Popeye (1980)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Jules Feiffer (screenplay)
E.C. Segar (based on characters by)

Release Date:

12 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Haves a happy holiday wit me an' Olive!

Plot:

The sailor man travels to Sweethaven, falls in love with Olive Oyl, adopts Sweetpea and makes an enemy with Bluto.

Plot Keywords:

Popeye | Spinach | Sailor | Abandoned Baby | Baby

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Robin Williams	...	Popeye
Shelley Duvall	...	Olive Oyl
Ray Walston	...	Poopdeck Pappy
Paul Dooley	...	Wimpy
Paul L. Smith	...	Bluto
Richard Libertini	...	Geezil
Donald Moffat	...	The Taxman
MacIntyre Dixon	...	Cole Oyl
Roberta Maxwell	...	Nana Oyl
Donovan Scott	...	Castor Oyl
Allan F. Nicholls	...	Rough House (as Allan Nicholls)
Wesley Ivan Hurt	...	Swee'pea
Bill Irwin	...	Ham Gravy - the Old Boyfriend
Robert Fortier	...	Bill Barnacle - the Town Drunk
David McCharen	...	Harry Hotcash - the Gambler
Sharon Kinney	...	Cherry - His Moll
Peter Bray	...	Oxblood Oxheart - the Fighter
Linda Hunt	...	Mrs. Oxheart - his Mudder
Geoff Hoyle	...	Scoop - the Reporter
Wayne Robson	...	Chizzelflint - the Pawnbroker
Larry Pisoni	...	Chico - the Dishwasher
Carlo Pellegrini	...	Swifty - the Cook
Susan Kingsley	...	La Verne - the Waitress
Michael Christensen	...	Splatz - the Janitor
Ray Cooper	...	The Preacher
Noel Parenti	...	Slick - the Milkman
Karen McCormick	...	Rosie - the Milkmaid
John E. Bristol	...	Bear - the Hermit (as John Bristol)
Julie Janney	...	Mena Walfleur - a Steinette
Patty Katz	...	Mina Walfleur - a Steinette
Diane Shaffer	...	Mona Walfleur - a Steinette
Nathalie Blossom	...	Blossom Walfleur - a Steinette
Dennis Franz	...	Spike - a Tough
Alan Autry	...	Slug - a Tough (as Carlos Brown)
Ned Dowd	...	Butch - a Tough
Hovey Burgess	...	Mort - a Tough
Roberto Messina	...	Gozo - a Tough
Pietro Torrisi	...	Bolo - a Tough
Margery Bond	...	Daisy - a Housewife
Judy Burgess	...	Petunia - a Housewife
Saundra MacDonald	...	Violet - a Housewife
Eve Knoller	...	Min - a Housewife
Peggy Pisoni	...	Pickelina - a Housewife
Barbara Zegler	...	Daphne - a Housewife
Paul Zegler	...	Mayor Stonefeller - the Official
Pamela Burrell	...	Mrs. Stonefeller
David Arkin	...	The Mailman / Policeman
Klaus Voormann	...	Von Schnitzel - the Conductor
Doug Dillard	...	Clem - the Banjo Player
Van Dyke Parks	...	Hoagy - the Piano Player
Stan Wilson	...	Oscar - the Barber
Roberto Dell'Acqua	...	The Chimneysweep (as Roberto Dell'Aqua)
Valerie Velardi	...	Cindy - the Drudge
Jack Mercer	...	Popeye - Animated Prologue (voice)

Directed by
Robert Altman

Writing credits
Jules Feiffer		(screenplay)
E.C. Segar		(based on characters by)

Produced by
Scott Bushnell	....	associate producer
C.O. Erickson	....	executive producer
Robert Evans	....	producer

Cinematography by
Giuseppe Rotunno

Film Editing by
John W. Holmes
David A. Simmons		(as David Alan Simmons)

Production Design by
Wolf Kroeger

Set Decoration by
Jack Stephens

Costume Design by
Scott Bushnell

Makeup Department
Gabriella Borzelli	....	hairdresser
Maria Teresa Corridoni	....	chief hairdresser
Giancarlo Del Brocco	....	makeup supervisor
Rita Innocenzi	....	assistant hairdresser
Gilberto Provenghi	....	assistant makeup artist
Alvaro Rossi	....	assistant makeup artist
Aldo Signoretti	....	hairdresser
Alfredo Tiberi	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paolo Lucidi	....	unit manager
Frederick Muller	....	production manager: Europe

