This is one of perhaps a dozen or so of the post-Fleischer Brothers Popeyes that I like. Most of them are nothing special. I think the older cartoons were better animated and better written for the most part. But I like this one, because it's clever and funny. This time, Popeye has to fight off the most unwelcome advances of a woman bent on matrimony and Olive must come to his rescue! Engaging and entertaining with a hilarious premise. Well worth watching. Recommended.
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llltdesq16 August 2002
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Vimacone8 January 2021Popeye and Olive Oyl drive through the country when a lonesome hillbilly woman tries to make the former her husband. In a twist, Olive has to fight for Popeye.
The hillbilly was named Possum Pearl and was voiced by singer/radio actress Judy Canova, who gave the character a nice strong sounding quality and singing voice. She resembles Olive, but with Bluto's physique.
As with many old comedy situations where a woman pursues a man, Popeye doesn't take to kindly to the situation, but he's more passive than how Olive would be in the situation with Bluto.
An interesting Popeye entry in his later theatrical filmography. Worth seeing for Canova's vocal performance. One of those semi-rare occasions when a celebrity guest stars in a theatrical cartoon short. -
dwknuj3 June 2023The post-Fleischer 1950's Popeye cartoons can, sometimes, be pretty rough sledding. But not this one. It's a pleasure.
I often get cranky when I see Popeye without spinach and lacking Brutus (or Bluto - your.pick). Well this is a non-Brutus Popeye but we don't miss the big lug. Instead of a Jackson Beck-voiced villain we get a female brute voiced by the hillbilly comedian, Judy Conova. She's wonderful! The character's fantastic. I'm sorry that they didn't make a dozen more with her.
We get to see Olive in action, there's no annoying nephews. This one's firing on all cylinders. Do yourself a favor. Check it out. -
SnoopyStyle3 June 2023Popeye and Olive are driving through the backwoods. Possum Pearl is a lonesome hillbilly and desperate for a man. She shoots out their car tire and takes Popeye. Olive will have none of it. She fights for her man even against the giantess Possum Pearl.
This setups a different climatic fight which is obvious from the conception. While I love the difference, I would like more done with the concept. Presumably, Olive Oyl would do things a little differently than Popeye. I want to see Olive pumping irons, in her own ways. Nevertheless, this unique change in the Popeye concept is very interesting. -
Guitar-814 October 2003This Popeye short marked the debut of Possum Pearl, the man-crazy hillbilly who would do anything to capture (& marry) A MAN! This short's written by Popeye himself (Jack Mercer) and he did a wonderful job! It's very rare that Olive gets to eat the spinach (which she did twice). It was funny that she grabber her by the ponytails & like Ralph Kramden threatened Alice, she sent her to the moon!
In 1957, she had her own cartoon after that Popeye short. Her theme song is "I'm In The Mood for Love", who's to blame her?
Any girl who's crazy over boys is considered to be like Possum Pearl. This short's for you! -
boblipton4 June 2023Popeye and Olive Oyl are driving through the hills, when they -- or at least Popeye -- is spotted by man-hungry Possum Pearl.
Any Popeye cartoon in which he and Bluto aren't fighting over Olive is better than average in my book, but this one, with Judy Canova voicing Pearl, is even better because of the issues of gender reversal here; it's Pearl who pursues Popeye, and does nasty things to Olive. Will the reversal be complete, with Olive eating the spinach?
Miss Canova had been a popular singing comedienne with a series on the radio and in the movies (with a long series of them for Republic Pictures) for some time. She was ending both careers, and would become one of those artists who did guest appearances on television. -
TheLittleSongbird15 November 2021Really like to love a good deal of Popeye cartoons and like the character of Popeye. Will admit though to preferring the Popeye cartoons from the Dave Fleischer era, the cartoons tend to be funnier and there is more originality and more risk taking in some of them. 'Hill-Billing and Cooing' is a late Popeye cartoon and made in Famous Studios' roughest and most variable period where budgets were much smaller in particularly the animation and deadlines and time constraints were shorter and tighter.
One would not think that watching 'Hill-Billing and Cooing'. The title is not the appetising of ones, but the cartoon itself is great. 'Hill-Billing and Cooing' is a strong contender for the best Popeye cartoon of the late 50s, one of the few great ones of that decade and is one of the few late 50s Famous Studios (one of the studio's weaker periods) cartoons overall to be above very good. There are many reasons to love it, but that it is quite a unique Popeye cartoon is a primary reason.
The only thing that wasn't so good was at times some of the animation. The budget and time constraints at times show in some rushed looking drawing and a lack of finnese.
Did think though that most of the animation for this period was not bad at all, with vibrant colour and beautiful attention to detail. The best thing about 'Hill-Billing and Cooing' is the music score. It's beautifully orchestrated, rhythmically it's full of energy and there is so much character, it's also brilliant in not just adding to the action but enhancing it.
'Hill-Billing and Cooing' is full of gags and all are very amusing to hilarious. Popeye is amusing and easy to root for and Possum Pearl is a unique and quite riotous supporting character. The biggest surprise is Olive at her most interesting, she is a character that tends to be underused and not always that interesting in personality but here she is a lot of fun and it was great to see a role reversal that saw her in the role that Popeye usually fills. That's the biggest interest point of the cartoon and what makes it stand out.
Liked the story too, which is full of energy and is eventful and different. Not a predictable cartoon this time thanks to the role reversal and difference in character dynamic as a result of that. Jack Mercer and Mae Questel do great jobs providing the voice work, of the voice actors to voice Popeye and Olive they for me were the ones that make the most impression on me. Judy Canova was clearly having fun as well.
Overall, great. 9/10.