Friday, April 26, 2024

Toons You Might've Missed: Pigeon Holed (1956)

 Here's a Walter Lantz entry that probably hasn't seen any TV time in forever.

Director Alex Lovy, who'd later work for Hanna-Barbera, helmed "Pigeon Holed", whose protagonist (Dallas McKennon, who does all the voices) is a thinly veiled parody of Mr. Magoo, as Homer, like Magoo, is near-sighted.


Rating: B.

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Saturday Morning Ringside: Vince McMahon takes his first bump (1991)

 By 1991, WWF Superstars of Wrestling experimented with a 3 man broadcast team. Roddy Piper was now a color analyst between movie gigs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage was the other analyst flanking Vince McMahon.

Early in September, former NWA champion Ric Flair came to the company, carrying with him the NWA World title, billed as the "real World champion". Flair had left the NWA/WCW two months earlier in a dispute with WCW executive Jim Herd. Flair & Piper were old friends off camera, and Piper would be Flair's 1st feud during his nearly 2 year run. He would return to the company in 2001.

As you'll see, Piper, after getting battered by Flair, nails McMahon in the back with a wooden chair. It was the first time McMahon had "taken a bump", as they say in the wrestling business.


32 1/2 years later, AEW owner/booker Tony Khan, son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, took his first bumps on national television last night on Dynamite in an angle with the Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) and Jack Perry, son of the late actor Luke Perry (ex-Beverly Hills 90210, Riverdale), which brought the elder Khan to the ring for the first time. The Bucks' new-look Elite faction is now looking to emulate the New World Order during their peak years (1996-9) as the top heel faction in AEW.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Saturday Morning Ringside: Fred & Barney wrestle for Cocoa Pebbles (2009)

 This is a Cocoa Pebbles ad that should've been made, oh, I don't know, maybe 20 years earlier, when Hulk Hogan was still relevant?

"Bulk Boulder", a Hogan parody, engages Fred Flintstone & Barney Rubble in a handicap match, with Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm providing backup for their dads.


Well, of course, Bamm-Bamm made the save. What did ya expect?

Monday, April 22, 2024

Looney TV: Pullet Surprise (1997)

 Here's one that may not have aired on Chumptoon Network, Boomerang, or even on Max.

Foghorn Leghorn and Pete Puma star in "Pullet Surprise". Stan Freberg reprises as Pete, with Emmy winner Frank Gorshin as Foghorn.


Pete, you'll recall, got his 15 minutes of fame dueling with Bugs Bunny, but I get the idea of Chuck Jones trying something different, and matching Pete with Foghorn.

Rating: B.

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Sunday Funnies: Three Stooges in Heavenly Daze (1948)

 The Three Stooges have a little fun with the afterlife in 1948's "Heavenly Daze".

Shemp dreams that he has died, and is up in Heaven with his uncle, Mortimer (Moe Howard in a dual role). But, since when do they have a telephone system at the Pearly Gates? Much less, train service back to Earth? Hee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee!


Producer-director Jules White is the off-camera voice of the train announcer.

This short establishes the boys as storyline cousins, although, as we all know, Moe & Shemp were actually brothers.

Rating: B--.

Toonfomercial: Remember Wonder bread's "Fresh Guys"? (1970's)

 Today, Wonder bread is part of Bimbo Bakeries' line of products, along with Thomas' English muffins & bagels, and Freihofer's bread. In the 70's, it was part of Interstate Brands, the makers of Millbrook bread and Dolly Madison pastries. During this time, the ad agency came up with the idea of putting animated faces on the back of loaves of bread, hence The Fresh Guys.

Sounds like Daws Butler might be one of the voices.

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Game Time: Remember Shifty Checkers? (1972)

 Aurora Toys was best known for its Skittle line of pendulum games and their model sets.

Then, in 1972, the company introduced Shifty Checkers. To promote it, Don Adams (ex-Tennessee Tuxedo, Get Smart, The Partners) co-wrote, directed, and stars in this commercial. Check his Humphrey Bogart mimic in a spoof of "Casablanca":