Starring Robin Williams, Shelly Duvall, Paul L. Smith, and Paul Dooley
Directed by Robert Altman
Music and Lyrics by Harry Nilsson
The success of Annie in 1977 sent stage and film producers looking for other comic book properties that could be turned into musicals. After losing a bidding war on the rights, Paramount looked at characters they already owned. Though Kings Syndicate owned the Popeye comics, Paramount had the film rights to the character, having released a series of animated shorts from 1933 to 1957. Disney came on in 1979 to distribute the film internationally and foot part of the bill. Director Robert Altman, known for his dark comedies like MASH and Nashville, took over the production, and proved to be more of a headache as he clashed with Williams and others and insisted the songs be recorded live. Does the movie deserve a punch in the nose from Bluto, or a kiss from Olive Oyl? Let's begin as Popeye arrives in the harbor town of Sweet Haven and find out...
The Story: Popeye the Sailor (Williams) arrives in Sweet Haven searching for his lost father, Poopdeck Pappy (Ray Walston). He rents a room in a boarding house owned by the Oyl family. Their daughter Olive (Duvall) is engaged to wealthy local bully Bluto (Smith), whose boss The Commodore owns most of the town. Popeye first encounters Olive when she's running out on the engagement party, having found nothing especially pleasant about Bluto besides his size.
As they argue over Olive running away, the two discover an abandoned baby in a basket. They name him Swee'pea, and Popeye in particular adores him. The town warms up to him too after he first helps the Oyls out by taking out a gigantic boxer and winning a huge prize, then tossing the Tax Man (Donald Moffat) in the harbor. Wimpy (Dooley), the local hamburger fan and moocher, discovers that little Swee'pea also has a talent for winning money when he whistles before the right answer to a question. After the child falls into Bluto's hands, Popeye, Wimpy, and the Oyl family go after him...but Popeye's in for a major surprise when they learn whom "The Commodore" actually is.
The Song and Dance: My sisters and I used to love this movie when it ran frequently on cable during the mid-80's. It was like the Popeye cartoons we watched on TV come to life. Williams is a perfect Popeye; all the work he did to get his squint and muttering mannerisms down was worth it. Duvall is an even better Olive Oyl, feisty and priggish one minute, wailing to Popeye to save her the next, and she sure as heck looks the part. Smith is hilariously mean as Bluto, Dooley a hysterical and dignified Wimpy, and Walston makes the most of his limited screen time as Popeye's gruff father who is more like his son than he'll admit.
The cinematography, sets, and Altman's laid-back direction goes a long way towards adding to the feel of this being a living cartoon. Sweet Haven bursts with life, with something wacky or weird going on in every frame. And no wonder her time in Malta and a book of fairy tales inspired Duvall to produce the Showtime series Fairy Tale Theatre. It's absolutely gorgeous, with radiant blue skies and clear turquoise waters for the finale with the octopus.
Favorite Number: The movie opens with "Sweet Haven - An Anthem," as the sour townspeople explain who they are and how they hope God - or someone - will help get them through the Depression and the high taxes. Olive explains to the ladies who prepare her for Bluto's arrival that her only interest in him is "He's Large." Bluto's response when she doesn't show is to destroy her family's home while singing that "I'm Mean." The chorus of men at the diner join Wimpy in singing about how "Everything Is Food." Popeye and Olive sing "Swee'Pea's Lullaby" as they fall hard for their new charge. "I Yam What I Yam" is Popeye's declaration to the people of Sweet Haven that he's just himself, no hero. Olive, meanwhile, realizes that she loves Popeye because "He Needed Me." Pappy and Bluto claim "It's Not Easy Bein' Me" as they admit it's tough to be a villain in a comic book story.
Trivia: The set for Sweet Haven was so remarkably detailed, the country of Malta purchased it and runs it to this day as a popular tourist destination, Popeye Village.
Contrary to popular belief, the movie wasn't a huge flop and did make it's money back, but it wasn't the blockbuster hit Paramount and especially Disney were hoping for, either.
What I Don't Like: Those who aren't familiar with Altman's crowded style or the Popeye comic strip may be just as baffled as many critics in the early 80's. It's more like the episodic comics than the cartoons, where Bluto and Popeye were friends/rivals and even most of the World War II shorts didn't get that dire. The story meanders and wanders and occasionally goes nowhere, particularly in the first half before they find Swee'Pea and the plot kicks in. That live recording makes some folks, especially Duvall and her sweet little singing voice, hard to hear at times.
The movie works better when it's going all-in for cartoon craziness, as in Popeye taking out a diner full of local goons single-handed and the boxing match, than with the darker moments showing Popeye's depression over his abandonment and Olive's real feelings for her forced fiancée. And as funny as the finale is, the fight between Bluto and Popeye when he finally does get spinach in him is mainly Popeye throwing a few punches and is nearly as effective as I'd like it to be.
The Big Finale: This is another movie that people will either really love, or really not get. If you're a fan of the Popeye comics, Nilsson, or Altman and his work, or have equally fond memories of those cable showings from your childhood, you'll want to jump on the next boat to Sweet Haven and join the search for Pappy's treasure.
Home Media: This movie's cult following assures it can be found everywhere and on every format. It remains a cable perennial to this day, especially on HBO, whose parent company Warner Bros is now part-owner of the animated shorts.
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