Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Voices by Jack Mercer (Popeye)
Mae Questel (Olive Oyl)
Gus Wickie (Bluto)
Music by Sammy Timberg, Sammy Lerner & Bob Rothberg
Animation by Willard Bowsky, George Germanetti, Edward Nolan & Orestes Calpini
Studio Fleischer Studios
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) November 27, 1936
Color process Technicolor
Running time 16 min (two reels)
Language English
Today I am going to do something a little different. Instead of watching a feature film I have watched a number of great short films. The first of those is this one from 1936, Popeye The Sailor Meets Sindbad The Sailor.
Now I know what you grown ups will be saying, cartoons are strictly for kids. That is simply rubbish. So many artists worked on this, so many drawings done, for this simply to be something to amuse children.
These Fleischer Popeye cartoons have become my favourites and it is easy to see why. Whilst they were never the best animated cartoons they do have a grittiness about them that is different to what the other studios, notably Disney, were doing.
I also love the 3D backgrounds that Fleischer used here and in their other cartoons too. This gave them a unique feeling as did the great ad-libbing between Jack Mercer, Mae Questel and Gus Wickie.
It is easy to forget how popular Popeye was and just how important short cartoons were on a film program. In the 1930s, 40s and 50s patrons would often go to the cinema just to see Popeye, Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny rather than the feature length film that the cartoons accompanied.
July 9th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
[…] Popeye The Sailor Meets Sindbad The Sailor (Popeye, Max Fleischer) – Highly Recommended […]
August 9th, 2012 at 5:33 am
Animation history has not been kind of Gus Wickie. After all, history has not been kind of Gus Wickie. I am sorry that Gus Wickie’s career was very cold. After the cartoon “Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh,” Gus Wickie’s trail turns cold.
June 26th, 2014 at 8:41 am
By the way, Gus Wickie is spelled as Gus Wicke. Wicke went Home to be with the Lord in 1947. Mae Questel had children.
June 15th, 2014 at 7:25 am
By the way, Popeye was never married to Olive Oyl throughout the theatrical showings. Ironically, the voice of Popeye, Jack Mercer, never had children.
June 15th, 2014 at 7:26 am
Believe it or not, the Sandy Hook hero, Mary Sherlach, was the distant cousin of the creator of Popeye, Elzie Crisler Segar!
November 16th, 2014 at 8:42 am
Mae Questel and Jack Mercer
Together again.
November 16th, 2014 at 8:42 am
Popeye is still on television today in a few markets.