Looney TV: Quacker Tracker (1967)

 Herb Klynn & Format Films (The Lone Ranger, The Alvin Show) took over the animation for Speedy Gonzales with 1967's "Quacker Tracker". If the plot sounds familiar, well, WB also did a similar plot with Cool Cat.

Co-author Don Jurwich was later a producer with Hanna-Barbera & Marvel Productions.

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo: The Froggy, Froggy Duo (Tijuana Toads, 1970)

 In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here's the Tijuana Toads in 1970's "The Froggy, Froggy Duo".

No rating. Just a public service.

Cinco de Mayo: Tijuana Toads (1969)

 It's been a while since we actually did anything to mark Cinco de Mayo, so it's time to change that.

The Tijuana Toads debuted with a self-titled short, alternately known as "Tall in The Grass", when the characters were repackaged as the Texas Toads for television seven years later.

The plot: Toro (Don Diamond, ex-F-Troop, Zorro) and Pancho (Tom Holland, not to be confused with the current Spider-Man actor) run afoul of a visiting Texas grasshopper (John Byner impersonating John Wayne). The grasshopper, for whatever reason, was colored red instead of a traditional green or brown.

Don Diamond played a different El Toro, as the sidekick to the title hero of The Adventures of Kit Carson in the 50's.

Rating: B.

Cinco de Mayo: Chili Corn Corny (1965)

 It's been a while since we celebrated Cinco de Mayo, and so, we present Speedy Gonzales in "Chili Corn Corny".

Speedy tries to help a starving crow (Gonzales Gonzales), but has to deal with Daffy Duck.

I think now we know why the mid-60's era of WB cartoons has been frowned upon.

Rating: B--.

Cinco de Mayo: Menudo on ABC (1982)

Hola, amigos. For Cinco de Mayo today, we will take a look back when ABC took a chance on the pop group, Menudo, helping the Puerto Rican teen group hit it big stateside. The lineup was interchangeable due to any number of factors forcing a turnover in the lineup, such as puberty and an age limit of 16. Unfortunately, the most famous alumnus of Menudo, Ricky Martin, joined the band after their run on ABC had come to an end, joining Menudo in 1984.

Menudo also recorded the theme to the 1983 series, Rubik, The Amazing Cube, which also aired on ABC, albeit for 1 season.

Menudo on ABC was a series of interstitals doubling as music videos, introducing the band to American audiences. Their first English language CD came out shortly before Martin joined the group, if memory serves. Here, the guys serve up their own version of the game, "Simon Says", in lyrical form, as in, "If Menudo Says":



The band's original run spanned 20 years (1977-97), and then reformed after a 10 year hiatus, only to dissolve again (2007-9). At least they didn't fall into the same trap as other popular bands, and be licensed into cartoon characters........

Rating: B.

You Know the Voice: Two legends cross over

As we know, Mel Blanc was a member of Jack Benny's repertory company, both on radio and on television. At the peak of the TV version of The Jack Benny Program, Benny was persuaded to step into Blanc's world, if you will, and star in an animated cartoon.

"The Mouse That Jack Built", released in 1959, features Benny and most of his troupe, particularly Blanc, Mary Livingston, Don Wilson, & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. As you'll see, the real Benny appears at the end of the story, and he appears to have dreamt the entire tale, but for a slight twist.....!

Edit, 7/14/2020: The video is no longer available due to a copyright claim. This still photo will have to do:

This has aired on syndicated Looney Tunes compilations, but I'm not sure if it turned up on network television.

Of course, being that it's Cinco de Mayo, I couldn't let this next offering pass. From an episode of The Jack Benny Program, here's Mel Blanc as a Mexican tourist in a variation on a routine that Mel & Jack did on radio. Uploaded by TVRewind:



"The Mouse that Jack Built" merits an A.

Cinco de Mayo: Speedy Gonzales in "Mexican Cat Dance" (1962)

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we present "the fastest mouse in all Mexico", Speedy Gonzales, in one of his best, "Mexican Cat Dance".

While the humans are enjoying a mid-day siesta, the mice take over the bullfight arena, and Speedy plays matador to Sylvester in a variation on the old cat & mouse game. Oh, what fun!

If this aired on NBC's Daffy/Speedy Show, back in 1980, or even earlier, on The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, it was probably heavily edited. I'm only too happy to find the original uncut short to share with you.

Rating: A.