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Popeye the BIGHEAD Man

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Offline Giff me dat fill-em!

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William "Billy" Costello (February 2, 1898 – October 9, 1971), was an American live and voice actor, and the original voice of Popeye the Sailor in animated cartoons.

Costello had worked with the Fleischer Studio as the voice of Gus the Gorilla on the Betty Boop radio show and they felt that the raspy voice he had used for that character would work for the new Popeye character they were planning. He was cast to provide the voice for the first Popeye cartoon, 1933's Popeye the Sailor. Costello voiced the next 24 Popeye shorts until he was fired by the Fleischer’s in 1935, allegedly over "bad behavior”, and was replaced with Jack Mercer. The “bad behavior” was Billy’s big head he grew from his popularity, demanding days off and a raise in pay, to which the exec’s at Fleischer Studios found another Popeye imitator to take his place. Billy waged a counter war with Fleischer by recording several songs with Decca records published in the UK ... this one is “Nagasaki” made in 1938.
The tacks won't come out! Well, they went in ... maybe they're income tacks.


Offline Giff me dat fill-em!

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(I wonder why Billy Costello didn't try to invoke the copyright thing against Fleischer when he had the chance ... it worked with the author of Ben Hur) but maybe that was only printed matter and not audio matter
The tacks won't come out! Well, they went in ... maybe they're income tacks.


Offline Svengarlic

I've heard of Costello, but didn't know why he was replaced. What a voice he had. Amazing that he could keep in tune with that thing while singing. Great download!

I'm a little in the dark about his replacement you mentioned, Jack Murcer. I thought that Harry Welch was the only "other" voice of Popeye. In this cartoon, at times Popeye AND Bluto sound like they were voiced by the same person. You got any more info the three of them?



Offline Giff me dat fill-em!

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The first voice of Popeye ... Billy Costello, 1933-1935
http://youtu.be/sZ6dwmfFILo
The second voice of Popeye ... Jack Mercer 1935-1941?
http://youtu.be/_BiBq-pSsdg
Mercer began his work in cartoons as an apprentice animator at Fleischer, but liked to imitate voices. When Lou Fleischer heard Mercer singing the Popeye song, he gave him the job of doing the Popeye voice in place of Billy Costello.
The third Voice of Popeye … Harry Welch (see above link for cartoon)
In all fairness, there are several actors/actresses who claim the voice of Popeye …
See them here … http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/voice-compare/Popeye/Popeye/
(Billy West, as we know here at TS.net, is a wonderful Larry imitator, and has used that voice in creating Stimpy in Ren and Stimpy cartoons)
The tacks won't come out! Well, they went in ... maybe they're income tacks.


Offline Svengarlic

Billy West must be the Mel Blanc of our time. His Popeye is pretty good. I know he does most of the voices on FUTURAMA. I stopped watching THE SIMPSONS years ago. Did he work that show as well?

Tell me Giff: do you have any Spike Jones and Ritz Brothers stuff? If you do, I'm all ears.  ;)


Offline Giff me dat fill-em!

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I've got gobs of Spike Jones ... Here is one with Mel Blanc using his Daffy Duck voice.
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Offline Paul Pain

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Offline stoogerascalfan62

Billy does a great Larry imitation as Stimpy. When I first saw Ren & Stimpy, I thought Stimpy lisped a la Daffy Duck and Sylvester.