[[quoteright:324:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Popeye_Ali_Baba-poster_6996.jpg]]

->''You better lock up your doors today,\\
cause [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Abu Hassan]] is on his way\\
Go in hiding, when I go riding,\\
There's me and my 40 thieves!''
-->-- Abu Hassan's opening VillainSong.

After the runaway success of the first ''[[Franchise/{{Popeye}} Popeye the Sailor]]'' color two-reeler, ''WesternAnimation/PopeyeTheSailorMeetsSindbadTheSailor'', it was only natural that Creator/FleischerStudios decide to immediately make a follow-up in [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1937]], ''Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves''.

The short begins with the villain of the picture, Abu Hassan (yet another blatant {{Expy}} of Bluto) and his gang of thieves riding through the desert (represented with an impressively made 3-D model set, not unlike those employed in ''Sindbad'') as Abu sings the opening VillainSong.

The film then cuts away to Popeye, Olive Oyl and Wimpy, who are just minding their business at a US Coastguard post, waiting for work, when they receive an emergency signal that Abu Hassan and his thieves are attacking a desert town. They quickly make it there in Popeye's [[CoolShip flying boat]], only for it to malfunction and crash land in the middle of the desert. After a night and morning of long walking, mirages and dreadful heat, they finally reach a desert town, where they settle down and have a meal. Cue Abu Hassan and his thieves showing up to ransack the town, prompting the wrath of Popeye as they kidnap Olive Oyl and Wimpy. Popeye chases them down into the Cave of Wonders, where the real fighting begins!

This short has fallen into the {{Public Domain|Animation}}, and can be watched on Website/YouTube [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miw_Jw7j2sE here]].

