Live Action Popeye

[A. Flea]

Have you guys seen this realitivly unknown live action film? it has Robin williams as Popeye. Plus, it follows the origional themes of the thimble theatre books (i.e. Popeye dislikes spinach).

[Tom Stathes]

I wouldn't exactly call this unknown...from what I know, actually a pretty popular feature in 1980 or thereabouts.

[J Lee]

It was one of the first of the "Dual Studio" features, in which both Paramount and Disney were involved in production (the plus side of Paramount's involvement was it allowed them to use the original opening to a 1930s Fleischer cartoon along with Jack Mercer's voice in the film's opening gag). Villiage Voice cartoonist/ex-Terrytoons storyman Jules Feiffer did the screenplay and with Robin Williams coming off his "Mork & Mindy"success, this was expected to be for Williams what "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" had been for John Travolta.

Unfortunately, the movie underperformed expectations, with much of the blame being put on director Robert Altman for trying to use the same sort of multiple-focus type of display that had worked for him four years earlier in "Nashville", as he and Feiffer tried to use as many of Segar's characters as possible. The problem was everyone knew the basic animated cartoon story far better than they knew the strip, and wanted to get to the Popeye-vs.-Bluto confrontation, which seemed to be the part of the plot Altman was least interested in, since the end-of-the-film confrontation lasted less time on screen than the Popeye-Bluto fights in the Fleischer two-reelers. Audiences expected a better payoff than what they got, and word of mouth on the movie was bad (although Shelly Duvall was absolutely born to play Olive Oyl).

[Mark J]

I saw it in the theatre when it came out. I remember looking forward to it - I was a Popeye fan and Robin Williams was at his height of popularity with Mork & Mindy. It was a disappointment - both the awkward Altman style not working with Popeye and Williams hamming it up. I remember the film dragging and Popeye should not drag. If I didn't like it back then when I was 11 and really into Popeye I'm sure it wouldn't be any better now. It was not obscure when released. This was probably Altman's most hyped film. I remember it being a notable public flop - the film had a LOT of pre-release publicity, talk show appearances, advertising etc, and got lousy reviews and didn't make much money. I think it hurt Altman's career as well as Williams, at least temporarily. They used to show it on TV a lot in the 80s but I haven't noticed it recently.

[PF9]

It was one of the first of the "Dual Studio" features, in which both Paramount and Disney were involved in production (the plus side of Paramount's involvement was it allowed them to use the original opening to a 1930s Fleischer cartoon along with Jack Mercer's voice in the film's opening gag).

Actually, they probably needed permission from United Artists (who owned the cartoons at the time) to use that opening.

Speaking of UA, I think they might have been originally attached to international distribution rights, but probably balked at the idea of a family-oriented musical (something they weren't used to making), and so UA's rights would go to Disney (which were used to making family-oriented musicals).

So anyway, I think as part of WB's deal to release the Popeye cartoons on DVD, they should acquire the respective rights to the live action film from Paramount and Disney in time for a 30th (or 35th) anniversary DVD release of Robert Altman's director's cut, with a multitude of special features.

[Studio Toledo]

Actually, they probably needed permission from United Artists (who owned the cartoons at the time) to use that opening.

Speaking of UA, I think they might have been originally attached to international distribution rights, but probably balked at the idea of a family-oriented musical (something they weren't used to making), and so UA's rights would go to Disney (which were used to making family-oriented musicals).

So anyway, I think as part of WB's deal to release the Popeye cartoons on DVD, they should acquire the respective rights to the live action film from Paramount and Disney in time for a 30th (or 35th) anniversary DVD release of Robert Altman's director's cut, with a multitude of special features.
The movie did get a DVD release many years back. Not sure what else could you add on to that one I haven't seen before. This was one of those films I actually liked as a clueless 5 year old. Altman's style didn't feel out of place to me, and took it as part of the Popeye mythos with no questions asked. Paramount still holds home video rights to the film I believe.

[PF9]

The movie did get a DVD release many years back. Not sure what else could you add on to that one I haven't seen before. This was one of those films I actually liked as a clueless 5 year old. Altman's style didn't feel out of place to me, and took it as part of the Popeye mythos with no questions asked. Paramount still holds home video rights to the film I believe.

Yeah, but the DVD release (with the original theatrical version) left much to be desired (practically devoid of special features).

If WB were to acquire rights to the film (again which makes sense as they own the cartoons), then there would be a load of extras.

