55TH ANNIVERSARIES

 Nice! These are the shows turning

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: GARY OWENS

 

GARY OWENS
(May 10, 1934-February 12, 2015)

 
Notable Roles: Roger Ramjet, Space Ghost, Blue Falcon, Captain Squash, Commander Ulysses Feral, Powdered Toast Man, 1950s Batman
 

Born Gary Bernard Altman, Owens was notable for his baritone speaking voice and deadpan comedic delivery that made him an ideal narrator and announcer for various projects—particularly of the humorous kind. He began his career as a news reporter on radio station KORN in 1952 in Mitchell, South Dakota, and was promoted to news director two years later. In 1956 he left to be a newscaster at KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa, before becoming a disc jockey at KOIL in Omaha, Nebraska. After bouncing around a few other stations, he finally ended up in California in 1959. He began a two-decade tenure at 710 KMCP (now KSPN AM) where he displayed his surrealistic humor and tendency for puns, as well as inventing nonsense words and doing amusing radio promotions. He also developed several alter-egos: gruff old man earl C. Festoon and his wife, Phoebe; stuffy businessman Endocrine J. Sternwallow; goofy good ol’ boy Merle Clyde Gumpf; and crochety old Mergenthaler Waisleywillow. In 1961 he started transitioning into film and television by providing the uncredited prologue narration for The Naked Witch (although it wasn’t released until 1964). In 1965, he made a couple of appearances on McHale’s Navy and voiced the titular character in the animated Roger Ramjet. His most well-known role came in 1968 as the announcer for the sketch comedy series Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, where he established his trademark routine of holding his hand on his ear as he spoke into the microphone. Owens had a long association with Hanna-Barbera Productions, providing either opening narrations or episode narrations for various shows like The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Yogi’s Space Race and Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, as well as various roles including the heroes Space Ghost in Space Ghost and Blue Falcon in Dynomutt, Dog Wonder and supporting antagonist Commander Ulysses Feral in SWAT Kats. Additionally, he voiced various cartoon characters on Sesame Street, the characters of Powdered Toast Man in The Ren & Stimpy Show and Captain Squash in Bobby’s World, and was even one of the prospective voices for Inspector Gadget in one of the pilot episodes. In 2004, Owens co-wrote the book How to Make a Million Dollars with Your Voice (Or Lose Your Tonsils Trying) with Jeff Lenburg, an anecdote-laden guide on how to get into voice acting. In his final years, Owens served as the promotional announcing voice for retro network Antenna TV until his death in 2015 due to complications from his life-long bout with Type-1 diabetes.

 
Saturday Credits:
Space Ghost and Dino Boy
Sesame Street
The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
Dynomutt, Dog Wonder
Scooby’s Laff-A-Lympics
Yogi’s Space Race
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Space Stars
The Mighty Orbots
Inspector Gadget (1 pilot version)
Garfield & Friends
Yogi’s Treasure Hunt
Bobby’s World
Defenders of Dynatron City
Tom & Jerry Kids Show
Eek! the Cat
Goof Troop
Raw Toonage
Skeleton Warriors
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat
The Mask: The Animated Series
Nightmare Ned
101 Dalmatians: The Series
The New Batman Adventures
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Teamo Supremo

THE PERILS OF PENELOPE PITSTOP

THE PERILS OF PENELOPE PITSTOP

(CBS, September 13, 1969-January 17, 1970)

Hanna-Barbera Productions

MAIN CAST:

Janet Waldo – Penelope Pitstop

Paul Lynde – The Hooded Claw/Sylvester Sneakly

Paul Winchell – Clyde, Softie

Mel Blanc – Bully Brothers, Yak Yak, Chug-a-Boom

Don Messick – Dum Dum, Snoozy, Pockets, Zippy

Gary Owens - Narrator

            Although Wacky Races only ran for a season, it still did fairly well in the ratings and a few of its stars stood out from the pack with the audience. As a result, two spin-offs were produced to air in the following television season on CBS. One of them was The Perils of Penelope Pitstop.

