WARNER
ARCHIVE COLLECTION UNVEILS BELOVED CARTOONS UNSEEN IN THEIR ORIGINAL
FORM IN 60+ YEARS
POPEYE®
THE SAILOR:
THE
1940S, VOLUME 1
COMING
DECEMBER 11, 2018 TO BLU-RAY & DVD
FIRST
14 THEATRICAL SHORTS FROM FAMOUS STUDIOS
TO
MAKE LONG-AWAITED OFFICIAL HOME ENTERTAINMENT DEBUT
SINGLE-DISC
SET FEATURES NEW HIGH-DEFINITION MASTERS CREATED
FROM
4K SCANS OF THE ORIGINAL NITRATE TECHNICOLOR NEGATIVES
BURBANK, CA
(November 27, 2018) – One of the biggest animated stars in
American history returns to prominence in a specially remastered
Blu-ray & DVD presentation with the Warner Archive Collection
(WAC) release of Popeye the Sailor: The
1940s, Volume 1, a 14-cartoon set that includes many
shorts unseen in their original form for more than 60 years. In
stunning 1080p high definition created from 4K scans of the original
nitrate Technicolor negatives, and never before officially released
for home entertainment, the single-disc Popeye
the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1 will be available
December 11, 2018 through wb.com/warnerarchive and your favorite
online retailer.
Produced especially for the adult
animation collector, Popeye the Sailor:
The 1940s, Volume 1 features the
first two Technicolor® seasons of Popeye’s animated theatrical
shorts (1943-44 and 1944-45) produced by Famous Studios, Paramount’s
revered New York-based cartoon studio.
Popeye the
Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1, the first authorized
Blu-ray release of the color cartoons, covers their initial
theatrical release – starting with “Her Honor The Mare”
(originally released on November 26, 1943) and extending through the
1945 cartoon, “Mess Production.” Each of the 14 cartoons has been
meticulously restored from the original 35mm nitrate Technicolor
negatives, which have been scanned at 4K as part of Warner Bros.
ongoing film preservation efforts. From these new recombined scans,
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging department has created new
masters under the direction of Warner Archive Collection for this
Blu-ray and DVD release.
Popeye, who will celebrate his 90th
anniversary in 2019, made his debut on January 17, 1929 in the comic
strip “The Thimble Theater,” created by cartoonist E.C. Segar.
Loved by fans from around the globe as the tough, spinach-loving
sailor man who always stands up for the underdog, Popeye is one of
the world’s most recognizable pop culture icons who has maintained
a loyal following for decades.
“This is a landmark moment in Warner
Bros. providing animation enthusiasts with the ability to own
treasured animated classics from our library with the best possible
quality, aimed directly at the adult animation collectors,” says
George Feltenstein, Senior Vice President, Theatrical Catalog, Warner
Bros. Home Entertainment. “Popeye is a beloved character whose
popularity has endured for 90 years – starting as a comic strip,
continuing as a headliner in motion pictures for almost 25 years, and
cherished for decades on television. Warner Bros. has been pleased to
bring earlier incarnations, including the renowned Fleischer
cartoons, to DVD, and now we continue to cater to animation superfans
with this first installment of Famous Studios cartoons.”
As part of Warner Bros. decades-long
corporate film preservation program, the restoration process on these
Popeye cartoons has been meticulous in its mission to address any and
all film damage while preserving the original animated frame. Dirt,
debris and any film damage has been repaired from the original
sources, most of which have not been touched in over 70 years. Warner
Archive Collection has ensured great care was taken to keep the
animation authentic to its original look as first presented on movie
theater screens in the 1940s. The entire Popeye library is currently
undergoing this process.
“Popeye is one
of the all-time great cartoon characters, but he hadn’t gotten a
fair shake in the world of home entertainment until Warner released
all of his black & white shorts,” said Leonard Maltin,
animation historian, and author of Of
Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons.
“What came next? The first Technicolor Popeye
cartoons were also the last ones made under the aegis of the
Fleischer Brothers, Max and Dave. Animation aficionados should
welcome the opportunity to see these long-forgotten cartoons in such
pristine condition, taken from the original 35mm negatives.”
“This is the
first time anyone has gone back to the master nitrate negatives to
ensure a crisper picture and vivid colors – nor have these films
ever sounded so good,” said respected animation historian and
author Jerry Beck. “The animators at this time, during the war
years, were allowed to push the Popeye character forward, creating
particularly zany plot lines and funny situations beyond the classic
Popeye/Bluto rivalry for Olive Oyl. I’m particularly tickled over
the cartoon where Bluto becomes a pseudo-Superman (courtesy of a
licensed tie-in with DC Comics) and another where Popeye and Bluto
romance Olive as marionette puppets. This was the ‘Golden Age’ of
animation – and these are particularly strong cartoons that have
been long in demand by animation buffs.”