[Ray Pointer]

It was something of a mess. The "animation" in the opening title, while an imitation of the Fleischer cartoons was animated by Hanna-Barbera, and not that well. It goes without saying that the film was in the hands of the wrong director and writer. The pacing is all wrong, it is clunky and moves too slow. The sense of humor is largely missing, and most of all the songs are very forgetable. Had this been attempted 15 years later, digital effects such as those used in THE MASK could have made this more of a live action cartoon which it sadly was not. The POPEYE live action film played on cable television shortly after its release. It is because it was a poorly conceived vehicle that it seems mercifully unknown today to most people.

[FleischerFan]

As I was in my early 20's when the film opened, I perhaps had a slightly different view than some of you younger whippersnappers, er, posters.

I thought the average 7 minute Fleischer cartoon contained more action, excitement and laughs than all of the huge, bloated and unfunny Robert Altman film.

Altman's rambling, let-the-actors-do-whatever-they-want-and-the-story-be-damned style was just not a good mesh for Popeye.

I give him extra points for trying to include many of the Thimble Theater cast. Yes, Shelly Duvall was easily the best thing about the cast (and Ray Walston wasn't bad as Poopdeck Pappy).

The worst thing for me was the absolutely abysmal muscial score added by Harry Nillson - whose muscial style was totally out of joint with the comedy of either the Fleischers or Elzie Segar.

The film is still readily available on DVD. I've seen it at Wal-Mart and it's in the Disney Movie Club order catalog nearly every month. My guess is that its sales are respectable given the continuing marketability of Robin Williams and Popeye and the fact that many parents will buy their kids any old thing to serve as an electronic babysitter.

[Ray Pointer]

Once again, the suits were more impressed with "names" in an effort to "manufacture" success without understanding how these talents would be best applied to the property. Just as we have heard countless stories of the miscasting of actors, this was a prime example of a total miscasting of the creative team. One can only wonder what the executives were thinking when they made these decisions.

All this reminds me of the same thinking behind a favorite argument here about the application of CG. This is essentially the same thing. The use of people such as Altman, Fieffer, and Nillson was for the sake of using them for their name recognition for the sake of it without a realization of how their particular talent would best serve the property. Again, Altman obviously did not understand POPEYE nor its audience, and went off on his own which resulted in this boring and disappointing film. I am sure that in his mind it was a good effort for which he was paid very well. But in all fairness, I would say that the Art Directors did their jobs and that's about it.

[David Gerstein]

Have you guys seen this relatively unknown live action film? [...] it follows the original themes of the thimble theatre books (i.e. Popeye dislikes spinach).Sorry—nope.
In the original Thimble Theatre comics, Popeye liked spinach from the moment the theme was introduced to the strip. Having him dislike it was entirely a conceit of the live-action film. IMHO, this and other personality alterations were also a significant reason the movie flopped at a fundamental level; it's about a sailor who hasn't quite become Popeye, rather than the Popeye we care about.

[Ray Pointer]

Sorry—nope.
In the original Thimble Theatre comics, Popeye liked spinach from the moment the theme was introduced to the strip. Having him dislike it was entirely a conceit of the live-action film. IMHO, this and other personality alterations were also a significant reason the movie flopped at a fundamental level; it's about a sailor who hasn't quite become Popeye, rather than the Popeye we care about.


Once again, the reflection of the "powers that be." But isn't it amazing that these people are so well paid to fail?

[That 70s Mom]

One good thing to come from this film was a slew of Popeye merchandise. I still have the Popeye coffee mug that I picked up on clearance for less than a buck. :sailor:

[Jack G.]

I found it ironic that Fieffer wrote the foreward to Segar's Popeye vol. 1
in which he pretty much dismisses the animated version of Popeye.

As for this film, I just remember it being weird.
Adaptations of cartoons (Flintstones, Popeye) always seem infantile compared to the actual cartoons.

I think the Addams Family might be the only one that I like-
maybe because the characters weren't that developed in the gag panels.

[J Lee]

Actually, they probably needed permission from United Artists (who owned the cartoons at the time) to use that opening.


True, but what I meant was the involvement of Paramount allowed the use of the Fleischer titles intro the way they were originally done in the 1930s, and -- thanks to AAP -- hadn't been seen by almost anyone since that time. Had the film been released solely by Disney, or by a studio like Columbia or Fox, we wouldn't have seen the first authorized use of the original ship door opening in 39 years (and the next one would be in 2001, with the debut of The Popeye Show).

SCTV did a Siskel & Ebert parody about a year after the film came out making fun of Robert Altman for an awful version of the pantomime cartoon strip "Henry". So the dislike of his Popeye feature even extended across the border into Canada ("Henry" had pretty much gone away by 1981, but was well-known in the 30s through 60s and -- kind of appropriately for this parody -- was used by the Fleischers, like Popeye, as a guest star in a Betty Boop cartoon).

