This page covers the Olive Oyl balloon. For the character's pre-1982 appearances, see Popeye.
Olive Oyl is a fictional character from the Popeye comic strip and media franchise. Created in 1919 by E. C. Segar for the comic, then called Thimble Theatre, Olive Oyl made her debut ten years before her sailor sweetheart Popeye, who debuted in 1929. She is depicted as a tall and slender young woman with short black hair tied up in a bun, who wears a red blouse with white cuffs, a black skirt and brown boots. She is also the adoptive mother of Swee'Pea.
Since her debut, Olive Oyl has become one of the most widely recognized characters in the world and is often regarded as a poster girl for the "damsel in distress" trope.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Olive Oyl made her debut as a giant helium balloon[1] in the 1982 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The balloon-ified version of Popeye's pickle-nosed sweetheart was one of the first to be crafted by Kemp Balloons, Inc. of Baltimore, and was test flown over Baltimore's harbor in the summer of 1982.[2]
The original Olive Oyl balloon measured 35-feet wide and 75-feet tall, one of the tallest balloons that had been made for the Parade at the time. It is a common misconception that Olive Oyl was the first-ever female balloon created for the procession;[3] unbeknownst to many, this title belongs to the Humming Bird balloon that debuted in the 1928 Parade.[4] Olive Oyl was escorted along the streets of NYC by a team of 25 handlers, who wore matching sailor outfits.
Following its debut, the Olive Oyl balloon made a special appearance on the White House's South Lawn for the annual Easter Egg Roll event, inflated and anchored down to overlook the festivities, waving to the crowd with eight-foot hands.
The balloon was unable to fly in the 1985 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as a result of inclement weather. According to news anchor Tony Guida, the seven-story tall balloon “never even got off the ground.”[5] Despite her absence from the live event, archival footage from 1983 was used in place of her live appearance for the NBC broadcast.[6] [7]
The Olive Oyl balloon was modified in preparation for the 1986 Parade to help with her often troublesome flights. [8] The balloon was flown over Central Park's Great Lawn in October of that year, joined by the Hanover Park High School Golden Hornet Marching Band.[9] Gaining a 27-foot-tall bouquet of multi-colored balloons, the Olive Oyl balloon rose 102-feet above the ground, making it to date the tallest balloon to ever fly in the Parade. Also joining Olive Oyl was her adoptive son Swee’Pea, who measured 30-feet tall from head to toe.[9] The balloon's Parade appearance wouldn't be without trouble, however, as the Olive Oyl balloon's left arm was snagged by a tree along Central Park West, and was deflated and removed.[10] Escorting his perfect playmate along the Parade route was none other than Popeye, who rode the Rocking Lobster Toy Float.
The Olive Oyl balloon was retired after the 1986 procession and was last confirmed to exist in February 1989 through a balloon inventory chart.[11]
Though Olive Oyl has yet to be represented by another balloon, she has appeared as a costumed character several times over the years. In 1990, she appeared with Popeye, Bluto and dancing cans of spinach as they made their way to Herald Square. In 1996, Popeye and Olive returned to the lineup with the cheerful crustacean Rocking Lobster.
In conjunction with the Parade's diamond jubilee in 2001, a special float titled the “Toon Balloon-Abration!” debuted, featuring costumed characters of pop-culture icons that have had balloons grace the skies of Manhattan over the years. Among these were Olive Oyl and Popeye. The couple would make another appearance on an anniversary float, “Hats Off To Our Heritage!” in 2011, now celebrating the Parade's 85th anniversary. Since this appearance, neither Popeye nor Olive Oyl have been represented in the line of march in any way.
Notes and References[]
- ↑ Prior to appearing as a balloon, Olive Oyl appeared on a float in 1946 fashioned to appear like a wooden pull-toy. She also appeared on the 1980 Popeye float, which promoted the Popeye film produced by Paramount Pictures.
- ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43404463/bennington-banner/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVqBtQPpMn8
- ↑ Three other balloons based on female characters were also introduce prior to Olive's debut; Mrs. Katzenjammer in 1929, Mrs. Jinks in 1930, and Elsie the Cow in 1963
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUfQTeSrWAI
- ↑ 1985 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC) - YouTube
- ↑ In 1985, Olive Oyl would become one of the first balloons to have stock footage used for a failed live appearance, however, it would only last for around ten seconds, a sign to the early use of this practice.
- ↑ The redesigned Olive Oyl balloon was a hybrid of balloons by Kemp Balloons and Raven Aerostar; Kemp created the Olive Oyl balloon itself, and Aerostar produce the balloon bouquet and Swee'Pea. The only other "hybird" of this kind is the 1991 Babar balloon, which was made with Goodyear and Raven Aerostar balloons.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95474079/the-times/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSHaoug9Bqs
- ↑ File:12096239 10207606660941694 7978277475491145278 n.jpg
