 |
| Available at Amazon.com |
If you’re confused by seeing both Popeye The Sailor: Volume Two and Popeye & Friends: Volume One released on the same day, you’ve come to the place to clear things up. These are both official releases and not public domain collections. Popeye The Sailor: Volume Two contains the 31 theatrical shorts produced from 1938 – 1940. Popeye & Friends: Volume One features eight shorts made for the The All-New Popeye Hour that ran from 1977-83.
Popeye & Friends: Volume One‘s animation was done by Hanna-Barbera. Their low budget tricks are a major step down from the innovative Fleischer shorts. There’s plenty of dead space on the screen. Characters move as slow as Keith Richards. There’s too many of shots of the background image. By the time they drew the series, violence wasn’t completely taboo on Saturday morning cartoons. However they toned down the fights between Popeye and Bluto. These cartoons are subpar when compared to the original black and white shorts. Thankfully the stories on this collection don’t completely update the characters. They attempt to keep traditional settings instead of 1970’s hotspots like discos, trampoline parks and Plato’s Retreat. They fight it out at state fairs, the ocean, frozen ponds and a bland Manhattan. Olive Oyl doesn’t wear leg warmers or clogs.
What makes these cartoons special is Jack Mercer returns to the microphone as Popeye. This would be his final turn as the superstar sailor. Other contributing voices include Allan Melvin (Sam the Butcher from The Brady Bunch), Lennie Weinrib (H.R. Pufnstuf), Daws Butler (Yogi Bear), Don Messick (Scooby-Doo), Jean Vander Pyl (Wilma Flintstone) and Janet Waldo (Judy Jetson). It’s Melvin who gets to pipe Bluto. This is a natural choice for the brutish ape-man since Melvin originated Magilla Gorilla.
The major downside of Popeye and Friends is its incredibly short running time of 67 minutes. By the time you start watching the DVD, it’s practically over. Popeye & Friends: Volume One is more for viewers that grew up watching The All-New Popeye Hour on Saturday mornings and those extremely devoted to the sailor. For the causal fan of naval mayhem, you’ll be much more satisfied with Popeye The Sailor: Volume Two.
Shorts
“Abject Flying Object,” “Ship Ahoy,” “I Wouldn’t Take That Mare to the Fair on a Dare,” “Popeye Goes Sightseeing,” “Chips Off the Old Ice Block,” “Popeye the Plumber,” “Swee’pea Plagues a Parade,” and “Polly Wants Some Spinach.”
The shorts are 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers appear to be taken from the original broadcast Masters. They’re not sharp. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. The barebone mixes don’t have much dynamic range. There are dubs in Spanish, Portuguese and Thai. The subtitles are in English, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and Thai.
None.
Popeye & Friends: Volume One is for the hardcore fanatic and not the casual viewer. If you really want to know why Popeye cartoons are thought of as works of art, you’ll be better off grabbing Popeye The Sailor: Volume Two.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Warner Home Video presents Popeye & Friends: Volume One. Starring: Jack Mercer, Allan Melvin, Lennie Weinrib, Daws Butler & Don Messick. Running time: 67 minutes. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: June 17, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
About Joe Corey
