Felix the Cat (TV series)

This article is about the TV series. For other uses, see Felix the Cat (disambiguation).
Felix the Cat
Genre Cartoon series, Adventure, Comedy
Created by Joe Oriolo
Voices of Jack Mercer[1]
Theme music composer Winston Sharples
Composer(s) Winston Sharples
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 126
Production
Producer(s) Joe Oriolo
Running time 30 min.
Production company(s) Felix the Cat Productions
Paramount Cartoon Studios
Release
Original network Syndication
Original release October 2, 1958 – May 16, 1962
Chronology
Related shows The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1997)
External links
Website

Felix the Cat is the first television series featuring the famous cartoon character Felix the Cat.[2][3]

In 1954 Otto Messmer retired from the Felix daily newspaper strips, and his assistant Joe Oriolo (the co-creator of Casper the Friendly Ghost) took over. Oriolo struck a deal with Felix's new owner to begin a new series of Felix cartoons on television. Oriolo went on to star Felix in 260 television cartoons distributed by Trans-Lux. Like the Van Beuren studio before, Oriolo gave Felix a more domesticated and pedestrian personality, geared more toward children, and introduced now-familiar elements such as Felix's "Magic Bag of Tricks", a satchel that could assume the shape and characteristics of anything Felix wanted. Those cartoons were divided into two parts, because when Felix was in distress, or in a jam, the announcer would intone before the concluding episode: "What will happen to Felix , in the next exciting episode, in the "Adventures of Felix the Cat?"

Background

The show did away with Felix's previous supporting cast and introduced many new characters. These characters were performed by voice actor Jack Mercer. Oriolo's plots revolve around the unsuccessful attempts of the antagonists to steal Felix's Magic Bag, though in an unusual twist, these antagonists are occasionally depicted as Felix's friends as well. The cartoons proved popular, but critics have dismissed them as paling in comparison to the earlier Sullivan-Messmer works, especially since Oriolo aimed the cartoons at children. Limited animation (required due to budgetary restraints) and simplistic storylines did nothing to diminish the series' popularity.[4]

This TV series also helped introduce the character of Felix the Cat to audiences in Japan. A Japanese language dub of the series aired on NHK in 1960 and was rerun three years later on Fuji TV. Four decades later, Felix would be the star of his own anime series.

Characters

Felix the Cat 
The main character and star of the show. He has many adventures with his secret bag of tricks that often helps in dangerous situations. No matter what the situation he almost always ends up laughing. A few of the episodes end with Felix on the losing end without the laughter, or his other signature line:, Righteo!"
The Professor 
He is Felix's archenemy or foil and in most appearances is trying to seize the Magic Bag of Felix. He has a very amusing speech impediment and is quite eccentric. He is depicted as a mad scientist, very intelligent, yet very obsessed. He attempts many tricks such as the use of his inventions and many disguises to get Felix's magic bag, but always winds up failing in the end. In some episodes where his nephew Poindexter is involved, the Professor becomes a reluctant ally of Felix, particularly when they battle the Master Cylinder.
Poindexter 
He is the nerdy young nephew of the Professor. He is depicted as a stereotypical scientist; he is very intelligent and always wears thick coke-bottle glasses, a lab coat, and a mortarboard. A button on the chest of his lab coat acts as a control for whatever device the plot calls for. Despite the Professor being his uncle, he is also one of Felix's best friends. Whenever he talks to Felix, he refers to him as "Mr. Felix".
Rock Bottom 
The Professor's bulldog-faced, bumbling sidekick, he tries to help the Professor to steal the Felix's Magic Bag. Rock Bottom's full name is Rock Bottom Age. He occasionally works for Master Cylinder.
Master Cylinder 
An evil, cylindrical robot who first appeared in the 1960 cartoon "Master Cylinder-King of the Moon." He is always trying to kidnap Poindexter so that he can use his intellect to build weapons and equipment. It is revealed that he was once a pupil of the Professor at an academy until an explosion destroyed his original body.
Martin the Martian 
The good Martian who always helps Felix and his friends whenever they are in a space jam.
General Clang 
The evil general in space who also wants the rocket formula in order to destroy the Earth,
Vavoom 
A small, unassuming and friendly Inuit whose only vocalization is a (literally) earth-shattering shout of his own name "VAVOOM!" (but who is powerless if his mouth was taped shut). He first appeared in Felix and Vavoom

Theme song

The program is also remembered for its distinctive theme song. It was written by Winston Sharples and performed by 1950s big band singer Ann Bennett.[5]

