Beany and Cecil

Beany and Cecilis an Americananimated television seriescreated byBob Clampettfor theAmerican Broadcasting Company.The cartoon was based on the televisionpuppet showTime for Beany,which Clampett produced forParamount Picturescompany and itsParamount Television Networkbeginning 1949. The series was broadcast first as part of the seriesMatty's Funniesduring 1962, later renamedBeany and Cecil.A short-lived revival,The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil,was produced in 1988.

Beany and Cecil
Characters from left to right: Crowy, Captain Horatio Huffenpuff, Cecil, Beany, Dishonest John.
Also known as	The Beany and Cecil Show
Created by	Bob Clampett
Voices of	Jim MacGeorge Irv Shoemaker Bob Clampett
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of seasons	1
No.of episodes	26
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	Bob Clampett Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	January 6(1962-01-06)– June 30, 1962(1962-06-30)
Related
Time for Beany The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil

Although a children's show, it incorporated satirical references to current events and personalities that adults found entertaining, and the show also attracted adult viewers. Some of the plots and remarks were recognizable as lampoons of current political issues.

Along withThe JetsonsandThe Flintstones,it was one of the first three color television series by the ABC television network (the initial season, though, was originally shown in black and white, as ABC was unable to broadcast color programs until September 1962).

History

Beany and Cecilwas created by animatorBob Clampettafter he quitWarner Bros.,where he had been directing short cartoon movies. Clampett is said to have originated the idea for Cecil when he was a boy after seeing the top half of the dinosaur swimming from the water at the end of the 1925 movieThe Lost World.

Clampett originally created the idea as a television series namedTime for Beany,which was broadcast from February 28, 1949, to 1955.Time for Beany,a puppet show, featured the talents of veteran voice actorsStan Frebergas Cecil and Dishonest John, andDaws Butleras Beany and Uncle Captain.

Clampett revived the series in theatrical animated form, though Freberg and Butler did not reprise their roles. On 11 October 1959, the animated series was introduced asMatty's Funday Funnies,named for "Matty Mattel"the animated spokesperson for its primary sponsorMattelToys company. However, the series at that time featured old Paramount theatrical cartoons. The new Beany and Cecil cartoon series took over Matty's Funnies (sans "Funday" ) in January 1962 and was broadcast prime time Saturdays during the remainder of the1961-62 television season,by theABC Television Network.The newer cartoons replaced theFamous Studioscartoons ofCasper the Friendly GhostandLittle Audreyamong other parts ofMatty's Funday Funnies.The program was later retitledThe Beany and Cecil Show.

After 1962, the 26 shows (including 78 cartoons) were repeated during Saturday mornings for the next two years and on Sunday mornings for three more. The cartoon featured characters Beany, a boy, and Cecil the Sea-Sick Sea Serpent embarking on a series of adventures, often to discover ancient civilizations and artifacts. These escapades were rife with cartoonslapstickandpuns.

Before the animated series, but concurrent with the puppet show, Clampett created a comic-book series ofBeany and Ceciladventures forDell Comics.The artwork for this series of comics, published from 1951 to 1954, was drawn byJack Bradbury.

In 1988, the show was revived asThe New Adventures of Beany and CecilbyDiC Entertainment.Only eight episodes were made, and only five episodes broadcast. This version of the show was produced and directed byJohn Kricfalusi,who would later createThe Ren and Stimpy Show,and made use of voices fromBilly West,who also did voices for the characters Ren (for season 3 and later) and Stimpy.

Characters

Main characters

• Beany Boy– a young,cupid-faced boy with a propellerbeaniecap that allows him to fly (the "Beanycopter", complete with helmet and propeller, became a popularly marketed novelty). Beany is a good-hearted lad. In most episodes, Beany would be kidnapped by a villain or get caught in a rough situation, crying "Help, Cecil! Help!" to which Cecil would reply "I'm a-comin', Beany-boy!" as he raced to the rescue. This has become something of acatchphrase.Beany was originally voiced byJim MacGeorgefor the 1960s series and byMark Hildrethfor the 1980s series.

