I met Robin Williams while he was on the USO tour for the troops in the Middle East.. I was his escort driver with a couple of other celebs...while we were in the car he asked everyone about their favorite movie of his, of course everyone said Mrs. Doubtfire, but when he asked me I said it was Popeye...He thanked me and teared up alittle.. he said no one as ever said Popeye... I told him that movie made my childhood...Robin Williams was on awesome actor and a really nice person... RIP Robin.. we love you
Shelly Duvall as Olive Oyl was possibly the best casting in the movie. She really brought the character to life by completely selling Oyl's klutzy yet graceful movement, and she also did an excellent job with the character's voice.
She was born to place this part. I loved Popeye cartoons, as a kid, still do. I loved spinach, and it was a very good thing, since I was a low iron , and Vit K kid. I now enjoy fresh and frozen spinach, but back then canned spinach was pretty much all you could get ( it was the 50s, shoot me). Eugene was one of my favorites. Thanks Minty!!
This movie means a lot to me. My grandfather was the Maltese doctor who treated Robin whilst he was in hospital. He got a photograph with him and the rest of the crew. Robin Williams is one of my biggest inspirations so to know that my grandad met him makes me very proud
As a man who watched the cartoons with his eldest brother I definitely agree, she was absolutely perfect as Olive Oyl. ❤ And I have to give a shout out to my childhood icon Robin Williams, he definitely nailed Popeye's mannerisms as seen in the theatrical shorts.
Acting across the board was great. Shelly Duvall moved like a cartoon figure, bendind in almost inhuman ways. And Ray Walston as Pappy is seriously underrated.
And Bill Irwin! He was also with Robin Williams in the Don't Worry Be Happy music video, and I remember seeing him on the Cosby Show when I was a kid. "Bending in almost inhuman ways" definitely describes Bill Irwin! 😆
@@marcoantoniogarcia8576That's the problem - you wouldn't settle for anything less than the real comic strip Popeye characters. My standards weren't that high, so I enjoyed it more.
My favorite Robin Williams movie! I thought it was brilliant from the casting, to the set, to the quirky music. I watched the cartoons when I was a kid & still do (thanks METV) and this movie brought the characters to life for me. 🥰
This is one of my top 5 all-time favorite movies. Something Minty didn't mention was that Feiffer adapted it from the COMIC STRIP (Thimble Theater) , not the cartoons (aside from the spinach part). It captures PERFECTLY the mood and characters of the comic strip. Thimble Theater was sort of a comedy/adventure strip with with some storylines taking sometimes weeks to complete. Popeye wasn't even the star, at first. Olive's boyfriend Ham Salad was. Popeye was just a sailor they hired to sail them to an adventure, and proved so popular that he stayed around and became the focus of the strip.
Bluto was a very minor character in the comic strip and only appeared in one story. If it was supposed to be based on the comic strip, then Bluto shouldn't have been the main antagonist. And Olive's former boyfriend was Harold Hamgravy. Ham Salad was the Han Solo character in the Star Wars spoof, Hardware Wars.
@@KasumiKenshirou Ham Gravy was present in the movie. He was the guy in the brown suit chasing his runaway hat around. The payoff of that gag came during the lead-in to Bluto's publicly destructive outburst of the Oyl household in the song "I'm Mean", during which Bluto roughly jams Ham's hat onto his head & starts literally pushing him into the ground out of seething anger at Olive Oyl for ducking out of their arranged marriage.
The film also baited fans in with a teaser opener using the "Sailor's Hornpipe" theme & the ship cabin doorway intro that began most of the Fleischer _Popeye_ cartoons that ended with a meta joke from _Popeye_ voice actor Jack Mercer, whereby the cartoon Popeye pops out from below the hull of the ship, saying in his trademarked garbled mutter, "Hey, what's this, one of Bluto's tricks? I'm in the wrong movie!" before a lightning flash and clap of thunder served as thunderstorm sound effects as well as an audio-visual transition from the bouncy cartoon world of the animated _Popeye_ drawn by the Fleischer's to a live-action adaptation of E. G. Segar's Thimble Theater comic strip (albeit, done in Harry Nilsson musical form).
"He Needs Me" sang by Shelley Duvall has been one of my fav songs to listen to whenever I've fallen in love since I was a teenager. My daughter loves this movie. She's 7 and we play the soundtrack in the car on repeat.
I was 14 when this movie came out, not exactly target audience as I was neither a child nor a parent. But I loved it! I think the casting was perfect, the set for Sweet Haven was beautiful, and though it didn't have to be a musical, I thought it was ... OK. Also, Ray Walston as Pappy deserves some credit. He really nailed it.
Shelley Duvall was the best choice for olive oil and also the perfect transfer from a comic book character a to live action film! The movie also was one of the best adaptations from comic-animated to a live action release that respected from walt disney back in the day,unlike some other movies such as inspector gadget!!!
I’ll never understand why people crap on this movie so much. I loved it in the theater as a kid and I still enjoy it a lot. And the music is my favorite part! The songs are brilliant and catchy as hell. I still get the Sweethaven National Anthem stuck in my head regularly. Here are some aspects of this movie that I think are top notch: • The casting! Popeye, Olive, Pappy, Wimpy, Bluto and others were perfectly cast. • The sets. It still blows me away that they built the whole town and it looks exactly like a Popeye cartoon. • The costumes. Not enough is said about the look of the characters. • The Music. Harry Nilsson’s songs were GREAT! Some of the most catchy and clever tunes ever written for a family film and I actually like how they were performed on set. To me it makes it much more seamless of a transition when the characters go into song than in tradition musicals where the sound quality suddenly changes drastically. I wish more musicals were filmed like Popeye.
My thoughts on it is that the actors nailed their roles perfectly. But the story was so weak and lame, the actors' skills just couldn't carry the film. If they had better writing to work with, it could have been a blockbuster hit; or at least a little more beloved among Popeye fans.
@@davidlafleche1142 Spinach is a major pickup from the Fleischer cartoons. In the original cartoon strip, Elzie Segar briefly went with the power of spinach but dropped it because it was a dead-end joke which was not that funny. With Dave Fleischer, it became the go-to and Deus Ex Machina to resolve a story. Many of the stories where when things went south, how hard was it going to be for Popeye to get the almighty can of spinach?
