Grahame N's Web Pages

BETTY BOOP

AND

POPEYE

ON 9,5MM

Ninefivers owe a great deal to the pre-war Managing Director of Pathescope in the UK, a Frenchman by the name of Claude Cabirol, who managed to clinch a deal with Paramount Pictures in the USA for the rights to Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons. Initially there were six Popeyes & six Betty Boops released (also on 17.5mm optical sound) to co-incide with the introduction of 9.5mm optical sound in 1938. A further eighteen titles of each subject were released over the next two years, with 200ft (60metre) versions plus shorter extracts appearing on 9.5mm silent. (Only one Popeye title failed to appear as a silent release - "The Spinach Overture" - probably because of its total music content.) In 1949, after the war the rights were renewed until about 1957, but when Pathescope applied to renew again they were refused - television was consuming any film items that happened to be available! Pathescope were only given a very short time to dispose of remaining prints - leaving 9.5mm optical sound with no cartoon subjects. It's strange that in France no Popeye or Betty Boop cartoons ever appeared on 9.5mm.

Luckily for collectors, Pathescope didn't attempt to change the titles of these cartoons, leaving the original title cards intact on the one reel releases. The list below shows all the Paramount cartoons that arrived on 9.5mm with their Pathescope reference numbers and release dates (from announcements in the Pathescope Monthly magazine) etc. All had the similar credits of 'Directed by Dave Fleischer' and 'Max Fleischer Production for Paramount', although of course various animators worked on each cartoon, including Seymour Kneitel, Roland Crandall, Willard Bowsky, Hicks Lokey and Dave Tendlar.

The voice of Betty Boop was allegedly based on Helen Kane ("The Boop-a-Doop Girl") although this was disputed hotly at law. Originally Little Ann Little provided the actual voice, later to be taken over by Mae Questel who also dubbed Olive Oyl in the Popeye cartoons. The voice of Popeye was dubbed originally by William Costello but after a year or so by Jack Mercer.. It's amazing that the Fleischer Studio managed to survive for so long producing these excellent cartoons with so much behind the scenes strife. The two brothers who effectively ran the company employed another brother as an ordinary staff member with a lowly salary, and it appears in later years, Max and Dave only spoke to each other through intermediaries or by note! It would take a whole book to detail the Fleischer Story and luckily it has been written!!

Try to find:- "The Fleischer Story" by Leslie Cabarga, published in 1954 and in a revised edition in 1988 by Da Capo Press, New York - ISBN 0-306-80313-5.

©GLN '96         INTERNATIONAL  9.5  FILM  CATALOGUE  -  BETTY BOOP & POPEYE CARTOONS               27/03/00
                 --------------------------------------------------------------------
              PA=Pathescope(UK)   PB=Pathe-Baby(FR)   PG=Pathe/Tobis(GER)   PI=Pathe(IT)   PS=Pathe(SP)   PN=Pathe(India)   PX=Pathex(US)
   FO=Film Office(FR)   PN=Pinquin(FR)   HF=Hefa(FR)   LA=LaPierre(FR)   MS=Mascre(FR)   LP=LGP Cine(UK)   WL=Walton(UK)
            NV=Novascope(UK)   PK=Peak(UK)   WH=Wallace Heaton(UK)   BC=Birmingham Commercial Films(UK)
V=30ft notched   G=60ft notched   L=30ft  D=60ft   J/C=100ft   M=200ft   SB=300ft  S=300ft notched  T=UK sound  SS/MS/GS=FR sound

Original Film:  Title     Date(DD/MM/YY)     9.5mm Number  9.5mm Title              Orig. 9.5 Release Date

