Nix on Hypnotricks (1941)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The first must-see film of the year.

In this Popeye, there is a different nemesis, Professor I Stare, a Svengali-like hypnotist. He calls Olive Oyl, commands him to "Come to me" (after trying to hypnotize a goldfish, which squirted water in his face). Olive falls into a trance, and walks like a zombie, with Popeye following, to save her. This hypnotist WAS bent on CONTROLLING her, which is NOT the purpose of hypnosis at all! Hypnosis is, itself, neither good, bad, nor indifferent, and is useful for medicinal purposes AND for amusement. Trouble is that too many cartoons about this subject cast hypnosis in unfavorable light. In REAL life, hypnotists do NOT try to control people, turn them into automatons (as this one did to Olive Oyl). Nor do hypnotists act like certain make-believe characters like fairies, witches, yookoohoos (magicians who are artists in transformation), etc., turning people into what they are not. Yet other Popeyes make people think that hypnotists are villains, "The Hyp-Nut-Ist", "Fistic Mystic", "Balmy Swami". Again, hypnosis DOES have value as medicinal tool as well as entertainment, but is NOT COERCIVE! In real life, hypnosis subjects are volunteers; if the hypnotist is competent, he/she will not harm the subject. It is BRAINWASHING that is immoral and indecent, something to be AVOIDED at all cost. Hypnotism is another matter; I agree that this casting of hypnotism in negative terms is for amusement, but should not be basis for condemnation. Whatever impressions and conclusion the viewer receives, "Nix on Hypnotricks" was quite amusing.

I had always remembered one of my favorite Jack Mercer quips, directed at Olive Oyl of course, but I couldn't find the short where it appeared. It didn't help that I remembered the quote as being closer to it's Shakespearian phrasing. Finally I found it here in Volume 3 of the classic set: "That which we call a flower, by any other moniker would smell just as much."The quality of this restoration is very good, as they are in most of the sets.As to the plot line and execution of "Hypnotricks," you could pretty much figure out the ending, even if you hadn't seen it a million times before ;)

Hey, you can get hypnotized for just 10 cents in this Popeye cartoon of 1941. Professor "I. Stare" will hypnotize you.The problem is the guy can't drum up any business. So, he grabs a phone book, flips the pages and random puts his finger on the page. Yes, it's "Olive Oyl," whose name is on the swami's fingertip. (I say swami because the guy is wearing a turban, has a beard and looks like the stereotyped one of the day.) Anyway, the guy must be pretty good as the words "come to me, come to me," over the phone soon put Olive in trance and see sleepwalks out of the apartment. Popeye, you had been with her at the time, sizes up the situation and follows her.The rest of the cartoon - the bulk of it - is Popeye battling traffic, construction sites and skyscrapers in trying to follow Olive."I'm just a victim of circum-trance," comments Popeye.There are good sight gags in here, although ones we've seen before in previous sleepwalking stories, and the artwork looked excellent on this new restored Popeye The Sailor Man 1941-1943 DVD.

This short has a different villain, a different voice for Olive Oyl and is toward the latter stages of the Fleischers' run doing cartoons for Paramount. The gags are more visual than verbal here as Popeye once again must save Olive from a fate worse than death. Great animation and well worth watching. Recommended.