 |
|
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Blog · Forums · Follow Us On Twitter |
|
by Fred Grandinetti Published: July 25, 2007
The Popeye blackout was led, oddly enough, by the sailor’s copyright owner King Features Syndicate. For over twenty five years the company claimed they and only they had the legal right to release the 234 theatricals to video (and later, DVD). This is absurd as the company never legally owned any part of the films which is backed up by articles published in both TV Guide and Variety from the mid-1960’s. Still, King Features Syndicate did such a good job terrifying the various owners of the cartoons, from United Artists to Warner Brothers; they could only be seen on television via independent stations, The Cartoon Network and Boomerang. I would suspect the lackluster response from the public in the United States to King Features’ latest attempt to update Popeye via his 2004 CGI special, which aired on FOX and released to DVD, led the King Features’ executives to allow the theatrical Popeye library to be released on DVD. This first volume contains the Fleischer Studios Popeye films produced from 1933 to 1938 (though not all of the cartoons produced in 1938 are included). The Popeye shorts begin with his first appearance in a Betty Boop cartoon titled, “Popeye the Sailor” (1933) and concludes with “With Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh” (1938). By watching the entire set of B&W films you can see the Fleischers experimenting with the first few films and settled into a pattern. In early entries, “I Yam What I Yam” (1933) and "Seasin’s Greetinks” (1933) the characters never stop bobbing up and down! Movie audiences got their money’s worth of animation. Audiences can witness Popeye eating his spinach without the usual musical fanfare and then hear its familiar sounding debut in “Can You Take It” (1934). William Costello was the original gruff sounding voice of Popeye which suited the initial entries in the series. Success went to Costello’s head and he became difficult to work. For a few Popeye cartoons some fill-in-the-blank voices were used until the Fleischers discovered in there animation department, Jack Mercer. Mercer, along with Mae Questel, as the voice of Olive Oyl, helped to give the series distinction by providing ad libs through Popeye and Olive’s closed lips. For example in “Learn Polikeness” (1938), Bluto welcomes Popeye and Olive with “entrée” to which Popeye mumbles, “Entrée? I already ate young fella.’” For those who claim the Popeye cartoons consist of the same plot of Bluto trying to kiss Olive with the sailor coming to her rescue, the films on this set dispute that notion. The plots jump all over the map featuring characters from the original Popeye comic strip (called “Thimble Theatre”) created by E.C. Segar. Wimpy mooches Popeye’s lunch in “What...No Spinach” (1936) which leads to a furious brawl between Popeye and Bluto, Baby Swee’pea saves Popeye and Olive from being crushed in “Lost and Foundry” (1937) and Bluto eats Popeye’s spinach (“Oh boy he dropped his spinach what a break for me!”) to nearly defeat the sailor at a baseball match in “The Twisker Pitcher” (1937). The animation in each is outstanding as is viewing the three dimensional backgrounds Max Fleischer developed and can be seen to great advantage in “King of the Mardi Gras” (1935) “Little Swee’pea” (1936), “Learn Polikeness” (1938). The highlight is seeing the first two color Popeye specials as they appeared in theatres during the mid 1930’s. Popeye was so popular at the box office Paramount Pictures (who financed the Fleischer Studios) commissioned two-reel specials starring Popeye, Olive Oyl, Wimpy and Bluto. Both “Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor” (1936) and “Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves” (1937) feature dazzling color, glorious three dimensional background sets, humorous ad-libs and rousing adventure. For years chopped up versions have appeared on television, video and DVD but this is the way to see these examples of classic animation at its finest! A rather long documentary on Popeye’s early comic strip career and animation history is included which is very informative. There are also humorous profiles on Bluto, Wimpy, Olive Oyl and baby Swee’pea. Documentaries on early animation, the three Popeye color two reel specials and the various voices of Popeye are included. Unfortunately, throughout the documentaries, scenes from the Fleischer Popeye films poorly colorized in the 1980’s are seen tinted in B&W. These scenes stick out like a sore thumb. Considering the original B&W source material was readily available the use of the colorized material is an odd choice. In addition, scenes from the colorized Fleischer Popeyes pop up in spots. While animation and film historians such as Jerry Beck of Cartoon Research and Leonard Maltin are interviewed many others are billed as “comic book historian” or “animator”. Often they make remarks regarding Olive Oyl’s anatomy or Bluto’s eating habits, but it would have been better to hear from more people actually involved with the Popeye character. Bobby London, who was a student of Segar and produced the Popeye strip for six years and Hy Eisman, the current Sunday strip cartoonist would have been welcome. Popeye is generally known in the United States today from his television appearances on The Cartoon Network and Boomerang. His popularity has been maintained largely through vigilant audience support. Hearing from individuals who have kept the Popeye torch lit through their own unique efforts would have better served this DVD. Mike and Debbie Brooks own and operate the Popeye store, Spinach Can Collectibles in Chester, Illinois and founded the International Popeye Fan Club in 1989. Commentary from the couple as they deal with Popeye fans all over the world would have been welcome. I’m the author of four books on Popeye, over seventy articles on the sailor and co-wrote two trading card sets, yet my comments were left on the cutting room floor (though my collection is seen briefly). Gordon Calma hears from people discovering the Fleischer Popeyes for the first time or older fans becoming reacquainted with them through his website, The Fleischer Popeye Tribute Page. Hearing Mr. Calma’s observations as to the present day popularity of the cartoons presented on this DVD would have been interesting. Hopefully these oversights will be corrected on future volumes. The artwork on the box set is designed by all-purpose cartoonist Stephen DeStefano. As always DeStefano’s work is outstanding but it’s unfortunate, for the most part, King Features chose to recycle his artwork used on previous Popeye merchandise. As fans have been waiting so long for these cartoons to be released on DVD, new artwork would have made this more special. Fans have said they’ve been waiting so long for the cartoons to be released they would have bought the set wrapped in a brown paper bag! Despite its minor flaws, this first volume of the Fleischer Popeye cartoons is well worth its price tag. It’s a wonderful way to introduce new generations to the one-eyed sailor and for baby boomers to recall the days of viewing the films on the various “Uncle” hosted programs of the 1960’s and 1970’s. This set deserves an overall "A" for the patience fans have shown in waiting for the release of the theatrical Popeye cartoons. Let’s hope the misguided and boneheaded reasoning behind the long delay convinces other studios with similar legal problems to do your homework before slamming the DVD door shut!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2010 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |