Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor
Encyclopedia
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor is a two-reel animated cartoon
short subject
in the Popeye Color Feature
series, produced in Technicolor
and released to theatres on November 27, 1936 by Paramount Pictures
. It was produced by Max Fleischer
for Fleischer Studios
, Inc. and directed by Dave Fleischer
, with musical supervision by Sammy Timberg
. The voice of Popeye is performed by Jack Mercer
, with Mae Questel
as Olive Oyl
and Gus Wickie
as Sindbad the Sailor.
In this short, Sindbad the Sailor (presumably Bluto
playing a "role") proclaims himself the greatest sailor
in the world and "the most remarkable, extraordinary fellow," a claim which is challenged by Popeye's arrival on his island with Olive Oyl and J. Wellington Wimpy
in tow. Sindbad orders his huge Roc, Rokh, to kidnap Popeye's girlfriend, Olive Oyl, and challenges the one-eyed sailor to a series of obstacles to prove his greatness, including fighting Rokh, a two-headed giant
named Boola (an apparent parody reference to The Three Stooges MGM comic show), and Sindbad himself. Popeye makes short work of the bird and the giant, but Sindbad almost gets the best of him until Popeye produces his can of spinach
, which gives him the power to soundly defeat Sindbad and proclaim himself "the most remarkable, extraordinary fella."
A subtly dark running gag features Wimpy chasing after a duck
on the island with a meat grinder
, with the intention of grinding it up so that he can fry it into a hamburger
, but the duck not only escapes, but also snatches away Wimpy's last hamburger in retaliation when he gives up. Many of the scenes in this short feature make use of the Fleischer's Tabletop
process, which used modeled sets to create 3D backgrounds for the cartoon.
, which it lost to Walt Disney
's Silly Symphony The Country Cousin. Footage from this short was later used in the 1952 Famous Studios
Popeye cartoon Big Bad Sindbad, in which Popeye relates the story of his encounter with Sindbad to his 3 nephews.
Today, this short and the other two Popeye Color Specials, Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves
, and Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
(both of which were also adapted from a story featured in One Thousand and One Nights) are in the public domain
, and are widely available on home video
and DVD
. A fully restored version with the original Paramount
mountain logo opening and closing titles is available on the Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Volume 1
DVD set from Warner Bros.
Producer and special effects artist Ray Harryhausen
stated in his Fantasy Film Scrapbook that Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor was a major influence on his production of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress
and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry
. In 1994, the film was voted #17 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
in the Popeye Color Feature
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
series, produced in Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
and released to theatres on November 27, 1936 by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. It was produced by Max Fleischer
Max Fleischer
Max Fleischer was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios...
for Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
, Inc. and directed by Dave Fleischer
Dave Fleischer
David "Dave" Fleischer was an American animator film director and film producer, best known as a co-owner of Fleischer Studios with his two older brothers Max Fleischer and Lou Fleischer...
, with musical supervision by Sammy Timberg
Sammy Timberg
Sammy Timberg was an American musician and composer who was perhaps most famous for the music he wrote for the cartoons of the Fleischer Studios, such as Popeye, Betty Boop, and Superman...
. The voice of Popeye is performed by Jack Mercer
Jack Mercer
Jack Mercer was an American animator, storyman and voice actor. He is best known as the voice of cartoon character Popeye the Sailor...
, with Mae Questel
Mae Questel
Mae Questel was an American actress and vocal artist best known for providing the voices for the animated characters, Betty Boop and Olive Oyl. She began in vaudeville, and played occasional small roles in films and television later in her career, most notably the role of Aunt Bethany in 1989's...
as Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1919 for his comic strip Thimble Theatre. The strip was later renamed Popeye after the sailor character that became the most popular member of the cast; however Olive Oyl was a main character for 10 years before Popeye's 1929...
and Gus Wickie
Gus Wickie
Gus Wickie was a baritone singer and voice actor. He was the voice of Bluto in the Fleischer Studios Popeye cartoons from 1933 until his death in 1938. His final performance was as the "Chief" in Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh.-External links:...
as Sindbad the Sailor.
