Not to be confused with Amusement Park.
| Abusement Park | |
| Number 145 | |
 | |
| Guide | |
| previous The Island Fling |
next I'll Be Skiing Ya |
Abusement Park is Popeye's 145th cartoon, released by Famous Studios on April 25th, 1947. It features Popeye as the protagonist, Bluto as the main antagonist, Olive Oyl as the love interest, a sideshow photographer, and a herd of circus elephants.
Plot[]
The cartoon starts with an establishing shot of an amusement park, apparently at Coney Island, with a moving Ferris wheel and roller-coaster car. It then zooms in on a scene of a test-of-strength game as Popeye and Olive appear. Popeye promises to ring the bell and win a prize for Olive.
From out of nowhere, a hand grabs the mallet from Popeye as he tries to take a swing. Bluto steps into the picture, doffs his sailor's hat, bows to Olive, and introduces himself as "Popeye's pal." He then proceeds to ring the bell effortlessly, smashing the mallet in the process, as Olive looks on and calls him a "handsome Samson." Not to be outdone, Popeye rings the bell and a distant church carillon in the process. Bluto breaks the "test your lung power" device; Popeye outdoes him by phoning a lighthouse keeper and blowing apart the building through the telephone wires. As the victor in the strength contests, Popeye wins Olive back and carries her onto the "Tunnel of Love" ride. But sore loser Bluto hides in the back seat with sabotage on his mind. He exchanges positions with the Sailorman in a dark tunnel and smooches with an unsuspecting Olive. After another dark-tunnel interlude Popeye is back with Olive as Bluto swims behind them. After a third dark tunnel, we see Bluto and Popeye smooching with each other, to their mutual alarm. Bluto knocks Popeye out cold and seats a mermaid mannequin next to him, telling Olive: "He threw ya overboard for a blonde". A furious Olive declares that she and Popeye are through. In the next scene, Bluto and Olive are seated in an automobile prop having their picture taken. Bluto insists she make it a "hot picture" and to "burn up the camera" by giving him a kiss. She nudges him away, then gives him a sharp elbow, but he persists with his demand. She attempts to escape, but Bluto holds her immobile and states that he has "ways of handling dames like you". Olive screams and an awakened Popeye rushes to her aid. However, Bluto starts the car up, mows the sailor down, and zooms over to and up the roller coaster track.
After a ride of sheer terror, Bluto again asks Olive for a kiss. She refuses. Bluto replies, "OK, sister, get out and walk!" Olive flies tethered at the end of a rope and into yet another lighthouse. Popeye makes himself a pair of snow skis and takes off down the tracks after Bluto. By performing a heroic ski jump, he is able to catch up with his speeding foe, and the two battle it out as the high-flying Olive collects a herd of elephants from a circus tent and takes them along for the ride.
During their fight, Popeye and Bluto unexpectedly see a train on the roller coaster moving towards them. After the train is passed, we see Popeye hanging with one hand while holding Bluto with the other, saving Bluto from falling and even dragging his rival back to safety before himself. Bluto exclaims, "Thanks for saving me life, pal!", and initially feigns to help Popeye, but cruelly kicks him in the face instead. Popeye remains hanging by the fingers and, with an evil grin on his face, Bluto immediately starts to mercilessly stomp on them to make his rival fall from a vertiginous height.
On the verge of his demise, Popeye reaches for his spinach and is back in the battle. But unlike most Bluto-Popeye fights, where a single energized punch instantly puts the bigger man out of commission, Bluto keeps fighting back. Popeye even gets Olive's assistance but is yet unable to finish off his opponent. Finally, knocked back into the prop car, and destroying it in the process, Bluto grabs the engine block and holds it over his head to beam Popeye, but the Sailorman beats him to the punch and blinds Bluto when the engine lands on his head. Popeye then uses his pipe as a blowtorch and turns his enemy's head into a fireball. Bluto rockets into space and explodes as a fireworks show visible all over the amusement park.
In the last scene we are back at the photographer's, with Popeye and Olive posed for a picture. As our view pans upward we can see that Popeye is holding the entire herd of elephants aloft. On top of the pile we make out the form of Bluto, utterly defeated.
Gallery[]
.png "Abusement Park (2).png (2.34 MB)")
External links[]
- Abusement Park at the Internet Movie Database