Cartoons

The two-sided cover of an Underdog picture-sleeve from 1965.  I really liked Underdog as a kid and remember Sweet Polly Purebred fondly.  “There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!” Wally Cox, TV’s mild-mannered Mr. Peepers, provided the voice of NBC-TV’s Underdog, a super-canine who talked in rhyme. Underdog was the alter-identity of Shoeshine Boy. He was usually called into action by his girlfriend, ace TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred (voiced by Norma McMillan).  When he heard Polly’s singing plea of “Oh where, oh where has my Underdog gone?”, “humble, lovable” Shoeshine Boy would slip into a phone booth and emerge as the champion of justice. “When Polly’s in trouble I am not slow, it’s Hip, Hip, Hip and away I go !”

The Underdog Show began with a parody of Superman’s famous opening: “Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a frog…a frog?” At that point, the canine would correct the observers with: “Not bird, nor plane, nor even frog, it’s just little ‘ole me, Underdog !” Like his human counterpart, Underdog was not infallible. While he didn’t have to contend with Kryptonite, occasionally his power would fade, causing him all kinds of trouble. For cases like that, the pooch would carry a revitalizing energy pill in a secret compartment in his ring.

Underdog’s main foes included underworld boss Riff Raff, and Simon Bar Sinister, an evil scientist who once created a Big Dipper Machine to steal the world’s water supply. He then enslaved the citizens and made them do as “Simon Says” just to get a drink.

Felix the Cat: Television Cartoon Star goes record shopping. 1960.

Les Smurfs

Walter Lanze’s Woody Woodpecker (with Andy Panda, Oswald Rabbit, Homer Pigeon, Chilly Willy, Sad Cuckoo and Pepito!)  Decca Records.  1963.  Grace Stafford as the voice of Woody.  Featuring Mel Blanc and Gloria Wood and the Woodyetts.

The Archies (Betty, Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Veronica) “Sugar, Sugar”. This sweet, piece of bubblegum pop hit #1 on the charts in 1969. The Archies were created to be the real live musical group behind the Saturday morning TV cartoon series The Archie Show that debuted in 1968. The show’s music was the work of Don Kirshner, who was also behind the Monkees, and producer Jeff Barry. “Sugar Sugar” sold six million singles! The group had another top ten single in 1970 with “Jingle Jangle”. The studio group included Ron Dante who sang lead. Dante went on to produce most of Barry Manilow’s hits in the 70’s but previously he was with the Detergents who had a top ten hit with “Leader of the Laudromat” a take off of “Leader of the Pack”. The female singers were Ellie Greenwich (Brill Building composer of “Leader of the Pack” and many other huge hits) and Toni Wine. Another Archies backup singer, Andy Kim, had his own #1 hit in 1974 with “Rock Me Gently”.

1963. Golden Records. Walter Lantz presents Woody Woodpecker. More Woody Woodpecker records here.

The Banana Splits show was on Saturday mornings from 1968 - 1970. Maybe the best thing about this kiddie show was the theme song:

Tra la la, la la la la

One banana, two banana, three banana, four
Four bananas make a bunch and so do many more.
Over hill and highway the banana buggies go
Coming on to bring you the Banana Splits Show

Tra la la, la la la la………

Four banana, three banana, two bananas, one
All bananas playing in the bright warm sun,
Flipping like a pancake, popping like a cork,
Fleagle, Bingo, Drooper and not forgetting Snork

Tony the Tiger conducts “A Kellogg Concert of Best Cereal Sellers” (1965). A Hanna-Barbera Production. Words and Music by “Philmore Bowls”!

This is a super rare “Reference Recording for Kellogg Sales Executives. Not for Sale Broadcast or Public Performance.”

“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” — Hanna Barbera Cartoon Series.

Another Little Golden Record. 1959 Hanna-Barbera Productions. Featuring voices of Gil Mack, Don Elliott and the Cartoon Cowboys with Jimmy Carroll Orchestra!  Here’s a great link about the people and voices behind your favorite cartoon characters www.povonline.com/Cartoon%20Voices.htm

Linus the Lion Hearted was put out by General Foods and Post Cereal in 1964.  Featuring the voices of Sheldon Leonard, Carl Reiner, Gerry Mathews, Bob McFadden, Ruth Buzzi and Jesse White (the original Maytag repair man).

Sugar Bear was the advertising cartoon mascot of Post Super Sugar Crisp (later Golden Crisp) cereal, appearing in commercials for the cereal. His consistent nemesis was an elderly woman called Granny Goodwitch; the two would engage in elaborate contests, often involving trickery, magic, and high technology (often one or more of these methods), in order to determine who would gain possession of a box of the cereal.

Sugar Bear originally appeared as a character in the 1963 morning cartoon “Linus the Lion Hearted. Most of the characters in the series were mascots for Post cereal products. Sugar Bear proved the most durable of the lot. Gerry Mathews provided the original voice for Sugar Bear which feature qualities similar to Dean Martin’s. He portrayed a shallow eyed, easy going character.  - Wikipedia

Bugs Bunny.  Porky Pig.  Daffy Duck.  Elmer Fudd.  Featuring Mel Blanc with music by Billy May.  This is 78 RPM Captitol album from the early fifties. Looney Toons and Merrie Melodies were Warner Bros.’ answer to the Disney cartoons of the forties and by the time I was a kid, these were the cartoons that gave me my first laughs and life lessons.  Today my company is working with Warner Bros. to reintroduce Tweety and Speedy Gonzales to a new generation.