The music absolutely makes this movie! I had the soundtrack on vinyl and almost wore the thing out I played it so much. I didn't know it was sung live on-set, everyone was agog when Les Mis did it, this movie was ahead of its time!
Robert Altman had a fantastic sense of music in his films. Who would have thought to pick Harry Nilsson to write the songs for Popeye? Then there's McCabe & Mrs Miller, with its inspired integration of the haunting Leonard Cohen songs, Nashville -- in which almost all of the actors wrote their own songs -- and Kansas City, where the music played by the spectacular jazz band in the club acts as the "spine" of the movie.
I was a fan of the Popeye cartoons as a child in the '60s and was glad to see the movie. I was surprised at how well it emulated the cartoons' oddness of tone. The cartoon characters were well represented by the cast.
@@andreberryii7037 Disney's _George of the Jungle_ (the first in 1997, not the sequel) stayed reasonably faithful to its source. By comparison, Disney's take on _Underdog_ sunk like a lead balloon.
"I yam what I yam!" My favorite song from Popeye & Robin Williams' musical performance. That movie got my attention of Robin Williams for the first time when I was very young. Thank u Robin & RIP❤❤❤
Dick Tracy was probably one of my all time favorite films ever. It was fun colorful and wasn't intended to be taken very seriously. The characters were so interesting and some well. Forsythe did an incredible job as Flattop. All the villains were spot on.
"Dick Tracy" would've benefitted greatly from Tracy being played by Dick Gautier (Hymie from TV's "Get Smart"). Guess he just wasn't much of a famous name.
I think it’s such an underrated movie, and I ADORE the musical aspects actually. I didn’t know Nilssen had written the music, which explains a lot to me why I’ve always liked it so much. But Shelley Duvall singing “He Needs Me” is a clear standout, and I love that it was used in the movie Punch Drunk Love.
I loved this movie when it came out. Really dig the song "I'm mean". I was 5 at the time, my standards were low. still enjoy the film every once in awhile.
It was sung by Isaac Hayes if you didn’t know that already. When my house got flooded I sang that song while I gutted my house. 😄 My wife was like WTF?
I think I was around 14 when I first caught it on TV. I couldn't finish it because of the musical aspect. I love how great Williams was as Popeye. They couldn't have cast a better person for the role.
The man from My Favorite Martian!? That's crazy! 😃 I remember seeing him in the Disney adaptation of My Favorite Martian and discovering years later that he's from the OG series. ❤
All of the cast for the movie was perfect. Bluto was my favorite character, he was comically angry all the time and everyone feared him like if he was an angry bear. Bluto's hilarious rage at the party was the best part of the movie, it is a wonder that the whole house did not explode from his radiating rage.
Robin Williams characterization of Popeye was truly great. I have re-watched this just for how well and marvelously he played the character. Shelley Duvall, as Olive Oyl was also a great characterization. The movie made me look into the original "Thimble Theater" comic strips.
I love this film, I remember watching it with my dad. Now I watch it with my little girl. It's fun well acted and doesn't remove you from immersion. It's not a critics film. It's a family film to watch with everyone.
Harry Nilsson was a great musical talent and writer. I loved what he wrote for the movie Popeye. As well as what he wrote for Midnight Cowboy (Everybody’s Talking at me) and The Movie The Point ( Me and my Arrow) He also wrote “One” ( is the loneliness number) made famous by Three Dog Night and Coconut ( put the lime in the Coconut) as well as Garden Party. We lost him too soon at the early age of 52.
I think one of the stand out musical numbers in this movie is "He's Large", and Shelley Duvall made the most of Olive not being able to think of many (any?) good things to say about Bluto.
@@keithpl5438 Minty is Australian and two young to remember the original SNL cast. He must have assumed some silent G pronunciation having never heard the name. It really did sound odd though..
I loved this movie as a kid & now when I watch it, it just keeps getting better every time. They did an awesome job making a live action movie feel like a cartoon.
This is a true masterpiece. I'm not kidding. It is one of the two films that I literally adore that I can't find anyone else who likes it. The other being Joe vs. The Volcano.
I was a senior in high school when the movie came out and I never went to see it thinking it stupid...I just watched it last night in full and enjoyed it 41 yrs later
I think it’s all still there as a tourist attraction, I remember seeing a video about it within the last couple years... Edit: lol he covers this fact here ;)
This is a damn classic! Williams was an absolute great choice to bring our boy Popeye to life on the big screen and I may not be the biggest fan of the musical side but the song I yam what I yam is a damn gem! "I ain't no physikist but I knows what matters"
I didn't have Showtime but I do remember that show. I had HBO. It was Fraggle Rock for me...until OZ & The Wire came out, anyway. But even Fraggle Rock was better than Popeye! Then Soprano's came out and, well...forget about it!!! lol 😎👍
Yeah I went on a boat trip past the village around 2004/5. I couldn't believe it was still there after all this time! I've never even seen the film (at least not that I can remember) with it seemingly being a far from popular film in the UK. We used to have plenty of old kids films like Pete's Dragon, Bedknobs And Broomsticks, Flash Gordon etc, but I never remember Popeye being shown on TV when I was a kid or since.
Definitely one of Robin’s classics. Been a few times to popeye village in Malta. Was great to share it with my boys when we went to Malta. To this day they still keep it going for tourists.
On my husband's account- I saw this in the theater too :)) Great improv on the part of Robin Williams as he's in front of the baby reading the letter....the baby says,baby & He's like,"yeah,that's what it says right here you're a baby." Always witty & more R.I.P. Robin
This is what started off "Faerie Tale Theater", I believe. Shelley asked Robin if he'd play the Frog Prince in a TV series she was producing and the rest is history.
I remember at school when my mind wanders I'm seeing "It's not easy being me, or God will always bless Sweethaven. among others just as memorable as Mary Poppins or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
And "He Needs Me" being recast in Punch-Drunk Love *swooon*. I mean, I don't even like musicals, but most the songs raised the film up from quirky to endearing.
I loved the Popeye cartoons when I was a kid and this movie, I loved equally. It's great fun to watch and Robin Williams is always a win for me. He nailed the performance in my opinion.
I wonder what the movie would have been like with out the musical bits. It did drag at times. But Robin was a great Popeye. I think it could have been better but I enjoyed it when I saw it as a kid.
