Olive Oyl Explained

Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by E. C. Segar in 1919 for his comic strip Thimble Theatre.^[1] The strip was later renamed Popeye after the sailor character that became the most popular member of the cast; however, Olive Oyl was a main character for a decade before Popeye's 1929 appearance.^[2]

Fictional character biography

In the strip as written by Segar, Olive is a scrappy, headstrong young woman (her age varying between her late teens and 26) visually characterized by her exaggeratedly slim build (evolving from its previous more realistically proportioned form by the late 1920s) and her long black hair (usually presented as rolled in a neat bun, like her mother's). She is the youngest sibling of Castor Oyl and Crude Oyl. Debuting on December 19, 1919, Olive was the childhood sweetheart and more-or-less fiancée of original Thimble Theatre protagonist Harold Hamgravy (Ham Gravy), a "lounge lizard" or slacker type who did as little work as possible and was always borrowing money. His attraction to other women—particularly if they were rich—naturally incensed Olive, leading her to (in a storyline run in mid-1928) succumb to a fit of "lunaphobia" (a kind of angry madness) over one of his amours; when she recovered, she continued to pretend to have the disorder to win him back. She was not immune to flattery from other men, but remained committed to Hamgravy on-and-off until Popeye's appearance. Olive and Popeye initially greeted each other with animosity (her first words to him being "take your hooks offa me or I'll lay ya in a scupper"), leading them to fight bitterly for weeks before finally realizing that they had feelings for each other. Following a series of Sunday strips run in March 1930, Popeye would definitively supersede Ham as Olive's lover, a position he occupies within the comic into the present; Ham had largely vanished from the daily strip six months earlier, although Popeye and Olive's relationship would nonetheless not be emphasized within the daily strip's continuity until the height of the Clint Gore story arc in January 1931.

The version of Olive Oyl most widely familiar is the coyer and more nervous version from the theatrical animated cartoons created by Fleischer Studios and continued 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). Popeye's comment about her measurements is that she is a perfect 57... 19-19-19.

In the films and later television cartoons, Olive Oyl is usually Popeye's girlfriend, although she could be extremely fickle, depending on who could woo her the best or had the flashier possessions, and she was prone to become angry with Popeye over seemingly minor issues. She constantly gets kidnapped by Bluto (aka Brutus), who is Popeye's arch-rival for her affections; when she gets angry with Popeye for whatever goes wrong, it's usually as a result of Bluto's trickery, but Popeye always rescues her and wins back her affection in the process.

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.

Like Popeye, there are times where Olive gains superhuman strength from eating spinach.

History of the character

Olive Oyl is named after olive oil, used commonly in cooking or in salads.^[3] Segar's newspaper strips also featured a number of her relatives named after other oils, including her brother, Castor Oyl, their mother, Nana Oyl (after "banana oil", a mild slang phrase of the time used in the same way as "horsefeathers", i.e. "nonsense"), their father, Cole Oyl, and Castor's estranged wife, Cylinda Oyl; more recently, Olive's nieces Diesel Oyl and Violet Oyl have appeared in the cartoons. Also among Olive's family are her two uncles, Otto (Auto) Oyl and intrepid explorer Lubry Kent Oyl. Lubry Kent's gift to Castor and Olive, a lucky Whiffle Hen, led them into the adventure where they met Popeye. When Bobby London took over the strip from 1986 to 1992, he added the sultry blonde Sutra Oyl, Olive's cousin, and Standard Oyl, a distant relative who was an extremely wealthy corporate magnate.

