Fleischer Promo Art #15: “Popeye Lays ‘Em!”

Although it wouldn’t be released until November 1936, Paramount was keen on promoting Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor whenever and wherever it could. Dig that July 1 panel (below) with Max and all the sailor stubble! Popeye clearly shaves his legs and his chest.

07-01-36

A lot of the Fleischer veterans sneered at a certain 1937 Disney release, and claimed that this two-reeler was the first animated feature. A review in the Film Daily gives it a mild “top-notch” rating, but it was at least enough of a smash hit to warrant two more Popeye two-reelers. And even Terrytoons ripped it off, making a whole cartoon about Boola the two-headed giant entitled – The Two-Headed Giant!

It’s also a big favorite of the Ren & Stimpy braintrust; Jim Smith told me that “they really found perfection with that format [two-reeler],” while Chris Reccardi cites this as one of the three cartoons he actually likes. (The other is Gene Deitch’s Dicky Moe. I never found out what the third one was.)

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Here are a few samples of what cartoon shorts the Paramount salesmen were pushing to theaters at the time these promotional pieces appeared in print.

LET’S GET MOVIN’ July 24th 1936

HAPPY YOU AND MERRY ME August 21st