I enjoyed this film when I first watched it. I was already a huge Robin Williams fan from watching him play Mork. And I was also a huge Shelly Duvall fan from 3 Women and The Shining. I am most happy to hear that they became friends during this movie because Robin was such a nice person and Shelley had just gone through hell at the hands of Kubrick on the set of The Shining and probably needed the light and carefree movie as well as the insane comedy and good hearted nature of her co-star Robin.
I love watching videos of yours I haven't watched in a while. One of my favorites! Your channel is such a comforting, fun and brings back wonderful memories. 💖💖💖
My dad took me to see this very movie in 1980, and as a kid it was awesome. When you're 5 years old, walk into a theater and smell that popcorn, only to have that same theater go dark and the movies starts....I shit you not it's magic.
Did you know that Paul Smith who played Bluto was actually doing a movie as well as Popeye He said that Robin Williams was actually a very talented and nice person
This is one of the first movies I can remember seeing in a movie theater when I was a kid. I remember thinking it was really weird, but liking the music and Robin Williams as Popeye. Anybody else remember seeing this movie in a theater when it first came out?
Sucks that this is your first movie experience memory...Mine was Star Wars in '77... This one just creeped me out. I kept thinking I wanted to go back to see Dark Crystal again instead...Kids are spoiled these days!
Yes, in fact it's the very first movie i remember going to see at the theater. I was in Kindergarten and i remember seeing one of my classmates standing in line to see it too. He and I talked about the movie at school the next day. We ended up becoming best friends throughout our elementary years.
I was 5 when I saw this movie with my dad. We both loved it! Popeye is just a one of a kind character and I found it to be a delightful film. Seriously though, there could never have been a better Olive Oyl!! Great movie casting and probably the only musical I can stand to this day!
This is a great movie that my dad and I watched many times as I was growing up. Every time it came on we would tune in and watch. I always thought the songs in it were catchy and the movie is very quotable.
I saw it in theaters when I was a young kid. I remember really liking it back then. I haven't watched in years but Robin Williams was spot on as Popeye in my humble opinion.
THAT'S IT!! I always got an odd, familiar vibe from this movie that I could never quite put my finger on; your comment hit home to me just what it was lingering in my subconscious.
LOVE YOUR REVIEWS. VERY INFORMATIVE. KEEP UP GREAT WORK. I have seen seen thousands and thousands of movies in my life; I own over 21,000 on bluray, dvd, and 4k, and 945 laserdiscs. All genres. In 1976 saw 104 movies, in 1977 saw 110 movies, and in 1978 saw 147 movies.... all in movie theaters.
Seeing it in the theater back in the day I was absolutely enchanted by it. Loved Nilsson’s quirky music, the bizarre set, the acting and the overall pacing which really felt like the original comic series.
I will never forget Popeye. I loved that movie.. even thought it was tied to the worst case of the stomach flu the next day. I was miserable. My aunt said it was because we ate so much "junk food" but nooooo it was a bug.. I was sick until sundown the day after! But still every chance i get i watch it again if its on TV. I had no idea Robin could not do the Popeye voice! I was always thinking.. WOW he was such a great Popeye, even does the voice spot on! LOL
I didn’t think I would like this movie, but I really did. 👍 Definitely(pretty please, with sugar on top)do a vid on Dragonslayer, that would be awesome!
One of the best movies ever! I LOVED the musical numbers, they were funny and the actors sis a fantastic job. The entire movie was silly/funny and the setting was simply perfection.
Robin Williams as Popeye is one of the most underrated acting performances of all time. The man became a convincing cartoon character. Acting wise, it was a masterpiece. The music was not particularly memorable, seeing as how I can only remember one song, but that song is a bonafide classic. I absolutely LOVE “He needs me,” performed by Shelly Duvall. Minor correction: Popeye hates spinach. He doesn’t love it.
I grew up with this movie. One of my families FAVORITES, and it's next to impossible to get all of us to agree on anything. But this movie did it. We always enjoy listening reallllly closely, as Robin's Popeye mutters like half his lines under his breath, and he's got some real gems for dialogue hidden in there. Could not imagine Hoffman doing it SUCH comedic justice.
“...having second doubts.” 😂 First round of doubts not enough? When I was a kid they played it on TV every other weekend. I loved it so much. Rewatched it as an adult and still enjoyed it. Didn’t realize it was jeered or that not everyone even knew it existed until recently.
Robert Altman was always obsessed with audio being as realistic as possible, with dialogue overlapping and being sometimes undiscernible. That's why the songs were recorded live on set. It was a big part of Altman's style.
I'm one of a small group of people that absolutely LOVE this movie. Including the soundtrack! It always bummed me out that Williams and Altman talked bad about it. As far as I'm concerned, there couldn't have been more loving care for this movie. And it simply has to be the best casted movie I have ever seen in my life! Duval as Olive, Walston as Poopdeck Pappy, Paul Dooley as Wimpy... I mean, best casting director ever! I actually feel the music helped to lengthen the movie and guide the story. 'Cause Popeye was always just shorts of him more or less rescuing Olive from Bluto or Sea Hags or whatnot. Doesn't really translate to film. So they honestly did the best they could with the source material and I believe it worked out beautifully! This movie will always be close to my heart. I never knew Gilda and Dustin were the initial choices for the leads. Gilda could have worked as Olive, but Dustin wouldn't have worked at all. And honestly, who else but Robin Williams could do the lead?! Only person I can think of is Chris Diamantopoulos. But he would have been only five years old back then. If they did a sequel, he would be perfect! Thank you soooo much for doing this video Minty!
I actually liked the movie, especially the food song scene (every day it's food). My favorite quote is Popeye looking for his pappy in the boat saying "I know you isn't in here, now where isn't ya?"
@Boyd Merriman did you know that the actor who played Pappy was the same old man who played the martian in "My Favorite Martian" TV show. He also played the teacher in Fast Times at Ridgemont High in '82
I met Robin Williams while he was on the USO tour for the troops in the Middle East.. I was his escort driver with a couple of other celebs...while we were in the car he asked everyone about their favorite movie of his, of course everyone said Mrs. Doubtfire, but when he asked me I said it was Popeye...He thanked me and teared up alittle.. he said no one as ever said Popeye... I told him that movie made my childhood...Robin Williams was on awesome actor and a really nice person... RIP Robin.. we love you
My daughter and I have slightly off left eyes, and sometimes I'll look at her and say 'We've got the same skwinky eye.'
