Tooned In: Popeye – Mister and Mistletoe (1955)

Back with more MeTV Toons commentary, and this one has a seasonal twist. As I’ll be looking at “Mister and Mistletoe,” a Christmas themed theatrical short starring Popeye the Sailor. Popeye is another character I assume most of us know already. If you’re younger, he’s probably only that name you heard bandied around for a Sony Pictures animated movie before they settled on Emoji Movie* and the name of the slasher in that upcoming, take-advantage-of-public-domain horror movie, in the vein of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. But I’ll take the chance that most of us know Popeye.

* – not really, though I don’t question the fun of slagging on Emoji Movie, one didn’t have to do with the other.

For me, I’ve been acquainted with the sailor man for most of my life. As local stations in the ’80s were still airing his cartoon shorts, along with other mainstays like the Looney Tunes and Woody Woodpecker. Leading to combination blocks with names like “Woody and Bugs,” “Popeye and Friends,” and so on. (The afternoon blocks of cartoons on MeTV Toons are not unlike these local blocks, actually. And air the same times the stations did back then!). So alongside He-Man and Inspector Gadget, I’d be enjoying these classic cartoons. By the time I was watching, most Popeyes fell into the categories of being either the color theatrical shorts from Famous Studios, or the made-for-TV King Features shorts from the ’60s, which admittedly were quite cringe but also had advantages such as using more characters from the Thimble Theatre comics Popeye came from. The (vastly superior) black-and-white Fleischer cartoons were nowhere to be seen then.

Today’s subject comes from the Famous collection, and I do remember seeing it locally then in cable reruns.

MeTV’s copy seems to be somewhat sped up, and the opening theme is noticeably faster. References to the short online also have this faster quality.

So it is Christmas Eve, and Popeye is on a date with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Olive Oyl, who in the Famous era is drawn much less awkward and plain as most people remember her. In fact, books were written about how this Olive was “hot” and how Popeye was the real villain and everyone wanted Bluto and Olive together. No really.

Anyway, Popeye’s nephews are also here, and ready to go to bed in preparation for Santa’s arrival. So…they live with Olive now? Why don’t we see them every short then? Who’s Popeye’s sister? And weren’t there originally FOUR nephews? Here there’s only three. I guess we never see Poop-eye again, he was depressed about being named for feces and probably effing killed himself. POPEYE THE SAILOR IS TRAAAAASH! (And yet, if you believe this old meme, Popeye was actually a poop fan…)

So Popeye and Olive decorate the tree and lament that “there’s no real Santa Claus (…for us adults [kids still do watch these, you know]…)” Bluto comes by and it gives him an idea. He swipes the Santa costume in Olive’s living room and disguises himself as the big man himself and uses this as a means to get into Olive’s pants. Cue the beginning of the “Popeye Formula,” starting with: 1) Popeye and Olive are doing something, then 2) Bluto interferes and even wins over Olive for a time. It was really blatant in the Famous era. And indeed, Olive is bowled over by this hunky Santa. Only he didn’t count on Popeye marking out for him too. After insisting on helping Santa with the Christmas proceedings, Popeye is put into various booby-trapped jobs which never quite work out. Meanwhile, Santa Bluto turns on the charm, and in one scene Popeye gets in the middle of a mistletoe kiss (“Ah Santa, I didn’t know you cared!”)

Eventually, we get to the second half of the Popeye Formula when Popeye appears to be finished by a dynamite Christmas tree candle, and Bluto gives himself away when he can’t help his hysterical laughter. Only his fake beard is caught in an actual candle’s flame, exposing him for who he really is. His response to Olive’s “You’re Bluto!” is to immediately try and re-enact the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Step 3: Bluto overplays his hand and Olive needs help. Luckily Popeye comes to and realizes the ruse, so it’s time to 4) eat his spinach and beat the crap out of Bluto. Here, he takes back his spinach can gift to his nephews! Despite foregoing the Christmas spirit, the sailor saves the day again as his vegetable powered body has his fist form a sledgehammer, and the fight ends like a 2003 WWE main event as such. Bluto sees stars, and his stars literally form the tree garland. In another short, they form the Paramount logo at the end!

The short ends with Popeye putting on the Santa suit for gift giving, only his nephews know who it really is. “Gosh, they recognized me!” Cue the Uh-Gu-Gu-Gu Popeye laughter.

Cute, nostalgic classic cartoon short. Perfectly fine for watching during the holidays.

Oh and one of Popeye’s nephews demands to “Santa,” “Where’s my gun, Uncle Popeye?” Knowing Popeye, he probably swiped that too to take care of that Shorty guy. No, really.