Recap / Popeye

Filmography recap page for the Popeye theatrical cartoons made by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios from 1933 to 1957.

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1933

• Popeye the Sailor: Billed as a Betty Boop cartoon, but is really a Poorly Disguised Pilot for the Popeye cartoons.
• 'I Yam What I Yam': The first solo Popeye short. Renamed "The Indian Fighter" in reissued prints. Wimpy makes his debut here. First Cartoon without Bluto.
• 'Blow Me Down!': Public Domain.
• 'I Eats My Spinach': First Popeye short with Mae Questel voicing Olive Oyl. Only Popeye short to bear the NRA (National Recovery Association) logo.
• 'Seasin's Greetinks!'
• 'Wild Elephinks'

1934

• 'Sock-a-Bye Baby': First Popeye short with neither Olive Oyl nor Bluto. Features Popeye caring for Betty Boop's baby brother.
• 'Let's You and Him Fight': Trope Namer of Let's You and Him Fight
• 'The Man on the Flying Trapeze': Sole animated appearance of Olive Oyl's mother, in the opening. Bluto does not appear here, although the eponymous man on the flying trapeze is an obvious stand-in for him.
• 'Can You Take It?': A short that bears some similarities to Bimbo's Initiation.
• 'Shoein' Hosses'
• 'Strong to the Finich': Public Domain.
• 'Shiver Me Timbers'
• 'A Dream Walking': Features the Bing Crosby song "Did You Ever See A Dream Walking?", flawlessly synchronized with the animation.
• 'Axe Me Another'
• 'Let's Sing With Popeye': A Screen Songs short featuring a sing-along version of the Popeye song. Recycles footage from the very first Popeye short. Public Domain.
• The Two-Alarm Fire'
• 'The Dance Contest'
• 'We Aim to Please': Public Domain. First time Wimpy says, "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

1935

• 'Beware of Barnacle Bill'
• 'Be Kind to Aminals': A bizarre short, if just because the Fleischers opted for a completely unsolicited change in voice, with Popeye's radio voice (Floyd Buckley) playing the role here (who sounds absolutely nothing like Popeye).
• 'Pleased to Meet Cha!'
• 'The Hyp-Nut-Tist'
• Choose Your 'Weppins'
• 'For Better of Worser': First Popeye short to use the 3-Dimensional Setback, which was a giant stop-motion turntable with a model set mounted on top, with cels superimposed seamlessly over it, to create a startling illusion of depth.
• 'Dizzy Divers'
• 'You Gotta Be A Football Hero': Last Popeye short with William Costello as the Popeye voice.
• 'Adventures of Popeye': A cheater short, recycling footage from "Popeye the Sailor", "Wild Elephinks" and "Axe Me Another". It is interesting for its Framing Device, with some brief Roger Rabbit Effect moments.
• 'King of the Mardi Gras': First Popeye cartoon to have Jack Mercer voicing the character. Uses the 3-Dimensional Setback.
• 'The Spinach Overture': Cameo appearance by Castor Oil.

1936

• 'Vim, Vigor, and Vitaliky'
• 'A Clean Shaven Man': Notable for having artist Jack Kirby working on it as an Assistant animator, during his extremely brief tenure at Fleischer Studios.
• 'Brotherly Love'
• 'I-Ski Love-Ski You-Ski': Features usage of the 3-D setback.
• 'Bridge Ahoy!': Uses the 3-D Setback.
• 'What-No Spinach?': Public Domain.
• 'I Wanna Be a Lifeguard': Uses the 3-D setback. Public Domain.
• 'Let's Get Movin'': Uses the 3-D setback.
• 'Never Kick a Woman': First and only Fleischer cartoon in which Olive Oyl eats Popeye's spinach to overcome her adversary. Public Domain.
• 'Popeye the Sailor with Little Swee'Pea': Debut of Swee'Pea in the cartoons. Uses the 3-D setback. Public Domain.
• 'Hold the Wire': The second and final Popeye cartoon to have Jack Kirby as an assistant animator.
• 'The Spinach Roadster'
• Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor: First color Popeye, first of the three Two-reeler features. Uses the 3-D Setback. One of The 50 Greatest Cartoons. Public Domain.
• 'I'm in the Army Now': Clip show episode, with footage from "Blow Me Down", "Shoein' Hosses", "Choose Your Weppins", and "King of the Mardi Gras". Public Domain.

