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Popeye
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Popeye (1980) -- The sailor man travels to Sweethaven, falls in love with Olive Oyl, adopts Sweetpea and makes an enemy with Bluto.

Overview

User Rating:
4.8/10   10,285 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Altman
Writers:
E.C. Segar (comic strip Thimble Theatre)
Jules Feiffer (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Popeye on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 December 1980 (USA) more
Tagline:
Haves a happy holiday wit me an' Olive! more
Plot:
The sailor man travels to Sweethaven, falls in love with Olive Oyl, adopts Sweetpea and makes an enemy with Bluto. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Popeye Now Public Domain in EU—Mickey Mouse Next?
 (From JustPressPlay. 1 January 2009, 8:43 PM, PST)

Popeye gets discharged in Europe
 (From Comicmix. 1 January 2009, 6:34 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Perfectly captures the pre-militarized Popeye more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Robin Williams ... Popeye

Shelley Duvall ... Olive Oyl
Ray Walston ... Poopdeck Pappy
Paul Dooley ... Wimpy
Paul L. Smith ... Bluto
Richard Libertini ... Geezil
Donald Moffat ... The Taxman
MacIntyre Dixon ... Cole Oyl
Roberta Maxwell ... Nana Oyl
Donovan Scott ... Castor Oyl

Allan F. Nicholls ... Rough House (as Allan Nicholls)
Wesley Ivan Hurt ... Swee'pea
Bill Irwin ... Ham Gravy, the Old Boyfriend
Robert Fortier ... Bill Barnacle, the Town Drunk
David McCharen ... Harry Hotcash, the Gambler
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
114 min | Argentina:115 min | Finland:97 min (1981)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Vistasonic
Certification:
Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG (Approved No. 26147) | Singapore:PG | Brazil:Livre
Filming Locations:
Anchor Bay, Malta more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Mike Nichols, Arthur Penn, and Hal Ashby were each originally slated to direct this movie. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Popeye finds his pappy tied to the chair hanging from the ceiling in Bluto's ship, he takes his pipe out of his mouth before he hugs his pappy. Seconds later, the pipe is back in his mouth. more
Quotes:
Poopdeck Pappy: Eat that spinach.
Popeye: I don't wanna. I don't wanna. Waaaaah. Waaaaah.
Poopdeck Pappy: You disobedient brat. You was disobedient when you was two and you're still disobedient now.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Blow Me Down more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
21 out of 29 people found the following comment useful:-
Perfectly captures the pre-militarized Popeye, 7 July 2001
10/10
Author: Ramon Molasses from U.S.A.

Robert Altman was just the right director to bring "Popeye" to live action. His use of naturalistic, overlapping and mumbled speech patterns, used to such good effect in "M*A*S*H," is the perfect fit for the residents of the shanty town of Sweethaven. Along with his production crew, he expertly reconstructs the environs and reanimates the zany spirit of the early black and white Popeye cartoons, the ones before Popeye was cleaned up and turned into a tool of U.S. war propaganda. Robin Williams carries off the title role with expert skill in a performance that he, especially he, very easily could have gone over the top with. Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl and the kid who played Swee'Pea are likewise letter perfect for their roles.

One of the things I always liked about this movie is the music. Harry Nilsson, a greatly underappreciated talent, came up with a delightful batch of songs that are that are as rich in character as the atmosphere of Sweethaven is full of sodium. Altman's "Popeye," along with Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy," is one of the rare film versions of a cartoon that succeeds. It does so by staying true to the look and spirit of the original. It wasn't created by committee to be a summer blockbuster, hence it is allowed to have a personality and flavor -- a flavor that blooms with repeat viewings.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Popeye (1980)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Nilsson demos eyeballtheater
Popeye 3D anyone? thefourthalien
was olive oil realy that annoying in the cartoons? markhamilrules
Underrated Film Athema
Popeye's suicide -- bet you didn't know lsl-4
Who was Geezil to the Oyls? Rylie1994
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