[J Lee]

I found it ironic that Fieffer wrote the foreward to Segar's Popeye vol. 1 in which he pretty much dismisses the animated version of Popeye.

Feiffer was a great newspaper panel cartoonist, but his attitude explained a lot of the cleave between the old-timers and the 'Young Turks' Gene Deitch brought in to Terrytoons, who had that UPA dismissiveness over the chase-and-violence formula the animated Popeyes developed and Warners Bros. later perfected.

As a fellow cartoonist, he loved what Segar had done, but instead of seeing the Fleischer's work as been both different (and necessary) to the creation of the successful cartoon series, he seemed miffed that the fame of the films had been locked inside the public's heads instead of the newspaper strip, and set about to write a story to reacquaint the public to Popeye's overall Thimble Theater universe, will virtually no acknowledgment of why the character was popular enough 45 years later so that two studios battled over the rights to make the movie (Max and Dave might have been able to get a more Segar-like feel and additional characters into the two-reelers -- the missed the boat, so to speak, by not trying to use the Sea Hag in one -- but the seven minute cartoons were just too short for anything like that, and their success shouldn't have been something Feiffer tried to willfully overlook).

[Studio Toledo]

It was something of a mess. The "animation" in the opening title, while an imitation of the Fleischer cartoons was animated by Hanna-Barbera, and not that well.
Just watching it right now, I can see why, but they tried their best with what little they had.

It goes without saying that the film was in the hands of the wrong director and writer. The pacing is all wrong, it is clunky and moves too slow. The sense of humor is largely missing, and most of all the songs are very forgetable. Had this been attempted 15 years later, digital effects such as those used in THE MASK could have made this more of a live action cartoon which it sadly was not.
I see what you mean. Sad they didn't think to say "let's wait a bit until we know we can DO it".

The POPEYE live action film played on cable television shortly after its release. It is because it was a poorly conceived vehicle that it seems mercifully unknown today to most people.
At least outside my age group perhaps! :D

[zavkram]

I never actually saw the film until many years after its initial release and at that time I HATED EVERY MOMENT OF IT! The insipid songs made me cringe and the action sequences came across to me as corny instead of funny. I think the only line in the movie that actually made me laugh was when Popeye, on being asked why he called "Swee'pea" by that particular name, retorts, "Whaddya wants me ta calls him, Baby Oyl?!" I haven't watched the film in any of its video incarnations.

Reading the above posts has made me reflect for a moment on the career of Robin Williams... It seems to me that casting directors and film producers really didn't know what to do with him. On the one hand he turned in really great, memorable performances in films such as Dead Poets Society, The World According to Garp and Good Morning Vietnam... and then, on the other hand, he was continuing to make dreck like Popeye, Jumanji, Mrs. Doubtfire and RV.

[Jack G.]

-- but the seven minute cartoons were just too short for anything like that, and their success shouldn't have been something Feiffer tried to willfully overlook).Yes, I basically understood that Feiffer wasn't willing to see that what Segar did might be difficult to do in the 7 minute format.

But what he contributed to (the movie) didn't exactly hit the mark, did it?

[geekzapoppin]

I'm gonna go against the tide here and publicly proclaim my love for this film.

Don't throw things.

I saw the film as an eight-year-old on opening day. I had the "making-of" book as well as the soundtrack to the film (on 8 Track!) I think what drew me to the film, even as a child, was the overall strangeness of it. It was unlike any film I'd seen before or since.

Does it have problems? A multitude. First and foremost, Disney and Paramount wanted a commercial children's film with mass appeal. So they hire Robert Altman? Really? Here's the thing: if you're going to hire Robert Altman, you're going to get a Robert Altman film. At this point in his career, and for most of the remainder of it, that meant lots of characters, overlapping dialogue, and plot being secondary to experiencing the characters. Does that make for a successful Popeye film? Nope, but it sure is interesting. Also, the film falls completely apart at the end. The main reason for this is that the film had gone so over-budget that when the studio suits saw the dailies and realized that they had an Altman picture and not something commercial, they freaked and insisted that Altman spend what little money was available to film a quick cartoon-like chase scene and fight between Bluto and Popeye. It's out of nowhere and completely out-of-step with the tone of the rest of the film. As much as I love Altman, he's largely to blame for this. Neither he nor Pfeiffer had any idea of how to construct a coherent plot for a movie with such (pardon the pun) two-dimensional characters. They had a set, actors, and songs and just threw caution to the wind. While they got some great and strange character moments, they didn't have much in the way of story. So the whole thing is kind of a mess; but I maintain that it's an interesting mess. It's a glorious failure and a completely unique film.

