Nix on Hypnotricks (1941)

Nix on Hypnotricks (1941) *** (out of 4)Fast paced and entertaining short has an evil hypnotist putting a spell on Olive and forcing her to walk to him. This puts her in all sorts of danger and Popeye gets most of the abuse trying to save her.This here is a pretty good entry for the series as there are plenty of laughs and a lot of action as well. The majority of the running time has Popeye chasing Olive all over the place and taken a beating along the way. The highlight of the short is a scene where Popeye gets abused by a flock of birds. As you'd expect, the animation is top- notch.

In this Popeye, there is a different nemesis, Professor I Stare, a Svengali-like hypnotist. He calls Olive Oyl, commands him to "Come to me" (after trying to hypnotize a goldfish, which squirted water in his face). Olive falls into a trance, and walks like a zombie, with Popeye following, to save her. This hypnotist WAS bent on CONTROLLING her, which is NOT the purpose of hypnosis at all! Hypnosis is, itself, neither good, bad, nor indifferent, and is useful for medicinal purposes AND for amusement. Trouble is that too many cartoons about this subject cast hypnosis in unfavorable light. In REAL life, hypnotists do NOT try to control people, turn them into automatons (as this one did to Olive Oyl). Nor do hypnotists act like certain make-believe characters like fairies, witches, yookoohoos (magicians who are artists in transformation), etc., turning people into what they are not. Yet other Popeyes make people think that hypnotists are villains, "The Hyp-Nut-Ist", "Fistic Mystic", "Balmy Swami". Again, hypnosis DOES have value as medicinal tool as well as entertainment, but is NOT COERCIVE! In real life, hypnosis subjects are volunteers; if the hypnotist is competent, he/she will not harm the subject. It is BRAINWASHING that is immoral and indecent, something to be AVOIDED at all cost. Hypnotism is another matter; I agree that this casting of hypnotism in negative terms is for amusement, but should not be basis for condemnation. Whatever impressions and conclusion the viewer receives, "Nix on Hypnotricks" was quite amusing.

I had always remembered one of my favorite Jack Mercer quips, directed at Olive Oyl of course, but I couldn't find the short where it appeared. It didn't help that I remembered the quote as being closer to it's Shakespearian phrasing. Finally I found it here in Volume 3 of the classic set: "That which we call a flower, by any other moniker would smell just as much."The quality of this restoration is very good, as they are in most of the sets.As to the plot line and execution of "Hypnotricks," you could pretty much figure out the ending, even if you hadn't seen it a million times before ;)

This short has a different villain, a different voice for Olive Oyl and is toward the latter stages of the Fleischers' run doing cartoons for Paramount. The gags are more visual than verbal here as Popeye once again must save Olive from a fate worse than death. Great animation and well worth watching. Recommended.