"Around The World In 80 Hours" is an episode from The All-New Popeye Hour's "Popeye's Treasure Hunt" segment for Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with King Features Syndicate.
Plot[]
This episode starts off in San Francisco, specifically in a Wealth Club. Here, two members, Fausbound & Codger arguing over the fact that there are no American folk heroes left in the world (explanation later). But Fausbound disagrees and brings up Popeye. Codger doesn't believe so and labels Popeye as a "Has-Been". But Fausbound disagrees again and ensure Codger that Popeye is as solid as the building they're in.
But no sooner as Fausbound brought that up when an earthquake sneaks in and shakes the building. Popeye spots this, eats his spinach and save the building from total destruction. We then learn why the two men were arguing about Popeye. They want him to travel around the world in 80 hours or less, but without the use of planes, trains or boats, basically anything with additional passengers in it and will cost him money and maybe even time. Fausbound says yes, Codger says no, winner gets $1,000,000. Popeye takes the challenge and agrees to do it for his favorite charity, which is the Sailor Orphans Fund, which will get that money if Popeye succeeds. He's about to do this alone, but Olive sneaks in and tells Popeye that her bags are packed. Indicating that she wants to go too and Popeye accepted.
Little did anybody know that Codger wants to keep that money so badly. So he hires Bluto to stop Popeye (Bluto's specialty) and receive the money if he succeeds. Bluto's been hanging around the building as a butler. To start, Bluto disguises himself as a limo driver and takes Popeye and Olive to the nearest freight railroad yard. Bluto tried to bring down our heroes by saying that the last freight train left five years before. But that didn't stop Popeye, as he makes his own train. Olive then feeds Popeye his spinach and they get on their way. While they are traveling, the press follows their progress and Wimpy reports on their journey.
Their first stop is Boston, Massachusetts. Bluto attempts to stop them by planting a big scenery, switching the switches and derailing their trip. But Popeye and Olive make another train and go on. They eventually make it to Boston and after making a pedal boat, they start on their way to their next stop, which is England.
Meanwhile, Bluto follows them in a submarine. But Popeye quickly gets wind of it catches Bluto's sub with his fishing equipment. Bluto is about to drag the heroes to the bottom of the ocean when he gets swallowed by a whale, which takes them to England. Once there, the whale spits out Bluto to a clock tower.
The next stop in Popeye and Olive's travel is Africa. They get there by a castle tower, to which turns it into a rocket. Shortly after Popeye and Olive blasts off in their homemade rocket, Bluto escapes the clock tower with his sub, to which he turns into a jet. Bluto flips them over just as Popeye and Olive reach Africa.
Next stop, China. In an attempt to escape Bluto, Popeye twists the rocket and they go underground. They eventually arrive in China and the Great Wall. But Bluto tries to sidetrack them again with a trojan dragon with his ugly face on it. But Popeye quickly subdues the big guy and his dragon. Now for their last leg of their trip, they need to find a way to get back to San Francisco. That's when they come to a Chinese junk. Popeye blows on the sail and they sail away.
As our heroes sail towards their goal, Bluto makes one last attempt to stop Popeye and Olive for good, simply by using a mechanical octopus. The octopus sword fights Popeye with one tentacle and captures Olive with another before taking down Popeye. Shortly after, Bluto's octopus eats up Olive and the boat. Popeye swims to the metallic eight arms monster but without any spinach to help him. Olive does have his last can in her purse. Popeye senses it, and uses a swordfish to break inside to grab the spinach. He then eats it, takes down the octopus and turns it into a helicopter (Popeye calls it an Octo-Copter). They soon fly to San Francisco while dragging Bluto in a dinghy.
Popeye the Sailor and Olive Oyl made it. They accomplished the task at hand which was going around the world in 80 hours. For that, Fausbound wins the $1,000,000 from Codger and gladly gives the money to Popeye, for him to donate to his favorite charity. He concludes the episode by singing... ♩for orphan's sweet faces you gotta win races with Popeye, the Sailor Man♫ (toot, toot)!
Trivia[]
- This episode is based on the classic Jules Verne novel, Around the World in 80 Days.