Due to the success of this second two-reeler, a third and final ''Popeye Color'' Special, ''WesternAnimation/AladdinAndHisWonderfulLamp'', would be made soon after.
-------------
!!''Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves'' provides examples of:
* AnimationBump: The scenes with the 3-D backgrounds.
* ArtifactTitle: Ali Baba does not appear in the short, and furthermore, the Thieves were his enemies in [[Literature/AliBabaAndTheFortyThieves the original story]]. His name is only in the title to make clear what the source material is.
* BadassNormal: Popeye can use his pipe as a blowtorch and beats up a shark, and that is BEFORE he eats spinach.
* BigEater: Wimpy, as usual.
** Hassan as well, given the big pile of food in front of him when he eats and has Wimpy chained up.
* BowledOver: Popeye at one point rolls into a bowling ball and knocks down a group of conveniently lined up guards like pins!
---> '''Popeye''': How does ''that'' [[{{Pun}} strike]] you?
* BraggingThemeTune: Abu Hassan's opening number.
* [[CallingYourAttacks Calling Your Stealing]]: The {{Mook}} thieves as they travel by their targets at high speeds.
* CardCarryingVillain: Abu Hassan freely admits during his opening number that he's "a terrible guy."
* ColossusClimb: A smaller version, done by Popeye to Abu Hassan.
* CoolShip: Popeye's flying boat from the first half.
* CurbStompBattle: Naturally, once Popeye is spinach-charged... but even by the series' standards, Popeye really mops the floor with all of them.
* CuttingTheKnot: When Popeye has difficulty remembering Abu Hassan's magic words to open the entrance to his cave, he just uses his pipe like a blowtorch to cut an opening into the rock.
* DamselInDistress: Olive Oyl, as usual.
* DarkReprise: The radio announcer sings the same song as Abu Hassan when warning listeners of his arrival, but while the original is boastful, the DJ is clearly scared out of his wits.
* DeadpanSnarker:
** Popeye's improvised mumbles can be quite amusing to listen to.
--->''"If I had some bread, I'd make a sandwich if I had a 'wich'..."''
** Wimpy has his moments too:
--->''"Popeye, Olive Oyl has collapsed completely..."''
* DigitalDestruction: Mostly averted, as the restored print stays very true to the original colors and features no DVNR damage -- aside from during Abu Hassan's opening number when he's twirling his sword in the air, although Creator/{{John K|ricfalusi}} pointed out in his blog that there was a slight color goof in the cave, in that the engineers pulled up all the purple in the film.
* TheDreaded: The townsfolk are quite aware of Abu Hassans' band, and the mere prospect of their approach has them all (and even inanimate objects) hiding at once.
* EliteMooks: The Forty Thieves can get up and keep fighting even after taking punches from a spinach-charged Popeye.
* FacePalm: The produce merchant after the thieves clean out his stall.
* FallingChandelierOfDoom: Abu Hassan drops a chandelier on Popeye and leaves him stuck in it while he and his Forty Thieves ransack the town.
* HollywoodMirage: While trekking through the desert, Wimpy sees a table covered with fruits and other delicacies. Unfortunately, when he jumps for it, the mirage fades away and Wimpy ends up face first in the sand.
* HypocriticalHumor: Wimpy manages to steal roast chickens from under Abu Hassan's nose. When Hassan sees the food missing, he grumbles:
--->'''Abu Hassan:''' "Must be ''thieves'' around here!"
* ImpossibleThief: The Forty Thieves steal the stripes off a barber pole, a set of gold teeth right out of a man's mouth, and a goldfish bowl right out from beneath the fish inside the bowl.
** Abu Hassan himself yanks off Popeye's belt without unclasping it. Not to be outdone, Popeye snatches Hassan's underwear from beneath his clothes.
---> '''Popeye''': "Abu hasn't got 'em anymore!"
** Wimpy won't let being wrapped with chains prevent him from stealing food from under Abu Hassan's nose!
* LightningBruiser: A result of Brutus/Bluto as Abu Hassan and his thieves' SuperSpeed.
* TheLoad: Wimpy, as always.
* MookChivalry: Abu Hassan has his 40 thieves charge popeye the first time in a 40 man long straight line. [[AttackPatternAlpha "Forty man file!!!]]
* MoralMyopia: When Wimpy is stealing food from behind Abu Hassan's back, Abu remarks "[[HypocriticalHumor Must be thieves around here]]!"
* MotionBlur: Utilized during Abu Hassan's raid on the village and Popeye's fight. Notable in that this was one of the earliest examples of this technique in animation.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: The same MusicalSting accompanying Abu Hassan opening the cave accompanies Popeye opening his can of Spinach.
* OpenSesame: How Hassan opens up the entrance to his thieves' den.
** OpenSaysMe: How Popeye opens up his can of Spinach.
* ParrotExpowhat: When Popeye hears Hassan say "OpenSesame", his response is a confused "Open what?".
* PublicDomainAnimation
* RuleOfFunny: How a Mako shark ends up in a subterranean cave in the middle of an ''Arabian Desert.''
* SceneryPorn: The 3-D model sets used at several points of the film. The hand-painted backgrounds aren't too shabby, either.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Upon hearing the Abu Hassan is on his way to town, everybody and ''[[AnimateInanimateObject everything]]'' runs off to find a place to hide.
* SharkPool: Popeye is dangled over one of these. After dispatching the shark, he busts out his spinach to escape.
* SpinAttack: When the Mooks line up in twos to assault Popeye, the latter introduces the world to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII the Spinning Clothesline]] about sixty years ahead of schedule.
* StockFootage: Parts of this cartoon would be recycled for the 1950 Creator/FamousStudios short "Popeye Makes a Movie", which builds the clips around a FramingDevice that Popeye is, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well, making a movie]].[[note]]The other two color specials were also recycled for later Famous Studios shorts.[[/note]]
* SuperSpeed: Abu Hassan and his thieves move blindingly fast.
* TriumphantReprise: After clobbering Hassan and the thieves, Popeye proudly sings to the tune of his theme, "I may be a shorty, but I licked the forty! I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!"
* UniversalAdaptorCast: With Brutus/Bluto playing the role of Abu Hassan.
* VillainSong: Abu Hassan's opening song.
----