“I yam what I yam”
That spinach-swigging sailor with the fickle girlfriend with the physique of a green bean finally sails his way onto DVD. This excellent set adds a cornucopia of special features that fans of the sailor or animation fans will adore.
Popeye the Sailor was the creation of Elzie Segar in his comic strip Thimble Theater in 1929 (the strip had been running since 1919). The Oyls, Olive was the daughter of Cole and Nana and Castor is her brother, were the focus of the strip. But one fateful day, the Oyls decided to go on a sea outing and needed a sailor to pilot the ship.
The one eyed, corncob pipe smoking, muttering sailor proved so popular that he was give a prominent role, replacing Olive’s boyfriend Hamgravy as her main squeeze. In 1933, the Fleischer Studios were looking for a new face to put on the silver screen and although nobody would say that Popeye is attractive they thought that he’d do.
They gave the sailor a screen test in a cartoon (“Popeye the Sailor”) starring their popular Betty Boop and it proved so popular that he became a sensation. This set collects the first round of 60 of the Fleischer Brothers studio’s theatrical shorts on the four discs covering 1933-1938. They’ve been remastered from the original elements and they look great.
Disc 1: Popeye the Sailor (optional commentary by historian Michael Barrier with a recording of animator Dave Tendlar). I Yam What I Yam (commentary by animator Mark Kausler) Blow Me Down! (Commentary by animators and Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua) I Eats My Spinach (commentary by Barrier with a Tendlar audio recording) Seasin’s Greetinks! Wild Elephinks (commentary by historian Jerry Beck) Sock-a-bye, Baby (commentary by historian Glenn Mitchell) Let’s You and Him Fight The Man on the Flying Trapeze Can You Take It (commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford) Shoein’ Hosses Strong to the Finich Shiver Me Timbers! Axe Me Another A Dream Walking (commentary by director Eric Goldberg)
Disc 2: The Two-Alarm Fire The Dance Contest We Aim to Please Beware of Barnacle Bill (commentary by historian Jerry Beck) Be Kind to “Animals” Pleased to Meet Cha! The “Hyp-nut-tist” Choose Yer “Weppins” (commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford) For Better or Worser (commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford) Dizzy Divers You Gotta be a Football Hero (commentary by historian Jerry Beck) King of the Mardi Gras (commentary by historian Michael Barrier with actor Jack Mercer (the voice of Popeye)). Adventures of Popeye (commentary by historian Glenn Mitchell) The Spinach Overture (commentary by historian Daniel Goldmark) Vim, Vigor, and Vitaliky
Disc 3: A Clean Shaven Man (commentary by writer Paul Dini) Brotherly Love I-Ski Love-ski You-ski (commentary by directors John Kricfalusi and Eddie Fitzgerald and cartoonist Kali Fontecchio) Bridge Ahoy! What – No Spinach? I Wanna Be a Lifeguard Let’s Get Movin’ Never Kick a Woman Little Swee’Pea Hold the Wire The Spinach Roadster Popeye the Sailor meets Sinbad the Sailor (Technicolor two reeler with commentary by directors by directors John Kricfalusi and Eddie Fitzgerald and cartoonist Kali Fontecchio, nominated for an Academy Award) I’m in the Army Now The Paneless Window Washer (commentary by animator Mark Kausler) Organ Grinder’s Swing
Disc 4: My Artistical Temperature Hospitaliky The Twister Pitcher Morning, Noon, and Nightclub Lost and Foundry (commentary by directors by directors John Kricfalusi and Eddie Fitzgerald and cartoonist Kali Fontecchio) I Never Changes my Altitude I Likes Babies and Infinks The Football Toucher Downer Protek the Weakerist (commentary by historian Jerry Beck) Popeye the Sailor meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves (Technicolor two reeler with commentary by directors by directors John Kricfalusi and Eddie Fitzgerald and cartoonist Kali Fontecchio) Fowl Play Let’s Celebrake Learn Polikeness The House Builder-Upper Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh
All of the cartoons are presented in fullscreen. Special features include the commentaries listed above, but it doesn’t end there. In fact it’s quite a selection too! Each disc has a “From the Vault” section that has cartoons.
Disc 1 has three Bray Productions/IFC Studio shorts (Colonel Heeza Liar at the Bat (1915), Krazy Kat goes A-wooing (1916), and Domestic Difficulties (1916)).
Disc 2 has three Bray Productions/Sullivan Studio shorts (Bobby Bumps puts a Beanery on the Bum (1918), Feline Follies (1919), and The Tantalizing Fly (1919)).
Disc 3 has 6 Out of the Inkwell shorts (Modeling (1921), Invisible Ink (1921), Bubbles (1922), Jumping Beans (1922), Bedtime (1923), and Trapped (1923)).
Disc 4 has 4 Out of the Inkwell/Fleischer Studio shorts (A Trip to Mars (1924), Koko Trains ‘Em (1925), Koko Back Tracks (1927), and Let’s Sing with Popeye (1933)). Disc 1 has the 43 minute “I Yam What I Yam: the Story of Popeye the Sailor” which covers his origins up until the modern day and disc 2 has the 31 minute “Forging the Frame: The Roots of Animation 1900-1920” which covers the history of animation. It’s a wonderful history of both animation and Popeye.
The rest are what is called “Popumentaries” and cover a variety of subjects.
Disc 1 has the 8 minute “Mining the Strip: Elzie Segar and Thimble Theater” and is about the creator of the strip and the sailor. Next is the 4 minute “Me Fickle Goyl, Olive Oyl: The World’s Least Likely Sex Symbol” and is all about Popeye’s gal.
Disc 2 has the 4 minute “Wimpy the Moocher: Ode to the Burgermeister” and I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for this documentary today. The 9 minute “Sailor’s Hornpipes: The Voices of Popeye” covers all the people that have mumbled through the role.
Disc 3 has the 10 minute “Blow Me Down!: The Music of Popeye” and the 5 minute “Popeye in Living Color: A Look at the Color Two-Reelers.”
Disc 4 has the 4 minute “Me Lil’ Swee’Pea: Whose Kid is He Anyway?” Next is the 4 minute Et Tu, Bluto?: Cartoondom’s Heaviest Heavy” and is all about Olive’s other suitor and Popeye’s best enemy. There’s also a recipe card with Popeye’s party dip and pizzas using spinach, of course.
Not only is this set loaded with some excellent cartoons in find condition, but some excellent special features as well. This has to be one of the best animation DVDs released this year and well worth the money.
Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1 is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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