Castor Oyl
Encyclopedia
Castor Oyl is a fictitious character, created in 1919 by cartoonist
Elzie Crisler Segar for his comic strip
Thimble Theater, now known as Popeye
.
Castor Oyl is Olive Oyl
's older brother. He was the main protagonist
of Thimble Theater for years before the first appearance of the Popeye character in January 1929. A quick-witted yet diminutive adventurer, Castor Oyl continued to be an important character in Segar's Popeye strip, but played little (most usually no) role in the Popeye theatrical cartoons
produced first by Fleischer Studios
and then by Famous Studios
. His most prominent appearance in the series is as a member of Popeye's orchestra
in the 1935 short The Spinach Overture.
In the 1980 film
directed by Robert Altman
, Castor is a key character, and is played by actor Donovan Scott
. In the film, however, he is made Olive's younger brother and is considerably less sophisticated than his comic strip counterpart.
Castor Oyl is named after castor oil
, a medicine
often given to children back in the 1920s and 1930s. His mother Nana's name derives from "banana oil," an epithet similar to "baloney." His father Cole's name derives from "coal
oil," a now-obsolete term for kerosene
.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Elzie Crisler Segar for his comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Thimble Theater, now known as Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
.
Castor Oyl is Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1919 for his comic strip Thimble Theatre. 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 10 years before Popeye's 1929...
's older brother. He was the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Thimble Theater for years before the first appearance of the Popeye character in January 1929. A quick-witted yet diminutive adventurer, Castor Oyl continued to be an important character in Segar's Popeye strip, but played little (most usually no) role in the Popeye theatrical cartoons
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
produced first by Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
and then by Famous Studios
Famous Studios
Famous Studios was the animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount acquired the aforementioned studio and ousted its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1941...
. His most prominent appearance in the series is as a member of Popeye's orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
in the 1935 short The Spinach Overture.
In the 1980 film
Popeye (film)
Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...
directed by Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
, Castor is a key character, and is played by actor Donovan Scott
Donovan Scott
Donovan Scott is an American character film actor best known for his role of cadet Leslie Barbara in the 1984 film Police Academy starring together with Steve Guttenberg...
. In the film, however, he is made Olive's younger brother and is considerably less sophisticated than his comic strip counterpart.
Castor Oyl is named after castor oil
Castor oil
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean . Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point is and its density is 961 kg/m3...
, a medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
often given to children back in the 1920s and 1930s. His mother Nana's name derives from "banana oil," an epithet similar to "baloney." His father Cole's name derives from "coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
oil," a now-obsolete term for kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
.