Penelope at the mercy of The Hooded Claw.

            Perils was designed as a send-up of silent movie era melodrama serials; in particular, The Perils of Pauline. Penelope (Janet Waldo), the lone female racer from the prior series, was reimagined as the heiress to a vast fortune. However, her guardian, Sylvester Sneakly (Paul Lynde), wanted that fortune for himself and the only way to get it was to get rid of her. So, he adopted the masked guise of The Hooded Claw by donning a hat, cape and mask, and hired the identical Bully Brothers (Mel Blanc in unison) to help him get rid of her. Initially, Dick Dastardly (Paul Winchell) and his dog sidekick, Muttley (Don Messick), were going to be the villains of the series, but they were given their own show: Dastardly & Muttley in their Flying Machines. As in the serials, Claw and the Brothers would capture Penelope while she was going about her business and place her in an elaborate death trap, leaving her to her fate.

Penelope inside Chug-a-Boom with the Ant Hill Mob line-up.

             Assigned as Penelope’s guardians were the seven pint-sized members of the Ant Hill Mob. The Ant Hill Mob had also previously appeared in Wacky Races, but while they shared the same name, leader and general appearances, the two mobs were actually meant to be different. The Mob was led by Clyde (Winchell), who was comparatively the smartest of the group (although with that group, it wasn’t saying much). The other members included Dum Dum, who lived up to his name; Pockets, who had just about anything in his various and seemingly bottomless pockets; Snoozy, who was somehow functional despite being always asleep; Zippy (all Messick), who could move at incredible speeds and spoke quickly; Softy (Winchell), who was constantly crying; and Yak Yak (Blanc), who was constantly chuckling. They drove around in a semi-sentient 1920s-style car named Chug-A-Boom (Blanc, doing a variation of his Maxwell from his time on The Jack Benny Program to simulate the car’s talking). Exactly how The Mob, who were declared on the show to be wanted felons, ended up as Penelope’s guardians was never explained. As well-meaning as they were, they often tended to bungle their rescue attempts to the point that they would end up in peril themselves. Penelope, despite being the damsel in distress, was atypical in that most of the time she freed herself from the elaborate death trap and proceeded to rescue her would-be rescuers.

             The Perils of Penelope Pitstop debuted on CBS on September 13, 1969. In keeping with its serial inspiration, the show’s settings and character designs were heavily influenced by the early 20^th Century and a piano-heavy score directed by Ted Nichols. An alternate theme was also produced that was more in line with the soundtrack provided to a silent film (Japan, however, had their own completely original theme for their broadcasts). Narration by Gary Owens would begin each episode with “When we last left Penelope…”, making it seem like the next chapter in an ongoing saga. Joe Ruby and Ken Spears served as the show’s head writers, with Michael Maltese writing the actual scripts. Originally, each episode was going to feature an introduction to the story before Owens’ narration began, but these were cut out by the time the series was broadcast.

The Bully Brothers prepare to drop anchor.

             Like its parent show, Perils only ran for a single season of 17 episodes; however, it remained on the network until 1971. In 1976, it entered into syndicated reruns as part of the package show The Fun World of Hanna-Barbera (not to be confused with The FunTASTIC World), and was later seen on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. It would return to television on July 25, 2024 as part of the line-up for retro animation network MeTV Toons in rotation with Wacky Races and Dastardly & Muttley. In 1970, the series was adapted into comic form by Gold Key Comics for Golden Comics Digest issues 7 and 11, and as a starring feature of the anthology title Fun-in for the first four issues. In 1986, Worldvision Home Video released three VHS collections containing a number of episodes in North America and in the UK as part of their Kaleidoscope label. First International handled additional UK releases. In 2006, Warner Archive released the complete series to DVD as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classics Collection, and re-released it in 2017 as part of their Hanna-Barbera Diamond Collection.

