Popeye is getting his backyard ready for Olive's visit. It's going to be a barbecue for two -- or so he thinks. "I love barbecues," says Brutus dreamily from the other side of the fence.
"I loves barbecues, too," says Popeye, blowing in his sailor's hat to create a chef's hat. "But you ain't invited." But that won't stop Brutus any more than it'll stop Wimpy, who smells the cooking hamburgers and rushes over; or Swee' Pea, who suddenly decides he wants to be pushed on his swing. Olive arrives, and to Popeye's dismay, she's thrilled at the "big party." Now, Popeye's barbecue for two has become a headache for one -- namely him -- as he frantically tries to cater to the demands of Swee' Pea and Wimpy, while competing with Brutus for Olive's attention.
"Barbecue for Two" is a very funny short, probably the best one that came out of Jack Kinney Productions (one of five studios that produced the cartoons in this 1960-62 series). Almost invariably, the Kinney films are sloppily animated, unintelligibly plotted and off-puttingly weird.
"Barbecue" stands out for another reason. It's the only entry in the series, from any studio, to give Popeye the blue sailor suit he had back in the 30s. And it's the only entry to present Olive more or less the way she was designed in Segar's comic strips.
But a little of the usual Kinney sloppiness sneaks in. An explosion singes off the hair on Brutus's head and face. But then it instantly reappears. Cartoon magic allows this sort of thing, but not, as in this cartoon, from one frame to the next.