External links
- Ancient Fistory at IMDb
- Watch Ancient Fistory in fully restored HD at Laugh Bureau Vintage
- The short film Ancient Fistory is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive .
- Ancient Fistory on YouTube
| Ancient Fistory | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Seymour Kneitel Animation Director: Al Eugster (uncredited) |
| Story by | Irving Spector |
| Produced by | Seymour Kneitel I. Sparber (both uncredited) |
| Starring | Jack Mercer Mae Questel Jackson Beck (all uncredited) |
| Music by | Winston Sharples |
| Animation by | Al Eugster Wm. B. Pattengill |
| Backgrounds by | Robert Connavale (scenic artist) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6 minutes 46 seconds |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
Ancient Fistory is a 1953 American animated short film directed by Seymour Kneitel and starring Jack Mercer in multiple roles (including Popeye). The film was released by Paramount Pictures on January 30, 1953. It was based on a gender-reversed parody of the fairy tale Cinderella and a possible inspiration for the 1960 film " Cinderfella " starring Jerry Lewis.
It is the Middle Ages: a Grand Ball is being held in which Princess Olive will choose her husband. At Bluto's Beanery, the owner leaves to go to the ball leaving all duties to his overworked, raggedy employee, Popeye. The latter's lamentations are ended by the appearance of his Fairy Godfather, who asks for a spinach can which to turn into an anachronistic car for Popeye and then gives him princely robes. Popeye thanks him. But, his Fairy Godfather warns him to return home by midnight or he'll change back to rags again, right before he disappears and Popeye leaves.
Meanwhile, at the ball, Princess Olive trips while gracefully descending the stairs and is helped by Bluto - who also tries her crown on for size. Yet the princess is not attracted to him and seems much more interested in the newly arrived "Cinderfella". The two men begin to fight for the fair princess, but she breaks the quarrel and chooses archery as the contest for her hand. Bluto blatantly cheats by lifting the target to achieve bullseye, then sabotages Popeye's arrow to make it go out a castle window where it gives a bovine a black eye, thus also achieving "ye real bullseye".
The rivals then go on a duel with pistols, where not only does Bluto shoot early but does so with a cannon, firing his opponent all the way to his car chariot to be left unconscious. Olive is then harassed by the disgusting man that wants to forcibly kiss her, and chased all through the castle as she cries "Saveth me, help!!" Popeye is too late to return home, as midnight strikes and he loses his luxury vehicle and clothes. However, this allows him to eat the contents of his former ride and gain a knight's armor and a horse. He swings a mighty fist at the predator, whose own armor remains then trap him in a stove. The townsfolk celebrate as their princess announces her betrothed, Popeye. They ride together while kissing tenderly but, as the short reaches the end, his helm visor falls on her nose.
The cast consists of:
"Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world. The protagonist is a young girl living in forsaken circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune, with her ascension to the throne via marriage. The story of Rhodopis, recounted by the Greek geographer Strabo sometime between 7 BC and 23 AD, about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt, is usually considered to be the earliest known variant of the Cinderella story.
Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by E. C. Segar in 1919 for his comic strip Thimble Theatre. The strip was later renamed Popeye after the sailor character that became the most popular member of the cast; however, Olive Oyl was a main character for a decade before Popeye's 1929 appearance.
Bluto, at times known as Brutus, is a cartoon and comics character created in 1932 by Elzie Crisler Segar as a one-time character, named "Bluto the Terrible", in his Thimble Theatre comic strip. Bluto made his first appearance on September 12 of that year. Fleischer Studios adapted him the next year (1933) to be the main antagonist of their theatrical Popeye animated cartoon series.
Popeye is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Robert Altman and produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions. It is based on E. C. Segar's Popeye comics character. The script was written by Jules Feiffer, and stars Robin Williams as Popeye the Sailor Man and Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. Its story follows Popeye's adventures as he arrives in the town of Sweethaven.
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves is a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the Popeye Color Specials series, produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on November 26, 1937 by Paramount Pictures. It was produced by Max Fleischer for Fleischer Studios, Inc. and directed by Dave Fleischer. Willard Bowsky was head animator, with musical supervision by Sammy Timberg. The voice of Popeye is performed by Jack Mercer, with additional voices by Mae Questel as Olive Oyl, Lou Fleischer as J. Wellington Wimpy and Gus Wickie as Abu Hassan.
