Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Any idea when we can preorder this? Amazon and the other retailers don't seem to have it listed yet.

Jack

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

This is magnificent, but I'd give my left arm and leg for the equivalent Betty Boop set.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

I'm very curious as to what content isn't suitable for children. I've only seen this series on TV so I'm sure there's stuff I've missed, but I can't imagine what that might be. More violence perhaps?

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

I have the impression that when Looney Tunes or this Popeye set run the disclaimer "not suitable for children," they're referring to some of those moments that could be construed as racist (or not politically correct in some manner.)

It's ironic, because the entire lesson Popeye teaches isn't suitable for children OR adults -- i.e., the best way to solve problems is to grow muscles and beat the crap out of whoever's aggravating you.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

I'm fairly sure it's in reference to the violence. There's a bit of sterotyping in Popeye Meets Ali Baba, but that never kept it off the air. It's really funny to see how many Looney Tunes were edited for violence on TV, yet Popeye usually aired uncut (besides colorization and AAP titles).

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

So you would describe Bluto trying to beat Popeye to death and rape Olive Oyl as simply "aggravating" them. I think the "lesson" of these films might be that you shouldn't be a bully or a rapist. They are also extremely funny and probably the best cartoon shorts of the 1930's. Maybe you should stick with Disney cartoons if you seem to be upset about the "lesson" of cartoons.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Disney was the first major studio to release DVDs of classic shorts with politically incorrect content accompanied by an appropriate disclaimer via their Walt Disney Treasures line. Prior to that, they had released some of their features in a censored form, which I hope they rectify at some point.

Regards,

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

It was probably a little premature to put the declaimer on this Vol.I set. You'll need it for the Vol.II set, which will contain (hopefully) all the WWII shorts depicting negativity towards Japanese (short "You're A Sap, Mr. Jap" is a good enough example).

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

"Your a Sap..." was one of the earliest Famous Studios Popeyes, so it might not make it out until 2008.

Regards,

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

So if you believe that eating spinach turns an old, scrawny sailor into some kind of Superman, and that beating up people is the best way to solve problems (even though the problem is back again in the very next cartoon), go ahead. See if I care.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

It was their first actually, but I think the second volume, if it also will contain 60 shorts, should contain this short, as there are about 40 Fleischer shorts left over.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

"You're A Sap..." may be from Famous, but the second volume of Popeye will surely stretch into the war years, and there will be plenty of stereotyping. From 1942 on, since we got involved in WWII in December, 1941.

Who'd we fight? Germans and Japanese. So even German jokes (Hitler) are never seen on TV. Did Popeye ever fight Hitler?

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

I wonder if the 2nd volume will also have the 14 B&W Famous Studios cartoons. That would at least allow a closer amount of cartoons as the first volume and give a better cut-off point.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

I remember early on when this set was in the "rumblings" phase, Jerry Beck or someone at the Golden Age Cartoons Forum had mentioned that the B&W Famous shorts would be included in Vol. 2. I might be dreaming but I'm pretty damn sure I read that on one of the animation forums.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

That's possibly correct, with the color Famous shorts being released next year. From a few days ago, here's from http://store.goldenagecartoons.com/dvdnews/

"Warner Home Video's first volume of classic Popeye is due in July... Expect it to include the first 60 Fleischer Popeye cartoons, including two of the three Technicolor 2-reelers A Volume 2 is expected around November (and is expected to be released alongside Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 5). Two more volumes, collecting the color Famous Studios shorts, are planned for 2008."


Somehow I've missed out on that website (goldenagecartoons.com) for all of this time, but what a great resource!

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Actually, that is correct. Here you go, from http://forums.goldenagecartoons.com/...1&page=2&pp=10 :

"One of my ASIFA-SF newsletters from a few months ago (maybe September?) has a quote from Jerry saying that the order will be as follows:

VOLUME 1: First 60 Fleischers, including 2 of the 3 Technicolor 2-reelers
VOLUME 2: Remainder of B&W Fleischers (and Aladdin), plus all 14 B&W Famous (63 total)
VOLUME 3: Famous Studios, color, 1940s (46 total)
VOLUME 4: Famous Studios, color, 1950s (62 total)"

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

There's also a couple of later (postwar) color shorts featuring Popeye going up against stereotypical African natives (depicted as cannibals)

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

They better run a disclaimer. I personally would not want to be the studio executive who gets the cannibals mad at me...

