His name may not appear in the credits, but the playwright has inspired some unlikely renditions of his great works
In this 1940 episode of Dave and Max Fleischer’s classic cartoon, the pipe-puffing mariner plays Romeo, Olive Oyl is his Juliet (with an ear-trumpet), while Bluto appears in top hat and cape. There are thespian in-jokes aplenty, a balcony that won’t stay still, and an intriguing skit where – fortified by his beloved spinach – Popeye gets the girl after indulging in some Shakespearean cross-dressing. All in six-and-a-half minutes.
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