Monday, September 20, 2010

Saturday Morning's Forgotten Heroes: Cool McCool (1966)

It wasn't enough that there was already a live-action spy parody, Get Smart, on the air, mixed in with the likes of Man From U.N.C.L.E. & Mission: Impossible. There had to be one for the kids, as well. King Features television head Al Brodax collaborated with Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, to create Cool McCool as part of NBC's Saturday lineup. NBC, also home to Smart & U.N.C.L.E., kept McCool around for a couple of years. Hewey1972 uploaded the intro to YouTube:



What you don't see is Cool's dad, Harry, who had his own backup feature. Bob McFadden based Cool McCool's voice on comedy legend Jack Benny, perhaps imagining Benny as a secret agent. Well, if it worked for Woody Allen, it could've worked for Benny, too, given the right script. Could the seemingly indestructible Cool return in today's world? It all depends on who currently has the rights, be it King Features or someone else. We can all use a good laugh.

Rating: A-.

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