Very cool. Bless him. Cheers Hassan.
Thank you for sharing your story man really appreciate it
I didn't know people had a problem with the movie... I loved the Popeye song at the horse races.
His work meant a lot to him.😎
Shelly Duvall as Olive Oyl was possibly the best casting in the movie. She really brought the character to life by completely selling Oyl's klutzy yet graceful movement, and she also did an excellent job with the character's voice.
Yup!
She was born to place this part. I loved Popeye cartoons, as a kid, still do. I loved spinach, and it was a very good thing, since I was a low iron , and Vit K kid. I now enjoy fresh and frozen spinach, but back then canned spinach was pretty much all you could get ( it was the 50s, shoot me). Eugene was one of my favorites. Thanks Minty!!
Larry,
Duvall only needed to show up!
She's the exact replica from drawing to real life!
Bluto was perfect also
She had a great year in 1980 playing olive oyl and Wendy torrance
This movie means a lot to me. My grandfather was the Maltese doctor who treated Robin whilst he was in hospital. He got a photograph with him and the rest of the crew. Robin Williams is one of my biggest inspirations so to know that my grandad met him makes me very proud
really? 0.0
@@scoutart1508 The world is tiny.
RIP Robin
Maaaan, this movie was a masterpiece. Loved the cast, loved the script and the music. It's 100% a part of my childhood
Popeye is a timeless and underrated masterpiece. It deserves more appreciation than it has gotten over the years.
WTHELLL
It was the slowest, most poorly paced movie ever. Too many problems.
@@Teladian2 took me a week to watch this 15 minutes at a time
If Keanu Reeves were "Popeye" and Phylis Diller (RIP) were "Olive Oyl", "Popeye" would be regarded as the greatest Musical of all time. Go figure.
You are CLASSICALLY right.
Can't get a more perfect casting choice than Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl.
Jack Nicholson as Popeye?? My first pick would be Dinero, but Jack would be interesting...
Heeeeeere's POPEYEE!!!
Nah, not working for me.
As a man who watched the cartoons with his eldest brother I definitely agree, she was absolutely perfect as Olive Oyl. ❤
And I have to give a shout out to my childhood icon Robin Williams, he definitely nailed Popeye's mannerisms as seen in the theatrical shorts.
true but she is OOGLY barf
@Ross Price I agree Sally is hot
Duvall? NOPES!
Acting across the board was great. Shelly Duvall moved like a cartoon figure, bendind in almost inhuman ways. And Ray Walston as Pappy is seriously underrated.
Shelley is awesome
Robin Williams as Popeye.
And Bill Irwin! He was also with Robin Williams in the Don't Worry Be Happy music video, and I remember seeing him on the Cosby Show when I was a kid. "Bending in almost inhuman ways" definitely describes Bill Irwin! 😆
Agree, but unfortunately the movie is really boring and I say that as a big Popeye fan.
@@marcoantoniogarcia8576That's the problem - you wouldn't settle for anything less than the real comic strip Popeye characters. My standards weren't that high, so I enjoyed it more.
My favorite Robin Williams movie! I thought it was brilliant from the casting, to the set, to the quirky music. I watched the cartoons when I was a kid & still do (thanks METV) and this movie brought the characters to life for me. 🥰
This is one of my top 5 all-time favorite movies. Something Minty didn't mention was that Feiffer adapted it from the COMIC STRIP (Thimble Theater) , not the cartoons (aside from the spinach part). It captures PERFECTLY the mood and characters of the comic strip.
Thimble Theater was sort of a comedy/adventure strip with with some storylines taking sometimes weeks to complete. Popeye wasn't even the star, at first. Olive's boyfriend Ham Salad was. Popeye was just a sailor they hired to sail them to an adventure, and proved so popular that he stayed around and became the focus of the strip.
Bluto was a very minor character in the comic strip and only appeared in one story. If it was supposed to be based on the comic strip, then Bluto shouldn't have been the main antagonist. And Olive's former boyfriend was Harold Hamgravy. Ham Salad was the Han Solo character in the Star Wars spoof, Hardware Wars.
@@KasumiKenshirou Ham Gravy was present in the movie. He was the guy in the brown suit chasing his runaway hat around. The payoff of that gag came during the lead-in to Bluto's publicly destructive outburst of the Oyl household in the song "I'm Mean", during which Bluto roughly jams Ham's hat onto his head & starts literally pushing him into the ground out of seething anger at Olive Oyl for ducking out of their arranged marriage.
The film also baited fans in with a teaser opener using the "Sailor's Hornpipe" theme & the ship cabin doorway intro that began most of the Fleischer _Popeye_ cartoons that ended with a meta joke from _Popeye_ voice actor Jack Mercer, whereby the cartoon Popeye pops out from below the hull of the ship, saying in his trademarked garbled mutter, "Hey, what's this, one of Bluto's tricks? I'm in the wrong movie!" before a lightning flash and clap of thunder served as thunderstorm sound effects as well as an audio-visual transition from the bouncy cartoon world of the animated _Popeye_ drawn by the Fleischer's to a live-action adaptation of E. G. Segar's Thimble Theater comic strip (albeit, done in Harry Nilsson musical form).
"He Needs Me" sang by Shelley Duvall has been one of my fav songs to listen to whenever I've fallen in love since I was a teenager. My daughter loves this movie. She's 7 and we play the soundtrack in the car on repeat.
Ya, few songs capture the innocence and sweetness of the initial spark so captivatingly.
This was also used in Punch Drunk Love. A standout track for sure.
I was 14 when this movie came out, not exactly target audience as I was neither a child nor a parent. But I loved it! I think the casting was perfect, the set for Sweet Haven was beautiful, and though it didn't have to be a musical, I thought it was ... OK. Also, Ray Walston as Pappy deserves some credit. He really nailed it.
Shelley Duvall was the best choice for olive oil and also the perfect transfer from a comic book character a to live action film! The movie also was one of the best adaptations from comic-animated to a live action release that respected from walt disney back in the day,unlike some other movies such as inspector gadget!!!
I’ll never understand why people crap on this movie so much. I loved it in the theater as a kid and I still enjoy it a lot. And the music is my favorite part! The songs are brilliant and catchy as hell. I still get the Sweethaven National Anthem stuck in my head regularly. Here are some aspects of this movie that I think are top notch:
• The casting! Popeye, Olive, Pappy, Wimpy, Bluto and others were perfectly cast.
