A good many cartoons used caricatures of actual stars of the time. Popeye does three impressions: Stan Laurel, Jimmy Durante, and Groucho Marx. He also does a crazy act where he spins Olive like a baton. It turns out they were an act in the past. I guess that was created just so they could revive their talents. It's not bad. I just doesn't go anywhere.
5 Reviews
The climax of this brief cartoon is bound to please . . .
tadpole-596-9182563 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
. . . frequent viewers of this "Popeye" series, because it does one of the best jobs of putting the spindly "Olive" in her place. PUTTIN ON THE ACT opens with the gangly giggle girl galloping hysterically along the highway (doing a bang-up Daddy Long Legs Spider impersonation), palavering about the "Return of Vaudeville." From Day One, it's been quartz clear that the best place for this toothpick of a tart is in the Side Show. Inherently realizing this, Olive's dandruff is up doubtless because she's confused the Freaks Tent with America's storied Vaudevillian Tradition. At any rate, when Popeye hears Olive's muddled version of the news, he begins rehearsing routines from his youth. Most of these--such as his hilarious impersonations of "Durante, Laurel, and Marx" do NOT involve the twiggy impediment around his neck. However, for his final act, America's favorite sailor cleverly hoists the lightweight Olive shoulder-high and begins twirling her like a baton. Once he's attained the blinding blur of terminal velocity, Popeye launches Olive out a high-rise window, not unlike a track star throwing the javelin. Though the ubiquitous, kill-joy papal censors mandated an implausible "happy ending" here for Olive requiring Popeye to trot downstairs, astute viewers all will know where she REALLY darted, since Popeye definitely was NOT just PUTTIN ON THE ACT when he tossed her!
Popeye & Olive In Vaudeville......And They're Good!
ccthemovieman-113 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is an odd Popeye cartoon because it has no spinach, no heroes or villains or violence. It just musical and comedy acts.
"The Pinochle Of Perfection - Olive & Popeye - Half Song, Half Wit" reads the vaudeville poster. After Olive hears that "vaudeville is coming back," the two dust off their old clothes and act and rehearse, hoping to make it big once again. Who knew these two were a vaudeville act earlier in life? Their outfits are pretty funny, especially Popeye in his spats, high-neck collar, cane and slicked hair. They do a song-and-dance act. Even Swee' Pea gets into it by doing the cards introducing each comedy segment the couple does.
The skits are funny, They are: "The Body Beautiful," "Impesonations" and "The Adagio." I liked the first act best with Popeye's muscles and tattoo coming to life in humorous ways and Olive doing her contortions. In the second act, Popeye imitates Jimmy Durante, Stan Laurel and Groucho Marx. Olive comes back for the third act is twirled around like a Frisbee.
Actually, it's a kind of nice change-of-pace from the normal and it's definitely entertaining.
"The Pinochle Of Perfection - Olive & Popeye - Half Song, Half Wit" reads the vaudeville poster. After Olive hears that "vaudeville is coming back," the two dust off their old clothes and act and rehearse, hoping to make it big once again. Who knew these two were a vaudeville act earlier in life? Their outfits are pretty funny, especially Popeye in his spats, high-neck collar, cane and slicked hair. They do a song-and-dance act. Even Swee' Pea gets into it by doing the cards introducing each comedy segment the couple does.
The skits are funny, They are: "The Body Beautiful," "Impesonations" and "The Adagio." I liked the first act best with Popeye's muscles and tattoo coming to life in humorous ways and Olive doing her contortions. In the second act, Popeye imitates Jimmy Durante, Stan Laurel and Groucho Marx. Olive comes back for the third act is twirled around like a Frisbee.
Actually, it's a kind of nice change-of-pace from the normal and it's definitely entertaining.
Popeye goes vaudeville
TheLittleSongbird3 May 2021
As has been said, 'Puttin on the Act' is a very different Popeye cartoon. No Bluto, no good versus bad, no use of spinach and by Popeye standards it's very tame. Plot-wise it is basically a series of popular variety/vaudeville acts common at the time, very unusual for a Popeye cartoon, so one shouldn't expect too much on that front. Despite liking the 1940 Popeye output overall, a big part of me was hoping that 'Puttin on the Act' would be better than the previous Popeye and Olive cartoon 'Wimmin Hadn't Oughta Drive'.