ADVENTURES OF POPEYE           25/10/35 POP  T(PA)9511   ADVENTURES OF POPEYE             Dec39
                                             M(PA)30375  ADVENTURES OF POPEYE             Aug40
                                             L(PA)30402  OLIVE ON THE RAILS               Nov39
                                             L(PA)30403  LOGGING ALONG                    Jan40
BE KIND TO "AMINALS"           22/02/35 POP  T(PA)9506   BE KIND TO "AMINALS"             Jul39
                                             M(PA)30372  BE KIND TO "AMINALS"             Aug39
                                             D(PA)30416  UPSETTING BLUTO'S APPLECART      Jan40
BETTY BOOP AND GRANPY          16/08/35 BB   T(PA)9519   BETTY BOOP AND GRANPY            Dec39
BETTY BOOP AND LITTLE JIMMY    27/03/36 BB   T(PA)9529   BETTY BOOP AND LITTLE JIMMY      Dec40
BETTY BOOP AND THE LITTLE KING 31/01/36 BB   T(PA)9514   BETTY BOOP AND THE LITTLE KING   Dec39
BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY   03/11/33 BB   T(PA)9481   BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY     Apr38
                                             M(PA)30249  BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY     Apr39
BLOW ME DOWN                   27/10/33 POP  T(PA)9472   BLOW ME DOWN                     May38
                                             M(PA)30250  BLOW ME DOWN                     Nov37
                                             D(PA)30260  PEPPERY POPEYE                   Feb38
BROTHERLY LOVE                 06/03/36 POP  T(PA)9534   BROTHERLY LOVE                   Nov40
                                             M(PA)30346  BROTHERLY LOVE     
CHOOSE YOUR WEPPINS            31/05/35 POP  T(PA)9504   CHOOSE YOUR WEPPINS              Nov39
                                             M(PA)30371  CHOOSE YOUR WEPPINS              Jun40
                                             D(PA)30417  RAPIER RAZZLE                    Feb40
CLEAN SHAVEN MAN (A)           07/02/36 POP  T(PA)9505   CLEAN SHAVEN MAN (A)             Oct39
                                             M(PA)30373  CLEAN SHAVEN MAN (A)             Apr40
DIZZY DIVERS                   26/07/35 POP  T(PA)9509   DIZZY DIVERS                     Dec39
                                             L(PA)30401  X MARKS THE SPOT                 Oct39
                                             M(PA)30379  DIZZY DIVERS                     Mar40
FOR BETTER OR WORSER           28/06/35 POP  T(PA)9508   FOR BETTER OR WORSER             Jan40
                                             M(PA)30381  FOR BETTER OR WORSER             Nov39
                                             L(PA)30405  POPEYE THE JILTER                Mar40
                                             D(PA)30418  BLUTO GETS THE BRIDE             Mar40
HAPPY YOU AND MERRY ME         21/08/36 BB   T(PA)9525   HAPPY YOU AND MERRY ME           Aug40
                                             M(PA)30364  HAPPY YOU AND MERRY ME           Nov40
HYP-NUT-TIST (THE)             26/04/35 POP  T(PA)9500   HYP-NUT-TIST (THE)               May39
                                             M(PA)30369  HYP-NUT-TIST (THE)               Jun39
I EATS MY SPINACH              17/11/33 POP  T(PA)9474   I EATS MY SPINACH                Apr38
                                             M(PA)30247  I EATS MY SPINACH                Aug38
                                             D(PA)30257  MATADOR POPEYE                   Dec37
                                             D(PA)30304  RODEO (THE)                           
I HEARD                        01/09/33 BB   T(PA)9479   I HEARD                          Apr38
                                             L(PA)30262  BETTY BOOP'S TAVERN              Nov37
                                             L(PA)30263  GET THOSE G-GHOSTS               Jan38
                                             M(PA)30279  I HEARD                          Apr38
I WANNA BE A LIFE-GUARD        26/06/36 POP  T(PA)9532   I WANNA BE A LIFE-GUARD             41
                                             M(PA)30345  I WANNA BE A LIFE-GUARD          Nov40
I YAM WHAT I AM                29/09/33 POP  T(PA)9473   I YAM WHAT I AM                  Jun38
                                             M(PA)30251  I YAM WHAT I AM                  Jan38 
                                             D(PA)30258  BIG CHEESE POPEYE                Jan38
                                             L(PA)30265  POPEYE A-SCALPING                Feb38
I-SKI LOVE-SKI YOU-SKI         03/04/36 POP  T(PA)9533   I-SKI LOVE-SKI YOU-SKI           Oct40
                                             M(PA)30350  I-SKI LOVE-SKI YOU-SKI           Nov40
JUDGE FOR A DAY                20/09/35 BB   T(PA)9521   JUDGE FOR A DAY                  Jun39
                                             M(PA)30383  JUDGE FOR A DAY                  Mar40
KING OF THE MARDI GRAS         27/09/35 POP  T(PA)9502   KING OF THE MARDI GRAS           Sep39
                                             M(PA)30384  KING OF THE MARDI GRAS           Oct39 
LANGUAGE ALL MY OWN (A)        19/07/35 BB   T(PA)9516   LANGUAGE ALL MY OWN (A)          Feb40
LET'S GET MOVIN'               24/07/36 POP  T(PA)9530   LET'S GET MOVIN'                    41
                                             M(PA)30348  LET'S GET MOVIN'                 Mar41
LITTLE NOBODY                  27/01/36 BB   T(PA)9513   LITTLE NOBODY                    Sep39
                                             M(PA)30367  LITTLE NOBODY                    Oct39
                                             D(PA)30414  PUDGY TO THE RESCUE              Dec39
LITTLE SOAP AND WATER (A)      21/06/35 BB   T(PA)9520   LITTLE SOAP AND WATER (A)        Jan40
                                             M(PA)30376  LITTLE SOAP AND WATER (A)        Dec39
