A Clean Shaven Man (1936) Online

Mae Questel was a pretty good singer. The woman who voiced Olive Oyl for decades also did Betty Boop, so you know she can sing, even if you voice is a little strange and she has that big New York City accent.

Mae, er "Olive," sounds great in the opening of this cartoon where she's singing behind the counter of a diner while Popeye and Bluto sit there love-struck as she sings "I Want A Clean Shaven Man." The lyrics to this song are pretty funny, too. The lyrics to a lot of songs in the '30s were "cute" and "snappy," as they used to say.

Anyway, it's enough to inspire these two guys to race out of the dinner and race down to "Wimpy''s Barber Shop" to get clean shaven and go back and impressive Olive. The barber shop sight gags are fun to watch, as is the cartoon....and fun to hear.

A Clean Shaven Man (1936)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Popeye and Bluto are in Olive Oyl's restaurant where she's singing that she wants "A Clean Shaven Man." Both men are rather rough looking so they rush to the barber who is out so they decide to shave each other.

A CLEAN SHAVEN MAN is another gem from this era of Popeye shorts. There's a certain graceful flow that really just grabs your attention and takes you through the little journey where there's plenty of fighting as well as some funny lines. The title song itself is rather catchy and it certainly makes for some fun as you know Bluto will double-cross Popeye. Fans of the series will certainly have a good time with this one.

(AND WE'RE NOT overlooking any puns here, whether or not intentional )

SOME VERY WISE man said that "Brevity is the soul of wit."; and perhaps, to carry the point just a little further, a very slim or nearly non-existent plot or scenario if you will, may well be the safest and shortest route to yuckland !

THIS BLACK & WHITE short proves the point very well. Taking the simplest of a premise, two "dogs in heat", Popeye and Bluto, who are mooning at lovely Olive while they sit idly at the counter of the diner she is apparently running. Olive sings a special song, written especially for this one reel, which just coincidentally bears the same title "...(I want) A CLEAN SHAVEN MAN !"

INSPIRED TO PROMPT action, the pair heads out to find the nearest barber shop is now came to a business hiatus, with the barber (Wimpy) having left a note explaining that he has gone out for a shave himself, and probably a hamburger or two.

BOTH BOYS FIND to be extremely grubby, with quantities of unwanted facial hair and being in need of having their ears lowered. (Mainly Bluto here). So, the agree to a mutual haircut pact and an otherwise rare truce. The project quickly degenerates into one of their pier 9 brawls, with both guys now 'clean shaven', but in such a condition !

MEANWHILE, OLIVE OYL comes along with a very bearded character (from the THIMBLE THEATER Strip by Elzie C. Segar, himself-name unknown). The now somewhat allied twosome finally do the right thing, they kick each other in the backside.

HAVE THEY LEARNED anything here ? We doubt it; but will have to wait for the next screening on TCM, Saturday !