The Popeye Show - 11/12/01

[Brian Cruz]

"Sock-A-Bye, Baby" (01/19/34)
"The Jeep" (07/15/38)
"Fightin Pals" (07/12/40)

It was great seeing the original opening and closing titles, but the prints used didn't seem any better than those that appear on LNB&W. Also, the production values on the show appear to be very low. The opening sequence and graphics were pretty unsophisticated. Nevertheless, I'm still grateful for the opportunity to see 3 complete Popeye cartoons each week.

[J Lee]

Since the opening Paramount title on "The Jeep" did not feature the "Stereoptical Process" patent notice all the of the mid-30s Popeyes had, odds are at least some of the prints are the ones used by AAP, but cleaned up and with the Paramount opening and closing logos digitally edited in, which -- if that's the case -- were very well done IMHO.

If they ever show the four Popeyes from 1939 with the weird openings -- "Wotta Nightmare," "It's the Natural Thing To Do," Hello, How Am I" and "Ghosks Is The Bunk" we'll know for sure whether they're the AAP prints or the originals restored, since there's no way to digitally edit in those titles from another cartoon.

Also, Late Night Black & White tonight presented a nice contrast to "The Popeye Show," since CN marked Veteran's Day by airing a series of the World War II Popeyes, in their unrestored versions (and with the end music cut off).

[NickM]

I'm very pleased to at least see these Popeye toons in their original form (or at least very close to their original form, as JLee pointed out).

As for quality, I guess it's OK considering the sources are 60-70 years old, it's kinda expected I guess.

At least CN is putting more effort into this than "Chuck Jones Show"

I'll definately be looking forward to next week's show.

NickM

[salmonofknowledge]

Hi, this is my first post on these boards!

I'm psyched about this new show because , in addition to the black-and-white classics we see every week on LNB&W, the door is open for the '30's Technicolor two-reelers!:D

[Mibbitmaker]

However the restoring process was done, I noticed, particularly in the middle one(Jeep), the sound quality was much improved. Popeye's mumbles were quite crisp. And the last one's opening with the ship was the first time I ever saw the different lettering from that era.

I didn't take note of the relative sophistication of the opening of the show(I'll give it a closer look next week). I was happy to see they packaged the show - informationally, that is - like the Clampett show and TH, especially given how they wasted the opportunity on the Jones show.

And the LNB&W - icing on the cake! :) :) :) :)

[Sogturtle]

Originally posted by salmonofknowledge
Hi, this is my first post on these boards!

I'm psyched about this new show because , in addition to the black-and-white classics we see every week on LNB&W, the door is open for the '30's Technicolor two-reelers!:D

Hi Salmonofknowledge, and welcome aboard!!!

As well as the three Fleischer Technicolor two-reelers they could go after something vastly more rare... "The Man Who Hated Laughter" (1972) which starred Popeye as the hero, but co-starred 50 other King Features comic characters!!! This one hour (A Saturday Superstar Movie) was directed by none other than Jack Zander, former early Harman-Ising, Van Buren and early MGM-Hanna-Barbera animator. What is even more relevant is that amongst the 50 cartoon co-stars were the Katzenjammer Kids, whom Zander had animated for MGM 34 years previously!!!

[Mibbitmaker]

OMG -- I remember that one!

This is a great place to jog my memory from those times.

[hiphats]

It was a sheer joy to finally be able to see the "Popeye" cartoons presented as they were originally intended (more or less).

I do agree that the Paramount logos with the "stereoscopical" (my spelling ain't correct!) credits to certain cartoons could not be located, and in many cases the black and white Paramount logos were digitally edited in, but it was just great to experience the cartoons as the public first saw them back then...or at least re-create the experience.

If some of the elements to the original titles have been lost, then thank God we can at least re-create them with stock Paramount titles, the way Turner did the color ones.

The REAL "Popeye" show is here to stay.

[Argus Sventon]

Originally posted by J Lee
Since the opening Paramount title on "The Jeep" did not feature the "Stereoptical Process" patent notice all the of the mid-30s Popeyes had, odds are at least some of the prints are the ones used by AAP, but cleaned up and with the Paramount opening and closing logos digitally edited in, which -- if that's the case -- were very well done IMHO.

If they ever show the four Popeyes from 1939 with the weird openings -- "Wotta Nightmare," "It's the Natural Thing To Do," Hello, How Am I" and "Ghosks Is The Bunk" we'll know for sure whether they're the AAP prints or the originals restored, since there's no way to digitally edit in those titles from another cartoon.

Also, Late Night Black & White tonight presented a nice contrast to "The Popeye Show," since CN marked Veteran's Day by airing a series of the World War II Popeyes, in their unrestored versions (and with the end music cut off).

The opening to "The Jeep" was almost exactly like the opening logo to "Sock a Bye Baby". However, remember that "Protek the Weakerist" has it's opening logo intact, so maybe CN decided not to stick it on "The Jeep" because of the fact that "The Jeep" didn't feature the 3D backgrounds.