The long-awaited series finale.

            While Penelope had made additional appearances in the following years as part of the Wacky Races franchise, her solo series wasn’t revisited until 2018’s Scooby-Doo Team-Up #41 by Sholly Fisch, Scott Jeralds, Silvana Brys and Saida Temofonte. The issue played out in a typical Perils fashion; however, it served as a “series finale” of sorts by having the Mystery, Inc. gang unmask The Hooded Claw once and for all.

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Jungle Jeopardy” (9/13/69) – Penelope is about to complete an around-the-world flight when The Hooded Claw’s sabotage of her plane causes her to crash in the jungle.

 

“The Terrible Trolley Trap” (9/20/69) – Failing to have Penelope run over by a trolley, The Hooded Claw takes her out to sea on her ship to get rid of her.

 

“The Boardwalk Booby Trap” (9/27/69) – Having failed to finish her on the beach, the Bully Brothers capture Penelope during a scavenger hunt and take her to a fishing village.

 

“Wild West Peril” (10/4/69) – When Penelope doesn’t go splat off a canyon, she’s strapped into a miner’s car filled with explosives.

 

“Carnival Calamity” (10/11/69) – Unbeknownst to Penelope, her trip to the carnival has been booby trapped by The Hooded Claw.

 

“The Treacherous Movie Lot Plot” (10/18/69) – The Hooded Claw takes over directorial duties of the movie Penelope is set to star in to ensure she gets cut out of showbiz permanently.

 

“Arabian Desert Danger” (10/25/69) – Penelope is bringing a rare baby camel from Egypt to the children’s zoo but The Hooded Claw is set to ensure she doesn’t get there.

 

“The Diabolical Department Store Danger” (11/1/69) – Penelope heads to her department store to usher in the new Paris fashions, while The Hooded Claw waits to spring his traps for her.

 

“Hair Raising Harness Race” (11/8/69) – The Hooded Claw looks to sabotage Penelope during her big harness race.

 

“North Pole Peril” (11/15/69) – Penelope kayaks her way to the North Pole while The Hooded Claw pursues her in a lethal paddlewheel.

 

“Tall Timber Treachery” (11/22/69) – Penelope heads to the Pitstop Lumber Camp for their Indian Summer Festival but The Hooded Claw is determined to make sure she doesn’t get there.

 

“Cross Country Double Cross” (11/29/69) – Penelope is set to do a sunt for a statue unveiling, but The Hooded Claw is determined to make sure it’s a lethal one.

 

“Big Bagdad Danger” (12/6/69) – The Hooded Claw is there to disrupt Penelope’s plans to find Ali Baba’s cave.

 

“Bad Fortune in a Chinese Fortune Cookie” (12/13/69) – Claw uses the cover of the San Francisco Chinese New Year parade to capture Penelope in the mouth of a giant dragon.

 

“Big Top Trap” (12/20/69) – With Penelope performing in a circus, the Ant Hill Mob take jobs as clowns to ensure her safety.

 

“Game of Peril” (1/10/70) – Sylvester Sneakly sends Penelope on a scavenger hunt she’s sure not to complete.

 

“London Town Treachery” (1/17/70) – Penelope goes to London to deliver a painting, but The Hooded Claw intercepts her delivery.

Originally posted in 2020. Updated in 2024.

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: MEL BLANC

MEL BLANC

(May 30, 1908-July 10, 1989)

Notable Roles: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepe LePew, Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig, Sylvester Cat, Tweety Bird, Yosemite Sam, Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fudd, Barney Rubble, Dino, Cosmo Spacely, Captain Caveman, Secret Squirrel, Heathcliff