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bob Dahlin	....	first assistant director
Victor Tourjansky	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Stephen Altman	....	property master
Alvaro Belsole	....	construction manager
Bert Bowers	....	master carpenter
Reg Bream	....	assistant art director
Stephen Bream	....	draftsman
John Bucklin	....	property man
Anthony Maccario	....	property man (as Tony Maccario)
Angelo Marta	....	sculptor
Gaetano Mirante	....	master carpenter
Guglielmo Modestini	....	master painter (as Gugliemo Modestini)
Stéphane Reichel	....	assistant art director (as Stephane Reichel)
Stéphane Reichel	....	construction coordinator (as Stephane Reichel)
Lester Smith	....	draftsman
Michael Stroud	....	sculptor
Angelo Zaccaria	....	sculptor

Sound Department
John Benson	....	assistant sound editor
Steven Brimmer	....	re-recording engineer (as Steve Brimmer)
Teresa Eckton	....	sound effects editor
Michael H. Ford	....	sound editor (as Michael Ford)
Sam Gemette	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Gravenor	....	sound (as Bob Gravenor)
Rodney Holland	....	sound effects consultant
Randy Honaker	....	location engineer
Roxanne Jones	....	assistant sound editor
John A. Larsen	....	sound editor (as John Larsen)
Don Merritt	....	boom man
Michael Minkler	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Andrew Patterson	....	sound effects editor (as Andy Patterson)
Bill Phillips	....	sound editor
Karen Rasch	....	assistant sound editor
Hal Sanders	....	sound editor
Douglas J. Schulman	....	recordist (as Doug Shulman)
Sam F. Shaw	....	sound editor (as Sam Shaw)
Larry Singer	....	loop editor
Edward A. Warschilka	....	assistant sound editor (as Edward A. Warschilka Jr.)

Special Effects by
Steven C. Foster	....	technical advisor (as Steve Foster)
Allen Hall	....	special effects coordinator
R.J. Hohman	....	technical advisor
Robert G. Willard	....	special effects assistant (as Robert Willard)
James Kagel	....	lead sculptor (uncredited)

Stunts
Roberto Messina	....	stunt coordinator
Sergio Mioni	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Reed Altman	....	camera assistant
Gianlorenzo Battaglia	....	underwater camera operator (as Lorenzo Battaglia)
Luigi Bernardini	....	assistant camera
Rodolfo Bramucci	....	gaffer (as Rudolfo Bramucci)
Alberto Emidi	....	key grip
Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci	....	camera operator (as Giovanni Fiore)
Gianmaria Majorana	....	assistant camera (as Gian Maria Majorana)
Mauro Marchetti	....	assistant camera (as Mauro Merchetti)
Paul Ronald	....	unit photographer
Vladimiro Salvatori	....	key grip (as Vladimiro Salvatore)
Gianfranco Transunto	....	camera operator
Maurizio Zampagni	....	camera assistant (as Maurizio Zampagin)
Adolfo Bartoli	....	underwater assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yvonne Zarb Cousin	....	wardrobe mistress
John Hay	....	wardrobe supervisor
Kate McDermott	....	wardrobe construction

