The Dance Contest

The Dance Contest (1934)

Genres - Fantasy, Comedy  |   Release Date - Nov 23, 1934 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 7 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

Escorting a formally-attired Olive Oyl, Popeye enters a dance contest judged by J. Wellington Wimpy--who uses a lever to "eliminate" the losing couples via a network of handy trap doors. When Popeye proves to be a clumsy partner, Olive allows herself to be glided across the floor by the elegant Bluto, here dressed in "Valentino" fashion, complete with slicked-down hair. Moaning "I guess have no sex appeal", Popeye turns to "my only friend"--a can of spinach. After a few bites of the leafy vegetable, the one-eyed sailor is transformed into a veritable Fred Astaire, and before long only he and Olive are left on the dance floor to "do their stuff"...but Bluto isn't about to give up so easily. The rotoscoped footage of Popeye's tap-dance (to the tune of the ballroom standard "Those Green Eyes") was later recycled in the 1940 cartoon With Poopdeck Pappy.