1937

• The Paneless Window Washer: Public Domain.
• Organ Grinder's Swing
• My Artistical Temperature: Uses the 3-D Setback.
• Hospitaliky: Popeye feeds Bluto spinach to get beaten and put in the hospital with Olive.
• The Twisker Pitcher: First short where Bluto uses Popeye's spinach against him.
• Morning, Noon and Nightclub
• Lost and Foundry: First time Swee'Pea eats spinach to save the day.
• I Never Changes My Altitude: Uses the 3-D setback. Public Domain.
• I Likes Babies and Infinks
• The Football Toucher Downer
• Protek The Weakerist: Features usage of the 3-D setback.
• Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves: Second Popeye color two-reel feature. Uses the 3-D Setback. Runner-up on The 50 Greatest Cartoons. Public Domain.
• Fowl Play

1938

• Let's Celebrake
• Learn Polikeness: Uses the 3-D Setback. Last Popeye short to have Gus Wickie as the voice of Bluto.
• The House Builder-Uppper
• Big Chief Ugh-A-Mugh-Ugh: Last Fleischer short to use the voice of Gus Wickie, although Bluto does not appear.
• I Yam Lovesick: Bonnie Poe, the original pre-Mae Questel Olive Oyl voice, reprises her role as Olive Oyl due to Mae refusing to move to Miami along with Fleischer Studios.
• Plumbing is a 'Pipe'
• Popeye the Sailor with the Jeep: Debut of Eugene the Jeep. Margine Hines voices Olive Oyl from here on out.
• Bulldozing the Bull
• Mutiny Ain't Nice: Final Popeye cartoon aired during E. C. Segar’s (the original comics creator) life.
• Goonland: First appearance of Poopdeck Pappy in the cartoons. Only theatrical short appearance of the Goons. Public Domain.
• A Date to Skate: A short centered solely around Popeye and Olive Oyl. Last time in the Fleischer shorts that Mae Questel would voice Olive Oyl, being replaced by Margie Hines. Public Domain.
• Cops Is Always Right

1939

• Customers Wanted: Clip show episode, reuses footage from "Let's Get Movin'" and "The Twisker Pitcher." Public Domain.
• Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp: The third and last of the Popeye color two-reel features. Public Domain.
• Leave Well Enough Alone
• Wotta Nitemare: This short is a nightmarish throwback to the early days of Fleischer Studios, especially odd considering that they were pushing to imitate Disney during this time period. First Popeye where Pinto Colvig (formerly the voice of Goofy at Disney) voices Bluto.
• Ghosks is the Bunk
• Hello How Am I?
• It's the Natural Thing to Do: Public Domain.
• Never Sock a Baby: Final on-screen credit for E. C. Segar.

1940

• Shakespearean Spinach
• Females is Fickle
• Stealin' Ain't Honest: Tedd Pierce voices Bluto in this short instead of Colvig.
• Me Feelins is Hurt: Public Domain
• Onion Pacific
• Wimmin is a Myskery
• Nurse-Mates
• Fightin' Pals: Last Popeye short with Pinto Colvig as the voice of Bluto.
• Doing Impossikible Stunts: Compilation film, includes scenes from "I Never Changes My Altitude", "I Wanna be a Lifeguard", "Bridge Ahoy" and "Lost and Foundry."
• Wimmin Hadn't Oughta Drive
• Puttin' On the Act
• Popeye Meets William Tell: Notable for animation by veteran Shamus Culhane.
• My Pop, My Pop
• Popeye the Sailor With Poopdeck Pappy: Public Domain
• Popeye Presents Eugene the Jeep: Last Popeye short to feature Eugene the Jeep. Pinto Colvig makes a voice cameo as a mailman, while using his Goofy voice, no less!