Portrayals

The first two Popeye cartoons, Popeye the Sailor (1933) and I Yam What I Yam (1933), featured Bonnie Poe as the voice of Olive Oyl. She was thereafter voiced by character actress Mae Questel (who also voiced Betty Boop and other characters).^{[4] [5]} Questel styled Olive's voice and delivery after those of actress ZaSu Pitts.^[6]

In 1938, Margie Hines took over as the voice of Olive Oyl, starting with the cartoon Bulldozing the Bull. Questel returned as her voice in 1944, starting with the cartoon The Anvil Chorus Girl. Questel would remain so until after the King Features Syndicate made-for-TV Popeye shorts in 1960.^{[7] [5]}

Marilyn Schreffler became the new voice of Olive when Hanna-Barbera obtained the rights to produce made-for-television Popeye cartoons for The All-New Popeye Hour in 1978. Schreffler also voiced Olive in Popeye and Son. Questel auditioned to reprise her role, but was rejected in favor of Schreffler. Despite being officially replaced by Schreffler, Questel later returned to voice Olive Oyl for a 1983 commercial promoting the Popeye video game.^{[8] [5]}

In the 1980 musical live-action feature film Popeye, Olive is portrayed by Shelley Duvall opposite co-star Robin Williams as her lover Popeye.^{[9] [10]} In , she was voiced by Tabitha St. Germain.^[5]

Additional actors

• Harry Foster Welch (1934–1940s 1960s; public events, Peter Pan Records records)^{[11] [12]}
• Olive LaMoy (1935–1937; Popeye the Sailor radio show, Bluebird Records records)^[13]
• Miriam Wolfe (1936–1937; Popeye the Sailor radio show)
• Arnold Stang (1943; one line in The Marry-Go-Round)^{[14] [15]}
• Ginny Tyler (1957; "I'm Popeye The Sailor Man" cover)^[16]
• Jack Mercer (1960; Popeye's Zoo)^[17]
• Corinne Orr (1972, 1975; Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter, Popeyes commercials)^{[18] [19] [20]}
• Ruth Edinger (1977; Christmas with Popeye)^[21]
• Yumi Murata (1978; Popeye the Sailorman/Olive and Bluto's Race Song)
• Cherry Davis (1989–1990s, 2000s; 1-900 Hotline commercial, Quaker Oats commercials, Center for Marine Conservation commercial, Cartoon Network bumper)^{[22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27]}
• Linda Peretz (1992; Popeye y Olivia)^{[28] [29]}
• Zofia Bil (1994; Popeye Saves the Earth)^[30]
• Cheryl Chase (1997–1998; Popeye and the Quest For the Woolly Mammoth, Popeye: The Rescue, Popeye and the Sunken Treasure)
• Sandy Fox (1999; Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, Pandemonium Cartoon Circus)^{[31] [32] [33]}
• Lani Minella (2002; Slots from Bally Gaming)^[34]
• Shannon Cullem (2004; Boop-Oop-a-Dooin)^{[35] [36]}
• Kelly Hu (2005, 2007–2008; Robot Chicken)^[37]
• Robyn Gryphe (2006; United States Power Squadrons radio spots)^[38]
• Diane Michelle (2007; Prego commercials)^[39]
• Jamie Lee (2014; The Pete Holmes Show)^[40]
• Grey DeLisle (2014; animation test)
• Sarah Stiles (2016; Fleischerei)^[41]
• Tara Strong (2016; Robot Chicken)^[37]
• Seth Green (2019; Robot Chicken)
• Ayami Nakajo (2021–2023; Ajinomoto commercials)^{[42] [43] [44] [45]}

Appearance

In her Famous Studios appearance, Olive is given more hair, smaller feet, wider eyes, a more feminine face, a tomboyish streak and a slightly less silly personality. She has black hair with a red bow. She wears a red shirt with short sleeves, black skirt with a red line on the bottom and black pumps. In later animated cartoons from King Features and Hanna-Barbera, while they would occasionally retain aspects of her Famous Studios incarnation, such as her hairstyles, Olive generally reverted to her original enormous feet, pinned-back-with-a-bun hairdo, tall flat brown boots and white socks.

Personality

• Olive Oyl is absent-minded, sweet, flirtatious, short-tempered, romantic, headstrong, foolish, shallow, pompous, sassy, inattentive, fickle, demanding, and selfish. She is usually depicted as a stereotypical "damsel-in-distress" character and often blames others for her own mistakes when confronted.
• She frequently says "Oh, dear!" in a way that resembles film actress ZaSu Pitts.

