Popeye, the Ace of Space

Popeye, the Ace of Space
Popeye the Sailor series
Directed by Seymour Kneitel
Produced by Seymour Kneitel
Izzy Sparber
Story by Carl Meyer
Jack Mercer
Robert Little
Anton Loeb
Voices by Jack Mercer
Jackson Beck
Sid Raymond
Music by Winston Sharples
Animation by Al Eugster
George Germanetti
Wm. B. Pattengill
Studio Famous Studios
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)
  • October 2, 1953 (1953-10-02)
Running time 7 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Preceded by Firemen's Brawl (1953)
Followed by Shaving Muggs (1953)

Popeye, the Ace of Space (1953) is a 3D theatrical cartoon released as a Stereotoon.[1] It was produced by Famous Studios for the Popeye series and distributed by Paramount Pictures.[2] It was the first Paramount cartoon to be created in 3D format. The other is Boo Moon with Casper the Friendly Ghost.[3] Aiming to make a big impression on audiences, Paramount allocated additional funding for the Stereotoons which more than doubled the amount usually budgeted for Famous Studios cartoons of the day.[4]

Plot

A semi-remake of the earlier Popeye cartoon Rocket to Mars, Popeye drives along a country road in his boat-shaped car. When he sees that a bridge is out, he takes care of the problem with the help of some spinach. Meanwhile, an alien spaceship approaches Earth with its occupants bent on finding and abducting an average Earthman to conduct their tests on. They find Popeye instead, and snatch him away from his car via a propeller-mounted plunger. Later, the ship arrives at its planet of origin (determined by Popeye to be Mars). Many green-skinned aliens are in attendance as the Earthman is put on the first of their sinister machines: a Cosmic Ager that soon makes him turn 125. Not amused by the experiment, he counters by eating his wonder vegetable, and reverts back to age two. After the child regurgitates some excess spinach, he goes back to age 40. Next, he is strapped to a cruel contraption that would drop the huge "Atom Apple Smasher" upon his outstretched neck. Perusing a third can of spinach makes his Adam's apple as hard as Gibraltar and the massive hammer is split in two. The abductors then successfully try disintegrating the powerful being and, when his last spinach can is all that is left of him, the aliens fight for the source of his great might. Popeye is not entirely gone, however, and his invisible hand secures the spinach. Visible and strong again, he joins the spacemen's fight until they are finally pacified. He then borrows their spaceship and safely travels back to Earth while singing his song.

References

  1. ↑ http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/famous-studios-1953-54/
  2. ↑ http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/theatrical-cartoons-1953-54/
  3. ↑ http://www.instereouk.com/1953_Paramount.html
  4. ↑ 3-D Rarities: A collection of 22 Ultra-Rare and Stunningly Restored 3-D films. Page 20
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