Friz Freleng sent Sylvester & Tweety (and, of course, Granny) to the old west in 1953's "Tom Tom Tomcat". Here, Granny (Bea Benaderet) & Tweety (Mel Blanc) are all alone in a deserted fort, facing down a tribe of Sylvester Indians (I ain't kidding). Freleng borrowed the gag of having several characters resemble one of his leads, a tactic often used by Disney with Goofy.
Terrytoons thought they could repackage Dimwit as their answer to Disney legend Goofy. As "Daddy's Little Darling" shows, this was difficult.
"Darling", released in 1957, despite a 1955 copyright, has Dimwit trying to care for his daughter while his unseen wife is at the hospital, and.....
We have talked over at The Land of Whatever about how some supporting actors (i.e. Tim Conway, Paul Lynde) didn't fare well as leads.
Howard Morris, had The Last Thing at Night gone to series in 1958, would've challenged that theorem.
This unsold pilot represented the only time Morris was given a shot as a leading man, and the concept of a man engaging in Walter Mitty-esque fantasies would later be realized some 20-odd years later at CBS with Steve Guttenberg's short-lived Billy. Morris was coming off Sid Caesar's legendary Your Show of Shows, along with writer-creator Lucille Kallen, for this pilot.
In 1975, independent producer-director Steve Peck wanted to show what could've happened to WB icons Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, & Daffy Duck after WB's Termite Terrace studio had closed.
"Rabbit Habit" is a fan-made short that depicts Elmer as a drug dealer, and, predictably, under pressure from his superiors.
With cannabis (marijuana) legalized more than 45 years later, in most states, you'd think someone would ask Peck to at least bring this back out, cleaned up, of course. His assumption that Daffy & Bugs would be on drugs themselves runs counter to their very personalities.
Of course, Bugs took part in Cartoon All-Stars to The Rescue several years later as an anti-drug crusader.
Rating: C-.
Originally presented on Sabrina & The Groovie Goolies, this next video comes from a repackaging the next year for Sabrina, The Teenage Witch:
"Frankie" (Howard Morris) is depressed, and despite his best efforts to help his friends, things go awry, including delivering a cake from Hagatha to Hilda. Enter Sabrina.
"Beached": The Goolies and The Archies are both on the beach, and Sabrina's caught in the middle. Luckily, some Crosstown High pranksters provide a welcome distraction.
Spinning out of the first "Gremlins" movie, Mr. Wing (Keye Luke, ex-Amazing Chan & The Chan Clan, Battle of The Planets, etc.) teaches Gizmo (voice of Howie Mandel, Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, St. Elsewhere) about the dangers of drugs & alcohol. Movie footage is interspersed with the monologue.
Animator John Wilson produced & directed this next item for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.
Australian singer Helen Reddy hit #1 on the Hot 100 with 1974's "Angie Baby".
That executive, of course, is Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who has decided to bounce six more projects from HBO Max, further raising the ire of fans because this time, all six projects are tied to established franchises.
The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie (working title): With plans for a relaunch of the series, which originally ran on Cartoon Network (1st run episodes were produced between 2011-9), this movie was supposed to serve as a bridge. Seems Gumball has a problem involving an obsessed fan.
And he ain't the only one......
Bye, Bye, Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical: Yes, the title is a parody of "Bye, Bye, Birdie". Bugs Bunny decides to retire to private life, so Daffy Duck tries to take advantage, but, like Gumball, Daffy has to deal with an obsessed fan.
Batman: Caped Crusader: With people like Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, & JJ Abrams attached, this looked like a lock.
That future Emmy winner is Ted Knight, who was employed by WCDA (today's WTEN) from 1955-7 before moving to Hollywood.
At one point billed as "Windy" Knight, he was credited with hosting The Early Show, but, as this photo shows, he also had something called Ted Knight & His Clubhouse Gang, which was an after school show.
When I was growing up in the 60's & 70's, WTEN had discontinued afternoon children's programming in favor of syndicated reruns of primetime shows (i.e. Perry Mason), and the only children's programming left on weekdays set up Ralph Vartigan and The Good Ship News, which, in turn, led to Captain Kangaroo.
Knight would later return to Albany to take part in the Cerebral Palsy telethons in the 70's & 80's while working on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and, later, Too Close For Comfort.
Back to the Barbie archives for this next entry.
In addition to Superstar Barbie, Mattel marketed Ballerina Barbie in the same year (1976). Judy Strangis (Electra Woman & Dyna-Girl, ex-Room 222, Wheelie & The Chopper Bunch) introduces America to this variant on Barbie.
In case you don't know by now, David Zaslav is the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), and has wasted little time making more enemies than friends in a number of genres. Less than a month after cancelling a "Batgirl" live action movie with Leslie Grace and Michael Keaton, and a holiday themed sequel to last year's CGI driven "S.C.O.O.B.", Zaslav and his assistants have pulled out the pruning shears in different departments at both WB and Discovery Networks.
