"Close Encounters of the Third Spinach" is an episode from The All-New Popeye Hour's "The Adventures of Popeye" segment for Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with King Features Syndicate. It first aired on November 18, 1978 and was directed by George Gordon, Carl Urbano and Rudy Zamora. Popeye and Poopdeck Pappy were voiced by Jack Mercer, Olive Oyl was voiced by Marilyn Schreffler, Wimpy was voiced by Daws Butler and Bluto was voiced by Allan Melvin.
Plot[]
Darth Bluto and his stormtrooper capture Princess Olive-Pit
In a galaxy far, far away (this episode is a parody of Star Wars), on Darth Bluto's (obviously Darth Vader) Death Star, Princess Olive-Pit (this can only be Princess Leia Organa) is putting a secret message in her droid. She is able to eject the droid out the trash chute just moments before Bluto and his stormtrooper capture her. The droid is found by the lowly trash man Popeye (this must be Luke Skywalker) in his space garbage ship. Popeye finds the Princess' message for help from Alta-Poppa (a parody of Obi-Wan Kenobi).
Popeye lands on a desert planet (very similar to Tatooine) and finds Alta-Poppa the wizard sweeping the floor at the Disco Health Food Bar (a yuppie version of Chalmun's Cantina in the spaceport city of Mos Eisley). The old wizard joins Popeye and they head for Wimpy's Space Burgers (an interesting twist on Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon). They all blast off in the Space Burger to rescue Princess Olive-Pit from her detention cell on Darth Bluto's Death Star.
As they approach the Death Star, Darth Bluto attacks them in his fighter (designed after an Imperial TIE Fighter). Popeye takes a spacewalk to defeat him and Alta-Poppa uses his magic broom (instead of a lightsaber) to board the Death Star. The two of them are able to free the Princess before Bluto traps them in the trash compactor (inhabited by a Dianoga-like creature). They are able to escape after Popeye eats the spinach bristles of Alta-Poppa's broom before a tentacle can drag them down. Popeye defeats Darth Bluto again, stuffs him in a trash can and ejects him out the trash chute. Back on the Space Burger, Alta-Poppa reveals that he is Popeye's long-lost-father.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- While the episode is a parody of Star Wars, its title references Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Episode details[]
This segment was from episode 11 in the series, aired in season 1, episode 11 of The All-New Popeye Hour. Below is a list of the other segments for this episode.
| Segment | Title | Seg # |
|---|---|---|
| The Adventures of Popeye | "Close Encounters of the Third Spinach" | 11A |
| Health Tip | (Prescription Medicine) | 11B |
| Popeye's Treasure Hunt | "The Delmonica Diamond" Pt 1 | 11C |
| Health Tip | (Smoking) | 11D |
| Dinky Dog | "Flabby Arms Farm" | 11E |
| Popeye's Treasure Hunt | "The Delmonica Diamond" Pt 2 | 11F |
| Health Tip | (Toothcare) | 11G |