• The sets. It still blows me away that they built the whole town and it looks exactly like a Popeye cartoon.
• The costumes. Not enough is said about the look of the characters.
• The Music. Harry Nilsson’s songs were GREAT! Some of the most catchy and clever tunes ever written for a family film and I actually like how they were performed on set. To me it makes it much more seamless of a transition when the characters go into song than in tradition musicals where the sound quality suddenly changes drastically. I wish more musicals were filmed like Popeye.
Unfortunately, they screwed up the most important part: Popeye is not supposed to hate spinach!
David Lafleche I always considered it a cool origin story. Besides, it would have been a very short movie if Popeye knew from the start about spinach.
My thoughts on it is that the actors nailed their roles perfectly. But the story was so weak and lame, the actors' skills just couldn't carry the film. If they had better writing to work with, it could have been a blockbuster hit; or at least a little more beloved among Popeye fans.
@@davidlafleche1142 Spinach is a major pickup from the Fleischer cartoons. In the original cartoon strip, Elzie Segar briefly went with the power of spinach but dropped it because it was a dead-end joke which was not that funny. With Dave Fleischer, it became the go-to and Deus Ex Machina to resolve a story. Many of the stories where when things went south, how hard was it going to be for Popeye to get the almighty can of spinach?
@@KevyNova I liked the same points you made about the movie. It is Williams's most underrated film.
When he said "... 40 years ago..." I felt my insides die a little
Tell me about it.
You and me both; I watched it at the post theater in Ft. Richardson, AK when I was in the Army. Ronald Reagan had been in office for a year or so.
I was 6 when this came out.
40....years......
And Mork was before this too....
@@darcanjel7 I was 19.
The music absolutely makes this movie! I had the soundtrack on vinyl and almost wore the thing out I played it so much. I didn't know it was sung live on-set, everyone was agog when Les Mis did it, this movie was ahead of its time!
Robert Altman had a fantastic sense of music in his films. Who would have thought to pick Harry Nilsson to write the songs for Popeye? Then there's McCabe & Mrs Miller, with its inspired integration of the haunting Leonard Cohen songs, Nashville -- in which almost all of the actors wrote their own songs -- and Kansas City, where the music played by the spectacular jazz band in the club acts as the "spine" of the movie.
I was a fan of the Popeye cartoons as a child in the '60s and was glad to see the movie. I was surprised at how well it emulated the cartoons' oddness of tone. The cartoon characters were well represented by the cast.
Any other movie adaptations that you felt did well?
@@andreberryii7037 Disney's _George of the Jungle_ (the first in 1997, not the sequel) stayed reasonably faithful to its source. By comparison, Disney's take on _Underdog_ sunk like a lead balloon.
Kind of funny because it was sort of a weird cartoon but you are right they brought that weirdness to the big screen.
😊
"I yam what I yam!" My favorite song from Popeye & Robin Williams' musical performance. That movie got my attention of Robin Williams for the first time when I was very young. Thank u Robin & RIP❤❤❤
Popeye preceded Superman in print. He might thus be considered the first Superhero.
This movie was ahead of it’s time. Attempted what “Dick Tracy” would later. Williams was great in the film.
yeah I literally had no idea what was going on in Dick Tracy...
Dick Tracy was probably one of my all time favorite films ever. It was fun colorful and wasn't intended to be taken very seriously. The characters were so interesting and some well. Forsythe did an incredible job as Flattop. All the villains were spot on.
I thought DuVall was much better as Olive Oyl than Williams was as Popeye. JMHO
"Dick Tracy"
would've benefitted greatly
from Tracy being played by
Dick Gautier (Hymie from
TV's "Get Smart").
Guess he just wasn't
much of a famous name.
I think it’s such an underrated movie, and I ADORE the musical aspects actually. I didn’t know Nilssen had written the music, which explains a lot to me why I’ve always liked it so much. But Shelley Duvall singing “He Needs Me” is a clear standout, and I love that it was used in the movie Punch Drunk Love.
I still sing blow me down while working pretty regularly.
I like the music
The staging of "He Needs Me" is so lovely... like someone who has seen a Fred Astaire movie and is doing her best to imitate it!
"I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today"🎶
🎵 _Everything is food_ 🎵
@@GottagitchaGROOOVEon 👍
I worked at a local burger joint. Our special on tuesday was a wimpy.
@@unseenufo lulz
“He will gladly pay you tuesday for a hamburger today”
I loved this movie when it came out. Really dig the song "I'm mean". I was 5 at the time, my standards were low. still enjoy the film every once in awhile.
Kinda thugish in a way
It was sung by Isaac Hayes if you didn’t know that already. When my house got flooded I sang that song while I gutted my house. 😄 My wife was like WTF?
Makes sense now.
@@fallenseraph5V no wonder I love that track. Lol
I think I was around 14 when I first caught it on TV. I couldn't finish it because of the musical aspect. I love how great Williams was as Popeye. They couldn't have cast a better person for the role.
No love for Ray Walston as Pappy?
"You caink inherick a pipe!" Best line in the whole dang movie.
omg I never realised that was Ray Walston! Haven’t seen the movie since I was a kid tho :)
@@AnnabelleTheRose Yup, good ol "Boothby" himself. I think I found out after a 3rd or 4th watching and looking closer and thinking "Wait..." lol
My Favorite Martian as Mork's father. I wonder if the casting was intentional.
The man from My Favorite Martian!? That's crazy! 😃
I remember seeing him in the Disney adaptation of My Favorite Martian and discovering years later that he's from the OG series. ❤
Ray Walston was the best part of the movie 🎥. Funniest song too...Children...Nah nah nah nah nah your papas a mean old man 👴🏼
All of the cast for the movie was perfect. Bluto was my favorite character, he was comically angry all the time and everyone feared him like if he was an angry bear.
Bluto's hilarious rage at the party was the best part of the movie, it is a wonder that the whole house did not explode from his radiating rage.
Paul L. Smith did a great job!
Robin Williams characterization of Popeye was truly great. I have re-watched this just for how well and marvelously he played the character. Shelley Duvall, as Olive Oyl was also a great characterization. The movie made me look into the original "Thimble Theater" comic strips.