Among the cuts announced this week were movies and/or series currently streaming on HBO Max, such as Infinity Train and a Sesame Street talk show spin-off starring Elmo. As of today, you can add Young Justice to the list.
Zaslav is a numbers guy, and according to reports, isn't too fond of inclusive representation. That does not mean he is completely homophobic, though one wonders how much longer Harley will stick around, considering its subject matter. The previously cancelled movies are being written off for tax purposes, according to industry reports, which is meant to appease WBD's shareholders.
If that last part sounds familiar, consider what WWE has done since current co-CEO Nick Khan signed on 2 years ago. Roster cuts were made with no regard to storylines, a la soap operas, with the salaries redirected to other departments, although some of those cuts have since been reversed.
With the merger of HBO Max & Discovery+ set to be finalized next year at this time, there are understandable fears that it will look more like a Discovery channel than anything under the Warner banner, and it could cost WBD subscriber dollars. In other words, it's time to rein in Zaslav's reckless approach. Otherwise, it's going to get worse before it gets better.
In the 60's, Mattel was experimenting with ways to expand the Barbie franchise. We would see a board game (which didn't last long), and, in this spot, a 6 song album, which would today be referred to as an EP.
Charlotte Austin is the singing voice for Barbie. Bill Cunningham has those chores for Ken. Marvin Miller (ex-The Millionaire), the announcer for Matty's Funday Funnies, is the narrator.
At the time known as a radio actor more than a TV actor, Bob Hastings was hired to be a on-camera pitchman for Baker's 4-in-1 Instant Hot Cocoa. Not sure if Baker's was part of General Foods by that point.
Bob plays a magician, complete with rabbit puppet. A short animated ad follows.
Ashley Spinelli (Pamela Adlon, King of The Hill) is enrolled by her mother (Katey Sagal, Futurama, ex-Married...With Children) in a dance class, and finds that Mikey (Jason Davis) is in the same class. The question is whether or not she can shed her tomboy image & reputation.....
From The Kid Super Power Hour With Shazam!:
Paul Dini wrote "The Circus Plot", in which Mr. Mind & Dr. Sivana join forces for another attempt to take over the world, but, as we'll see, there's no honor between these thieves......
Electric Light Orchestra's "Don't Walk Away" was the final single released off the soundtrack to "Xanadu" in 1980. The movie may have failed at the box office, despite the pairing of film legend Gene Kelly and pop-country doll Olivia Newton-John (who passed away earlier this week), but the soundtrack album didn't.
Animation by another legend, Don Bluth.
The success of Shazam! enabled Filmation to sell three more live-action series to networks in 1975. Secrets of Isis and Ghost Busters joined Shazam! at CBS, while ABC acquired the anthology-variety series, Uncle Croc's Block, with Charles Nelson Reilly (Match Game) and Jonathan Harris (ex-Lost in Space, My Favorite Martians). Of those three, only Isis returned the following season. ABC severed its ties to the studio, and Filmation sold Ark II, starring Terry Lester (The Young & The Restless), to replace Ghost Busters on CBS.
But, there was almost a 4th sale.
We know Ark II, set in the future, had ecological themes, but there's a possibility Filmation would not have gone with it had Motor Scouts USA been sold to CBS in that 1975 group.
Set in the present, and a candidate for crossovers with Isis and/or Shazam!, Motor Sports USA is set at fictional Shermley College (there's an Easter egg for ya---the college is named for Shermley Music, the publishers of Ray Ellis' theme music for the studio in the 70's). Character actor Henry Silva, best known for playing villains, was cast as Professor John Proud Eagle, a teacher at the college, who recruits four students to fill out his team.
2nd generation actor Tim Rooney, son of screen legend Mickey Rooney, is one of the students. Since there is so little information on this pilot online, we are unable to identify the rest of the cast, although, as you'll see in the video, it looks like they brought in Dallas McKennon, long the voice of Archie, for a guest spot. McKennon would return to Filmation two years later for the final Archie series and a guest role on Space Academy.
Narrated by William Conrad (Cannon).
To cartoon fans in the 60's, Teddy Eccles was known for two roles. He voiced Dorno in the original Herculoids, then followed with Tooly, the ward of the Three Musketeers the next year. He had landed some face acting jobs during the 60's and 70's before landing a gig in Dr. Shrinker in 1976.
But what you might not know is that he could've had his first series gig way sooner, had CBS bought a pilot from Filmways, My Son Goggle, based on a children's book. Teddy had the title role, acting opposite Jerry Van Dyke (ex-The Judy Garland Show).
Filmation, at the time a subsidiary of TelePrompter, produced a 7+ minute promo reel around 1971. We assume that's the year, since there is a reference to comic strips such as Emmy Lou, The Dropouts, Dick Tracy, & Nancy, who would appear on Archie's TV Funnies in the fall of '71. A clip from the pilot for Fat Albert, sans Albert himself, is included, and the series would debut in 1972.
