Popeye The Sailor (1960s TV Series)

''Popeye the Sailor'' is an American animated television series produced for King Features Syndicate TV starring Popeye until the 1990s.

Production

In the late 1950s, the original ''Popeye the Sailor from 1933 to 1957 began airing in many television markets and garnered huge ratings. King Features Syndicate, which owned the rights to the "Popeye" character, did not earn any money from the syndication of the theatrical shorts. In order to capitalize on Popeye's television popularity, King Features hastily commissioned a new series of made-for-TV ''Popeye'' animated shorts. Al Brodax served as executive producer of the cartoons for King Features' then-newly created television production and distribution division (known today as Hearst Entertainment, named after King Features' parent company, Hearst Communications). Jack Mercer, Mae Questel and Jackson Beck returned for this series, which was produced by several different animation companies, including Larry Harmon Pictures, Rembrandt Films, Halas and Batchelor, Gerald Ray Studios, Jack Kinney Productions, and Italy-based animation company Corona Cinematografica. Famous Studios, which produced the theatrical entries from 1942 to 1957, also returned, although by this point it had been renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios.

The series was produced using limited animation techniques, whose production values contrasted sharply to the theatrical shorts. The artwork was streamlined, simplified for television budgets, and the entries were completed at a breakneck pace; 220 made-for-television cartoons were produced in two years. In contrast, 231 theatrical cartoons were produced over 24 years. Several minor changes were made for the characters. Though World War II had ended 15 years prior, Popeye, still retained his white US Navy uniform as had been the case for post-war theatrical shorts. Olive Oyl's appearance was a hybrid of different incarnations; while her outfit reverted to the Fleischer years of a red turtleneck, long black skirt and huge shoes, her hair retained the mid/late 1940s and 1950s makeover initiated by Famous Studios. Notably, the short "Barbecue for Two" uses the designs from the earlier theatrical shorts.

The biggest change was to Bluto, whose name was changed to "Brutus". At the time, King Features believed that Paramount owned the rights to the name "Bluto", but the character had been originally created for the comic strip. However, due to a lack of thorough research, they failed to realize this and reinvented him as Brutus to avoid supposed copyright infringement problems. Realizing their mistake, King Features began to promote Brutus as an entirely new character. His demeanor was altered slightly, and his physical appearance was changed from being muscular to slightly obese. In addition, his sailor uniform was replaced with an enormous blue shirt and brown pants. Many entries lifted storylines directly from the comic strip, resulting in the inclusion of many characters not seen in the theatrical releases, including the Sea Hag, Toar, Rough House, and King Blozo. Like their theatrical counterparts, the made-for-television series was also a big ratings success. ''Popeye the Sailor'' aired in syndication in the United States into the 1990s. Notably, the 1960s shorts would mark the final time that Mae Questel would voice Olive Oyl.

Voice cast

* Jack Mercer - Popeye

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