What -- No Spinach? (1936) User Reviews

Let's You and Him Fight

[tharrx · 8/10 · 18 September 2007]

After Popeye, Wimpy was the most popular character in E.C. Segar's "Thimble Theater" comic strip, but in the Fleischer and Famous Studio cartoons, he was usually just a bit player. This film marks the one time he took center stage.

And it's 100% Wimpy. It takes place in a diner, Wimpy's favorite hangout in the strip. The only difference is that here, Wimpy is an employee, not a patron, but he's still trying to filch free hamburgers from the proprietor, Bluto (who is more or less subbing for Rough House, the greasy spoon cook from the strip). When Popeye enters and orders a roast duck, Wimpy tricks the two into fighting so that he can pilfer some food.

Bluto's a bit more aggressive than Popeye, but they're not playing hero and villain this time, just two straight-men for J. Wellington Wimpy, the comic compilation of the worst traits of W. C. Fields, Stan Laurel, and Oliver Hardy.

It's clear from the film why the cartoonists preferred the more action-oriented Popeye, but it's nice to know that they gave Wimpy his due at least once.

Fighting in the diner

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 26 September 2018]

Dave Fleischer was responsible for many gems. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.

While maybe not quite classic Popeye, though it is close, 'What- No Spinach?' is still very good and very funny, using the diner setting cleverly. Have always enjoyed many of the Popeye cartoons a good deal and like Popeye very much, Fleischer's efforts were always well animated and scored with lots of entertainment value and great chemistry between Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto. 'What- No Spinach?' has everything that makes the Popeye series so appealing in its prime era and does nothing to waste the three main characters or make them less interesting.

The story is an interesting and beautifully paced one, never being dull, if formulaic (not uncommon with the Popeye cartoons), though with a lot of variety and creative moments. The humour and gags make it even more entertaining with very amusing to hilarious gags that cleverly utilises the diner, and the cartoon is hardly devoid of them.

All three characters are great, Popeye and Bluto are spot on and their chemistry drives 'What- No Spinach?' and has so much energy, while playing it straight against Wimpy. Popeye is always amusing and likeable but for me Bluto is here the funnier and more interesting character. Stealing the cartoon though is Wimpy, always a very entertaining character who should have been in more cartoons and this is one of his funniest appearances with the best line.

Furthermore, the animation is beautifully drawn and with enough visual detail to not make it cluttered or static and lively and smooth movement. The music is also outstanding, lots of merry energy and lush orchestration, adding a lot to the action and making the impact even better without being too cartoonish. Fleischer's direction is always accomplished and his style is all over it.

Voice acting is dynamic and of very good quality.

All in all, nearly a classic but not quite. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Wimpy is the villain

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 13 April 2024]

It's Bluto's restaurant. Wimpy is the short order cook, but he's too eager to eat the hamburgers. Bluto catches him and puts the hamburger in his safe. Popeye comes in and orders a roast duck. Wimpy changes the order to hamburger and tries to eat it himself. Bluto stops Wimpy and finally gives Popeye his roast duck. Wimpy still tries to do some stealing. When Popeye refuses to pay, he gets into a fight with Bluto.

This Popeye cartoon is most interesting for making Wimpy the villain. Popeye and Bluto are simply the victims of his antics and some misunderstandings. His addiction to hamburgers is the true villain of the piece and that's an interesting take.

Fast Action and Good Laughs

[Michael_Elliott · 1 April 2016]

What? No Spinach! (1936)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Popeye stops into Bluto's restaurant and orders a roasted duck but Wimpy thinks it's better for him to have a hamburger. Soon a fight breaks out between Popeye and Bluto.

The title is a tad bit misleading since Popeye never even requests any spinach but that's besides the point. This is certainly another winning Popeye short, which has all of the wonderful trademarks. We have a very good and catchy song by Wimpy about hamburgers. We get some great action scenes including the ending where just about everything in the restaurant is thrown. Then there's the humor, which is especially good when Popeye is complaining about the food being served to him. Fans of the series will certainly find plenty to enjoy with this one.

