Cartoon Aficionado / Moderator
Posted:
Sep 30, 2011, 11:32 AM
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Happy Anniversary, TC.
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Fifty years ago, Top Cat premiered on ABC. It was the second animated sitcom from Hanna-Barbera.
Inspired by You'll Never Get Rich(AKA Sgt. Bilko and The Phil Silvers Show), this cartoon told the story of Top Cat, leader of a gang of alley cats who sought ways to make a fast buck, while steering clear of Officer Dibble. TC often used the police phone for personal calls, and had frequent run-ins with local criminals. The series lasted six months, but continued on Saturday mornings for the rest of the '60's. Later, Top Cat was featured in the TV movie "Yogi's Ark Lark," and teamed up with the immortal bear and others again for "Yogi's Treasure Hunt." For this, he was the one who sent them off to look for treasures. He was voiced for the most part by Arnold Stang, except for "Yogi's Ark Lark," when he was voiced by Daws Butler. His last animated appearances were in "Top Cat And The Beverly Hills Cats," and "The Good, The Bad, And Huckleberry Hound." A new Top Cat movie has been shown in Mexico, and in England, the series was called Boss Cat, as Top Cat was the name of a British brand of cat food.
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"Never walk alone in a danger zone."
(This post was edited by TammiToon on Oct 4, 2011, 12:56 PM)
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Research Guru
Posted:
Sep 30, 2011, 3:08 PM
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Other regular Top Cat actors and their characters:
Maurice Gosfield (Benny the Ball)
Leo De Lyon (Brain, Spook)
Marvin Kaplan (Choo Choo)
John Stephenson (Fancy-Fancy, Sergeant)
Allen Jenkins (Officer Dibble)
Walker Edmiston (Additional Voices)
Guest actors in various episodes:
Bea Benaderet (Mother Ball, Receptionist, Girl Cat, Receptionist, Fifi The Maid, Julie, Mom)
Paul Frees (Tony, Chutney)
Don Messick (Boarding Representative with Passenger with List Clipboard, Crook, Dr. Dawson, Griswald, Patrolman Prowler, Beau, Cadwallader, Director, Schultz, T. L. Vanderfeller)
Jean Vander Pyl (Fifi, Goldie, Miss Lola Glamour, Nurse)
Herb Vigran (Honest John, Muscles, Wacky Tycoon)
Daws Butler (Jazz)
Herschel Bernardi (Muggsy)
Hal Smith (Patrick Dibble, Racetrack Announcer)
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"Oh boy." -- Allan Sherman
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Sep 30, 2011, 3:09 PM)
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Directing Animator / Moderator
Posted:
Oct 1, 2011, 5:48 PM
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Daws Butler was originally considered for the voice of Top Cat in the original series, using a Phil Silvers imitation but Arnold Stang was cast instead as the charismatic fast-talking TC.
Butler used his Phil Silvers voice often for Jay Ward's cartoons playing fast talking con men and later as the voice of Hokey Wolf for Hanna-Barbera.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
(This post was edited by artytoons on Oct 1, 2011, 5:48 PM)
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Supervising Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Oct 2, 2011, 1:31 AM
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Maurice Gosfield, who voiced Benny the Ball, was of course the real Private Doberman from The Phil Silvers Show.
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Back by popular demand -
"La-la-La-la.. I can't hear you!"
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Directing Animator / Moderator
Posted:
Oct 2, 2011, 2:48 PM
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In the film "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World", Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan teamed up as ill-fated gas station attendants Ray and Irwin. Phil Silvers played a big role that resulted in Jonathan Winters destroying their gas station singlehandedly.
Sergeant Bilko's revenge on Top Cat and Choo Choo maybe?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzZsp8SvJj8
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
(This post was edited by artytoons on Oct 2, 2011, 2:54 PM)
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Directing Animator
Posted:
Oct 29, 2011, 10:45 PM
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In the film "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World", Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan teamed up as ill-fated gas station attendants Ray and Irwin. Phil Silvers played a big role that resulted in Jonathan Winters destroying their gas station singlehandedly. Sergeant Bilko's revenge on Top Cat and Choo Choo maybe? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzZsp8SvJj8
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"I'd like to cover you with furs and automobiles!"