Plot
Bluto
Bluto is a cartoon and comics character created in 1932 by Elzie Crisler Segar as a one-time character, named "Bluto the Terrible", in his Thimble Theatre comic strip . Bluto made his first appearance September 12 of that year...
playing a "role") proclaims himself the greatest sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
in the world and "the most remarkable, extraordinary fellow," a claim which is challenged by Popeye's arrival on his island with Olive Oyl and J. Wellington Wimpy
J. Wellington Wimpy
J. Wellington Wimpy, generally referred to as Wimpy, is one of the characters in the long-running comic strip Popeye, created by E. C. Segar and originally called Thimble Theatre, and in the Popeye cartoons based upon the strip...
in tow. Sindbad orders his huge Roc, Rokh, to kidnap Popeye's girlfriend, Olive Oyl, and challenges the one-eyed sailor to a series of obstacles to prove his greatness, including fighting Rokh, a two-headed giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
named Boola (an apparent parody reference to The Three Stooges MGM comic show), and Sindbad himself. Popeye makes short work of the bird and the giant, but Sindbad almost gets the best of him until Popeye produces his can of spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
, which gives him the power to soundly defeat Sindbad and proclaim himself "the most remarkable, extraordinary fella."
A subtly dark running gag features Wimpy chasing after a duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
on the island with a meat grinder
Meat grinder
A meat grinder or meat mincer is a kitchen appliance for grinding, fine mincing or mixing raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. It replaces tools like the mincing knife, for example, which has been used to produce minced meat, filling etc. The producer puts the minced food into a...
, with the intention of grinding it up so that he can fry it into a hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
, but the duck not only escapes, but also snatches away Wimpy's last hamburger in retaliation when he gives up. Many of the scenes in this short feature make use of the Fleischer's Tabletop
Multiplane camera
The multiplane camera is a special motion picture camera used in the traditional animation process that moves a number of pieces of artwork past the camera at various speeds and at various distances from one another...
process, which used modeled sets to create 3D backgrounds for the cartoon.
Release and reception
This short was the first of the three Popeye Color Specials, which were, at over sixteen minutes each, three times as long as a regular Popeye cartoon, and were often billed in theatres alongside or above the main feature. Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor was nominated for the 1936 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: CartoonsAcademy Award for Animated Short Film
The Academy Award for Animated Short Film is an award which has been given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as part of the Academy Awards every year since the 5th Academy Awards, covering the year 1931-32, to the present....
, which it lost to Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's Silly Symphony The Country Cousin. Footage from this short was later used in the 1952 Famous Studios
Famous Studios
Famous Studios was the animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount acquired the aforementioned studio and ousted its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1941...
Popeye cartoon Big Bad Sindbad, in which Popeye relates the story of his encounter with Sindbad to his 3 nephews.
Today, this short and the other two Popeye Color Specials, Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves is a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the Popeye Color Feature series, produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on November 26, 1937 by Paramount Pictures. It was produced by Max Fleischer for Fleischer Studios, Inc. and directed...
, and Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp is a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the Popeye Color Specials series, produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on April 7, 1939 by Paramount Pictures. It was produced by Max, and directed by Dave Fleischer for Fleischer Studios, Inc., with David...
(both of which were also adapted from a story featured in One Thousand and One Nights) are in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, and are widely available on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. A fully restored version with the original Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
mountain logo opening and closing titles is available on the Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Volume 1
Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Volume 1
Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Volume 1 is the first authorized collection of theatrical Popeye cartoons on home video. This four-disc DVD set includes 60 theatrical Popeye cartoons, and was released on July 31, 2007 by Warner Home Video...
DVD set from Warner Bros.
Producer and special effects artist Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen is an American film producer and special effects creator...
stated in his Fantasy Film Scrapbook that Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor was a major influence on his production of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
. In 1994, the film was voted #17 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.