Back when I was growing up, Saturday morning cartoons were a big thing. I can’t even describe the joy they brought to me on those cold Saturday mornings, with a plate full of waffles on my lap.
It was an oasis. A welcome change. Because two things happened. There were no nuns in that dining room and no school. And I got to eat something for breakfast besides fried eggs, fried bologna, and toast. To note. I didn’t mind going to school. Not really. And I loved eating dip eggs every morning for breakfast. But the Saturday change was out of the ordinary, and it always felt spectacular.
I don’t remember ever arguing over what to watch. Most of the time, it was just my sister and I. Since she was four years older, she probably had the deciding vote anyway. But there were always two schools of cartoons on Saturday morning.
On the one side of the cartoon world was Warner Brothers Cartoons. They were responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series. You know. Those iconic characters, like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. Foghorn Leghorn. Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird.
But then, on the other side, was the Hanna-Barbera Productions. They were known for producing countless great series, including “The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “Scooby-Doo,” and “The Yogi Bear Show.” They also had “Huckleberry Hound,” “Johnny Quest,” “The Banana Splits,” and so many more. One of my favorites was “Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines.” I loved Muttley and the way he sniggered when Dick Dastardly would fall on his head.
But. As far as the studios go, I liked them both. But in my little mind, the Hanna-Barbera team seemed like they were from the wrong side of the tracks somehow. Like Warner Brothers was the “A Team.” And Hanna-Barbera was like the red-headed step-child.
Yet, on the side, Hanna-Barbera had a lot going on.
For instance, the guy who was the voice of Gargamel on the Smurfs. His name was Paul Winchell, and he was a man of many talents. Not only did he act and do voices, but he also patented a mechanical heart in 1963. He donated his design to the University of Utah. It went on to be fundamental in developing the model that was used in 1982 for the first artificial heart transplant. Go Gargamel.
On a much sadder note, George O’Hanlon, the guy who voiced George Jetson, died while recording his lines for the show. He was reading his lines and started showing signs of distress. They carted him off to the hospital, where he died. He’d had a massive stroke.
Sometimes, the funnies are not so funny. This was true, too, because Jackie Gleason disliked a lot about The Flintstones. He thought the voices resembled his work in The Honeymooners. Gleason thought Fred and Barney were like himself and his costar, Art Carney. He said Ralph Kramden was just like Fred Flintstone, and Ed Norton was just like Barney Rubble.
Gleason wanted to sue the show, but his lawyer advised against it. He told Gleason it wasn’t a good idea to try to get one of the most successful television shows off the air. So Gleason put his boxing gloves down.
Those poor Flintstones. Apparently a lot of “drunk” people would call into the studio and ask what Barney Rubble did for a living. One security guard said the calls were so common, he would answer the phone and just say, “Barney worked at the quarry. Call back when the regular offices are open.”
Those poor Rubbles got the back seat a lot. Like when the Flintstones Vitamins first came out? They didn’t include a “Betty.” They said her character wasn’t popular enough. Betty finally got her day in 1995 when the Bayer Corporation decided to add her. However, they removed the Flintstone car from the vitamin assortment. Betty beats the car every time.
On a happy note, Tom and Jerry share seven Academy Awards for their work over the years.
That’s a lot of cat and mousing. And every time, the mouse takes the cheese. I bet Jerry got to take home all the Oscar trophies too.
So. There it is. A little backside of the cartoon world.
A reminder to us all. What may seem happy and fine on the outside might not be so good on the inside.
We never know what might be happening internally with someone. Everyone has their own troubles, their burdens they keep behind the curtains. So don’t be quick to change the channel on others. They might just need to borrow a Betty Vitamin from you.
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“Sometimes the people with the biggest smiles are struggling the most.”
— Unknown
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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”
— Wendy Mass
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“When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world.”
— Harold Kushner
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The world behind the celluloid. More to the strip than the strip.