Regards,

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

*passes out*

Best news I've read in ages!

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

http://www.homemediaretailing.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2

"Bonus features include commentaries with historians, animators and filmmakers; “Behind the Toons” featurettes; the new documentaries “I Yam What I Am: The Story of Popeye the Sailor Man,” “The Evolution of Animation: The History of the Fleischer Studios” and “Max Fleischer and the New York Style”; bonus Popeye shorts and bonus Fleischer cartoons."


That last line, "bonus Fleischer cartoons" sound great! I wonder what cartoons it's referring to. Maybe some public domain shorts (hopefully) restored? Any extra Fleischer is good news to my ears.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Yeah, a "Boop bonus" would be nice.

;D

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

If WHV plans to include some of the public domain Boops (or other PD Fleischers), I hope they at least try to get decent prints. Thankfully, some of the best are in the public domain, so maybe we can finally see good quality video for Minnie the Moocher, Snow-White, and I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You (three of the best Boops).

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

According to http://www.videobusiness.com/blog/1650000165.html : bonus Fleischer cartoons, including "Poor Cinderella," "Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy" and "Superman."

Very cool!

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

I just can't wait til July 31st!! This collection is a dream!!

I hope also they might release as "a companion" a Popeye CD with all the wonderful music. Otherwise, I guess I'll be replaying "The Man On the Flying Trapeze" to death on my DVD player.

As a side note, this collection contains 60 cartoons, and I heard there were 68 cartoons released from 1933 to 1938, and that eight of those cartoons were "lost in a fire." The old "lost in a fire" gag, the same fire that consumed all the uncensored Tom and Jerry shorts that magically reappeared for the reissues.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Actually, the camera negatives to the pre-1950 Tom & Jerry cartoons (as well as all MGM cartoons before 1950) really were lost in a warehouse fire. I've never heard about lost Popeye cartoons, but I think there's one or two Betty Boop cartoons that are sort of lost (one is "Buzzy Boop" but prints exist).

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Jerry Beck has posted the currently planned extras on his website, cartoonbrew.com:

It will include the original main title, unseen for 70 years, to Popeye The Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves and:

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 Historian Jerry Beck
• Sock-a-Bye, Baby by Historian Glenn Mitchell
• Can You Take It by Filmmaker Greg Ford
• A Dream Walking by Director Eric Goldberg

Full Length Documentary
I 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
• Domestic Difficulties [1916 Bud Fisher 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 Historian Glenn Mitchell
• The Spinach Overture by Historian Daniel Goldmark

Full Length Documentary
Forging the Frame: The Roots of Animation, 1900-1920

Popumentaries
• Wimpy the Moocher: Ode to the Burgermeister
• Sailor’s Hornpipes: The Voices of Popeye
• Bobby Bumps Puts a Beanery on the Bum [1918 Bray Short]
• Feline Follies [1919 Pat Sullivan Short]
• The Tantalizing Fly [1919 Bray short]

Disc 3

Commentaries:
• A Clean Shaven Man by Writer 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 K., Eddie and Kali
• 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 [1921 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Invisible Ink [1921 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Bubbles [1922 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Jumping Beans [1922 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Bed Time [1923 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Trapped [1923 Out of the Inkwell short]

Disc 4

Commentaries:
• Lost and Foundry by John K., Eddie and Kali
• Protek the Weakerist by Jerry Beck
• Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves by John K., Eddie and Kali

Popumentaries
• Me Lil’ Swee’Pea: Whose Kid is He Anyway?
• Et Tu, Bluto? Cartoondom’s Heaviest Heavy

From The Vault:
• A Trip to Mars [1924 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Koko Trains ‘Em [1925 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Koko Back Tracks [1927 Out of the Inkwell short]
• Let’s Sing with Popeye [1933 Fleischer short]

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Wow! This is going to be one awesome release!

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

So no Betty Boop other than the first short. Too bad about that.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Jerry Beck also confirms that there are no 'lost' Popeye cartoons ; that is purely an urban legend.

Re: Popeye the Sailor: Volume 1 (1933-1938) 7/31

Is Popeye Meets Sinbad going to be Ultra Resolution?