I love this film, I remember watching it with my dad. Now I watch it with my little girl. It's fun well acted and doesn't remove you from immersion. It's not a critics film. It's a family film to watch with everyone.
When critics don't like a movie, it's usually good.
No mention of the extras primarily being professional trapeze, clowns, and vaudevillians? The background slapstick makes it worth another watch.
🤔 Cool! Didn't know that! I'll check it out!
Don't forget Dennis Franz as the thug leader before he was Sipowicz in NYPD Blue.
Robin Williams did an amazing job playing Popeye. The constant mumbling was great.
Harry Nilsson was a great musical talent and writer. I loved what he wrote for the movie Popeye. As well as what he wrote for Midnight Cowboy (Everybody’s Talking at me) and The Movie The Point ( Me and my Arrow) He also wrote “One” ( is the loneliness number) made famous by Three Dog Night and Coconut ( put the lime in the Coconut) as well as Garden Party. We lost him too soon at the early age of 52.
Such sweet music from such a demented party animal!
"Gilda Radner"
That killed me too. LoL
Force Ghost Burt Reynolds THANK YOU. Nails on a chalkboard when I heard that.
That killed me as well
Thank you! I just commented on that but mine is WAY down the line.
Is Hulda the Aussie version of Gilda?
I think one of the stand out musical numbers in this movie is "He's Large", and Shelley Duvall made the most of Olive not being able to think of many (any?) good things to say about Bluto.
@Matthew Frueh At the risk of sounding naive, I never thought of the double entendre before you mentioned it.
I saw the movie when I was 8, and that song was the most boring part.
I loved its humour so much
That song cracked me up! Loved it! 😂
Didn't get it as a kid but out of the songs I can still only remember 'he's large'
Omg it's GILDA Radner lol not "Holda Radner"!!
S M H
I click away when I hear "Holda Radner" like IMMEDIATELY. 🤣
Yeah...wth?!!
@@keithpl5438 Minty is Australian and two young to remember the original SNL cast. He must have assumed some silent G pronunciation having never heard the name. It really did sound odd though..
Pardon my pettiness, but I posted a similar comment before you did, and YOU end up getting the votes!
" Your not my son......, and I can prove it, ....see that can of spinach over there?." "EAT IT".
Poop deck pappy. Popeyes " pappy".
Then you came back to comment? : )
I loved this movie as a kid & now when I watch it, it just keeps getting better every time. They did an awesome job making a live action movie feel like a cartoon.
I saw this movie at the Drive In when it was released, My grandfather took me in his 1977 Caprice Classic.
Used to drive a '77 LeSabre Limited, the Buick version of that. Cost $200-.
I'm strong to the finish cuz I eats me spinach I'm Popeye the sailor man toot toot RIP Robin Williams
When I starts a fiddlin', I take my Ritalin, I'm popping and sailing man toot toot!!
I don't remember the "rip Robin Williams" bit at the end. I thought it ended with the toots.
I regularly replay Shelly Duvall singing "He needs me". I LOVE how she sings it and her Olive Oyl dancing around romantically. Cute, sweet, unique!
Shelly Duvall is perfect as Olive Oil. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing her.
Gilda Radner is short, stocky and has very big features
Loved her in that.
As a kid I loved it and I say the song "I'm Mean," was funny as hell
It was definitely a head sticker.
@Andria Marie I love when she sings that. Still kills me all these years later 🤣
He's so damn mean!
Yep, it was stuck in my head the other day. How good was Shelley duvall's voice too? In the he's large song.
This is a true masterpiece. I'm not kidding. It is one of the two films that I literally adore that I can't find anyone else who likes it. The other being Joe vs. The Volcano.
I like it
I love both of those movies.
Both these flicks are great. The opening of Joe is great, with the 'company store' song going. Good shit.
I rrallylikedboth them movies. Your not alone
joshjhutton. Dante’s Peak was way better than Volcano
I was a senior in high school when the movie came out and I never went to see it thinking it stupid...I just watched it last night in full and enjoyed it 41 yrs later
The sets and the overall look of Popeye is absolutely fantastic! One of the most authentic-looking productions period.
I think it’s all still there as a tourist attraction, I remember seeing a video about it within the last couple years...
Edit: lol he covers this fact here ;)
This is a damn classic! Williams was an absolute great choice to bring our boy Popeye to life on the big screen and I may not be the biggest fan of the musical side but the song I yam what I yam is a damn gem! "I ain't no physikist but I knows what matters"
Should've been Dinero...Or at least Robin Williams AFTER 'Good Morning Vietnam.' He didn't have the RW, Aladdin, 'snowfall' energy quite yet...
@@mojoriot2293 Deniro? 😆 No, it was perfectly cast with Williams.
@@swirvinbirds1971 kiding...
@@mojoriot2293 oh thank God. 😆 You got me. 👍
To this day I often sing "I'm mean I'm mean" in certain circumstances. You know what I mean?
Shelly Duvall was such an adorably nerdy lady in the 80's.
I watched "Faerie Tale Theater" on Showtime every saturday in love
The Popeye set is where she got the idea for Faierie Tale Theater.. ROBIN was in the first episode The Frog Prince. ❤️
I have most of those on DVD 😁
I used to watch it, too! I also have the box set!
I didn't have Showtime but I do remember that show. I had HBO. It was Fraggle Rock for me...until OZ & The Wire came out, anyway. But even Fraggle Rock was better than Popeye! Then Soprano's came out and, well...forget about it!!! lol 😎👍
Really? Thats cool.
I happen to love "He needs me!"
Favorite classic Popeye line, "I can't remember having this much fun and still been conscious."
I visited Popeye Village in Malta when I was a kid.
It is indeed still there (and the upkeep is quite decent).
Yeah I went on a boat trip past the village around 2004/5. I couldn't believe it was still there after all this time! I've never even seen the film (at least not that I can remember) with it seemingly being a far from popular film in the UK. We used to have plenty of old kids films like Pete's Dragon, Bedknobs And Broomsticks, Flash Gordon etc, but I never remember Popeye being shown on TV when I was a kid or since.
Lucky you. 🙂
Rick oh yeah? What was it like?
@@superweirdo6165, it was in 1995 and I enjoyed it, I still have the old VHS tape we filmed of it somewhere.