In addition, all cartoons in Popeye
the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1 are complete and uncut
as they were originally seen on movie screens, and retain their
original titles (which were removed for television exhibition in the
1950s).
The 1940s brought
new sights and sounds to America’s favorite cartoon star. In Popeye
the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1,
regulars Olive Oyl and Bluto return, while Popeye resumes his riotous
relationship with his shipmate Shorty and his naughty nephews Pipeye,
Poopeye, Peepeye and Pupeye. With the addition of full color,
cartoonists were now free to let loose with journeys to exotic lands
and give Popeye a fresh stock of new friends and foes.
But it’s the
eternal love triangle, Popeye and Bluto competing for the attention
of Olive, that drives the majority of these zany situations – as
well as the hilarious action-packed gags. Whether our heroes are
posing as circus acrobats or puppeteers or even taking turns at being
Superman, these gems from the Golden Age of Hollywood will blow you
down with laughter.
Popeye the
Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1 includes:
- Her Honor The Mare
- The Marry-Go-Round
- We're On Our Way To Rio
- The Anvil Chorus Girl
- Spinach Packin' Popeye
- Puppet Love
- Pitchin' Woo At The Zoo
- Moving Aweigh
- She-Sick Sailors
- Pop-Pie A La Mode
- Tops In The Big Top
- Shape Ahoy
- For Better Or Nurse
- Mess Production
In anticipation of Popeye’s 90th
anniversary year, brand owner King Features Syndicate, a unit of
Hearst, unveiled a full slate of new content, exciting merchandise
and events for 2019, including dozens of international and domestic
partners that will support the salty sailor at retail across all
major categories, including apparel, accessories, collectibles,
health and nutrition, and publishing.
“We are thrilled to include
Warner Bros.’ release of Popeye the
Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1 in
the rollout of consumer products that will be available to fans
during Popeye’s anniversary year,” says Carla Silva, VP
and GM, Global Head of Licensing for King Features. “For millions
of fans, the long-awaited experience of viewing this content for the
first time in their own homes is priceless.”
BASICS
Popeye
the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1
Run
Time – 99:00 MINUTES
Subtitles
– English SDH
Sound
Quality – DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English
Aspect
Ratio – 4 X 3 FULL FRAME, ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 1.37:1
Product
Color – COLOR
Disc
Configuration – BD 50
About Popeye
Sailor. Tough-Guy. Hero. Legend.
That's Popeye. An underdog with bulging forearms, a mean uppercut
and a love of canned spinach. Unassuming, unsophisticated and
undeterred by a challenge, from the minute he walked into the comic
strip, THE THIMBLE THEATER, and muttered his famous “’Ja think
I’m a cowboy?” line, Popeye the Sailor Man captured the hearts
of millions of fans around the globe. As the star of his own comics
strips and animated content on the big screen and small, Popeye
became quickly ingrained in American culture, and today remains one
of the most recognizable pop-culture icons in the world.
www.popeye.com
About
King Features
King
Features Syndicate is a unit of Hearst, one of the nation’s
largest diversified media, information and services companies, and
is a member of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication Group, which
includes cable network partnerships, television programming
activities, and newspaper syndication and merchandise licensing
operations. King is one of the most experienced organizations in
licensing and entertainment and represents some of the most
recognizable global brands, including Betty
Boop™,
Popeye®,
Cuphead,
Flash
Gordon™,
The
Phantom™,
Hägar
the Horrible,
Prince
Valiant®
and Mandrake
the Magician.
For more information, please visit www.kingfeatures.com/licensing.
About
Warner Archive Collection
Warner
Archive Collection (WAC) continues to serve as host to some of the
most beloved films, television series and animated entertainment in
history – and many are now available on Blu-ray. WAC’s canon
runs the gamut from restored and remastered Blu-ray classics such as
The Americanization of Emily,
The Big Sleep, The Great Race, She
Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Victor/Victoria and Yankee Doodle Dandy
to adored TV offerings such as Longmire
(on Blu-ray), Alice
and Family Matters (on
DVD) to
feature-length animated films, including the recent Blu-ray release
of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm,
to animated TV series headed by recent Blu-ray releases such as
Justice League Unlimited
and Young Justice
and a wealth of classic animated series on DVD including dozens of
Hanna-Barbera classics. WAC offerings can be found via
wb.com/warnerarchive and your favorite online retailer.
Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s, Volume 1 is intended for the Adult Collector and May Not Be Suitable for Children. Also available on DVD!
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