| The Island Fling | |
| Number 144 | |
 | |
| Guide | |
| previous The Fistic Mystic |
next Abusement Park |
The Island Fling is Popeye's 144th cartoon, released on December 27, 1946 by Famous Studios. It parodies the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.
Plot[]
We reach the island of an unhappily unpartnered Robinson Crusoe, where his faithful companion Friday sings while doing the everyday chores. He then informs the Bluto-like Robinson of a raft's approach over the horizon, with Robinson's spyglass revealing the castaways: Popeye and a scantily-clad Olive. Crusoe tidies up his shack and perfumes himself, then rides a car "driven" by Friday in his role as chauffeur. Ashore, Popeye greets the islander gratefully, yet the latter is only interested in the brunette beauty and gives the sailor a rough welcome. Later, dinner is served by his cook Friday. Robinson tries to sweet-talk the hungry Olive while throwing Popeye out to go hunting, yet the two's privacy quickly ends when Popeye returns after having caught a moose, a tiger, a lion, a hippopotamus, a crocodile, several fish, a shark, a seal, an elephant and a sea monster. Both men later go on a treasure hunt only for Crusoe to bury the sailor and rush back to the lovely lady, yet Popeye emerges from the floor, pirate treasure and all. Crusoe entraps him in the treasure chest and throws him away, then tries to force himself on the horrified Olive. The hero, trapped and also caught inside a crocodile's maw, hears Olive scream as she is being restrained, then proceeds to eat his spinach. Reptiles are turned into luggage and Crusoe, who was riding the pole the lady was tied to as a canoe down a river, is punched out as he falls from the waterfall Popeye and Olive had just managed to escape. He finds a more suitable consort in a female ape, while the sailor and the belle leave the island on a raft made from the old car, along with Friday and his relatives.
Trivia[]
- No longer airs due to the potentially offensive depiction of Friday.
- Herman the Mouse from the Noveltoons series can be seen early on as Friday cleans up.
- While Bluto is normally a very stereotypically masculine character, his depiction of Robinson Crusoe displays behaviors that are normally thought of as feminine -- beautifying for a date, wanting a sweetheart, reading romances, owning a hope chest.
- Although Popeye is mostly voiced by Harry Foster Welch, Jack Mercer performs some of his lines.
- After the short was edited for a.a.p., the original ending was lost, so in Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s Volume 2 the ending cue from Abusement Park was substituted.
Gallery[]
External links[]
- The Island Fling at the Internet Movie Database