Episodes

Episodes and Title
(Note: each episode was originally presented in two parts)
  1. The Magic Bag
  2. Into Outer Space
  3. Abominable Snowman
  4. Felix Out West
  5. Felix the Cat Suit
  6. Electronic Brainwasher
  7. Do-It-Yourself Monster Book
  8. Blubberino the Whale
  9. Ghostly Concert
  10. Captain No-Kiddin'
  11. Felix in Egypt
  12. Detective Thinking Hat
  13. Balloon Blower Machine
  14. Friday the 13th
  15. Stone Making Machine
  16. Penelope the Elephant
  17. The Money Tree
  18. Oil and Indians Don't Mix
  19. The Glittering Jewels
  20. The Gold Car and County Fair
  21. Sheriff Felix vs. the Gas Cloud
  22. Felix's Gold Mine
  23. How to Steal a Gold Mine?
  24. Private Eye Felix and Pierre Mustache
  25. The Gold Fruit Tree
  26. The Flying Saucer
  27. Felix Baby-Sits
  28. Instant Money
  29. Master Cylinder-King of the Moon
  30. The Invisible Professor
  31. Venus and the Master Cylinder
  32. The Termites of 1960
  33. Moo Moo Island Oysters
  34. The Mouse and Felix
  35. King Neptune's S.O.S.
  36. Relax-a-Lawn Chair
  37. The African Diamond Affair
  38. Felix's Prize Garden
  39. Finally, The Magic Bag is Mine!
  40. Felix and the Rhinoceros
  41. Felix-Finder and the Ghost Town
  42. Snoopascope, A Magic Bag of Tricks
  43. Stone Age Felix
  44. The Gold Silkworms
  45. Felix and Vavoom
  46. The Jubilee Dime
  47. Movie Star Felix
  48. Youth Water
  49. Game Warden Felix
  50. Master Cylinder Captures Poindexter
  51. Atomic Drive Explosion of Master Cylinder
  52. Supertoy
  53. The Jewel Bird
  54. The Atomic Rocket Fuel
  55. The Hairy Berry Bush
  56. General Clang and the Secret Rocket Fuel
  57. The Rajah's Elephants
  58. The Exchanging Machine
  59. The Leprechaun
  60. The Master Cylinder's Spacegram
  61. The Leprechaun's Gold
  62. Felix and the Mid-Evil Ages
  63. The Capturing of the Leprechaun King
  64. Martin the Martian Meets Felix the Cat
  65. The Professor's Committed No Crime!
  66. The Martian Rescue
  67. The Portable Closet
  68. Redbeard the Pirate
  69. A Museum, The Professor, and Rock Bottom
  70. The Professor's Instant Changer
  71. The Vacation Mirage
  72. Cat-Napped
  73. The Sea Monster and Felix
  74. The Diamond Tree
  75. King of the Leprechauns
  76. The Magic Apples
  77. Oysters and Starfishes
  78. The Haunted House
  79. Gold Digger Vavoom
  80. The Wizard and Sir Rock
  81. The Coal Diamonds
  82. Out West with Big Brownie
  83. Love-Sick Squirt Gun
  84. Mechanical Felix
  85. The Ski Jump
  86. Felix and the Beanstalk
  87. The Milky Way
  88. The Super Rocket Formula
  89. The Weather Maker
  90. The Giant Magnet
  91. The Instant Truck Melter
  92. The Pep Pill
  93. Leprechaun Gold from Rainbows
  94. The Magnetic Ray
  95. The Instant Grower
  96. The Professor's Ancestor? The Wizard
  97. Luring the Magic Bag of Tricks
  98. The Uranium Discovery
  99. Chief Standing Bull
  100. The Strongest Robot in the World
  101. Stairway to the Stars
  102. Cleaning House
  103. Vavoom Learns How to Fish
  104. The Golden Nugget
  105. The Genie
  106. Felix and Poindexter Out West
  107. The Bad Genie
  108. The Rajah's Zoo
  109. The Loan Business
  110. A Treasure Chest
  111. The Essence of Money
  112. Mercury's Winged Sandals
  113. The $10,000 Vacation
  114. Brother Pebble Bottom
  115. The North Pole and a Walrus Hunt
  116. Cleopatra's Beauty Secrets
  117. The Trip Back from the North Pole
  118. The Golden Whale Baby-Sitter
  119. North Pole Jail Hole
  120. Felix the Handyman
  121. Public Enemies Number One and Two
  122. Horse Thieves
  123. Adventures of Felix
  124. Felix the Cat Bottles the Genie
  125. Felix the Cat Finds the Golden Bug
  126. Felix the Cat Finds a Genie

Notes

  1. "Jack Mercer, Provided Voice Of Popeye in Film Cartoons". The New York Times. December 9, 1984. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  2. Cart, Michael (March 31, 1991). "The Cat With the Killer Personality". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  3. Mendoza, N.F. (August 27, 1995). "For fall, a classically restyled puddy tat and Felix the Cat". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  4. Solomon 37.
  5. Sanders, Rebekah (8 April 2009). "Glendale singer marks 'Felix the Cat' theme's 50th year". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 28 April 2016.

External links

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