Also, a clip of an unsold live action pilot, Guest of Honor, with Gary Merrill and Lloyd Bridges.
Marvin Miller (ex-Aquaman) is the narrator.
Before Johnny Hart's B. C. was licensed for a pair of syndicated holiday specials in the mid-70's, Chuck Jones took a swing at the legendary strip for a 6 minute short that would see the light of day a year later on Curiosity Shop. Jones worked with Herbert Klynn and Format Films on this entry, with Abe Levitow directing, and featuring the voices of Don Messick (B. C.) & Bob Holt (Wiley).
Mel Blanc applied his Porky Pig voice, or at least the stammering, to a insect lookout in this 1961 Raid spot.
From season 1 of Voltron, Defender of The Universe:
Prince Lotor (Len Weinrib) is convinced to recruit a soldier's son into being transformed into one of Haggar's robeasts. It's a bad idea, considering pops never gave his youngest son any heads-up. Here's "My Brother is a Robeast":
If the plot to the Three Stooges' 1953 entry, "Rip, Sew, & Stitch", looks familiar, it should, as it is a remake of "Sing a Song of Six Pants", released six years earlier.
The boys run a tailor shop, and a con brings in a pair of pants with some incriminating evidence......
They're baaaaaaaaack!
Beavis & Butt-Head, following a TV-movie that served as a warm-up for their latest series, are now streaming weekly on Paramount+. This series was originally intended for Comedy Central, but was moved to the streamer, which, in hindsight, is a good thing.
Not only are the boys looking at social media such as TikTok, but in this episode, a country music video, the kind they would've thumbed their noses at back in the day.
In the opener, the boys visit an "Escape Room", only to be briefly trapped in a restroom because of their illiteracy. Yes, Mike Judge is still doing homages to the original Electric Company as Butt-Head sounds out words written on a bathroom stall.
Then, Beavis goes solo, without Butt-Head, and we learn about his love of fire. You'll recall that in the original 1993-7 series, that obsession led to a real-life apartment fire because of a small child (not the target audience) emulating what he saw. A sentient blaze (Piotr Michael) shares the stage in "The Special One".
Edit, 8/12/22: ViacomCBS has privatized the video. In its place is the intro:
Sometime in the 60's, Disney licensed out several of their classic characters for a line of soups intended for children, and produced by Heinz (today, it's now Kraft-Heinz). As you'll see in the ad, Mickey Mouse, Pluto, & Goofy are among the stars featured in Heinz's Happy Soups. Sterling Holloway is the narrator.
Aesop's The Tortoise & The Hare is one of his most adapted works, so much so that when WB decided to parody it with Bugs Bunny, it merited a sequel. Jay Ward brought it to television with his Aesop & Son shorts.
But, one of the earliest adaptations was done by Disney.
Coming out of the Silly Symphonies series in 1934, this version of "Tortoise" follows the familiar story of a cocky, overconfident hare entering a match race with the tortoise. You'll see how Disney interprets the hare's fatal flaw.
We posted this next item over at The Land of Whatever the other day, but it also merits inclusion here, too.
Laugh Trax was a short-lived, syndicated series that aspired for the same late night audience as Saturday Night Live. In fact, in the home market, it did air opposite SNL.
Jim Staahl (ex-Mork & Mindy) was basically the series host, aided by Gail Matthius (ex-SNL) and Howie Mandel (St. Elsewhere). Frank Welker is not only our announcer, but appears beginning around the 18 minute mark, and is a part of the show the rest of the way.
Two years after Disney's adaptation, Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid was given another go, this time by Saban, and originally produced for audiences in Japan & France before being imported to the US by independent syndicator Allen Bohbot.
However, Saban's Adventures of The Little Mermaid was a bust, with just 1 season of 26 episodes. Disney's series version, released a year later, got 3.
Saban, having brought in former DIC co-founder Jean Chalopin and another former DIC staffer, Bruno Bianchi, made the mermaid a blonde, renaming her Marina. Yes, there were musical numbers, same as with the Disney version, but the names were changed to avoid copyright infringement and, well, total embarrassment.
How this never made it to Nickelodeon, which was a primary business partner of Saban in those days, I'll never know. I never saw the show, so there's no rating. We'll leave you with the intro.
From the ABC Weekend Special:
Kingdom Chums: The Original Top Ten is a sequel to a 1980's entry, Little David's Adventure. Unlike the previous episode, Original Top Ten is all animation, produced by Rick Reinert, who was doing a fair number of Weekend Specials at the time. Mayim Bialik (then starring on Blossom) and Scott Menville (Captain Planet and some other series at the time) are the leads. Music is performed by Tony Orlando and Debby Boone, among others.
Edit, 7/27/23: Had to change the video. This is from the home video release, with an intro by former ABC Children's programming chief Squire Rushnell, the series creator:
Should be good Sunday School fare.
No rating. Didn't see this the first time.