I see Robin Williams and for a second I'm like "I wonder what he's up to?" And then I remember what happened. Feels like I'm in an alternate reality
Same
You might be.
@@jamesfowler5100 the darkest Time-line for sure...
@@zanizone3617 I'm a huge believer of the Mandela Effect, so....yeah.
Yeah. He commited suicide. What a shame. He was such a talented and beloved actor. Two of my favorite movies of his was Hook and The Fisher King.
Definitely one of Robin’s classics. Been a few times to popeye village in Malta. Was great to share it with my boys when we went to Malta. To this day they still keep it going for tourists.
I still love this movie. I just remember wanting to move to Sweet Haven.
Could you imagine visiting it?
I miss this movie. Enjoyed it when I was younger. Great cast.
Ar Ran Amazon has it!!!! Lol I love this movie!!
@@morenag.7769 Netflix too.
It is what it is...
Zufie Usagi Yes!!! 😁
Same I'm only 13 and I watched the movie all the time when I was 6 and 7
I saw this in theater when it first came out 5 times. It's on Netflix too. Happy!
Oh snap! I am going to watch this now!
Also Disney+
On my husband's account- I saw this in the theater too :)) Great improv on the part of Robin Williams as he's in front of the baby reading the letter....the baby says,baby & He's like,"yeah,that's what it says right here you're a baby." Always witty & more R.I.P. Robin
On my husband's account-P.S. My mom told me later on that the baby that was in the movie was the director's kid.I still gotta look up that fact?
On my husband's account-P.P.S. When I was a kid,I could only sit through the movie once.The octopus up close scared me :((
Interesting how Juilliard roommates Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve both had their big Hollywood debuts playing comic-book characters.
Don't forget Oscar winning actor William Hurt. I believe that they were all roommates.
@@jeffthompson9622 No, I didn't know that Hurt was also there. Thanks for the info.
Also, 'Superman' was largely inspired by the 'Popeye the Sailor Man' comic strips.
Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall played the hell out of these roles. Amazing work!!
I'm a grown a$$ man but some of those songs put a tear in my eye.
He's Large.
Then write ass and don't talk like a child.
Looks like you've just triggered CaptainXJ.
@@jimmymelendez1836 I don't think you know what triggered means 😅
"He needs me"
This is what started off "Faerie Tale Theater", I believe. Shelley asked Robin if he'd play the Frog Prince in a TV series she was producing and the rest is history.
This movie is a lot of fun and Robin Williams and Shelley DuVall are PERFECT in their roles.
All of the actors nailed their role, and did their utmost best with what they had to work with.
No memorable songs? I remember singing that "everyday is food" song, eating my Nintendo Cereal with my Lil Bro!!
I remember at school when my mind wanders I'm seeing "It's not easy being me, or God will always bless Sweethaven. among others just as memorable as Mary Poppins or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
"He's large" lmbo
Or when Popeye sang I am what I yam.
And "He Needs Me" being recast in Punch-Drunk Love *swooon*.
I mean, I don't even like musicals, but most the songs raised the film up from quirky to endearing.
🎶I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today
I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today...🎶
I loved the Popeye cartoons when I was a kid and this movie, I loved equally. It's great fun to watch and Robin Williams is always a win for me. He nailed the performance in my opinion.
I wonder what the movie would have been like with out the musical bits. It did drag at times. But Robin was a great Popeye. I think it could have been better but I enjoyed it when I saw it as a kid.
I enjoyed this film when I first watched it. I was already a huge Robin Williams fan from watching him play Mork. And I was also a huge Shelly Duvall fan from 3 Women and The Shining. I am most happy to hear that they became friends during this movie because Robin was such a nice person and Shelley had just gone through hell at the hands of Kubrick on the set of The Shining and probably needed the light and carefree movie as well as the insane comedy and good hearted nature of her co-star Robin.
I love watching videos of yours I haven't watched in a while. One of my favorites! Your channel is such a comforting, fun and brings back wonderful memories. 💖💖💖
My dad took me to see this very movie in 1980, and as a kid it was awesome. When you're 5 years old, walk into a theater and smell that popcorn, only to have that same theater go dark and the movies starts....I shit you not it's magic.
I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a Minty video today.
Wimpy's famous line, updated, of course.
giggle...🙂
Most quotable line in the movie :D
Lol even as kids we all knew Wimpy was a mooching bastard. 😂😂😂
jerbojones even how he eats the burger 🍔 lol 😆
This movie has CHARM in it own quirky way
Ray Walston’s performance in this is so underrated. He doesn’t have a lot of screen time but man is he excellent as the Commodore.
I used to sing the Swee Pea lullaby to my son when he was a baby. Love this movie! Still get a tear in my eye thinking about Robin Williams.
I remember when my family first got HBO and this film played almost continuously
This and Wargames
Not as much as TBS showed Shawshank Redemption
I thoroughly enjoyed the Popeye movie. The cast, the story and yes, even the musical numbers.
Did you know that Paul Smith who played Bluto was actually doing a movie as well as Popeye He said that Robin Williams was actually a very talented and nice person
This is one of the first movies I can remember seeing in a movie theater when I was a kid. I remember thinking it was really weird, but liking the music and Robin Williams as Popeye. Anybody else remember seeing this movie in a theater when it first came out?
Right here
I was 4...I remember the octopus scene being scary.
Sucks that this is your first movie experience memory...Mine was Star Wars in '77...
This one just creeped me out. I kept thinking I wanted to go back to see Dark Crystal again instead...Kids are spoiled these days!
But yeah, I saw this in the Theater...Dark Crystal was way better.
Yes, in fact it's the very first movie i remember going to see at the theater. I was in Kindergarten and i remember seeing one of my classmates standing in line to see it too. He and I talked about the movie at school the next day. We ended up becoming best friends throughout our elementary years.
I still wish we had that 2017 animated adaptation, but we had to have that Emoji Movie.
God, that freaking Emoji movie!!!! What the hell was Sony thinking passing up Popeye for that piece of shit no one wanted?
I was 5 when I saw this movie with my dad. We both loved it! Popeye is just a one of a kind character and I found it to be a delightful film. Seriously though, there could never have been a better Olive Oyl!! Great movie casting and probably the only musical I can stand to this day!
One of my all time favorites from my youth. Great songs!
This is a great movie that my dad and I watched many times as I was growing up. Every time it came on we would tune in and watch. I always thought the songs in it were catchy and the movie is very quotable.
