Yesterday, Foxx from Passport To Dreams Old & New tweeted a link to this great cartoon from the 1962 Beany and Cecil animated program. The Beany and Cecil characters were invented by former Warner Brothers animator Bob Clampett, and were originally featured in a televised puppet show called Time for Beany which ran from 1949-1954. They were revived for this animated program nearly a decade later.
What’s fun about this clip is that it’s a very early parody of Disneyland, full of truly over-the-top puns and in-jokes. I can imagine the confused east-coast kids watching this episode, since so much of the silly wordplay and references depend of a working knowledge of Disneyland. And the gag about the submarine presages Walt Disney World’s conversion of the “Submarine Voyage” into 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!
So while the satire may bite a bit at times, it’s clear that this piece is based in extensive Disneyland experience. Which shouldn’t be a surprise; Wikipedia’s list of the show’s creative staff features many, many individuals who once worked at the Disney studio – some of whom would do double-duty as Imagineers!
Here’s the cartoon, and among all the references and gags note another thing: just how much Clampett’s work has been ripped off by pretty much every “hip” children’s animated program in the last twenty years.
I love how they’re not even trying to hide it, and that’s what makes it 30% better. Definitely would’ve been so misguided if I was a toddler watching this… Heh.
they did more than just this takeoff on disney. there was “davey crickett” and “so what and the seven whatnots”. the show was full of puns and lots of humor aimed at adults. very ahead of its time.