Institute History
Description
Popeye is one of Altman's most entertaining and enjoyable films. In it he transforms the island of Malta into the colorful comic-strip town of Sweethaven, where goodalways triumphs and evil is doomed to a bad end. Robin Williams plays Popeye, a character described by screenwriter Jules Feiffer as the only honest man in a world filled with adorable thieves, "in a barrage of verbal asides, puns, corny remarks and "mispronunciations." It seems as if Shelley Duvall has been waiting all her life to play Olive Oyl, a role she turns into "a combination of Stan Laurel and Mae West." Paul Dooley is a perfect Wimpy, not too bright and obsessed by food, and Paul Smith's Bluto is a burly, blustering bully. Harry Nilsson's clever, lively songs help keep the film moving at breakneck speed. Ultimately Popeye is a story of one man's search for family and community; when Popeye finds his place in the world, we share his happiness and sense of achievement. Many Altman fans feel Popeye is his warmest and most accessible film.