A Wolf in Sheik's Clothing (1948) User Reviews

Olive's wanderlust

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 4 September 2021]

Popeye and Olive Oyl are riding a camel on their Arabian vacation. They stop to fill up the camel. Olive pines for a real sheik. A Bluto-like character overhears her and pretends to be a sheik. Olive falls for him and she is soon kidnapped.

Olive Oyl's wanderlust is a problem. It's her biggest problem and the franchise's biggest problem. It makes their relationship less appealing. She is essentially saying every time that it's not true love. It's a fundamental flaw of the Popeye cartoons. Otherwise, this is pretty good. I like this animation despite being the inferior Famous Studios. It's good except for Olive's wanderlust.

Popeye in Arabia

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 23 November 2020]

Fleischer's Popeye cartoons tended to be funnier, more imaginative and better made, Famous Studios' on the most part entertained though their later Popeye, and overall filmography actually, cartoons had tighter deadlines and lower budgets evident which accounted for the animation not being as good, less surprises and the material not as imaginative. Speaking as someone who likes the character himself and many of his cartoons.

There are cartoons in the Popeye series, more Famous Studios' than Fleischer Studios' though, that didn't do much for me and underwhelmed. It is regrettable to say that 1948's 'A Wolf in Sheik's Clothing' is one of them. It's not a terrible cartoon, none of the Popeye cartoons are and it's okay for a one-time watch. It is not a particularly good one either at the same time, others are far funnier, more interesting and more imaginative, not to mention more tasteful.

Will start with the good points and they are there. The animation is still of good quality. Expectedly, the backgrounds have lost none of the meticulous attention to detail, it's fluid, Popeye still looks good and is recognisable in design and the colours are wonderfully vibrant, which really does make the setting come alive. Love the music just as much, it is the highly characterful and lush music score, that fits seamlessly and enhances the action. Popeye is amusing and likeable still and Jack Mercer doesn't disappoint with the voice acting.

Also there are a few amusing moments, like Popeye's "how did he get in this picture?", but they come too far and between.

On the other hand, quite a lot of the problem with 'A Wolf in Sheik's Clothing' is that it is not particularly funny. The gags are too few and what there are mostly suffer from being derivative and tired. The story never really grabbed me and has no real surprises. The conflict lacks tension or comic timing.

There will be people that won't take kindly to the stereotyped sheik character, even for somebody who tries to judge something as a product of its time if necessary the stereotypical characterisation for the character here in 'A Wolf in Sheik's Clothing' is not flattering for a character already not a believable threat and quite bland. It is easy to see why some will take offense.

In conclusion, worth a one-time watch but not much more. 5/10

It's bad enough that the Slippery Slope Studio . . .

[pixrox1 · 7/10 · 4 September 2021]

. . . stole Popeye and Superman's original film studio through trickery, chicanery and shady business practices. Rubbing in salt to injury, they also filched these popular cartoon characters, key creative personnel and even the titles of past animation masterpieces. Perhaps worst of all, they transplanted bits from the Classics into inferior fare such as A WOLF IN SHEIK'S CLOTHING. Here, for instance, they dredge up Sinbad's giant vulture for no logical reason, quickly reprising his post-roasting platter cameo. POPEYE was better the first time.

Watch the 1946 episode instead

[RevvedReview · 4/10 · 5 September 2021]

The Fistic Mystic had much better gags, is longer and has similar themes. Not even sure why they made Wolf in Sheiks Clothing as it is redundant of that one.