The Magilla Gorilla Show was an American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Screen Gems between January 14, 1964 and December 25, 1965, and was originally sponsored in syndication by Ideal Toys from 1964 through 1965. on January 1, 1966 reruns of the series were picked up by ABC. The show also featured other segments, including Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse, and Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-long.
Another segment, Breezly & Sneezly, began its run as part of The Peter Potamus Show, and was switched with Riccochet Rabbit (from the The Magilla Gorilla Show) in the 1965 season.
Like many of Hanna-Barbera's animal characters, Magilla Gorilla was dressed in human accessories, sporting a bow tie, shorts held up by suspenders, and an undersized derby hat.
Segments[]
Magilla Gorilla[]
Magilla Gorilla (voiced by Allan Melvin) is a gorilla who spent his time languishing in the front display window of a pet shop run by Melvin Peebles (voiced by Howard Morris), eating bananas and being a drain on the businessman's finances. Mr. Peebles marked down Magilla's price considerably, but Magilla was invariably only purchased for a short time, typically by some thieves who needed a gorilla to break into a bank or by an advertising agency looking for a mascot for their new product. The customers always ended up returning Magilla, forcing Mr. Peebles to refund their money. Magilla often ended each episode with his catchphrase "We'll try again next week." The only customer who was truly interested in obtaining the trouble-prone ape for good was a little girl named Ogee ("Oh Gee!"). Unfortunately, she could never persuade her parents to let her keep Magilla,
The trials of Magilla mirrored the attitudes that American citizens had towards racial integration during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The Magilla Gorilla Show perpetuated the idea that non-whites should be segregated.
Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse[]
The show features a hillbilly cat named Punkin' Puss (voiced by Allan Melvin) who lives in a house in the woods of the southern US. Punkin' is preoccupied with a hillbilly mouse named Mushmouse (voiced by Howard Morris) who lives there too, and Punkin' frequently tries to shoot him with his rifle.
The characters of Punkin' Puss and Mushmouse, as well as their relationship with each other, are very similar to the characters Tom and Jerry.
Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-long[]
Ricochet Rabbit (voiced by Don Messick) works as a sheriff in a Western setting called Hoop 'n' Holler. Ricochet, true to his name, would bounce off all the walls yelling "ping-ping-ping!" His deputy Droop-a-Long Coyote (voiced by Mel Blanc impersonating Ken Curtis' Festus Haggen character from the TV Western, "Gunsmoke".) was never able to be as "jumpy" and would end up crashing through a window, or some similar accident. In addition to his speed, Ricochet was known for using trick bullets against his opponents (for example, a bullet that would stop in mid-flight and hover while striking the bad guy with an impossibly oversized mallet or drawing a target on his nose and punching the target, or exploding after inside bigger compartments of the bullet).
Ricochet Rabbit's catchphrase consisted of three quick pings; "ping, ping, PING!", followed by him referring to himself in the third person; "Ricochet Rabbit!" The "Ping" is often mistakenly misquoted as a "Bing". In the episode "Rapid Romance", Ricochet clearly signs an autograph for a fan using the word "Ping".
Breezly and Sneezly[]
Breezly Bruin (voiced by Howard Morris) is a comical, resourceful, polar bear. His friend is Sneezly Seal (voiced by Mel Blanc), a droopy seal with a perpetual cold whose sneezes pack devastating power. They live in an igloo in the Arctic. Many of their episodes deal with Breezly's ambitious yet ultimately doomed plans to break into the local army camp for various reasons while trying to stay one step ahead of the army camp's leader Colonel Fuzzby (voiced by John Stephenson).
Cast[]
- Mel Blanc – Droop-a-long Coyote, Sneezly Seal
- Allan Melvin – Magilla Gorilla, Punkin' Puss
- Howard Morris – Mr. Peebles (1964–1965), Mush Mouse, Breezly Bruin
- Don Messick – Mr. Peebles (1965-1966), Ricochet Rabbit
- John Stephenson – Colonel Fuzzby
- Jean Vander Pyl – Ogee
- Bea Benaderer — Additional Voices
- Julie Bennett — Additional Voices
- Daws Butler — Additional Voices
- Herschel Bernardi — Additional Voices
- Walker Edmiston — Additional Voices
- Paul Frees — Additional Voices
- Ge Ge Pearson — Additional Voices
- Hal Smith — Additional Voices
- Janet Waldo — Additional Voices
- Nancy Wible — Additional Voices
- Gerry Johnson — Additional Voices
Episodes[]
Magilla Gorilla[]
