Harold Hamgravy
Encyclopedia
Harold Hamgravy, better known as Ham Gravy, is a Thimble Theatre (later Popeye
) character
created in 1919.
Hamgravy was the original fiancé of the better-known character Olive Oyl
, but was often attracted to other women who were considerably wealthy. Hamgravy was depicted as a slacker
who preferred getting rich quick rather than earning money honestly.
In a later strip
, Hamgravy hired the better-known character Popeye to man his ship for a treasure hunt
. As time passed, Hamgravy was replaced by Popeye as the prize for Olive's affections. Hamgravy made occasional appearances in the later Popeye strips, but never had the fame he once held.
Hamgravy made a supporting appearance in the 1980 film, Popeye
, where Olive has recently left Hamgravy and has since begun dating Bluto
at the film's opening. He was played by Bill Irwin
.
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...
) character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created in 1919.
Hamgravy was the original fiancé of the better-known character 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...
, but was often attracted to other women who were considerably wealthy. Hamgravy was depicted as a slacker
Slacker
The term "slacker" is used to refer to a person who habitually avoids work. Slackers may be regarded as belonging to an antimaterialistic counterculture, though in some cases their behavior may be due to other causes ....
who preferred getting rich quick rather than earning money honestly.
In a later 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....
, Hamgravy hired the better-known character Popeye to man his ship for a treasure hunt
Treasure hunt
A treasure hunt is one of many different types of games which can have one or more players who try to find hidden articles, locations or places by using a series of clues. This is a fictional activity; treasure hunting can also be a real life activity. Treasure hunt games may be an indoor or...
. As time passed, Hamgravy was replaced by Popeye as the prize for Olive's affections. Hamgravy made occasional appearances in the later Popeye strips, but never had the fame he once held.
Hamgravy made a supporting appearance in the 1980 film, Popeye
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...
, where Olive has recently left Hamgravy and has since begun dating Bluto
Bluto
Bluto is a cartoon and comics character created in 1932 by Elzie Crisler Segar as a one-time character, named "Bluto the Terrible", in his Thimble Theatre comic strip . Bluto made his first appearance September 12 of that year...
at the film's opening. He was played by Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin
William Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
.