck (Bluto, Narrator, Newscaster) Cecil Roy (Live Action Boy)

Direction: Seymour Knietel

Animation: Tom Johnson, William Henning

Story: I Klein

Scenics: Lloyd Hallock Jr.

Music: Winston Sharples

"How Green is My Spinach" came out in 1950 not a very good year for the Popeye cartoons. The year started out with two good cartoons this one and "Gym Jam" but soon  things got stinky "Beach Peach" is just another Popeye vs Bluto love triangle cartoon. "Jitterbug Jive" is essentially the same love triangle sort of thing but with hip slang to appeal to the youth. "Popeye Makes a Movie" is another of the loose story wrapped around old footage cartoons with the nephews and isn't particularly funny. "Baby Wants Spinach" brings back Swee'Pea with a completely different design but doesn't do much. "Quick On the Vigor" is another love triangle cartoon and similar in some respects to "All's Fair at the Fair" released only a few years earlier in 1947. "Riot in Rhythm" is a poor remake of "Me Musical Nephews" a cartoon I really love. Basically take "Me Musical Nephews", and suck all the energy out of it. "The Farmer and the Belle" is another love triangle cartoon. Yep only two cartoons that are actually any good. I guess I should get to actually talking about the cartoon. 

The cartoon starts off with Popeye getting beat up by Bluto he then takes out his spinach and defeats Bluto. He does so again similarly in two fake cartoons then after wards Bluto then begins to lament how in every cartoon he gets beat up by Popeye after Popeye eats his spinach. Featuring some great perspective on his fist coming towards the screen.

(Idk Why Bluto Sports a Green Outfit)

Bluto then makes the observation that if Popeye didn't have his spinach it could be the end of Popeye.

 Bluto then proceeds to create a formula to spray over all of the spinach in the world to destroy it.

He then proceeds to destroy all of the worlds spinach. It then cuts to Popeye who helps put a spare tire on a spinach truck. Bluto then speeds by on his plane and sprays the spinach in the truck causing it to be sucked up by the cloud of spray from his formula. A shocked Popeye then hears a TV newscast about how the worlds spinach crop is being ruined. This pleases some children watching the TV. Popeye pulls out his can of spinach which Bluto promptly sprays. Which ruins it. Popeye then confronts Bluto about it to which Bluto slams Popeye to the ground with his chest. Popeye then runs into the store right beside him, and out of desperation tries broccoli in place of his spinach. The broccoli doesn't work and Bluto shows off his big muscle.

Popeye desperately tries other vegetables and produce. He attempts to punch Bluto on the chin but fails. Bluto then proceeds to pummel Popeye. A narrator then describes the beating Popeye is receiving. Popeye even gets the kitchen sink.

The narrator (Jackson Beck) then laments that it could be the end of Popeye. It then cuts to a live action crowd in a theater watching the cartoon. Then focusing on a young boy holding a bag.

 The narrator asks if there's possibly a can of spinach in the room. The boy pulls out a can of spinach from his bag and tosses it towards the screen.

Popeye grabs the can and defeats Bluto.

Sending him to a field where Popeye uses him to start planting seeds to grow spinach.

That's where the cartoon ends.

Overall I have to say this cartoon is quite a surprise. By this period Famous Studios had mostly ran out of steam and a lot of the inventiveness was gone. The fact that they did the live action bit or came up with a pretty original idea and story stands out in an era where most of the Popeye cartoons were formulaic and stale. The animation is good that's not really too surprising Famous Studios had pretty good animation up until the late 50's when they started making those UPA inspired cartoons and had a huge budget slash. It'll be great when this gets restored and released on disc. You can watch it on the Boomerang app though.

Next rundown will be "Rocket To Mars" or whatever I decide.