1. Big Game
2. Gridiron Gorilla
3. Private Magilla
4. Bank Pranks
5. Groovey Movie
6. Airlift
7. Come Blow Your Dough
8. Mad Scientist
9. Masquerade Party
10. Come Back Little Magilla
11. Fairy Godmother
12. Planet Zero
13. Prince Charming
14. Motorcycle Magilla
15. Is That Zoo?
16. Bird Brained
17. Circus Ruckus
18. Camp Scamps
19. The Purple Mask
20. Love At First Fight
21. Pet Bet
22. Makin' With The Magilla
23. High Fly Guy
24. Deep Sea Doodle
25. That Was The Geek That Was
26. Montana Magilla
27. Magilla Mix-Up
28. Wheelin And Deal
29. Mad Avenue Madness
30. Beau Jest
31. Super Blooper Heroes
Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse[]
1. Calling All Kin
2. Small Change
3. Hornswoggled
4. Gall Of The Wild
5. Cat Nipped
6. Army Nervy Game
7. Seein' Is Believin'
8. Courtin' Disaster
9. A Tale Of Two Kitties
10. Chomp Romp
11. Catch As Cat Can Day
12. Jump Bumps
13. Nowhere Bear
14. Legend Of Bat Mouseterson
15. Super Drooper
16. Pep Hep
17. Shot At And Missed
18. The Mouse From S.O.M.P.
19. Host Of A Ghost
20. Muscle Tussle
21. Feudal Feud
22. Heir Conditioning
23. Hyde And Shriek
24. Misfortune Cookie
Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-long[]
1. Atchison Topeka & Sam Jose
2. Good Little Bad Guy
3. Cradle Robber
4. West Pest
5. T.V. Show
6. Annie Hoaxley
7. School Daze
8. Sheepy Wolf
9. Big Thinker
10. Two Too Many
Breezly and Sneezly[]
1. Wacky Waikiki
2. General Nuisance
3. Rookie Wrecker
4. Noodnick Of The North
5. The Fastest Bear In The North
6. Snow Time Show Time
7. Goat A-Go-Go
8. Spy In The Ointment
9. An Ill Wind
Home Release[]
Warner Home Video released the entire Magilla Gorilla series (The Magilla Gorilla Show) consisting of 31 Magilla Gorilla segments, together with the 23 Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long and 23 Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse segments in a boxed DVD collection on August 15, 2006. The DVD set doesn't include the 1964 Magilla Gorilla Show main/end title sequences.
| 1957 | Ruff and Reddy |
| 1958 | The Huckleberry Hound Show • Yogi Bear • Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks |
| 1959 | The Quick Draw McGraw Show • Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy • Snooper and Blabber |
| 1980 | Drak Pack • The Flintstone Comedy Show • The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang • The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show |
| 1981 | Laverne & Shirley in the Army • Space Stars • Teen Force • The Kwicky Koala Show • Trollkins • The Smurfs |
| 1982 | The Flintstone Funnies • Mork and Mindy: The Animated Series • The Little Rascals • Pac-Man • Jokebook • Shirt Tales • The Gary Coleman Show |
| 1983 | The Dukes • Monchhichis • The New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show • The Biskitts • Lucky Luke |
| 1984 | Snorks • Challenge of the GoBots |
| 1985 | Paw Paws • Yogi's Treasure Hunt • Galtar and the Golden Lance • The Berenstain Bears • The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo • The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible |
| 1986 | The New Adventures of Jonny Quest • Pound Puppies • The Flintstone Kids • Foofur • Wildfire |
| 1987 | Sky Commanders • Popeye and Son |
| 1988 | A Pup Named Scooby-Doo • The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley • The New Yogi Bear Show • Fantastic Max |
| 1989 | The Further Adventures of SuperTed • Paddington Bear |
| 1990 | The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda • Tom & Jerry Kids • Wake, Rattle, and Roll • Rick Moranis in Gravedale High • Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone |
| 1991 | The Pirates of Dark Water • Yo Yogi! |
| 1992 | Fish Police • Capitol Critters • The Addams Family |
| 1993 | Droopy, Master Detective • The New Adventures of Captain Planet • 2 Stupid Dogs • SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron |
| 1995 | Dumb and Dumber • What a Cartoon! |
| 1996 | Cave Kids: Pebbles & Bamm Bamm • The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest • Dexter's Laboratory |
| 1997 | Johnny Bravo • Cow & Chicken • I Am Weasel |
| 1998 | The Powerpuff Girls |