Hassan finally leaves Popeye hanging from a chandelier, then orders his Thieves to swipe everything they can from the town before fleeing, including Olive and Wimpy.

Popeye eventually manages to break free and takes a camel to Abu's secret cave, where, unable to remember the magic word of "open sesame!

Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves was produced while Fleischer competitor Walt Disney was entering the final months of production on his first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Poor quality transfers of these three cartoons made from old, faded prints have been released on several previous Popeye collections on VHS tape and DVD.

The cartoon, fully restored with the original Paramount mountain logo opening and closing titles, is available officially on disc four of Popeye the Sailor: 1933–1938, Volume 1.