This "Popeye" outing focuses on the sinister side of . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 8 December 2018]

. . . "Wimpy," dismissed throughout the History of Animation as simply a bumbling, "Furby"-like character. WHAT--NO SPINACH? begs the question, "Is there more to Wimpy than meets the eye?" In most casual viewers' minds, Wimpy's infamous as a hamburger mooch. However, during the course of WHAT--NO SPINACH he engages in serial embezzling, transmission of intentionally false food orders, filching of customers' personal property, food tampering, and safe-cracking. In short, Wimpy has committed enough felonies during the course of WHAT--NO SPINACH? to qualify for membership in Today's most-feared criminal enterprise, the notorious rump cushion gang. At least with the murderous drug cartels, people can ease their concerns about becoming a slain mummy inside the dry wall of a suburban tract home by living on the outskirts of Duluth or Bangor. However, with Wimpy, no hamburger finds safe haven. Just as the rump cushions have pervaded every aspect of American life during the past few months, instilling a sense of general unease, WHAT--NO SPINACH? illustrates how precarious Life in our U.S. Homeland remains under a moldy 18th Century Suicide Pact Constitution with no real teeth to bite incorrigible career scoff-laws, menaces to Society, and Public Enemies such as Wimpy and the rump cushions.

Better Than Most

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 30 July 2019]

Bluto runs a greasy spoon. For some reason, Wimpy is hanging around, eating up all the profits. When he sabotages all the efforts of his boss, Popeye, a customer, is furious. Soon he and Bluto have it out. There are great sight gags and it is quite original.

America's "Great Depression" proved the nefarious nature . . .

[pixrox1 · 7/10 · 15 August 2019]

. . . of the USA's corporate miser model, and WHAT--NO SPINACH? goes a long way toward exposing the moral bankruptcy of Communist Fat Cat Capitalism. As always, "Bluto" represents the leeches of America's counter-productive crass Plutocrat Class. Adjusting for inflation, Bluto's Greasy Spoon has a sign in its front window stating "Ham Sandwich, $10--with ham, $15: Bread, $5 extra." This sort of devious price gouging might be enough to bamboozle the weak-minded occupants of the so-called "Red States," but it's seldom allowed to persist among those bred and reared in the True Blue Loyal Patriotic Progressive Union Label sectors of America. WHAT--NO SPINACH? teaches Americans to stand up for their rights, and join "Popeye" in refusing to pay for inferior food, products, or service. Just as Bluto winds up incarcerated by wooden stocks at the close of WHAT--NO SPINACH? America's would-be corporate "masters" MUST be stripped of ALL their (by definition) ill-gotten assets, and sent to exorcist reeducation camps for the 30 years required excise the demonic monetary possession of their souls.

Check Out The Lyrics To Wimpy's Love-Ode To Hamburgers!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 3 October 2007]

I love the lyrics of songs in the 1930s, from "legitimate hit songs" recorded by stars to little ditties sung in cartoon sung in Betty Boop episodes or these early Popeye cartoons. Here's an example, sung by Wimpy, who is cooking (that traitor) in "Bluto's Restaurant:"

"There's nothing in the world that can compare With a hamburger, juicy and rare

A hamburger lives For the pleasure it gives It's a thrill-on-the-bill affair

Such heavenly food deserves the best A home and contentment Beneath my vest

There's nothing in the world That's so divine As a hamburger tender and fine

I adore you, hamburger mine!

Unfortunately for Wimpy he is clobbered over the head as he is about the devour that "divine" hamburger. Bluto takes it and puts it in the safe! You get in the safe by dialing a telephone. As I've said a number of times, this is one reason I love cartoons: the outrageous things you see.

Anyway, "that's one hamburger he won't get," says the big boss as he locks it into the safe.

This cartoon has a couple of unique sight gags, such as Wimpy having the menu light up on his chest in neon, when Popeye asks what's cooking. It's also different in that Wimpy plays such a large role, and he rather than Bluto, is more of the "bad guy."

Of Course There Is!

[boblipton · 7/10 · 14 April 2024]

Popeye goes into Bluto's diner and tries to order roast duck. However, Wimpy is the waiter, and he tries to mooch everything... especially the hamburgers.

Lou Fleischer provides Wimpy's voice, and yes, he was a relative of Max and Dave: their brother. There was a lot of nepotism in Hollywood at the time; Universal was famous for it under 'Uncle' Carl Laemmle. The Fleischers had brothers-in-laws, nephews, and such on the payroll, but they definitely earned their keep.

As is often the case with the Fleischer cartoons in this period, you had to keep an attentive eye open for all the throwaway gags that Dave instructed his staff to put in.