Hey me to! Except, for us it was a DVD 😁
“I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” was one of our family’s catch phrases lol
I saw it in theaters when I was a young kid. I remember really liking it back then. I haven't watched in years but Robin Williams was spot on as Popeye in my humble opinion.
Thanks for the pictures Henry!
One of my favorite movies. Shelly Duvall was the ideal Olive. The musical part was great.
I watch this anytime it comes on, one of my favorite childhood movies. Man the late 70s and most 80s movies were awesome
Imagine if this had been directed by Terry Gilliam.
THAT'S IT!! I always got an odd, familiar vibe from this movie that I could never quite put my finger on; your comment hit home to me just what it was lingering in my subconscious.
A CLASSIC!! I wonder which characters the Pythons would play?
Jim Humphries Haven't heard from Terry for a LONG time...……………...maybe it's time for him to do a Popeye reboot!
I don't want to. It would be even stranger.
LOVE YOUR REVIEWS. VERY INFORMATIVE. KEEP UP GREAT WORK. I have seen seen thousands and thousands of movies in my life; I own over 21,000 on bluray, dvd, and 4k, and 945 laserdiscs. All genres. In 1976 saw 104 movies, in 1977 saw 110 movies, and in 1978 saw 147 movies.... all in movie theaters.
I loved this movie growing up. It was the beginning of my adoration of Shelly Duval. ❤
I remember loving to watch this movie when I was a kid, but I don't remember it being a musical 🤯
Me neither 😁
Same here
It has a couple songs but it's not a musical
I ams what I ams...that's about all I remember. That, and I remember thinking, "I'd rather being watching 'Dark Crystal' again!"...
Me too😅
Seeing it in the theater back in the day I was absolutely enchanted by it. Loved Nilsson’s quirky music, the bizarre set, the acting and the overall pacing which really felt like the original comic series.
The casting on the movie is spot on! I have seen this on 90s maybe it is time for rewatch. Great video again!
I will never forget Popeye. I loved that movie.. even thought it was tied to the worst case of the stomach flu the next day. I was miserable. My aunt said it was because we ate so much "junk food" but nooooo it was a bug.. I was sick until sundown the day after! But still every chance i get i watch it again if its on TV. I had no idea Robin could not do the Popeye voice! I was always thinking.. WOW he was such a great Popeye, even does the voice spot on! LOL
I didn’t think I would like this movie, but I really did. 👍 Definitely(pretty please, with sugar on top)do a vid on Dragonslayer, that would be awesome!
One of the best movies ever! I LOVED the musical numbers, they were funny and the actors sis a fantastic job. The entire movie was silly/funny and the setting was simply perfection.
Robin Williams as Popeye is one of the most underrated acting performances of all time. The man became a convincing cartoon character. Acting wise, it was a masterpiece.
The music was not particularly memorable, seeing as how I can only remember one song, but that song is a bonafide classic. I absolutely LOVE “He needs me,” performed by Shelly Duvall.
Minor correction: Popeye hates spinach. He doesn’t love it.
I remember watching this as a child. Even now I always forget that it has musical numbers. It was still a great movie.
I remember watching this on HBO as a child, loved that octopus 🐙
I grew up with this movie. One of my families FAVORITES, and it's next to impossible to get all of us to agree on anything. But this movie did it. We always enjoy listening reallllly closely, as Robin's Popeye mutters like half his lines under his breath, and he's got some real gems for dialogue hidden in there. Could not imagine Hoffman doing it SUCH comedic justice.
Yesssss to everything you wrote
“...having second doubts.” 😂 First round of doubts not enough?
When I was a kid they played it on TV every other weekend. I loved it so much. Rewatched it as an adult and still enjoyed it. Didn’t realize it was jeered or that not everyone even knew it existed until recently.
Robert Altman was always obsessed with audio being as realistic as possible, with dialogue overlapping and being sometimes undiscernible. That's why the songs were recorded live on set. It was a big part of Altman's style.
I love this movie and am willing to fight to defend its honor!😁👊
"Blow me down!" - Popeye
With a spinning punch 🥊
I'll join that cause!!
Ahh guaguaguaguaga
I got ya back.
One of my favorite movies. It was one of the first me and my dad watched together. Thank You and R.I.P Robin Williams.
I effing loved this movie! One of my Robin Williams favorites!
I remember being in kindergarten and hearing Mork was going to play Popeye. Saw it, and loved it. Love you Robin. Miss you dearly
I'm one of a small group of people that absolutely LOVE this movie. Including the soundtrack! It always bummed me out that Williams and Altman talked bad about it. As far as I'm concerned, there couldn't have been more loving care for this movie. And it simply has to be the best casted movie I have ever seen in my life! Duval as Olive, Walston as Poopdeck Pappy, Paul Dooley as Wimpy... I mean, best casting director ever! I actually feel the music helped to lengthen the movie and guide the story. 'Cause Popeye was always just shorts of him more or less rescuing Olive from Bluto or Sea Hags or whatnot. Doesn't really translate to film. So they honestly did the best they could with the source material and I believe it worked out beautifully! This movie will always be close to my heart. I never knew Gilda and Dustin were the initial choices for the leads. Gilda could have worked as Olive, but Dustin wouldn't have worked at all. And honestly, who else but Robin Williams could do the lead?! Only person I can think of is Chris Diamantopoulos. But he would have been only five years old back then. If they did a sequel, he would be perfect! Thank you soooo much for doing this video Minty!
It's Gilda. GILDA Radner. I don't know who the hell "Holda" is.
I was literally just about to type this!
That Horrific character from The Last Jedi??
Yeah, if the dude doesn’t know who Gilda is, he probably shouldn’t be doing a pop culture channel.
Holda line for me, will you?
I love his channel but he mispronounces names a lot.
I actually liked the movie, especially the food song scene (every day it's food). My favorite quote is Popeye looking for his pappy in the boat saying "I know you isn't in here, now where isn't ya?"
@Boyd Merriman did you know that the actor who played Pappy was the same old man who played the martian in "My Favorite Martian" TV show. He also played the teacher in Fast Times at Ridgemont High in '82
@@nsasupporter7557 And Ray Walston was in the cast of "The Sting" (1973)
This movie has made such an impression on me as a child, RIP Robin WIlliams.