Other appearances

• In the 1980 Disney live-action film directed by Robert Altman, Olive Oyl is played by actress Shelley Duvall. Shelley Duvall has mentioned that she was teased in school as Olive Oyl because of her physical resemblance to the character.
• Olive Oyl made a non-speaking cameo in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Droopy Botox".
• In 1997–1998, Olive Oyl appeared in the video games Popeye and the Quest For the Woolly Mammoth, Popeye: The Rescue and Popeye and the Sunken Treasure, voiced by Cheryl Chase.
• In 2006, King Features produced both a radio spot and industrial for the United States Power Squadrons featuring Robyn Gryphe as Olive and Allen Enlow as Popeye.^[38]
• Olive Oyl (along with Popeye, Bluto, and Wimpy) was going to have a cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but the rights to the characters could not be obtained.
• In 2002, Olive Oyl appeared in the video game Slots from Bally Gaming, voiced by Lani Minella.^[34]
• In July 2007, a live-animation TV commercial starring Olive Oyl aired as part of an advertising campaign for Campbell Soup Company's Prego sauces. Olive's ad is one in a series of five different ads for Prego, which features Spice Girl Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Olympic Silver Medalist Lea Ann Parsley, an average American couple named Rosemary and Herb and an Englishman named Basil. In each 15-second commercial, the "flavorful" characters wonder aloud about what spice to add to their simmering pot of sauce. She was voiced by Diane Michelle.^[39]
• Olive Oyl appeared in the Robot Chicken episodes "The Sack" and "Squaw Bury Shortcake", voiced by Kelly Hu.^[37]
• Lil Wayne mentions Olive Oyl in the song "I'm On One".
• In The Office, Pam Beesly (portrayed by Jenna Fischer) dresses up as Olive Oyl during the season 7 episode "Costume Contest".
• In The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon calls Lori Grimes "Olive Oyl".
• In the comic strip Bizarro, the image of Olive Oyl (or occasionally the abbreviation "O2") began appearing as one of the hidden symbols in the artwork in May 2017.

Parodies

In MAD Magazine #21 (1951), a parody of Olive called "Mazola Oil" appeared in Poopeye. Mazola supplies Poopeye with various spinach recipes to help Poopeye defeat other comic strip characters such as "Mammy Jokeum" (a parody of "Mammy Yokum" from Li'l Abner), "Melvin of the Apes" (a parody of Tarzan) and "Superduperman" (a parody of Superman). The story was reprinted in the paperback MAD Strikes Back (1962), which was later reprinted in a 50th Anniversary Edition (iBooks, Inc., New York,).