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Directing Animator
Posted:
Oct 29, 2011, 10:51 PM
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It's interesting that Mel Blanc didn't do any voices for the series. I think, however, that he was still laid up in bed from his near-fatal accident at the time. Also, he probably had enough on his plate voicing WB cartoons and "The Flintstones" for Hanna-Barbera.
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"I'd like to cover you with furs and automobiles!"
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Directing Animator / Moderator
Posted:
Oct 30, 2011, 2:45 PM
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In the film "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World", Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan teamed up as ill-fated gas station attendants Ray and Irwin. Phil Silvers played a big role that resulted in Jonathan Winters destroying their gas station singlehandedly. Sergeant Bilko's revenge on Top Cat and Choo Choo maybe? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzZsp8SvJj8When I saw that movie on TV I used to wonder if the gas station attendants actually got killed when the garage collapsed on top of them. Many years later I saw a "restored" version of the film on DVD (a definitive, complete version of the original film has yet to surface, according to Mark Evanier); I found out that the cops do finally show up and pull the still-dazed, but very-much alive pair from the wreckage.
I saw the "extended" version on a double VHS cassette pack too, with the police guys watching the destruction in their car in the bushes across the street...it was only after Jonathan Winters had left the scene that the cops drove over to help a surviving Ray and Irwin.
Not exactly a good portrayal of cops being brave in the face of danger.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
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Intern
Posted:
Nov 1, 2011, 12:24 PM
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Fifty years ago, Top Cat premiered on ABC. It was the second animated sitcom from Hanna-Barbera.
Inspired by You'll Never Get Rich(AKA Sgt. Bilko and The Phil Silvers Show), this cartoon told the story of Top Cat, leader of a gang of alley cats who sought ways to make a fast buck, while steering clear of Officer Dibble. TC often used the police phone for personal calls, and had frequent run-ins with local criminals. The series lasted six months, but continued on Saturday mornings for the rest of the '60's. Later, Top Cat was featured in the TV movie "Yogi's Ark Lark," and teamed up with the immortal bear and others again for "Yogi's Treasure Hunt." For this, he was the one who sent them off to look for treasures. He was voiced for the most part by Arnold Stang, except for "Yogi's Ark Lark," when he was voiced by Daws Butler. His last animated appearances were in "Top Cat And The Beverly Hills Cats," and "The Good, The Bad, And Huckleberry Hound." A new Top Cat movie has been shown in Mexico, and in England, the series was called Boss Cat, as Top Cat was the name of a British brand of cat food.
Are we talking about the same Sgt. Bilko that Steve Martin played as?
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Nov 1, 2011, 2:51 PM
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Are we talking about the same Sgt. Bilko that Steve Martin played as?
More like the character whom originated with Phil Silvers, who played the character many years earlier.
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Visit mine and my twin brother's blog. It goes down smooth.
www.astralcity.blogspot.com
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Supervising Animator
Posted:
Nov 4, 2011, 2:54 PM
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Fifty years ago, Top Cat premiered on ABC. It was the second animated sitcom from Hanna-Barbera.
Inspired by You'll Never Get Rich(AKA Sgt. Bilko and The Phil Silvers Show), this cartoon told the story of Top Cat, leader of a gang of alley cats who sought ways to make a fast buck, while steering clear of Officer Dibble. TC often used the police phone for personal calls, and had frequent run-ins with local criminals. The series lasted six months, but continued on Saturday mornings for the rest of the '60's. Later, Top Cat was featured in the TV movie "Yogi's Ark Lark," and teamed up with the immortal bear and others again for "Yogi's Treasure Hunt." For this, he was the one who sent them off to look for treasures. He was voiced for the most part by Arnold Stang, except for "Yogi's Ark Lark," when he was voiced by Daws Butler. His last animated appearances were in "Top Cat And The Beverly Hills Cats," and "The Good, The Bad, And Huckleberry Hound." A new Top Cat movie has been shown in Mexico, and in England, the series was called Boss Cat, as Top Cat was the name of a British brand of cat food. Are we talking about the same Sgt. Bilko that Steve Martin played as?
Yes...but now I may want to see the Phil Silvers "Sgt. Bilko".
PS-Top Cat has MORE popularity in Mexico, like Donald Duck has more popularity in Germany!
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Thank God for kids who love obscure things-Lee Hazelwood (1929-2007)
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