Favorite 1933-1938 Popeye Cartoons?

[Marty26]

I got the Popeye DVD Set, covering his cartoons from 1933-1938. What are some of your favorite cartoons from that era? I'd like to do a CDOTW for one on Sunday.

[tristar]

I've always liked Adventures of Popeye on disc 2, and Learn Polikeness on disc 4.

Also, A Clean Shaven Man on disc 3 is pretty good too.

[Steve Siegert]

I have plenty of favorites on that particular set. In fact, there isn't a single bad cartoon on that set. All the following listed below are among what I consider to be the best of that DVD set.

Popeye the Sailor
I Yam What I Yam
Sock-a-Bye Baby
The Man on the Flying Trapeze
Can You Take It
Shoein' Hosses
A Dream Walking
We Aim to Please
Beware of Barnacle Bill
Choose Your Weppins
For Better or Worser
You Gotta Be a Football Hero
Adventures of Popeye
A Clean Shaven Man
Brotherly Love
I-Ski Love-Ski You-Ski
Bridge Ahoy
What - No Spinach?
Never Kick a Woman
Little Swee'Pea
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor
The Paneless Window Washer
Hospitaliky
Protek the Weakerist
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves

[LooneyFan]

Axe Me Another
A Dream Walking
Vim, Vigor, and Vitaliky
A Clean Shaven Man
Brotherly Love
Protek the Weakerist
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Theives
Fowl Play
Learn Polikeness
The House Bulider-Upper
Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh

and I know this cartoon isn't on the first Popeye set, but "Cops is Always Right" is my absolute favorite Popeye cartoon for it witty comebacks from Popeye to the cop and it's funny animation. :D

[Bradskey]

Axe Me Another and Beware of Barnacle Bill are a couple of easy favorites among many. But I'm a musician and really enjoy the musical aspects.

[Matt the Y]

Popeye the Sailor
I Yam What I Yam
Can You Take It?
A Dream Walking
Bridge Ahoy!
Hold the Wire
The Spinach Roadster
Hospitaliky (not as good as the Famous remake, "For Better or Nurse", though)
Let's Celebrake
Bulldozing the Bull

[Marty26]

Popeye The Sailor and Beware Of Barnacle Bill I saw just a few days ago. Both are very good cartoons. It's odd, though, that PTS is considered a Betty Boop cartoon since she only really has a minor supporting role in the cartoon.

[tristar]

Popeye The Sailor and Beware Of Barnacle Bill I saw just a few days ago. Both are very good cartoons. It's odd, though, that PTS is considered a Betty Boop cartoon since she only really has a minor supporting role in the cartoon.IIRC Popeye was just a one-shot character in a Betty Boop cartoon adapted from Segar's comics, but auduences adored his screen persona so he got his own series shortly afterwards.

[quack-up]

I like "A Dream Walking" and "L'il Swee'pea"

[Ray Pointer]

There are so many of them that I love. But the funniest that comes to mind is A DATE TO SKATE. I still ache from laughter at OLIVE'S antics on skates.

[tristar]

There are so many of them that I love. But the funniest that comes to mind is A DATE TO SKATE. I still ache from laughter at OLIVE'S antics on skates.Oh yeah, I've seen that one so many times over the years on various PD tapes, I forgot to even mention that one! I think that's my no. 1.

[dandu]

I have many favorites including

A Date To Skate
Sock A Bye Baby
Sinbad The Sailor
Ali Baba And His 40 Thieves
The Man On The Flying Trapeeze
For Better Or Worser (If it's sped up it is funnier!)
Axe Me Another
The Dance Contest

[gdX]

I've gotta go with Goonland.

[Marty26]

IIRC Popeye was just a one-shot character in a Betty Boop cartoon adapted from Segar's comics, but auduences adored his screen persona so he got his own series shortly afterwards.

In that case, it would seem all the more odd that he had so much screentime. Although Betty Boop singing the second half of the cartoon's theme music does suggest that he was initially intended to be nothing more than a one-shot.

I'm honestly amazed Jack Mercer was able to voice Popeye for more than 40 years. I can imagine, by the late-70's, there would've had to have been some studio tricks done to make his voice sound "right." That goes for June Foray, too, who was still voicing Granny as late as 2005.

[FleischerFan]

IIRC Popeye was just a one-shot character in a Betty Boop cartoon adapted from Segar's comics, but auduences adored his screen persona so he got his own series shortly afterwards.
I think you are mistaken. Paramount would hardly have gone through all of the negotiations with King Features to simply produce a “one-shot.”

Booking cartoons back in the day was a tricky business. Exhibitors wanted proven commodities. You know, box office draw. Anything new was looked on with suspicion.

That’s one reason why the initial Silly Symphonies from Disney were officially titled “MICKEY MOUSE Presents a Silly Symphony.”

Warners had a way around it by simply having two series (Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies), so they could introduce new characters whenever they wanted to.

But the Fleischers had to be clever. So the pilot for the proposed Popeye series was disguised as a Betty Boop cartoon. That way they could get it into theaters already committed to Boop cartoons. But Betty appears in what is a really a cameo role rather early in the cartoon and then is never seen again. The rest of the cartoon is essentially a Popeye cartoon, with Betty not even appearing for the iris out at the end.

Obviously, “Popeye the Sailor” was a big hit and the Popeye series was officially launched with “I Yam What I Yam.” But it was always the intention of Paramount & the Fleischers that Popeye become a series, not a one-shot.

The studio was hoping for a repeat of that formula when they also created Betty Boop cartoons that featured Henry, Little Jimmy, and the Little King. All were proposed series, however the initial Boop cartoons failed to click with the audience and series plans were scrapped.


Now, on to my favorite Popeyes from the first DVD set. This initial group are the absolute “gold standard” – among the finest Hollywood cartoons ever produced.


A Dream Walking
Popeye Meets Sinbad the Sailor
Lost and Foundry
This second batch is personal favorites – just a notch below the group I listed above.


The Man on the Flying Trapeze
Shoein’ Hosses
Shiver Me Timbers
Axe Me Another
Beware of Barnacle Bill
Choose Yer Weppins
Adventures of Popeye
The Spinach Overture
A Clean Shaven Man
Let’s Get Movin’
Never Kick a Woman
Popeye Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves

[captchucky]

I love "The King of the Mardi Gras!" The song is wonderful and the roller coaster sequence has the feel of old wooden roller coaster, with real sounding roller coaster sound effects! No other cartoon captures a roller coaster this well.