Top Cat - The Complete Series

Most animation aficionados cringe at the thought of post-MGM Hanna Barbera efforts, with characters that are bland and underdeveloped (and which sometimes venture into the downright annoying territory, Yakky Doodle being a particularly egregious example) and with horrendous animation. The short subjects created for various TV syndication efforts are generally unmemorable, with the possible exception of Quick Draw McGraw (apparently missing in action due to Baba Louie's accent, political correctness runs amok again). H-B's later efforts such as Wacky Races and Scooby Doo were downright painful. And interestingly enough, their prime time efforts were nicked at least partially from live action shows, the most obvious examples being The Flintstones' heritage arising from 323 Chauncey Street (if you don't know that address you haven't been watching enough classic TV) and the subject of this review, lifted from Fort Baxter.

The Bilko connection to Top Cat is of course reinforced by Maurice Gosfield's appearance in the voice cast. Top Cat was more or less contemporaneous with another memorable Bilko spinoff, Car 54 Where Are You?. In Car 54, Nat Hiken neatly transplanted several alumni of Bilko to the Bronx, and basically turned Joe E. Ross and Beatrice Pons loose for hilarious results. In a lot of ways, Top Cat works far better than most other Hanna Barbera efforts because it leverages the New York City feel for a touch of edginess often absent in other animation of that time frame. Some of Bugs Bunny's best unsung moments were in cartoons set in New York, including "Bowery Bugs" and "Baseball Bugs".

The voice cast of Top Cat includes not only the late Mr. Gosfield, beloved as Doberman on Bilko, as Benny The Ball, but Arnold Stang as the title character, Marvin Kaplan as Choo Choo, Leo De Lyon as Brain and Spook, John Stephenson as Fancy Fancy, and Allen Jenkins as Officer Dibble. The cast's New York twangs really add local color to the show, unlike other Hanna Barbera shows which merely featured recognizable voices such as Paul Winchell's or the considerable talents of Daws Butler (Mr. Butler's voices to my ears were a touch too generic, and his tones were always a bit measured. I'd contrast this with Mel Blanc, who could do a wonderful screaming voice when the occasion called for it - think of "Big House Bunny"). I particularly like Marvin Kaplan's characterization of Choo Choo, and Mr. Kaplan mentions in an interview in the special features that Choo Choo went to CCNY, a delicious tidbit that fits perfectly with the character.

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