This was only the second time that Those Redheads from Seattle ran in 3-D in LA. Previously, they weren’t even sure it had. And at Expo I, it was believed to be lost in it’s original 3-D form.
But they made a new print and are showing it here. Originally, it was shown with Popeye: Ace of Space, the only period cartoon that wasn’t run last time.
I’ve never been a big Popeye the Sailor Man fan. Love that chicken, but that’s not his. This short was pretty typical from what I’ve seen: Popeye gets abducted by aliens (OK, that’s not typical) and then doses himself with alleged spinach to get himself out of a series of predicaments. The aliens decide spinach is the greatest thing ever, and Popeye lives to graze another day. Hurray!
But how was the 3-D? Pretty good. Like most 3-D cartoons, the depth in almost entirely in planes. That is, the figures and backgrounds are 2-D and the effect is used just to place them in depth. Like a diorama. There were a few exceptions, such as Popeye punching out toward the camera that required someone to draw different eyeviews. Not much though, and that’s probably best. 2-D characters should stay 2-D, I think.
But it was good to see Popeye try to expand his oeuvre, even his performance remained pretty one note. At least he plays it twice: Toot, toot!