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp is a two-reel animated cartoon short subject in the Popeye Color Specials series, produced in Technicolor and released to theaters on April 7, 1939, by Paramount Pictures. It was produced by Max Fleischer, and directed by Dave Fleischer for Fleischer Studios, Inc., with David Tendlar serving as head animator, and music being supervised by Sammy Timberg. The voice of Popeye is performed by Jack Mercer, with additional voices by Margie Hines as Olive Oyl and Carl Meyer as the evil Wazzir.
Popeye and Son is an American animated comedy series based on the Popeye comic strip created by E.C. Segar and published by King Features Syndicate. Jointly produced by Hanna-Barbera and King Features subsidiary King Features Entertainment, the series aired for one season of thirteen episodes on CBS. It is a follow-up to The All New Popeye Hour. Due to Jack Mercer's death in 1984, Maurice LaMarche voiced Popeye, while much of the cast of The All New Popeye Hour reprised their respective roles, with the exception of Daws Butler. However, Nancy Cartwright, who was trained by Butler, voiced Woody in the series.
Cinderfella is a 1960 American semi-musical comedy film adaptation of the classic Cinderella story, with most characters changed in gender from female to male and starring Jerry Lewis as Fella. It was released on November 22, 1960 by Paramount Pictures.
Poopdeck Pappy is a fictional character featured in the Popeye comic strip and animated cartoon spinoffs. Created by E. C. Segar in 1936, the character is Popeye's father, who is between the ages of 85 and 99.
CinderElmo is a 65-minute television film that aired on Fox in the United States on December 6, 1999, loosely based on the fairy tale Cinderella. It was released on VHS and DVD in North America on February 29, 2000.
Popeye the Sailor is a 1933 animated short produced by Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Publix Corporation. While billed as a Betty Boop cartoon, it was produced as a vehicle for Popeye in his debut animated appearance.
Popeye the Sailor is an American animated television series produced for King Features Syndicate TV starring Popeye that was released between 1960 and 1963 with 220 episodes produced. The episodes were produced by a variety of production studios and aired in broadcast syndication until the 1990s.
The All New Popeye Hour is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and King Features Entertainment. Starring the comic strip character Popeye, the series aired from 1978 to 1983 Saturday mornings on CBS. Despite the series' mixed reception, it was a hit for King Features Entertainment.
Popeye the Sailor is an American animated series of short films based on the Popeye comic strip character created by E. C. Segar. In 1933, Max and Dave Fleischer's Fleischer Studios, based in New York City, adapted Segar's characters into a series of theatrical cartoon shorts for Paramount Pictures. The plotlines in the animated cartoons tended to be simpler than those presented in the comic strips, and the characters slightly different. A villain, usually Bluto, makes a move on Popeye's "sweetie", Olive Oyl. The villain clobbers Popeye until he eats spinach, giving him superhuman strength. Thus empowered, Popeye makes short work of the villain.
Popeye the Sailor is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar. The character first appeared on January 17, 1929, in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre. The strip was in its tenth year when Popeye made his debut, but the one-eyed sailor quickly became the lead character, and Thimble Theatre became one of King Features' most popular properties during the 1930s. Following Segar's death in 1938, Thimble Theatre was continued by several writers and artists, most notably Segar's assistant Bud Sagendorf. The strip continues to appear in first-run installments on Sundays, written and drawn by R. K. Milholland. The daily strips are reprints of old Sagendorf stories.
Fright to the Finish is a 1954 animated American short film directed by Seymour Kneitel and Al Eugster starring Jack Mercer as Popeye. The short was released by Paramount Pictures on August 27, 1954.
Ghosks is the Bunk is a 1939 animated short starring Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto. Olive reads a ghost story to Popeye and Bluto. Bluto leaves and rigs a haunted house and lures them to it. But they quickly discover him and, even better, a can of invisible paint, and they get the better of him.
Blow me Down! is a Popeye theatrical cartoon short in the Paramount Picture short series. It was released in 1933 and was the third cartoon in the Popeye the Sailor series of theatrical cartoons released by Paramount Pictures.
Seasin's Greetinks! is a Popeye theatrical Christmas-themed cartoon short, starring William "Billy" Costello as Popeye and Bonnie Poe as Olive Oyl and William Pennell as Bluto. It was released on December 17, 1933 and is in the Popeye the Sailor series of theatrical cartoons released by Paramount Pictures.
Let's You and Him Fight is a Popeye theatrical cartoon short released in February 16, 1934, starring William "Billy" Costello as Popeye, Bonnie Poe as Olive Oyl, William Pennell as Bluto and Charles Lawrence as the announcer.