Editorial Department
Raja Gosnell	....	additional editor (as Raja R. Gosnell)
Suzanne Hines	....	post-production coordinator
Robert Lederman	....	assistant editor (as Bob Lederman)
Tony Lombardo	....	supervising editor
Paul Rubell	....	assistant editor
Jacque Elaine Toberen	....	assistant editor (as Jacque Toberen)
Stephen M. Tucker	....	assistant editor (as Stephen Tucker)
Eric Whitfield	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Harry Nilsson	....	music & lyrics by
Van Dyke Parks	....	conductor: songs
Van Dyke Parks	....	songs arranger
Tom Pierson	....	additional score composer
Dan Wallin	....	music re-recording mixer
Leslie Whitfield	....	assistant music editor (as Leslie A. Whitfield)
Richard Whitfield	....	music editor
Ted Whitfield	....	supervising music editor
Bruce Robb	....	music engineer (uncredited)
Bruce Robb	....	music mixer (uncredited)
Bruce Robb	....	music producer (uncredited)
Bob Thompson	....	music arranger (uncredited)
John Wallace	....	singing voice: Paul Smith (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bill Turner	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Peter Bray	....	unit coordinator
Hovey Burgess	....	choreography: circus
Ellis Burman Jr.	....	animated artifacts creator: Cosmekinetics (as Ellis Burman)
Cathy Chazan	....	assistant: Mr. Evans
Mickey Chonos	....	caterer
Dick Dubuque	....	location auditor (as Richard Dubuque)
Robert Eggenweiler	....	location manager
Tim Engel	....	location auditor
Rita Galea	....	publicity assistant
Barbara Kalish	....	executive assistant: Mr. Evans
Cathy Keller	....	publicity assistant
Sharon Kinney	....	choreography: dance
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
David Levy	....	unit coordinator
Stephanie Pond-Smith	....	assistant: Mr. Evans (as Stephanie Aranas)
James A. Rumsey	....	physical therapist (as James A. Rumsey, R.P.T.)
Mark Rutenberg	....	assistant: Mr. Williams
Patrice Ryan	....	title designer (as Patty Ryan)
Rick Sparks	....	talent coordinator
Luciano Tartaglia	....	assistant accountant
Bridget Terry	....	publicist
Bob Williams	....	animated artifacts creator: Cosmekinetics
Lou Wills	....	dance style creator: Mr. Williams
Lary Crews	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Ed Horwitz	....	personal assistant: Robert Altman (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Walt Disney Productions (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (A Gulf+Western Company)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Suomi-Filmi (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Alitalia  special air transportation (as Alitalia Airlines)
• Boardwalk Entertainment Company, The  original soundtrack album
• Cherokee Studios  original music recorded and mixed at (uncredited)
• Cinema Research  opticals
• Cosmekinetics Inc.  animated artifacts created by (as Cosmekinetics)
• Hanna-Barbera Productions  animation by (as Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. Copyright©MCMLXXX King Features Syndicate, Inc. All Rights Reserved)
• King Features Syndicate  licensed by
• King Features Syndicate  special thanks (uncredited)
• Lion's Gate Sound  post production sound and editorial facilities
• Malta Film Facilities  made in collaboration with (as Malta Films Facilities)

Runtime:

114 min | Argentina:115 min | Finland:97 min (1981)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Vistasonic

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG (Approved No. 26147) | Singapore:PG | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Anchor Bay, Malta

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Mike Nichols, Arthur Penn, and Hal Ashby were each originally slated to direct this movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As per the info in the trivia section of this film, the make up and appliances for Popeye's massive forearms were not ready. So in some scenes, especially the boxing match, if you look at the inside of his forearms, you can see that they are merely flesh colored pads tied over Robin Williams' arms (the strings are visible).

Quotes:

Bluto: Commodore.
Poopdeck Pappy: Don't keep calling me commodore inside this here harbor. I got millions'o emenies. And you is 10 or 12 of 'em.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

He's Large

Masterpiece. You heard me right. MASTERPIECE!

I see that lots of people hate this movie. I guess I can see why. It's so idiosyncratic, so loose, so out there, so...Altman. But this is truly one of the sweetest, gentlest, and most tender movies I have ever seen. This movie can be enjoyed if for no other reason than for its total lack of irony. Like Popeye, it is what it is. And I believe it to be a masterpiece.

This was Robin Williams first serious movie role (2 full years before Garp) and he is a brilliant Popeye. He brings so much humanity and pathos to this character that it is easy to see the great movies in his future. Shelly Duval was born to play Olive Oyl and she does not squander the role of a lifetime. And in a smaller role, a standout performance is turned in Bill Irwin as Ham, Olive's bumbling, stumbling, clown of an ex-boyfriend.

The real star of the show, however, is the atmosphere that Altman conjures up, bringing the 2d comic strip vividly to life and setting you down in this magical little island town of Sweet Haven. Harry Nilssons score is pitch perfect and his songs help to sketch out the characters motives and emotions ("He Needs Me", sung by Duvall, is currently being revived thanks to it's being prominently featured in PT Anderson's "Punch Drunk Love").

One more thing about this movie- I can watch it with my three year old son and we sing the songs and both enjoy it immensely. There are so few movies that can do that. Like I said, a masterpiece!