MAKING STARS                   18/10/35 BB   T(PA)9517   MAKING STARS                     Nov39
MORE PEP                       19/06/36 BB   T(PA)9526   MORE PEP                         Sep40
                                             M(PA)30360  MORE PEP                         Nov40
MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT        06/10/33 BB   T(PA)9478   MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT          Jun38
                                             M(PA)30254  MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT          Mar38
                                             D(PA)30267  BIRDIES LOVE CATS                Nov49
NEVER KICK A WOMAN             30/08/36 POP  T(PA)9531   NEVER KICK A WOMAN               Aug40
                                             M(PA)30349  NEVER KICK A WOMAN               
NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO    24/06/35 BB   T(PA)9512   NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO      May39
                                             M(PA)30368  NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO      Jun39
                                             D(PA)30413  SHE LOVES ME NOT                 Nov39
NOT NOW                        28/02/36 BB   T(PA)9515   NOT NOW                          Jan40
                                             M(PA)30380  NOT NOW                          Jan40
                                             L(PA)30400  DUST-BIN DUST-UP                 Dec39
OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN        04/08/33 BB   T(PA)9477   OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN          Apr38
                                             M(PA)30248  OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN          Mar39
PARADE OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS  01/12/33 BB   T(PA)9476   PARADE OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS    May38
                                             M(PA)30253  PARADE OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS    Feb38
                                             D(PA)30261  TOY SHOP (THE)                   Jun49
PLEASED TO MEET CHA            22/03/35 POP  T(PA)9507   PLEASED TO MEET CHA              Aug39
                                             M(PA)30374  PLEASED TO MEET CHA              Feb40
                                             L(PA)30404  CALLING ON OLIVE                 Feb40
SEASIN'S GREETINKS             17/12/33 POP  T(PA)9471   SEASIN'S GREETINKS               Apr38
                                             M(PA)30255  SEASIN'S GREETINKS               Apr38
                                             L(PA)30264  POPEYE'S SLIPPERY WORK           Dec37
SHE WRONGED HIM RIGHT          05/01/34 BB   T(PA)99480  SHE WRONGED HIM RIGHT            Apr38
SOCK-A-BYE BABY                19/01/34 POP  T(PA)9470   SOCK-A-BYE BABY                  Apr38
                                             D(PA)30256  NOISE ANNOYS POPEYE              Nov37
                                             M(PA)30281  SOCK-A-BYE BABY                  Jun38
SONG A DAY (A)                 22/05/36 BB   T(PA)9527   SONG A DAY (A)                   Oct40
SPINACH OVERTURE (THE)         07/12/35 POP  T(PA)9510   SPINACH OVERTURE (THE)           Jan40
STOP THAT NOISE                15/03/35 BB   T(PA)9522   STOP THAT NOISE                  Oct39
                                             M(PA)30377  STOP THAT NOISE                  Nov39
SWAT THE FLY                   19/04/35 BB   T(PA)9518   SWAT THE FLY                     Aug39
                                             M(PA)30382  SWAT THE FLY                     Feb40
TAKING THE BLAME               15/02/35 BB   T(PA)9523   TAKING THE BLAME                 Jul39
                                             M(PA)30378  TAKING THE BLAME                 Aug39
VIM, VIGOR AND VITALIKY        03/01/36 POP  T(PA)9503   VIM, VIGOR AND VITALIKY          Jun39
                                             M(PA)30370  VIM, VIGOR AND VITALIKY          Dec39
                                             D(PA)30415  HEALTH IS WEALTH                 Oct39
WE DID IT                      24/04/36 BB   T(PA)9528   WE DID IT                        Nov40 
                                             M(PA)30361  WE DID IT                        Mar41
WHAT NO SPINACH                01/01/36 POP  T(PA)9535   WHAT NO SPINACH                  Dec40
                                             M(PA)30347  WHAT NO SPINACH                  
WILD ELEPHINKS                 29/12/33 POP  T(PA)9475   WILD ELEPHINKS                   Apr38
                                             M(PA)30252  WILD ELEPHINKS                   Dec37
                                             D(PA)30259  POPEYE THE PELTER                Jun49
                                             L(PA)30266  HEAVE HO, POPEYE                 
                                             L(PA)30303  POPEYE IN THE JUNGLE             
YOU GOTTA BE A FOOTBALL HERO   30/08/35 POP  T(PA)9501   YOU GOTTA BE A FOOTBALL HERO     Feb40
                                             M(PA)30366  YOU GOTTA BE A FOOTBALL HERO     Jan40
YOU'RE NOT BUILT THAT WAY      17/07/36 BB   T(PA)9524   YOU'RE NOT BUILT THAT WAY           41

                                                                       (113 entries)

(02May2003 D30304 "The Rodeo" added)

If you are looking for Betty Boop memorabilia then check out: www.booptique.co.uk and www.vintagebettyboop.co.uk

BETTY BOOP

AND

POPEYE

ON 9,5MM

Try to find:- "The Fleischer Story" by Leslie Cabarga, published in 1954 and in a revised edition in 1988 by Da Capo Press, New York - ISBN 0-306-80313-5.

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