However, they did get the right openings and closings for the 1940 cartoon. I can't wait for the WWII era cartoons to air.

The narrator, Bill Murray (not the movie star), his voice was so quiet, I could barely hear him. He could easily put someone to sleep.

[Argus Sventon]

Also, the graphics were done in a "kiddie show" manner, which added to the show's flavor.

[Bum]

Originally posted by J Lee
Since the opening Paramount title on "The Jeep" did not feature the "Stereoptical Process" patent notice all the of the mid-30s Popeyes had, odds are at least some of the prints are the ones used by AAP, but cleaned up and with the Paramount opening and closing logos digitally edited in, which -- if that's the case -- were very well done IMHO.

If they ever show the four Popeyes from 1939 with the weird openings -- "Wotta Nightmare," "It's the Natural Thing To Do," Hello, How Am I" and "Ghosks Is The Bunk" we'll know for sure whether they're the AAP prints or the originals restored, since there's no way to digitally edit in those titles from another cartoon.


Do we know for sure that every cartoon from this era had the "stereoptical" notice on the logo, or was it just the ones that actually have the 3-d backgrounds?

Also, I thinks it's safe to assume that "Fightin Pals" wasn't an AAP print [along with any other 1940-41 releases they may end up showing in the future], just due to the fact that the long-missing "Paramount Presents a Max Fleischer Cartoon" graphic has been restored. I'm not sure about the other two older ones that were shown, but if they WERE re-created openings & closings, they were done nearly perfect!

[J Lee]

I'll admit my viewing of the 1930s Fleischer cartoons with their original logos is limited -- there would be no big deal about "The Popeye Show" if it wasn't -- but of the 1935-38 Color Classic and Betty Boop cartoons I have seen the original openings on (along with the redrawn of "Protekt the Weakerest") they've all included the Fleischer patent notice.

That doesn't mean there couldn't be an oddity here or there that wouldn't have had it -- Warners did several LT and MM openings over the years that had either non-standard opening music or graphics -- but the Fleischers were pretty proud of the table top device, and the patent notice for it survived on the color cartoons all the way to the Superman series in 1941-42, even when those cartoons didn't use the stereoptical process.

It just seemed, IMHO, that the first and last cartoons did have their original graphics, while "The Jeep" borrowed the opening Paramount title from "Sock-A-Bye Baby" and the closing title from "Fightin' Pals." But it's really not that big a deal, other than to have fun playing 'spot the digital edit' while playing back the VCR, and even if it is, it looks so much better than either the old AAP versions or the clipped ending ones CN was showing, I have no complaints (and if you look at some of the color Popeyes that were fully restored and didn't have their Paramount titles digitally edited in, the prints are very dark compared to the old AAP have scratches at the start and finish. Even with those flaws I still prefer them to the ones shown on TV between 1957 and 1990).

[Argus Sventon]

"The Jeep" appeared to have a end Paramount logo similar to the lettering used on "Protek the Weakerist".

Wonder if Paramount would like to re-do the opening logo on the live action Popeye movie.

[Captain Caps]

Wonder if Paramount would like to re-do the opening logo on the live action Popeye movie.-quoted by Argus Sventon

I wouldn't put it past them. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" now has the computer-animated Paramount logo pasted over the fade-in logo.

Sincerely,

John "Captain Caps" Kilduff

[J Lee]

Many owners of movie studios, like totalitarian dictatorships, like to rewrite history to suit their needs, which is why opening and closing credits tend to get ripped off and replaced all the time.

If Paramount ever decided to restore the 1929-50 non-Popeye/Superman cartoons they own with the original titles, I'd lay 2-1 odds the opening title would end up saying "A Viacom Company" at the bottom just to make Sumner Redstone happy...

[Sogturtle]

Originally posted by J Lee
Many owners of movie studios, like totalitarian dictatorships, like to rewrite history to suit their needs, which is why opening and closing credits tend to get ripped off and replaced all the time.

If Paramount ever decided to restore the 1929-50 non-Popeye/Superman cartoons they own with the original titles, I'd lay 2-1 odds the opening title would end up saying "A Viacom Company" at the bottom just to make Sumner Redstone happy...

True John... Buuuuuut if they'd change the name of the company to "Paramount-CBS" (an accurate description) it'd be a lot less offensive though... ;)

[Mike]

Originally posted by hiphats
I do agree that the Paramount logos with the "stereoscopical" (my spelling ain't correct!) credits to certain cartoons could not be located, and in many cases the black and white Paramount logos were digitally edited in, but it was just great to experience the cartoons as the public first saw them back then...or at least re-create the experience.

I really enjoyed the show too. And, though no one's mentioned it, I could have sworn there was footage in "Sock-a-Bye Baby" I'd never seen before! But I loved seeing the original (or close enough) titles to these cartoons. It was great seeing the original inkwell ending to "Sock-a-Bye Baby," and my jaw dropped seeing the original opening to "Fightin' Pals." And I, too, noticed how much clearer Popeye's mutterings seemed in "The Jeep."

All in all, a great special.....

Mike