Rare Treats: Freedom 2000 (1974)

Here's another rarity that most of you probably have never seen.

In 1974, the United States Chamber of Commerce commissioned Hanna-Barbera to produce the following short subject, Freedom 2000, as a visual treatise on the effects of pollution. Co-written and directed by Gerard Baldwin, who would later serve as a producer at H-B (Super Friends, Smurfs), Freedom 2000 features the voices of Janet Waldo, Ross Martin (ex-The Wild, Wild West, Sealab 2020), and 50's sci-fi star Richard Carlson.



I don't recall seeing this one shown in school, nor on television, but one must imagine that it was created for both.

Rating: A.

Toons You Might've Missed: Energy: A National Issue (1977)

Y'know, I thought this next entry had been screened for schools, and maybe it was, but Energy: A National Issue is a syndicated special that made the rounds between April & November 1977, though it carries a 1976 copyright date.

It's also a non-canonical Flintstones special, though it only features Fred (Alan Reed) & Wilma (Jean VanderPyl). This, then, would be Reed's swan song as Fred. His successor, Henry Corden, steps in when Fred sings, and there you can tell a distinct difference in the vocals. Movie legend Charlton Heston narrates.



No, it doesn't look like Fred & Wilma are in Bedrock at all, but rather are our, ah, tour guides, as it were.

Rating: A.

Literary Toons: The Living City (Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1967)

Before we get to our next entry, a bit of news.

El Rey Network, Robert Rodriguez's pride & joy, has acquired reruns of Return to the Planet of the Apes and Journey to the Center of the Earth, to be put together in blocks of 4 episodes each on Saturdays, along with I Am The Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali, which, oh by the way, has the day off today for a Stephen King movie marathon.

Journey airs from 6-8 am (ET) on Saturdays, but there is one drawback. Due to extra commercial time allotted, per current practices, the closing credits are sped up and compressed to promote special events on the network. It happens, folks.

Today's block of Journey leads off with "The Living City", in which Professor Oliver Lindenbrook (Ted Knight) and his party must overcome a bizarre, yet sentient, insect which controls the titular village. Knight, of course, narrates the intro as Lindenbrook, and also voices Count Sagnussen and is the show's announcer.



Dig the cool theme music, man. Former Warner Bros. animator Norm McCabe is one of two directors on the show.

Rating: B.

Literary Toons: Scruffy (1980)

Based on a children's book by Jack Stoneley, Scruffy was adapted into a 3-part episode of the ABC Weekend Special in 1980, and produced by Ruby-Spears.

Nancy McKeon (The Facts of Life), in one of her first cartoon roles, essays the title character, an orphaned pup who loses her mother, Dutchess (June Foray), when the latter is shot by a farmer mistaking the two dogs for sheep-killing coyotes.

Edit, 5/5/21: We now have a hour long version:

 

Other voice talent includes Michael Bell, Janet Waldo, Michael Rye, Walker Edmiston, and Frank Welker. I think it's available on DVD somewhere, but I'm not certain.

No rating.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Suspicion (1964)

From American Bandstand comes Terry Stafford's hit, "Suspicion", from 1964. Some people have compared Stafford's version to that of Elvis Presley. I've never heard Elvis' version, though.

Animated World of DC Comics: The Brady Kids meet Superman (1972)

The title says it all, folks. This one's been a while in coming. From season 1 of The Brady Kids, here's "Cindy's Super Friend". Superman makes his final Filmation appearance.

Update, 3/20/25: In one of his first jobs for Filmation, Len Weinrib, who impersonated Bud Collyer's characterization of Superman 3 years earlier on Sesame Street, voices Superman/Clark Kent this time, though his Kent voice sounds like he was mimicking John Erwin, who would've been a better choice.

Rating: B.

Toonfomercial: Ruff & Reddy shill for Post (1957)

Not only did Hanna-Barbera have an advertising deal with Kellogg's, but with rival General Foods, then the parent of Post Cereals, as well.

Post, you see, sponsored Ruff & Reddy, H-B's 1st series for NBC. The cat & dog team (Don Messick & Daws Butler) have to chase away an alien who wants some Alpha-Bits cereal so his world can be in position to take over other worlds down the road, although it isn't implied as much.

Edit, 4/16/18: Had to change the video. Now, we have a block of commercials not just for Alpha-Bits, but for other Post cereals, too.