Taxi-Turvy (Episode 203)

Directed by Seymour Kneitel. Original air date: June 04, 1954. Popeye polishes his old-fashioned taxi cab beside a “taxi stand” just as Bluto comes by, driving his more modern taxi, and proceeds to bump Popeye’s out of its place. Still, Popeye gets a client but is sabotaged by Bluto who cuts away the old taxi’s rear section without its owner noticing, then steals his fare. Later, by the time Popeye has finished repairing his cab by using his pipe as a blowtorch, Bluto has returned from his run in time to compete for the next client: Olive Oyl. Popeye’s taxi is again bumped out of the way as it is about to receive Olive, and she enters Bluto’s instead. Yet, Popeye in turn steals the client from above and further fare-stealing ends with Olive trapped in a semaphore. There follows a tug-of-war with Olive’s legs, which ends in a tunnel where Bluto’s cab is wrecked. Yet the latter employs a train crossing to steal both Popeye’s vehicle and his client – even after she decides to cut her ride short – leaving the sailor buried in a dirt road. When Popeye attempts to eat his spinach, Bluto comes back to prevent it – only for “his” cab to once again be hit, by the train this time. Popeye is then able to devour the greens, punch his foe into the funnel of the train engine and save the lady, who is then rushed to her destination on the victorious taxi driver’s shoulders.

Genres: Popeye the Sailor COLOR