Again, don't throw things at me. :)

[Studio Toledo]

As much as I love Altman, he's largely to blame for this. Neither he nor Pfeiffer had any idea of how to construct a coherent plot for a movie with such (pardon the pun) two-dimensional characters. They had a set, actors, and songs and just threw caution to the wind. While they got some great and strange character moments, they didn't have much in the way of story. So the whole thing is kind of a mess; but I maintain that it's an interesting mess. It's a glorious failure and a completely unique film.

Again, don't throw things at me. :)
At least there's something in it for you. If anything, I probably looked at it as another view of Popeye I didn't see and/or recognized from the cartoons i was used to seeing before.

[FleischerFan]

Just got back from local Target and they had DVD copies of the live action POPEYE available for $5.50.

[ebrand11]

I saw the movie about six or seven years ago. I don't remember alot about it, but I do remember not liking it at all. I still have it taped off ABC Family. I should take another look at it and maybe see it in a new light.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

I like the Mad Magazine parody of this movie, titled "Flopeye". In the end the cartoon Popeye beats up the Robin Williams version and tells the audience, "I yam what I yam...but dat guy wasn't even close!"

[TheBlueHombre]

The movie theater that I saw the film in had a real lousy sound system and it was hard to understand anything happening in the movie. I have been wanting to watch it again just so I can hear what was going on.

I looked up Roger Ebert's review of Popeye and he gave it three and a half stars out of four. He really liked the film and his review can be found at this url:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19800101/REVIEWS/1010326/1023

Also, according to Wikipedia, the film's budget was about $20 million dollars and it ended up earning over $49 million. It wasn't a blockbuster, but it was financially successful.

[Studio Toledo]

The movie theater that I saw the film in had a real lousy sound system and it was hard to understand anything happening in the movie. I have been wanting to watch it again just so I can hear what was going on.

I looked up Roger Ebert's review of Popeye and he gave it three and a half stars out of four. He really liked the film and his review can be found at this url:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19800101/REVIEWS/1010326/1023

Also, according to Wikipedia, the film's budget was about $20 million dollars and it ended up earning over $49 million. It wasn't a blockbuster, but it was financially successful.
At least it made double it's budget.

[absolutpaul]

Popeye was one of the first movies I saw at a theatre, and I begged my mom to take me to it. I still like the movie today. I have problems with some of the plot and the songs; "I'm Mean" is not a good moment for Bluto. I do love the casting however. I think Williams did a fine job, considering no one could ever actually look or sound like Popeye. I remember seeing Shelly Duval on a morning talk show promoting the film, in costume, and demonstrating the Olive walk to the audience, who seemed to love it all. Wimpy, Pappy, Bluto and even the Oyls were nicely played, but I think some of the townpeople were a bit too corny. The boy who played Swea'pea was adorable. The fight scene with Bluto was a total waste of time - Bluto only gets ONE punch? The octopus got it worse, although I remember the flying octopus as being a riot in the theatre!

[cartoonfan4ever]

although I remember the flying octopus as being a riot in the theatre!

I remember seeing the movie in the theater and the audience loved that flying octopus as did I. I liked the movie when I was little, however I haven't seen it in over a decade (maybe 2). I think it will be interesting to see it again just to see how my opinion changes (or not). Especially now that I'm much more familiar with Popeye than I was at the time I saw the movie. (I was only about 6)

And I agree that Shelly Duval made the perfect Olive and I loved Swea'pea.

[PF9]

At least it made double it's budget.

More than double actually, and that's only the American box office intake.

[larriva9/11]

Be glad it wasn't made a generation later and by someone other than Altman; then you might have seen a lot of puke/fart/Farrelly-wannabe "wit" in the mix...

[Bobby Bickert]

Be glad it wasn't made a generation later and by someone other than Altman; then you might have seen a lot of puke/fart/Farrelly-wannabe "wit" in the mix...

Actually, the animatronic pelican farts in one scene.

[Jack G.]

So the whole thing is kind of a mess; but I maintain that it's an interesting mess. It's a glorious failure and a completely unique film.I'll agree it's interesting. Definately not boring.

Perhaps if I can rent it, I will.

[Studio Toledo]

Actually, the animatronic pelican farts in one scene.
I was about to mention that! I didn't think of it as a fart, more of a stupid bird dropping joke though it's shown somewhat off-camera if we could believe that. Still, it was only one, and thankfully never again in the film.

[Travis87]

i really liked it when i saw it as a kid but i bet if i saw it again there'd be entirely too much singing for my tastes.