Very amusing-- and appropriately titled!

[petersgrgm · 10/10 · 6 March 2008]

"What! No Spinach?" was very amusing-- and appropriately titled (as spinach was not on the menu). Bluto's Restaurant was clearly a mediocre eatery. The sign said TRY OUR SOUP-SANDWICH, so Bluto was clearly trying to show off. J Wellington Wimpy, who worked at this dump, sang his Hamburger Ode, which was very pretty. It was yet another sign of Wimpy's love for hamburgers,and tendency to mooch them! Then in happened Popeye. Olive Oyl was not with him, but Bluto's Restaurant was NOT the kind of place to bring her on a date! (She would have had fits!) Wimpy showed electric sign saying MENU (which Popeye thought was an ENTREE, saying he didn't want any of that) HAMBURGER ROAST DUCK HAMBURGERS SOUP HAMBURGERS Popeye ordered roast duck, which led Wimpy to request "One hamburger, please", which he tried to mooch, but Bluto flipped the burger on a fork over and over to Popeye, who said "I SAID ROAST DUCK!" This chain of events led Popeye and Bluto into a brawl; Wimpy took advantage of that and emerged the winner. All in all, very amusing-- and a fit

One of the best of the Fleischer era

[Tom_Barrister · 10/10 · 13 May 2022]

The man reason that the early Popeye cartoons were popular was that the characters were depicted as ordinary working-class types in everyday urban surroundings, which many in the Depression era could identify with. This more or less ended when Paramount bought out the series in the early 1940's and put their own take on it.

Very popular among viewers were the asides mumbled by the voice of Popeye Jack Mercer. The quick-witted Mercer would often ad-lib these asides randomly. Some needed to be edited out, because they wouldn't get past the censor, but most were left in as-is. Mercer continued to voice Popeye, except when overseas during World War 2, until his death in 1984.

Gus Wickie was the voice of Bluto in about 20 of the early cartoons. When the Fleischer brothers moved from New York City to Florida, Wickie decided to stay in The Big Apple, where could more-easily find work as an entertainer.

In this cartoon, and others in the series, Wickie was also allowed to ad-lib asides, which were also popular with the public. Neither Wickie's predecessor, William Pennell, nor his successor, the talented Jackson Beck, opted much for the same ad-libbing,

Also, the character of Wimpy had a more prominent role in this cartoon than in others during the era.

The interaction and dialog between the three is among the best in the series.

No spinach and no roasted duck either

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 19 December 2018]

"What -- No Spinach?" is an American cartoon from 1936, so already easily over 80 years old and this is an earlier, but not very early film from the prolific Popeye cartoon series. Frequently, you don't recognize it from the title, but this one with the spinach reference is really obvious for sure. And of course this means that these 6.5 minutes are also by Fleischer and another Fleischer is here voice acting next to Mercer and Wickie with the latter really being not as famous as he should be as his Bluto is pretty memorable every time. Anyway, the action here takes us to a pretty cheap restaurant where Bluto for once is not that much of an antagonist, even if he has a lengthy fight sequence with Popeye. But he sure wasn't very smart to employ Wimpy here in customer service because Wimpy prefers to eat everything himself instead of serving the food to the guests. Sure Bluto is very aware of that and has his ways to keep Wimpy from eating, but if he is distracted one second, it is too late already. Overall, this was not one of the best or worst Popeye shorts I have seen and I have seen many, maybe even all of them I am not sure. Snother thing different compared to the usual routine is how much talking we get from Wimpy, so those who love the character should really watch this one. He even sings on one occasions. I am not a huge fan of the character and as a consequence, this short came pretty short. Thumbs down. Watch something else instead.

One of the Only Popeye Cartoons in Which Olive Oyl does Not Appear

[dizexpat · 9/10 · 4 September 2012]

...and in which the star is none other than J. Wellington Wimpy.

It's a wonderful change-of-pace cartoon and lots of fun to see the great hamburger moocher as the center of attention.

Popeye and Bluto are clearly playing the role of straight men to Wimpy's shenanigans.

Wimpy is on no one's side. Just as long as he gets his hamburger. Only in one cartoon, the equally oddball "Hello, How am I?" does this characteristic, at least superficially, make him take on the role of villain.

Very uncharacteristic Popeye cartoon and extremely funny. Too bad Wimpy didn't get a chance to be a star more often.