The wait for Popeye is over, as Warner Home Video (WHV), Hearst Ent. and King Features Syndicate release POPEYE THE SAILOR 1933-1938 VOLUME 1 on July 31, 2007, for $64.92.
These classic POPEYE animated shorts made Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto national pop icons and the four-disc authorized edition DVD collection includes 60 original remastered and unedited theatrical shorts created by the legendary Max Fleischer.
Popeye The Sailor was introduced to the American audience in 1933 and became one of the most endearing and successful characters in animation history, mainly because of his unique vernacular and hilarious catch phrases. His adventures were strange, humorous and often supernatural as he traveled all over the world to resolve conflicts with enemies. With his enormous muscular forearms and corncob pipe in mouth, Popeye was always victorious after he ate his spinach.
POPEYE THE SAILOR 1933-1938 VOLUME 1 includes more than nine hours of cartoons: 58 (7- to 10-minute) theatrical black-and white-shorts and two two-reeler 20-minute color cartoons. Some of the most memorable shorts from the DVD are the remastered "Blow Me Down!" and a cameo appearance by Betty Boop dressed as a hula dancer in the 1933 POPEYE THE SAILOR cartoon, the short in which Popeye made his first animated appearance. The set also includes the Academy Award-nominated POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD THE SAILOR and more than five hours of informative bonus features, including:
Disc 1
Commentaries:* POPEYE THE SAILOR by Michael Barrier with animator Dave Tendlar* I YAM WHAT I YAM by animator Mark Kausler* BLOW ME DOWN! by animators Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua* I EATS MY SPINACH by Michael Barrier with Dave Tendlar* WILD ELEPHINKS by Jerry Beck* SOCK-A-BYE, BABY by Glenn Mitchell* CAN YOU TAKE IT by Greg Ford* A DREAM WALKING by Eric Goldberg
Full Length DocI YAM WHAT I YAM: THE STORY OF POPEYE THE SAILOR
Popumentaries* MINING THE STRIP: ELZIE SEGAR AND THIMBLE THEATER* ME FICKLE GOYL, OLIVE OYL: THE WORLD'S LEAST LIKELY SEX SYMBOL
From the Vault* COLONEL HEEZA LIAR AT THE BAT short* DOMESTIC DIFFICULTIES short
Disc 2
Commentaries:* BEWARE OF BARNACLE BILL by Jerry Beck* CHOOSE YER WEPPINS by Greg Ford* FOR BETTER OR WORSER by Greg Ford* YOU GOTTA BE A FOOTBALL HERO by Jerry Beck* KING OF THE MARDI GRAS by Michael Barrier with Jack Mercer* ADVENTURES OF POPEYE by Glenn Mitchell* THE SPINACH OVERTURE by Daniel Goldmark
Full Length DocyFORGING THE FRAME: THE ROOTS OF ANIMATION, 1900-1920
Popumentaries* WIMPY THE MOOCHER: ODE TO THE BURGERMEISTER* SAILOR'S HORNPIPES: THE VOICES OF POPEYE
From the Vault* BOBBY BUMPS PUTS A BEANERY ON THE BUM short * FELINE FOLLIES short* THE TANTALIZING FLY short
Disc 3
Commentaries:* A CLEAN SHAVEN MAN by Paul Dini* I-SKI LOVE-SKI YOU-SKI by John Kricfalusi, with Eddie Fitzgerald and Kali Fontecchio* POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD THE SAILOR by John Kricfalusi, with Eddie Fitzgerald and Kali Fontecchio* THE PANELESS WINDOW Washer by Mark Kausler
Popumentaries* BLOW ME DOWN! THE MUSIC OF POPEYE* POPEYE IN LIVING COLOR: A LOOK AT THE COLOR TWO-REELERS
From the Vault* MODELING short* INVISIBLE INK short* BUBBLES short* JUMPING BEANS short* BED TIME short* TRAPPED short
Disc 4
Commentaries:* LOST AND FOUNDRY by John Kricfalusi, with Eddie Fitzgerald and Kali Fontecchio* PROTEK THE WEAKERIST by Jerry Beck* POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS ALI BABA'S FORTY THIEVES by John Kricfalusi, with Eddie Fitzgerald and Kali Fontecchio
Popumentaries* ME LIL' SWEE'PEA: WHOSE KID IS HE ANYWAY?* ET TU, BLUTO? CARTOONDOM'S HEAVIEST HEAVY
From The Vault:* A TRIP TO MARS short* KOKO TRAINS 'EM short* KOKO BACK TRACKS short* LET'S SING WITH POPEYE short
"Popeye is an icon -- he represents good and the underdog. This sailor has been integral to pop culture for over seven decades," said Jeff Brown, WHV svp/gm, television and franchise. "Popeye fans have been requesting the DVD of this illustrious collection for ages and we are thrilled to be releasing POPEYE THE SAILOR 1933-1938 VOLUME 1, the remastered and unedited shorts for the established fan and those of the next generation."
King Features Syndicate is a member of Hearst Ent. and Syndication Group, which combines The Hearst Corp.'s cable network partnerships, television programming activities and newspaper syndication and merchandise licensing operations. King Features are the world's premier distributor of comics, columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games, distributing some 150 features to nearly 5,000 newspapers around the globe. Among its most beloved and successful classic characters are Popeye, Betty Boop, Blondie, Dennis the Menace and Flash Gordon.
With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Ent. Co., commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Ent., Castle Rock Ent., HBO Home Video and New Line Home Ent.
Warner Bros. Animation has been producing award-winning original animation since 1930, when it released its first cartoon, SINKIN' IN THE BATHTUB. Since then, Warner Bros. Animation's characters have set the standard for innovative, quality animation. Producing for network and cable television, online, home video and feature films both domestically and internationally, Warner Bros. Animation is highly respected for its creative and technical excellence, as well as maintaining the studio's rich cartoon heritage. Warner Bros. Animation is one of the most honored animation studios in history, garnering a grand total of 34 Emmy Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents' Choice Award, a Humanitas Award, two Prism Awards and 19 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
