Sunday, February 12, 2012

Sunday Morning Special: Popeye The Sailor Man - Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp, 1939



Today, let’s take a look at Popeye in one of his most dramatic roles as he stars in "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp”--a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the “Popeye Color Specials” series.  The picture was produced by Max Fleischer in Technicolor and released to theatres on April 7, 1939 by Paramount Pictures.  It was directed by Dave Fleischer for Fleischer Studios, Inc.  The voice of Popeye is performed by Jack Mercer, with Margie Hines as Olive Oyl and Carl Meyer as the evil vizier.

This short features Olive as a screenwriter for Surprise Pictures ("if it's a good picture, it's a Surprise"), working on a treatment of the story of Aladdin  which she intends to star herself and her beloved Popeye.  As she writes, we are treated to her vision coming to life.   

This picture was the last of the three “Popeye Color Specials,” which were, at over sixteen minutes each, three times longer than a regular Popeye cartoon.




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