Known as the man of 1,000 voices, Blanc became an orchestra conductor at age 19 and performed schtick in vaudeville shows. He made his acting debut in 1927 on the Portland, Oregon radio show The Hoot Owls where he gained attention for his ability to do multiple characters’ voices. He bounced between radio in Portland and Los Angeles before landing a recurring spot on The Jack Benny Program, playing multiple characters and providing sound effects for Jack Benny’s jalopy. That led to his own radio show, The Mel Blanc Show. In 1936, Blanc joined Warner Bros. where he would come to voice almost every male character in the Looney Tunes stable for his entire career. He also originated the voice and laugh of Woody Woodpecker for Universal Pictures before becoming a WB-exclusive player. In 1944, he became the first voice actor to receive on-screen credit for his work in an era when only the director and producers were credited. After his contract expired, Blanc became a regular performer for Hanna-Barbera while still working for WB; notably in their flagship franchise, The Flintstones. He continued to provide the voices for most of the characters he originated throughout his entire career (certain ones becoming more difficult to do with age, and ceded to replacement actors). After a car accident left him comatose in 1961, his neurologist successfully managed to work him out of it by addressing him as his characters instead of Blanc himself. His son Noel and colleague Daws Butler voiced several of his characters while he recovered. In 1962, he and Noel formed Blanc Communications Corporation, which produced thousands of PSAs and commercials. Blanc had been a smoker since age nine, quitting at age 77 after being diagnosed with emphysema. In 1989, he was hospitalized with advanced coronary artery disease and died shortly after.

Saturday Credits:

The Bugs Bunny Show

The Porky Pig Show

The Secret Squirrel Show

The Road Runner Show

The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show

The Pink Panther Show

The Perils of Penelope Pitstop

Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp

The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show

The Flintstone Comedy Hour

The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie

Speed Buggy

The New Scooby-Doo Movies

Yogi’s Gang

Scooby’s Laff-A-Lympics

Fred Flintstone and Friends

Galaxy Goof-Ups

The Daffy Duck Show

Yogi’s Space Race

Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels

Trollkins

Heathcliff (1980)

The Flintstones Comedy Show

The Sylvester & Tweety, Daffy & Speedy Show

Alvin & the Chipmunks (1983)

Heathcliff (1984)

The Flintstone Kids

JANET WALDO DEAD AT 96

Actress Janet Waldo died on Sunday, June 12. You can read the full story here.

Best known for her role of Judy Jetson in every iteration of The Jetsons (excluding the 1990 movie where her lines were dubbed over), Waldo had a long Saturday morning career primarily working for Hanna-Barbera.

She lent her voice as Jenny in The Space Kidettes; Lana Lang in The New Adventures of Superman; Granny Sweet in The Atom Ant Show along with Flora Rugg in The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show; Nancy in Shazzan; Princess Pearla in Fantastic Four (1967); Penelope Pitstop in Wacky Races, its spin-off The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, and Yogi’s Treasure Hunt; Jenny Trent in Cattanooga Cats; the eponymous Josie McCoy in Josie and the Pussycats and Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space; Belinda Maze in Around the World in Eighty Days; Grandmama Addams in an episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies; Curvia and Henrietta in The Roman Holidays; Marybell and Georgia in an episode of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie; Morticia Addams in The Addams Family (1973); Mrs. Anders in Jeannie; Arlene Wilcox and Beth Crane in The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour; Circe in an episode of Thundarr the Barbarian; Zerona and Shanna the She-Devil in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends; several roles in various episodes of ABC Weekend Specials; Mother in The Puppy’s Further Adventures; Hogatha in The Smurfs; and a female dinosaur in Dink, the Little Dinosaur.

She also provided a variety of voices for The Secret Squirrel Show, The Abbott & Costello Show, Help!...It’s the Hair Bair Bunch!, Inch High Private Eye, Hong Kong Phooey, The New Tom & Jerry Show, Clue Club, Jabberjaw, CB Bears, Yogi’s Space Race, The New Fred and Barney Show, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, Rubik the Amazing Cube, The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, Mr. T, The Dukes, Alvin & the Chipmunks and Tom & Jerry Kids Show, as well as on The Jetsons.