This post started out as a simple list I was compiling of 1960s animated cartoon TV series that had fallen off the radar. At first I struggled to think of five titles, but pretty soon I couldn’t stop thinking of shows I grew up on that are nowhere to be seen today. Well, nowhere except YouTube or Archive.org.
At first I thought I’d do a post highlighting five favorites that were no longer around – then it occurred me that almost all existing studios of the 1960s (including Hanna Barbera) had at least one (or more) “lost” show. By “lost” we don’t mean truly non-existent (though in some cases that might be a possibility – I’m looking at you, BEAGLES).
So here’s a small list, by studio, to get the conversation going – I’ll leave it to you to remind me what I’ve left out – in the COMMENTS SECTION below.
HANNA BARBERA
Well, the big enchilada of “missing” series is Quick Draw McGraw (1959 – but primarily a mainstay of the 1960s Saturday morning and syndication). The good news is that (thanks to MeTV Toons) this series is indeed being restored and music rights are in the process of being cleared. I can’t say when you’ll see this show again, but it’s on the agenda. So what about Sinbad Jr. And His Magic Belt (MGM/Amazon owns it), The Laurel & Hardy cartoons (Larry Harmon’s estate owns it), or a movie like Rock Odyssey (a music rights nightmare)? Hanna Barbera’s first series, Ruff & Reddy, were produced as serialized episodes (think Rocky & Bullwinkle) which made it hard to syndicate the past 50 years – but perhaps the time for a comeback is here…
DePATIE-FRELENG
Best known for the Pink Panther (and associated friends, The Inspector, Ant and Aardvark, etc), DePatie Freleng became a leading force in TV animation in the late 60s – and as such, left a legacy of overlooked shows. Chief among them (IMHO) Super Six (which is thankfully restored and available on standard def DVD). Many other DePatie Freleng shows were ‘works for hire’ – The Further Adventures of Doctor Dolittle, Return To The Planet Of the Apes (both owned now by Fox/Disney) and The Oddball Couple (Paramount has it – and it’s on DVD). But among their originals, what of Super President (MGM/Amazon has it), and Here Comes The Grump? (The Mirisch Company privately owns this one). DPF did numerous shows that have fallen off the radar in the 1970s before morphing into Marvel Animation and flying off into the sunset….
TOTAL TELEVISION
Total Television Productions – an un-related, distant cousin to Jay Ward’s factory of fun…scored with The Underdog Show and King Leonardo and his Short Subjects – but failed miserably with two projects that are essentially un-seeable: The Beagles (thankfully a few bootleg prints have surfaced on Your Tube) – and the fabled pilot for The Colossal Show which somehow made it to the public as a Gold Key comic book.
FILMATION
Love them or hate them – Filmation was certainly a Saturday morning powerhouse, and the number one competitor to Hanna Barbera. Superman and The Archie Show put them on the map – and like DePatie Freleng, they did numerous works-for-hire for the larger IP owners (Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, Mattel, etc). Journey To The Center Of The Earth (1967) and Fantastic Voyage (1968) are properties of Paramount Pictures Disney/20th Century. Where is The Hardy Boys? (After years of legal woes, Simon & Schuster today owns the characters and publish the books – but what of the cartoon series?). On that note, today it’s easier to see The Day The Clown Cried than it is to find the episodes of Will The Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down? (I assume the Lewis estate owns the show).
THE ONE (or TWO) HIT WONDERS
HOT WHEELS – Pantomime Pictures
Along with Sky Hawks, Pantomime Pictures (Roger Ramjet, The Funny Company, etc) produced these two Alex Toth designed series (for Mattel), which made their debut on ABC Saturday mornings in 1969. Where are they today? The Hot Wheels cars are still a hot toy property today – and comedy genius Albert Brooks is in the cast as a regular! C’mon Mattel – let’s get this out of your vault.
LINUS THE LIONHEARTED – Ed Graham
I have some good news: This one is coming back later this year…
TALES OF THE WIZARD OF OZ – Rankin-Bass
Rankin-Bass had several TV cartoons I really enjoyed as a kid… none of them are around – The New Adventures of Pinocchio (in stop motion!); King Kong, Smokey The Bear, Tomfoolery, and others. But my favorite was this: Tales of The Wizard of Oz. The theme song, the stylized backgrounds, the modern character designs, the oddball storylines… overall a fun show and cool.
CALVIN AND THE COLONEL – Creston
We’ve discussed Calvin and the Colonel many times here on this blog. But for those who came in late: This was an ABC prime time show, produced by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher (Leave It To Beaver, The Munsters, etc) and featuring the voices of Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll from the radio series (Amos & Andy). While there is nothing racist about this series, just the mere fact that Gosden and Correll were doing their famous character voices – though visualized as a Bear and a Fox – is enough to keep it from ever being seen again. Universal has the rights to the show (it has been in syndication to foreign markets for decades – dubbed locally in different languages, avoiding any controversy. Perhaps the show could be salvaged if it were given a complete English soundtrack revision… but it’s just not worth the time and expense).
BEANY & CECIL – Bob Clampett
No one under 65 knows who these characters are… and that’s just sad. Luckily these are on DVD. But they need a HD restoration.
QT HUSH – Animation Associates
A very clever series with an excellent take on limited animation. A serialized “film noir” cartoon series by Rudy Cataldi. It ended up in the Republic Pictures library – and today Paramount/Viacon has it.
THE ALVIN SHOW (1962) – Format Films
Herb Klynn’s Format Films – like Playhouse Pictures – seemed to be a life raft for the best talents formerly of UPA, during its golden age in the 1950s. The Alvin Show is probably the best thing Format produced. (Their unique 1966 Lone Ranger cartoon series needs to be reevaluated as well).
I think I’ve made my point. I could go further – with Krantz Animation (Rocket Robin Hood, Max The 5000 Year Old Mouse), Joe Oriolo (Felix, Hercules, etc.), Hal Seeger (Milton The Monster, Batfink, Out Of The Inkwell, etc) or the early anime (Prince Planet, The Amazing Threee, 8th Man, Gigantor…etc)… But for now – I rest my case.