External links

• Popeye: The Home of Popeye the Sailor Man

Notes and References

1. News: Popeye: 10 things you never knew. Telegraph. 11 April 2016. 17 August 2017. Hawkes. Rebecca. 17 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170817163211/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/childrens-books/popeye-10-things-you-never-knew/. live.
2. Book: Wheeler, Lesley. Voicing American Poetry: Sound and Performance from the 1920s to the Present. 17 August 2017. Cornell University Press. 978-0801474422. 17 August 2017. Google Books. 31 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240331210509/https://books.google.com/books?id=l62hwsUt12cC&q=Castor+Oyl+popeye&pg=PA117#v=snippet&q=Castor%20Oyl%20popeye&f=false. live.
3. Book: Orey, Cal. The Healing Powers of Olive Oil: A Complete Guide To Nature's Liquid Gold. 30 December 2014. Kensington Books. 9781617734540. 17 August 2017. Google Books. 31 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240331210432/https://books.google.com/books?id=MGbnAwAAQBAJ&q=Olive+Oyl&pg=PA43#v=snippet&q=Olive%20Oyl&f=false. live.
4. Book: Taylor, James D.. The Voice of Betty Boop, Mae Questel. 17 August 2017. Algora Publishing. 9781628942422. 17 August 2017. Google Books. 31 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240331210512/https://books.google.com/books?id=M20EDQAAQBAJ&q=Sea+Hag+popeye&pg=PA87#v=snippet&q=Sea%20Hag%20popeye&f=false. live.
5. Web site: Olive Oyl Voice - Popeye franchise | Behind The Voice Actors|website=behindthevoiceactors.com. 16 January 2019. . Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources.. 12 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180212085925/http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Popeye/Olive-Oyl. live.
6. Book: Stumpf, Charles. ZaSu Pitts: The Life and Career. 22 January 2010. McFarland. 9780786460236. 17 August 2017. Google Books. 31 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240331210457/https://books.google.com/books?id=fSP4lHULPwsC&q=Castor+Oyl+popeye&pg=PA52#v=snippet&q=Castor%20Oyl%20popeye&f=false. live.
7. Web site: Mae Questel, Actress, Voice Of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl. 17 August 2017. 2017-08-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20170817162511/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-01-11/news/9801110077_1_boop-oop-a-doop-olive-oyl-voice-of-betty-boop. live.
8. Taylor, James D. (2016). The Voice of Betty Boop, Mae Questel. Alford Publishing. . P.135-136. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
9. Web site: New York Magazine. New York Media. LLC. 29 December 1980. New York Media, LLC. 17 August 2017. Google Books. 31 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240331210435/https://books.google.com/books?id=9-UCAAAAMBAJ&q=Olive+Oyl&pg=PA47#v=snippet&q=Olive%20Oyl&f=false. live.
10. Book: Gunden, Kenneth Von. Flights of Fancy: The Great Fantasy Films. 1 February 1989. McFarland. 9780786412143. 17 August 2017. Google Books. 31 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240331210430/https://books.google.com/books?id=E5oTurPZbdUC&q=Olive+Oyl&pg=PA146#v=snippet&q=Olive%20Oyl&f=false. live.
11. Web site: Who Is Harry Welch – and Was He Ever The Voice of Popeye?. cartoonresearch.com. August 28, 2020. September 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200927152823/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/who-is-harry-welch-and-was-he-ever-the-voice-of-popeye/. live.
12. Web site: Popeye Records – with the mysterious Harry F. Welch. cartoonresearch.com. August 28, 2020. November 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201126214231/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/popeye-records-with-the-mysterious-harry-f-welch/. live.
13. Web site: Sing Me A Cartoon #16: More Sailor Man Rhythm. cartoonresearch.com. 28 August 2020. 1 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201001201316/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/sing-me-a-cartoon-16-more-sailor-man-rhythm/. live.
14. Web site: Popeye Marry-Go-Round Close. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/YTGlqF4W6Cs. 2021-12-11. live. YouTube. February 21, 2021.
15. Book: Scott. Keith. Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 1. 3 October 2022. BearManor Media. en.
16. Web site: Spike Jones And His City Slickers - I'm Popeye The Sailor Man (1957, Vinyl). Discogs. April 4, 2024.
17. Web site: Celebrating the 111th Birthday of "Mercer, the Popeye Man". cartoonresearch.com. January 9, 2021. January 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210111054012/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/celebrating-the-111th-birthday-of-mercer-the-popeye-man/. live.
18. Web site: Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter. Behind the Voice Actors. en-US. 2020-08-27. 2020-12-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20201205202015/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Popeye-Meets-the-Man-Who-Hated-Laughter/. live.
19. Web site: Popeye Advertises Popeyes Chicken 1975). YouTube. September 3, 2023. September 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230903101546/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4qQBcecpHo&t=4s. live.
