For years now, fans of the classic Popeye cartoons have only been able to get them in poorly transferred and shoddily produced cheapo DVD releases. The good news is that Warner Home Video, Hearst Ent. and King Features Syndicate announced yesterday that they have finally reached an agreement for the worldwide distribution of both the original theatrical animated shorts and the television adventures of the world’s most famous spinach-eating sailor man.
Warner Home Video will be the exclusive worldwide home entertainment distributor for all original 231 Popeye animated shorts released theatrically by Paramount Pictures between 1933 and 1957, and the 220 made-for-TV shorts produced from 1960 to 1962. The licensing deal also covers 65 episodes of The Continuing Adventures of Popeye, produced from 1978 to 1981, and 26 Popeye & Son shorts produced in 1987. The DVD release is expected to land on shelves in 2007.
The theatrical library licensed to Warner consists of 120 black-and-white shorts (106 produced by Fleischer Studios and 14 produced by Famous Studios) and 111 Technicolor cartoons (three produced by Fleischer Studios and 108 produced by Famous Studios). Warner Home Video plans to commence preservation and restoration activities immediately.
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