Popeye and Bluto compete in their penny arcades for Wimpy's business.Popeye and Bluto compete in their penny arcades for Wimpy's business.Popeye and Bluto compete in their penny arcades for Wimpy's business.
Photos
Pinto Colvig
- Bluto
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Margie Hines
- Olive Oyl
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Jack Mercer
- Popeye
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Dave Fleischer
- Willard Bowsky(uncredited)
- Seymour Kneitel(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis cartoon marks the first time Pinto Colvig performs the voice of Bluto, a role which he continues to regularly perform until 1942.
- GoofsIn Bluto's arcade, the Mutoscope at the end of the row says: "Bluto in 'Never Kick a Woman.'" Bluto does not appear in that short.
- Alternate versionsAlso available in a computer colorized version.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Popeye Show: The Dance Contest/Customers Wanted/Out to Punch (2002)
Featured review
Penny arcade rivalry
Despite liking Popeye and most of his cartoons very much, if more Fleischer Studios than Famous Studios, part of me was expecting not to care for 1939's 'Customers Wanted'. It may have been made in one of Fleischer's stronger periods, before their overall decline in the early 40s, and had Popeye and Bluto's ever timeless rivalry and a welcome appearance from Wimpy, but it was also one of the (what people call, and am going to try and be a little kinder) "cheater" cartoons.
Where a framing story is featured with healthy use of clips from previous cartoons, and more often than not they strike me as not being particularly necessary or inspired and the vast difference in quality (the clips tending to be infinitely better) is difficult to ignore. A lot of cartoon series did it at least once and that for Popeye was not an exception. 'Customers Wanted' however is one of the better examples of that type of cartoon in the Popeye series, and actually in any cartoon series overall, being surprisingly very well done and not as lazy as too many are.
Usually when a cartoon uses clips from previous cartoons from 15 plus years before, the clips' quality is much better and sees a difference in the style of animation and writing. 'Customers Wanted' is one of the few examples where the clips and the actual cartoon's story is equally good, as although the animation quality had advanced since the clips used from 'Lets Get Movin' and 'The Twisker Pitcher', both very good (as well as references to others), the spirit of 'Customers Wanted's' story and the humour was very true to that of those two. So didn't find myself worried or distracted as much as in other "cheaters", also because the clips were relevant to the cartoon's story instead of being random or where one questions why "why this particular cartoon?".
The animation never seemed too cluttered or static, with some nice meticulousness and fluidity as well a very nice job done with the expressions (for particularly Popeye, like with the eyes and arm movements). The music is suitably characterful and lush, even in the weakest Popeye cartoons this was the component that was consistently good and often the best thing about the Famous Studios cartoons. Although the gags in 'Lets Get Movin' and 'The Twisker Pitcher' are a little more inventive and funnier, the gags here are more than present and are crisply timed and amusing though never perhaps hilarious. The pace never felt dull despite the basic story being fairly predictable and the increasing wildness is great.
'Customers Wanted' is successful in the characterisation too. Again Popeye and Bluto are well realised characters that contrast well, their rivalry a lot of fun and tense and carrying the cartoon beautifully. Wimpy is one of two things that steals the show, he is on top form, very funny and it is one of his best appearances. The other is Jack Mercer's voice work, which is nothing short of marvellous and quite a power-house for him and for me because of the dynamic range and seamless comic timing (oh he sounded like he was having a whale of a time with those asides and ad-libs, which were entertaining in themselves) it was some of his best work for the studio.
Not an awful lot wrong here. It was interesting to hear Pinto Colvig voice Bluto, in his first outing voicing the character, and he does do admirably. Am just more familiar with Gus Wickie and Jackson Beck and feel that their voices fit the character design and personality better and had more menace.
In conclusion, very well done and especially for this type of cartoon. 8/10
Where a framing story is featured with healthy use of clips from previous cartoons, and more often than not they strike me as not being particularly necessary or inspired and the vast difference in quality (the clips tending to be infinitely better) is difficult to ignore. A lot of cartoon series did it at least once and that for Popeye was not an exception. 'Customers Wanted' however is one of the better examples of that type of cartoon in the Popeye series, and actually in any cartoon series overall, being surprisingly very well done and not as lazy as too many are.
Usually when a cartoon uses clips from previous cartoons from 15 plus years before, the clips' quality is much better and sees a difference in the style of animation and writing. 'Customers Wanted' is one of the few examples where the clips and the actual cartoon's story is equally good, as although the animation quality had advanced since the clips used from 'Lets Get Movin' and 'The Twisker Pitcher', both very good (as well as references to others), the spirit of 'Customers Wanted's' story and the humour was very true to that of those two. So didn't find myself worried or distracted as much as in other "cheaters", also because the clips were relevant to the cartoon's story instead of being random or where one questions why "why this particular cartoon?".
The animation never seemed too cluttered or static, with some nice meticulousness and fluidity as well a very nice job done with the expressions (for particularly Popeye, like with the eyes and arm movements). The music is suitably characterful and lush, even in the weakest Popeye cartoons this was the component that was consistently good and often the best thing about the Famous Studios cartoons. Although the gags in 'Lets Get Movin' and 'The Twisker Pitcher' are a little more inventive and funnier, the gags here are more than present and are crisply timed and amusing though never perhaps hilarious. The pace never felt dull despite the basic story being fairly predictable and the increasing wildness is great.
'Customers Wanted' is successful in the characterisation too. Again Popeye and Bluto are well realised characters that contrast well, their rivalry a lot of fun and tense and carrying the cartoon beautifully. Wimpy is one of two things that steals the show, he is on top form, very funny and it is one of his best appearances. The other is Jack Mercer's voice work, which is nothing short of marvellous and quite a power-house for him and for me because of the dynamic range and seamless comic timing (oh he sounded like he was having a whale of a time with those asides and ad-libs, which were entertaining in themselves) it was some of his best work for the studio.
Not an awful lot wrong here. It was interesting to hear Pinto Colvig voice Bluto, in his first outing voicing the character, and he does do admirably. Am just more familiar with Gus Wickie and Jackson Beck and feel that their voices fit the character design and personality better and had more menace.
In conclusion, very well done and especially for this type of cartoon. 8/10
helpful•00
- TheLittleSongbird
- Mar 16, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Klienci poszukiwani
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime7 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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