20. Web site: Popeye Advertises Popeyes Chicken 1975). YouTube. September 3, 2023. September 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230903101546/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBosJrf1K3Q&t=4s. live.
21. Web site: Jack Mercer, the Recording Star. cartoonresearch.com. January 23, 2024. January 23, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240123195114/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/jack-mercer-the-recording-star/. live.
22. Web site: Suzuki Popeye Japanese Commercial (1989). YouTube. 3 September 2023. 3 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230903101540/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynMdTgxHpCg&t=6s. live.
23. Web site: Popeye 1-900 Hotline 80s Commercial (1989). https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/88das_iytwg. 2021-12-11 . live. YouTube. 30 April 2021.
24. Web site: Quaker Oats. Behind The Voice Actors. en-US. 2020-08-30. 2020-08-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20200809072326/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/commercials/Quaker-Oats/. live.
25. Web site: Popeye/ Corto Animado Institucional- EE.UU. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Bp5RVKJ5rUg. 2021-12-11 . live. YouTube. 21 June 2021.
26. Web site: CN: Olive Oyl (OLV). https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/jdOxsPfarYs. 2021-12-11 . live. YouTube. 21 June 2021.
27. Web site: Cherry Davis. Cherry Davis. August 30, 2020. August 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200814224018/https://cherrydavis.com/. live.
28. Web site: Popeye y Olivia. Vimeo. September 7, 2021. 8 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230708171131/https://vimeo.com/71029611. live.
29. Web site: Creó la frase más famosa entre las esposas y alerta que en Wikipedia está mal su edad: Linda Peretz y los "tres años menos". October 19, 2023. La Nación. September 7, 2024.
30. Web site: Popeye Saves the Earth Promotional Video. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/rHehj0WxofY. 2021-12-11 . live. YouTube. August 30, 2020.
31. Web site: Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. Behind The Voice Actors. en-US. 2020-08-30. 2019-12-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20191206004239/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/rides-attractions/Popeye-and-Blutos-Bilge-Rat-Barges/. live.
32. Web site: Toon Lagoon Pandemonium Cartoon Circus (1999). https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/PYRAek0PqvI. 2021-12-11 . live. YouTube. May 9, 2021.
33. Web site: Islands of Adventure's Short-Lived Stage Show: Pandemonium Cartoon Circus. Storybook Amusement. September 7, 2024.
34. Web site: Slots from Bally Gaming. Behind The Voice Actors. en-US. 2020-08-30. 2020-12-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20201207090047/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Slots-from-Bally-Gaming/. live.
35. Web site: Sammy Timberg - Boop-Oop-A-Dooin' The Songs Of Sammy Timberg From Betty Boop, Popeye, Superman And Other Musical Classics (2004, CD). Discogs. May 16, 2021. February 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226192628/https://www.discogs.com/Sammy-Timberg-Boop-Oop-A-Dooin-The-Songs-Of-Sammy-Timberg-From-Betty-Boop-Popeye-Superman-And-Other-/release/10836229. live.
36. Web site: Boop-Oop-A-Dooin' by Fred Seibert. SoundCloud. 16 May 2021. 8 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211008203740/https://soundcloud.com/fred-seibert/sets/boop-oop-a-dooin. live.
37. Web site: Voice(s) of Olive Oyl in Robot Chicken. Behind The Voice Actors. en-US. 2020-08-30. 2020-01-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200116072217/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Robot-Chicken/Olive-Oyl/. live.
38. Web site: Robyn Gryphe. Voice123. May 25, 2021. May 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210525042556/https://voice123.com/robyngryphe. live.
39. Web site: Prego. Behind The Voice Actors. en-US. 2020-08-30. 2020-01-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200116072228/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/commercials/Prego/. live.
40. Web site: The Pete Holmes Show. Behind the Voice Actors. en-US. 2020-09-07. 2020-01-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200116072231/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Pete-Holmes-Show/. live.
41. Web site: Gary Lucas' Fleischerei, "The Broken Record" from 'Music from Max Fleischer's Cartoons'. SoundCloud. 16 May 2021. 10 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210210222543/https://soundcloud.com/cuneiformrecords/gary-lucas-fleischerei-the-broken-record-from-music-from-max-fleischers-cartoons. live.
42. Web site: 中条あやみがポパイの恋人・オリーブちゃんに！再現度高いと本人も満足. RBB TODAY. September 7, 2024.
43. Web site: 中条あやみの"オリーブちゃん"が紹介 オリーブオイルで「キウイのカプレーゼ」 J-オイル新CM. Shokuhin.net. September 7, 2024.
44. Web site: Ayami Nakajo plays Popeye's girlfriend Olive Oyl in JOYL's 5th "AJINOMOTO Olive Oil" TV commercial for autumn and winter. J-OIL MILLS. September 7, 2024.
45. Web site: J-Oil Mills Extends Promotional Partnership with Popeye and Olive Oyl. License Global. September 7, 2024.