1941

• Problem Pappy
• Quiet! Pleeze: Public Domain, reuses some animation from Sock-a-Bye Baby.
• Olive's Sweepstakes Ticket
• Flies Ain't Human
• Popeye Meets Rip Van Winkle
• Olive's Boithday Presink
• Child Psykolojiky: Last Popeye short to use the original shipboard opening titles.
• Pest Pilot
• I'll Never Crow Again
• The Mighty Navy: First Popeye Wartime Cartoon. First short to use Popeye's navy suit redesign.
• Nix on Hypnotricks

1942

• Kickin' the Conga 'Round: Bluto is redesigned to be more plump in in this short. He's also voiced by baritone singer Lee Royce here.
• Blunder Below
• Fleets of Stren'th
• Pip-eye, Pup-eye, Poop-eye and Peep-eye: Introduces Popeye's eponymous four nephews; Last Fleischer Popeye short to feature Popeye in his regular clothes.
• Olive Oyl and Water Don't Mix
• Many Tanks
• Baby Wants a Bottleship: The last of the Fleischer Popeye cartoons.
• You're a Sap, Mr. Jap: The first of the Famous Studios Popeye cartoons. It has gained notoriety for its racist stereotyping of japanese soldiers. Given the state of war that existed between the United States and Japan (and by extension the Axis Powers) at the time, cartoons such as these would be common for the next three years.
• Alona on the Sarong Seas: Bluto takes on a more muscular appearance from here on out.
• A Hull of a Mess
• Scrap the Japs
• Me Musical Nephews: Public Domain.

1943

• "Spinach fer Britain"
• Seein' Red, White n' Blue
• Too Weak to Work
• A Jolly Good Furlough
• Ration for the Duration
• 'The Hungry Goat': An odd, pseudo-Tex Avery-like short centered around the eponymous trickster goat, "Billy the Kid", with Popeye serving as his hapless adversary.
• 'Happy Birthdaze': First appearance of Shorty, a Navy-serviceman bespectacled sidekick who did not last long.
• Wood-Peckin'
• Cartoons Ain't Human: Last black and white Popeye cartoon.
• 'Her Honor the Mare': The series permanently upgrades to color from here on out.
• 'The Marry-Go-Round' - Second appearance of Shorty; in this he ends up being another rare non-Bluto rival for Olive's skinny hand. For this and "Moving Aweigh" Shorty is voiced by Arnold Stang rather than his initial actor Gilbert Mack. Final cartoon to have Margie Hines voice Olive.

1944

• Were on the way to Rio: first of Two Famous Studios Popeye Cartoons to use a special Intro. Final Popeye cartoon produced in Miami, Florida as Famous Studios moved back to New York in late-1943. Semi-remake of "Kickin' the Conga 'Round".
• The Anvil Chorus Girl: Remake of Shoein' Hosses. Jackson Beck voices Bluto from here on out until 1978.
• Spinach-Packin' Popeye: Clip show episode, recycling footage from "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor" and "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves".
• Puppet Love
• Pitchin' Woo at the Zoo
• 'Moving Aweigh': Final appearance of Shorty. Semi-remake of Cops is Always Right.
• She-Sick Sailors: First of 4 Popeye cartoons to have their story written by Otto Messmer. Parodies Superman who had his own shorts series end a year prior, even using a snippet of the theme in the beginning.

1945

• Pop-Pie a La Mode: the first of 3 Famous Studios Color Popeye Cartoons Banned due to racist content.
• Tops in the Big Top: Last of Two Famous Studios Popeye Cartoons to use a special intro.
• Shape Ahoy: First and only time Mae Questel does the voice of Popeye. This starts a stretch of cartoons where Popeye is primarily voiced by other actors due to Jack Mercer's absence until 1947.
• For Better or Nurse: Semi-Remake of Hospitaliky. Floyd Buckle returns to voice Popeye for the first time since "Be Kind to 'Aminals'".
• Mess Production: Second of 4 Popeye cartoons to have their story written by Otto Messmer.

1946

• House Tricks?: Color remake of "The House Builder-Upper".
• Service with a Guile
• Klondike Casanova: First cartoon where Popeye is voiced by Harry Foster Welch. The jingle the Bears sing is a parody of the original Pepsi jingle.
• Peep In the Deep: Semi-remake of "Dizzy Divers". Third of 4 Popeye cartoons to have their story written by Otto Messmer. Only Famous Studios short with Bluto in his Fleischer design.
• Rocket to Mars: Modern airings cut out a brief scene depicting a racist WWII Japanese caricature. Last of 4 Popeye cartoons to have their story written by Otto Messmer. Jack Mercer, just having returned from the service, redubbed the first three quarters of Popeyes lines.
• Rodeo Romeo
• The Fistic Mystic
• The Island Fling: Herman the Mouse from Herman and Katnip makes a cameo. Second of 3 Famous Studios Color Popeye cartoons banned for racist content, though some airings of this cartoon have tried making it "acceptable" by editing out all scenes with the Blackface native.

