Popeye Village, in Anchor Bay, just off Mellieħa, started life almost 50 years ago as a build-up of temporary structures, essentially an ephemeral film set for a Hollywood full-feature American musical comedy.
The narrative pivoted round the legendary figure of the main personage, the spinach-enhanced Popeye. The fake timber pastiche the producers left behind in Malta, like its namesake, concealed reserves of invincible strength, and, against all forecasts, survives and still goes strong.
Popeye Village postcard showing shooting of the film.The construction took over 160 artisans, some local and others imported, four months to complete before Paramount and Walt Disney could start shooting. Robin Williams, who passed away in 2014, and Shelley Duvall (1949-2024) covered the leading roles. Filming remained renowned for a pervasive abuse of cocaine on set.
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Today, the village attracts tourists and families as a fun park, a seaside resort, a cinema, an entertainment venue and a museum where visitors can meet the main characters of the film – Popeye, of course, Wimpy, Bluto, Sweet Pea and Olive Oyl.
Panoramic view of Popeye VillageIts alternative name, Sweethaven Village, sometimes appears on postcards as Swee’haven. I am not aware why.
A detail of Sweethaven Village. Postcard photo by Ivan VellaTourist and collectors’ postcards, too many to count, have imaged Popeye Village throughout its life. Both the managers of the venue and extraneous publishers issued scores of them. They range from photos of the film being shot there in 1980, to panoramas of the quaint, thoroughly un-Maltese village, to charming, almost satirical, cartoon artwork.
A Popeye Village postcard by David Moore. Identical cards also by Penprint Ltd
Drawing Room Ltd produced a series of satirical Popeye Village postcards.
A Drawing Room Ltd postcard of Popeye VillageSome notable names in postcard publishing, like David Moore (1948-2005) – who started his working life with the Times of Malta and then branched off into business promotion – Perfecta and Penprint, included the village in their postcard series. Drawing Room Ltd, Mediterranean Film Studio and photos by Ivan Vella also marketed high-quality Popeye postcards.
A Mediterranean Film Studio postcard of Popeye Village
A Popeye postcard photo by Ivan Vella
A cartoon postcard for Popeye Village by Drawing Room LtdAll postcards from the author’s collection
Another Popeye postcard photo by Ivan Vella
Unattributed Popeye Village card but by Drawing Room Ltd