- Date: November 27, 1936
- Type: Movie
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor is a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the Popeye Color Feature series, produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on November 27, 1936 by Paramount Pictures. It was produced by Max Fleischer for Fleischer Studios, Inc. and directed by Dave Fleischer, with the title song by Sammy Timberg. The voices of Popeye and J. Wellington Wimpy are performed by Jack Mercer, with additional voices by Mae Questel as Olive Oyl, and Gus Wickie as Sindbad the Sailor.
In this short, Sindbad the Sailor (presumably Bluto playing a "role") proclaims himself, in song, to be the greatest sailor, adventurer and lover in the world and "the most remarkable, extraordinary fellow," a claim that is inadvertently challenged by Popeye as he innocently sings his usual song while sailing by within earshot of Sindbad's island with Olive Oyl and J. Wellington Wimpy on board. Sindbad orders his huge roc, to kidnap Popeye's girlfriend, Olive Oyl, and wreck Popeye's ship, forcing him and Wimpy to swim to shore. Sinbad relishes making Olive his trophy wife, which is interrupted by Popeye's arrival. Sinbad then challenges the one-eyed sailor to a series of obstacles to prove his greatness, including fighting the roc, a two-headed giant named Boola (an apparent parody reference to The Three Stooges), and Sindbad himself. Popeye makes short work of the bird and the giant, but Sindbad almost gets the best of him until Popeye produces his can of spinach, which gives him the power to soundly defeat Sindbad and proclaim himself "the most remarkable, extraordinary fella."
A subtly dark running gag features the hamburger-loving Wimpy chasing after a duck on the island with a meat grinder, with the intention of grinding it up so that he can fry it into his favorite dish, but the duck not only escapes, but also snatches away Wimpy's last burger in retaliation when he gives up. Many of the scenes in this short feature make use of the Fleischer's "Steroptical Process", or "Setback Tabletop" process, which used modeled sets to create 3D backgrounds for the cartoon.
I'm Sindbad The Sailor, so hardy and Hale
I live on an Island on the back of a Whale
It's a whale of an island
That's not a bad joke
Its lord and its master is this handsome bloke
Who's the most remarkable extraordinary fellow?
Sindbad The Sailor!
I scare off creation on land or on sea
But talk about woman, they all fall for me
I take my adventures where ever there found
I don't want to brag folks, but I've been around
Who's the most phenomenal extra special kind of fellow?
Sindbad The Sailor!
From the valley of serpents these diamonds I took
I cleaned out those serpents with one dirty look!
Ha ha! Serpents.
Now look at this monster so strong and so huge
He frighten King Kong, but he's only my stooge
The capture of Boola for me was just fun
Whoever said two heads are better than one?
Who's the most phenominal extraordinary fellow?
(Yous, Sinlouse The Sailor.)
On one of my travels I ran into this
Now there was a thrill I'd be sorry to miss
He spread out his wings and the sunlight grew dim
He took me in his beak, but I ran off with him
Who's the most remarkable extraordinary fellow?
Sindbad The Sailor!
I'm afraid of nobody under the sun
All I say is "BOO!" and my enemies run
Who's the most remarkable extraordinary fellow?
It's Popeye the Sailor man, a ga ga ga ga
Popeye the Sailor man
I'm strong to the finish
Cause I eats me spinach
I'm Popeye the Sailor man
I'm one tough gazookas
Which hates all palookas
But takes on the up and square
I biffs 'em and boffs 'em
And always out-ruffs 'em
But none of them gets nowhere!
If anyone messes to risk, me fisk
It's bop and it's wham, understand?
So keep good behavior
That's your one lifesaver
With Popeye the Sailor Man!
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man
Popeye the Sailor Man
I'm strong to the finich
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