1947

• Abusement Park Public Domain.
• I'll Be Skiing Ya: Jack Mercer returns as Popeye's voice, and remains for the rest of the series.
• Popeye and the Pirates: This Cartoon is infamous for a Deleted Scene where Popeye transitions from his drag disguise to his sailor uniform; probably because Popeye is briefly shown naked. Theorized by most historians to be censorship because of The Hays Code, before it was shown on television. The scene in question is believed to be either lost or destroyed.
• The Royal-Four Flusher
• Wotta Knight: A couple scenes depicting a blackface child and Bluto in blackface have been edited out of modern day airings. King Little from Gulliver's Travels appears as the jousting announcer. Final Popeye cartoon worked on by Jim Tyer before he left for Terrytoons Studio
• Safari So Good
• All's Fair at the Fair: Similarly named, but other no relation to another Fleischer Color Classics short of the same name.

1948

• Olive Oyl For President: Semi-remake of "Betty Boop For President." Little Audrey makes a cameo in a dream sequence. All Popeye cartoons acquired by Associated Arts Productions use the ending theme of this cartoon.
• Wigwam Whoopee: Never airs due to stereotyping of indigenous Americans and showing Olive Oyl in a darker red skin.
• Pre-Hysterical Man
• Popeye Meets Hercules
• A Wolf In Sheik's Clothing: This cartoon is notable in that, being one of the few Popeye shorts to be colorized in Polacolor, its Magenta color strip had long since been lost or destroyed. The Cyan and Yellow strips didn't fare so well either, having suffered a lot of damage... But the cartoon has since been restored as best it could for the Blu-Ray.
• Spinach vs. Hamburgers: Yet another clip show episode, recycling footage from "The Anvil Chorus Girl", "Pop-Pie A La Mode" and "She-Sick Sailors". Modern airings edit out the scenes for "Pop-Pie A La Mode" due to its racist content.
• Snow Place Like Home
• Robin-Hood-Winked
• Symphony in Spinach

1949

• Popeye's Premiere: A clip show episode, using condensed footage of "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" with a Framing Device wrapped around it along with a new score and redubbed dialogue.
• Lumberjack and Jill
• Hot Air Aces
• A Balmy Swami: Color remake of "The Hyp-Nut-Tist".
• Tar with a Star
• Silly Hillybilly
• Barking Dogs Don't Fite: Remake of "Protek The Weakerist".
• The Fly's Last Flight: Color remake of "Flies Ain't Human"

1950

• How Green is My Spinach
• Gym Jam: Color remake of "Vim, Vigor and Vitaliky".
• Beach Peach
• Jitterbug Jive: Final Popeye short directed by Bill Tytla.
• Popeye Makes a Movie: Clip show episode that reuses footage from "Popeye Meets Ali Baba", with new animation and a Framing Device wrapped around it along with a new score and redubbed dialogue. The first out of the two Famous Popeye shorts where Popeye is back in his regular clothes. Public Domain.
• Baby Wants Spinach: Semi-remake of "Little Swee'Pea".
• Quick on the Vigor
• Riot In Rhythm: Shot-for-Shot Remake of "Me Musical Nephews", except in color, with different music and slower timing. Public Domain.
• The Farmer and the Belle

1951

• Vacation with Play: This short has gained notoriety in that it has Subliminal Advertising for the now-defunct A&P grocery store chain (specifically David Price Freeley Doughnuts) via a sped-up voice clip for two squirrels.
• Thrill of Fair
• Alpine for You: Semi-remake of "I-Ski Love-Ski You-Ski". Popeye permanently gains teeth from this short onward.
• Double Cross Country Race
• Pilgrim Popeye
• Let's Stalk Spinach: Starting with this cartoon, an alternate rendition of the Popeye theme is used for the remainder of the series.
• Punch and Judo: Modern airings cut out a brief scene showing a Blackface child.

