Popeye’s theme song and characters live on

Popeye the Sailor’s corn cob pipe doubled as his “toot-toot” whistle, which was popularized in the 1933 “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man” theme song, written by Sammy Lerner, a native of Romania, who had come to the United States as a child.

 

Working in New York City in the 1920s, Lerner wrote songs for vaudeville performers such as Sophie Tucker. He also contributed lyrics to the Ziegfeld Follies, the series of elaborate theatrical revues performed on Broadway.

Lerner contributed the English lyrics to “Falling in Love Again (Can’t Help It),” sung by Marlene Dietrich in the 1930 film “The Blue Angel.” (The song was covered by the Beatles in 1962.)

Lerner was well known for his collaborations with Fleischer Studios. In addition to the Popeye theme song, he wrote Betty Boop’s signature song “Don’t Take My Boo-oop-a-doop Away” in 1932, along with Sammy Timberg.

 

Many of the Popeye cartoon themes revolve around the antics of Bluto, a massive, bearded sailor who constantly attempts to sabotage Popeye and woo his girlfriend, Olive Oyl. 

Bluto is defined by his brute strength and underhanded tricks. He is usually defeated when Popeye consumes his muscle-building spinach.

 While Bluto is the primary physical bully, the Sea Hag is considered Popeye’s actual “archenemy.” She’s a villain with a pet vulture, Bernard, who sails the Seven Seas in her vessel, The Black Barnacle, intent on tormenting Popeye.

 

Popeye’s mother, Irene, is seldom seen, but his father, Poopdeck Pappy, became a traveling companion. He is characterized as an ornery old coot who is always scheming.

 

J. Wellington Wimpy is an artful sponger who is always mooching hamburgers. His catchphrase is: “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” But Tuesday never comes. Wimpy is a round man with a little mustache who wears a suit, tie and bowler hat.

 

In creating Wimpy for the original comic strip, artist Elzie Crisler (E. C.) Segar patterned the character after J. William Schuchert, who ran the Chester (Ill.) Opera House, and was Segar’s first boss. A generous man, Schuchert paid for Segar’s art lessons.

 

Swee’Pea is the infant boy who is introduced as Olive Oyl’s cousin…or as an orphan prince who was delivered to Popeye’s doorstep and becomes his adopted son. The comic strips and cartoons aren’t always synchronized, but Popeye frequently rescues the child from dangerous situations.

 

Popeye also had four nephews: Peepeye, Pipeye, Poopeye and Pupeye. Unlike their uncle, the boys dislike spinach, though they share his interest in fist fighting.

 

Eugene the Jeep is a mysterious animal from Africa with magical abilities that was gifted to Popeye by Olive Oyl’s Uncle Ben Zene Oyl. 

Jeep is a yellow creature about the size of a dog who walks on his hind legs. He has a bear-like head and ears but a large nose and long tail. Jeep can cross into the fourth dimension, disappearing from one place and reappearing in another.

Today, the Popeye characters are featured among 19 statues found along the “Popeye & Friends Character Trail” in Chester, Ill.

Segar was born in Chester in 1894, and the city raised $10,000 in 1977 to erect a 6-foot-tall, 900-pound bronze statue of Popeye in Segar Memorial Park as a tribute to the cartoonist.

 

Chester, the county seat of Randolph County, is located on a bluff above the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois. Chester’s population is about 6,730.

“Spinach Can Collectibles” is the name of the free Popeye museum inside the old opera house in downtown Chester. 

More than 2,000 pieces of Popeye memorabilia are on display. There’s also a well-stocked gift shop.

“Popeye” is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Robert Altman and produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions. The script was written by Jules Feiffer.

 The movie stars Robin Williams as Popeye the Sailor and Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. Its story follows Popeye’s adventures as he arrives in the town of Sweethaven.