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Olive Oyl
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Name |
Olive Oyl |
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Gender |
Female |
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Species |
Human |
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Voiced by |
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First Appearance |
Popeye the Sailor (Betty Boop Cartoon) |
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Last Appearance |
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Olive Oyl is Popeye's girlfriend, Olive was something of a coy flapper whose extremely thin build lent itself well to the fashions of the time; her long black hair was usually rolled in a neat bun, like her mother's.
She makes her debut appearance in Popeye the Sailor which is classed as a Betty Boop cartoon. The version of Olive Oyl most widely familiar is the version from the theatrical animated cartoons, first created by Fleischer Studios, and then produced by Famous Studios. Unlike most modern damsels in distress, Olive Oyl is tall and skinny, with tightly wound hair and enormous feet (the latter sometimes used to comedic effect).
In the films and later television cartoons, Olive Oyl is Popeye's girlfriend, although she could be extremely fickle, depending on who could woo her the best or had the flashier possessions, and was prone to get angry over the tiniest things.
She constantly gets kidnapped by Bluto (aka Brutus), who is Popeye's arch-rival for her affections, and when she gets angry with Popeye for whatever goes wrong, it's usually Bluto's doing. But Popeye always rescues her, winning her affection in the end. In the cartoons, she helps take care of a baby named Swee'Pea or she usually asks Popeye to take care of him if she's too busy; it's unknown if Swee'Pea is Olive Oyl's biological or adopted son.
In the comics, Swee'Pea is a foundling under Popeye's care. Later sources (mostly in the cartoon series) say that Swee'Pea is Olive Oyl's cousin or nephew that she has to take care of from time to time.
Long before Betty Boop, Olive Oyl was the first female balloon to be featured at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1982, Ted Hannah was instrumental by urging King Features Syndicate to furnish the balloon for the event.
In the new 2018 Popeye the Sailor relaunch dubbed Popeye's Island Adventures, Olive made her new debut. The reboot, on the other hand, was a flop, getting terrible ratings and reviews.
Quotes
- Olive Oyl: "Fresh!" (Popeye the Sailor)
- Olive Oyl: "Popeye help!" (Popeye the Sailor)
- Olive Oyl: "Popeye their huey is a lot of phooey! What this country needs is a woman's touch. Now if I were president..." (Olive Oyl for President)
- Olive Oyl: "Look at that beautiful pearl necklace. Oh, please get it for me Popeye huh? Please, please? Pretty please?" (A Poil for Olive Oyl)
Olive Oyl for President
The 1948 cartoon titled Olive Oyl for President was a rework of the 1932 cartoon titled Betty Boop for President. Both cartoons starred Mae Questel as the leading role.
Thimble Theatre (1950s)
In a short-lived 1955 Thimble Theatre comic strip, Olive used the "Curve-O-Mat Machine" to turn into a "blonde bombshell" similar to Blondie. Olive became a sex-symbol like Betty Boop, and star of Fumadiddle Pictures. Olive spent most of her time signing autographs, taking bubble baths, but never made a movie. Popeye fought to win back her love.
The Nitey Nite Show
Olive makes a cameo appearance in Betty Boop and Felix on Betty Boop's late night show where she interviews cartoon characters. Betty tells Olive that she looks trim, Olive responds by telling her that she recently she has gained weight, but it all goes down to her ankles.
Olive as Betty Boop's Best Friend
According to King Features, Olive Oyl is one of Betty Boop's best friends, the other being Blondie. Olive Oyl stated that Blondie and Betty were her best friends. Both Betty and Olive Oyl reference one another sometimes in their Tweets.
Voice Actresses
- Bonnie Poe (1933) - (1934) - (1938)
- Mae Questel (1933) - (1960s) - (1980s)
- Margie Hines (1938) - (1944)
- Marilyn Schreffler (1980s)
- Cheryl Chase (1998)
- Tabitha St. Germain (2004)
- Shannon Cullem (Boop-Oop-a-Dooin') (2004)
- Grey DeLisle (Sony's Popeye CGI Animation Test)
- Tara Strong (Robot Chicken)
- Diane Michelle (Commercials)
- Alex Borstein (Commercials)
Gallery
Trivia
- Olive Oyl makes her first animated appearance in Popeye the Sailor which is a Betty Boop cartoon.
- When Betty Boop flirts with Popeye (As seen in official artworks), Olive Oyl doesn't fight or attack Betty (As seen in the official comics and cartoons, Olive gets extremely jealous when another woman flirts with Popeye and ends up scrapping with them).
- In several official artworks, Olive is shown to be good friends with Betty Boop. For example King Features and Fleischer Studios Animated News.
- Margie Hines was married to the voice of Popeye (Jack Mercer) for a short while, he used to refer to her as his Olive Oyl and state that he was married to Olive Oyl.
- Betty Boop's voice and mannerisms was originally based on Helen Kane, and Olive's voice and mannerisms in the animation cartoon series were based on ZaSu Pitts.
- Olive debuted with a deep Brooklyn accent where she was voiced by Bonnie Poe, until Mae Questel created a new voice for the character as based on Pitts.
- In 2016 Popeye was featuring with Betty Boop in Spinach & Stockings: The Adventures of Betty Boop & Popeye and seems to have some sort of affection for Betty Boop forgetting he has a girlfriend - Olive Oyl.
- In Spain, she is known as Rosario, and in Sweden as Olivia, and in Finland Olga.
Links
- Official Website
- Olive Oyl at Twitter
- Olive Oyl at Facebook