1952

• Popeye's Pappy: Color remake of "Goonland". One of three appearances Poopdeck Pappy makes in the Famous Studios shorts. The last of 3 Famous Studios Color Popeye cartoons banned due to racist content.
• Lunch with a Punch
• Swimmer Take All
• Friend or Phony: Reuses footage from "I'll Be Skiing Ya" and "Tar with a Star".
• Tots of Fun
• Popalong Popeye
• Shuteye Popeye: Public Domain. Has gained some infamy for a sped up voice clip used for the mouse, which includes some swearing in it.
• Big Bad Sindbad: Another stock footage episode, reusing animation from "Popeye Meets Sindbad" with a new Framing Device added along with a new score and redubbed dialogue. The second out of the two Famous Popeye shorts where Popeye is back in his regular clothes. Public Domain.

1953

• Ancient Fistory: Poopdeck Pappy's second appearance in a Famous Popeye short. Public Domain.
• Child Sockology
• Popeye's Mirthday
• Toreadorable
• Baby Wants a Battle: Third and final appearance of Poopdeck Pappy in a Famous short, and as a younger man in a flashback.
• Fireman's Brawl: Color remake of "The Two-Alarm Fire".
• Popeye, the Ace of Space: A Popeye cartoon made in 3-D. Semi-remake of "Rocket to Mars".
• Shaving Muggs: Color remake of A Clean Shaven Man.

1954

• Floor Flusher: Public Domain. Semi-remake of "Plumbing is a 'Pipe'".
• Popeye's 20th Anniversary: Clip show episode reusing footage from "Rodeo Romeo" and "Tops in the Big Top". Public Domain.
• Taxi-Turvy: Public Domain. Semi-remake of "The Spinach Roadster".
• Bride and Gloom: Color remake of "Wimmin is a Myskery". Public Domain.
• Greek Mirthology: Public Domain.
• Fright to the Finish: Color remake of "Ghosks is the Bunk". Public Domain.
• Private Eye Popeye: Public Domain.
• Gopher Spinach: Public Domain. Starting with this cartoon, the Paramount logo was redrawn to better fit the emerging widescreen theaters.

1955

• Cookin' with Gags: Public Domain.
• Nurse to Meet Ya: Last appearance of Swee'Pea.
• Penny Antics: Color remake of "Customers Wanted", reuses footage from "Silly Hillbilly", "Wotta Knight" and "The Fistic Mystic".
• Beaus Will Be Beaus
• Gift of Gag
• Car-azy Drivers: Color remake of "Wimmin Hadn't Oughta Drive". Last cartoon produced before the Popeye cartoons were sold to Associated Arts Productions.
• Mister and Mistletoe
• Cops is Tops
• A Job for a Gob

1956

• Hill-billing and Cooing: The antagonist of this short, Possum Pearl, would get her own Noveltoons short a year later. Notable as one of the few times Olive has to save Popeye.
• Popeye for President: Public Domain.
• Out to Punch: Semi-remake of "Punch and Judo". Public Domain.
• Assault and Flattery: Reuses footage from "The Farmer and the Belle, "How Green is My Spinach" and "A Balmy Swami". Public Domain.
• Insect to Injury: Public Domain. Only Popeye short supervised by Dave Tendlar. Only Popeye cartoon with Morey Reden as the lead animator (he was supervising animator for 4 other cartoons)^note The Anvil Chorus Girl, Pop-Pie a la Mode, Safari So Good and Pre-Hysterical Man
• Parlez-Vous Woo: Public Domain.
• I Don't Scare: Public Domain.
• A Haul in One: Color remake of "Let's Get Movin'". Public Domain.

1957

• Nearlyweds: Last Popeye short to bear the Famous Studios name before it changed its name to "Paramount Cartoon Studios". Public Domain.
• The Crystal Brawl: Reuses footage from "Quick on the Vigor" and "Alpine for You". Public Domain.
• Patriotic Popeye: Last short to have Popeye's nephews appear. Public Domain.
• Spree Lunch: Final theatrical appearances of Bluto and Wimpy. Semi-remake of "We Aim To Please" with elements of "Customers Wanted". Public Domain.
• Spooky Swabs: The last of the theatrical Popeye cartoons. Public Domain. Semi-remake of "Shiver Me Timbers". Final cartoon directed by Isadore Sparber.

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