Luckily, it was. Much, much better. Despite being plotless and structurally on the episodic side, 'Puttin on the Act' was a great and hugely entertaining cartoon that made me feel nostalgic somewhat as well. For me, it's one of the best 1940 Popeye cartoons and proof that Fleischer Studios were capable of doing good work during such a drastic decline period for them, outside of the Popeye cartoons 1940 and the early 40s were not a good period for them.
'Puttin on the Act' has so many great things and executed its elements so brilliantly that it did make me forget about the cartoon being a non-event when it comes to the story. The animation is colourful and expressive, was amazed at how Olive's contortions were animated (goodness isn't she flexible) and the movements are so well synchronised.
Even better is the music, which is fantastic throughout. It is like its own character and is so beautifully and characterfully orchestrated, it gels so well with what goes on and enhances it even (which is what has always been great about the music in the series, even later on).
Jack Mercer displays everything that shows how his voicing for Popeye being so well regarded is richly deserved, he is the most prolific of the voice actors, the one to embody his personality the most and nobody did asides and mumblings quite like him. Margie Hines usually didn't quite work for me as Olive, Mae Questel is a much better fit, but considering the concept she was fine here. The asides are delightful and the cartoon goes at an exuberant pace.
There are many very funny to hilarious moments and all the acts included are classic vaudeville while with nothing tasteless. Popeye's caricature impersonations are agreed the highlight, closely followed by the unique ways of how his muscles and tattoo are used.
In summary, great. 9/10.
Luckily, it was. Much, much better. Despite being plotless and structurally on the episodic side, 'Puttin on the Act' was a great and hugely entertaining cartoon that made me feel nostalgic somewhat as well. For me, it's one of the best 1940 Popeye cartoons and proof that Fleischer Studios were capable of doing good work during such a drastic decline period for them, outside of the Popeye cartoons 1940 and the early 40s were not a good period for them.
'Puttin on the Act' has so many great things and executed its elements so brilliantly that it did make me forget about the cartoon being a non-event when it comes to the story. The animation is colourful and expressive, was amazed at how Olive's contortions were animated (goodness isn't she flexible) and the movements are so well synchronised.
Even better is the music, which is fantastic throughout. It is like its own character and is so beautifully and characterfully orchestrated, it gels so well with what goes on and enhances it even (which is what has always been great about the music in the series, even later on).
Jack Mercer displays everything that shows how his voicing for Popeye being so well regarded is richly deserved, he is the most prolific of the voice actors, the one to embody his personality the most and nobody did asides and mumblings quite like him. Margie Hines usually didn't quite work for me as Olive, Mae Questel is a much better fit, but considering the concept she was fine here. The asides are delightful and the cartoon goes at an exuberant pace.
There are many very funny to hilarious moments and all the acts included are classic vaudeville while with nothing tasteless. Popeye's caricature impersonations are agreed the highlight, closely followed by the unique ways of how his muscles and tattoo are used.
In summary, great. 9/10.
Back to Vaudeville
Michael_Elliott9 December 2016
Puttin on the Act (1940)
*** (out of 4)
Olive comes rushing into Popeye's house with the exciting news that vaudeville is coming back, which gives the two of them a reason to break out their act.
PUTTIN ON THE ACT isn't the best film in the series but there are certainly enough good moments to make it worth watching. The highlight of the film would have to be the sequence where Popeye does impersonations of Stan Laurel, Jimmy Durante and Groucho Marx. There are other cute moments like the song and dance, which is so funny because their voices are so bad! As usual the animation is terrific and fans should certainly enjoy this.
*** (out of 4)
Olive comes rushing into Popeye's house with the exciting news that vaudeville is coming back, which gives the two of them a reason to break out their act.
PUTTIN ON THE ACT isn't the best film in the series but there are certainly enough good moments to make it worth watching. The highlight of the film would have to be the sequence where Popeye does impersonations of Stan Laurel, Jimmy Durante and Groucho Marx. There are other cute moments like the song and dance, which is so funny because their voices are so bad! As usual the animation is terrific and fans should certainly enjoy this.
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