• Cecil(or "Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent" ) – a large greensea serpentwith a slightlisp.He is fiercely loyal to Beany, but he is not very clever. Cecil's trusting good nature invariably results in him being taken advantage of by the bad people, and he often suffers a great amount of physical abuse (getting smashed flat, losing his head, having his skin burned off, being shattered to pieces), examples ofcartoon physics.The end of Cecil's tail was never seen in most episodes; it always extended off-screen or was hidden behind an obstacle. This is likely a joking reference to the original Cecil, a hand puppet whose tail was likewise hidden (because it didn't exist). His neck often showed folds and creases like that of a sock puppet as well, another reference to the original Cecil. Cecil's tail did appear in "Beany and the Jackstalk" when his entire body became wound into the tension spring of a giantcuckoo clock.Cecil also has asuperheroalter-ego known asSuper-Cecil.In this guise, he wears a modifiedSupermanshirt (complete withcape). It was Cecil who yodels "A Bob Clam-pett car-tooooooo-OOOOOOOOON!" at the end of the opening song of each episode. Cecil was voiced originally byIrv Shoemakerfor the 1960s cartoon and byBilly Westfor the 1980s cartoon.
• Captain Horatio Huffenpuff– also called "Uncle Captain", he is Beany's kindly uncle and the captain of the shipLeakin' Lena,which takes the pals from one destination to the other. The Captain is always willing to instruct Beany and Cecil on their latest assignment, but is rather cowardly and refuses to put himself in any personal jeopardy, locking himself below the deck or under a box labeled "Capt. Huffenpuff's Hiding Box" for most of the episodes. Uncle Captain was voiced byJim MacGeorgefor both series.
• Crowy– the navigator of the ship Leakin' Lena. He is acrow,and unsurprisingly spends most of his time in the ship'scrow's nest.He speaks with a squawky voice and tends to faint whenever the ship encounters some sort of hazard. Crowy was voiced byJim MacGeorge(thoughDon Messickdid so in one episode).
• Dishonest John(or "D.J." ) – a mobster villain and the main antagonist of the show. He is dressed formally like aSimon Legreecharacter, and he is constantly scheming to foil Beany and Cecil's adventures. His catchphrase is his sinister laugh, "Nya-ah-ãhh!", and he occasionally refers to Cecil as a "tall toad", "worm" or "bigsalami"(referring to his big, limbless body). Whenever Dishonest John's schemes are revealed to the heroes, Cecil tends to respond with an aghast" What the heck! D.J., you dirty guy! ". When Dishonest John receives his inevitable defeat, it is usually just as painful as the abuse Cecil has endured during the rest of the episode. Dishonest John also has asupervillainalter-ego known asThe Bilious Beetle.In this guise, he can fly by his power and has a painful stinger. "D.J." also appeared disguised on occasion as the mechanical roboticoctopus"Billy The Squid" usually in haphazard attempts to simulate sea storms to scare away the crew of the Leakin' Lena when on a treasure hunt. Dishonest John carried a business card that read: "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Special rates for Sundays and holidays". This was the inspiration for theAC/DCsong "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap".In the 1980s series, one episode revealed that DJ is a member of a club called the Brotherhood of B.L.E.C.H. (short for Bad Guys, Losers, Evildoers, Crooks, and Horrible People). DJ was originally voiced by Irv Shoemaker for the 1960s series and byMaurice LaMarchefor the 1980s series.

Minor characters

• Cecilia McCoy- a she-serpent and Cecil's girlfriend. In the two-episode arc,Beany Blows His Top&Beany Flips His Lid,Dishonest John attempts to sabotage their relationship by disguising himself as another sea serpent named Rex.
• Davey Cricket– acricketwith acoonskin capwho lives in the backwoods of Eight-Nine-Tennessee.The character is a parody ofWalt Disney's wildly popular segments on theDisneylandtelevision show based on the life of American frontiersmanDavy Crockett.In Cricket's self-titled episode, Dishonest John tries unsuccessfully to sign Davey to a lucrative Hollywood movie contract. He appeared in the episodes:Davey Cricket&Davey Cricket's Leading Ladybug.
• Go Man Van Gogh– a stereotypical cartoonbeatnik/wild man who lives in the jungles of Wildsville on the Hungry I-Land. He often paints various things with his paintbrush, including paintings, vines to swing on, and fake backdrops to fool enemies (alaWile E. Coyote and the Road Runner). He also often plays a set ofbongo drums,doesscat singing,and speaks with variousbeatnikstereotype slang. Though he did not appear in many episodes, he was somewhat recurring. He was voiced originally byLord Buckleyin "The Wildman of Wildsville" (a 1959 short movie that was later broadcast as part of the television series) and then byScatman Crothersafter Buckley's death in 1960.
• Harecules Hare- arabbitwith superior intelligence. Hare had a computerized Thinking Cap and built a "Guided Muscle", a guided missile with a nose-cone in the form of a giant fist. His name could be a pun on "Hercules".He appeared in the episodesBen HareandHarecules Hare and the Golden Fleecing.
• Ben Hare- a rabbit and father to Harecules. He was a muscular health nut who believed that brawn was more important than brains and wished that his son would feel the same way. His name could be a pun on "Ben-Hur".He appeared in the episodesBen HareandHarecules Hare and the Golden Fleecing.
• Jacques the Knife(or "Jack the Knife" ) – a friendly, jazz-singingsawfishwith a heavy French accent. His name was an obvious spoof ofBobby Darin's 1959 hit song "Mack the Knife".His sawlike nose is used as a sword to help Cecil defeat Dishonest John in the episode" Hero by Trade ". He spoke only in song, to a rendition of"Oh My Darling, Clementine"done in the styling Bobby Darin's version of the song. He also comes to Cecil's aid in the episodeThe Monstrous Monster.
• Little Ace From Outer Space– anastronautmouse. In his self-titled episode, he was used by the people at Cape Banana Peel to discover "whether or whether there was any weather". Cecil and Dishonest John competed to get Little Ace back to the cape for a cash reward. In the episode "Rat Race From Space", he was sent in a rocket to be the first mouse on the moon only to end up in the ocean. He was voiced byPaul Frees.
• The Dreaded Three-Headed Threep
• Tear-A-Long the Dotted Lion– a muscle-boundlionobsessed with exercise andvitamins,a possible parody of fitnessguruJack La Lanne,who had a popular television exercise show about the same time asBeany and Cecil.His name is a pun of the phrase "Tear along the dotted line", but Tear-A-Long himself wasn't spotted. He spoke with a Southern U.S. accent similar to theWarner Brothersanimated characterFoghorn Leghorn.He was one of the original characters on theTime for Beanypuppet show.
• Careless the Mexican Hairless– Cecil's jovial petChihuahua,introduced in the episode "Cecil Gets Careless" and so named because of his tendency to knock things over when he happily jumps and dances. He sings to the tune of the Mexican folk song "El Jarabe Tapatio".He is called aMexican Hairlessfor comic effect;the actual breedakaXoloitzcuintliis much larger.
• William Shakespeare Wolf– a starving out-of-workwolfand actor who was a foil for Rin Tin Can (a robot dog whose rise to fame coincided with the demise of his own acting career) as well as Harecules Hare and a duck named Graham Quacker, both of whom he attempted to eat.
• Beepin' Tom– a diminutive alien who flew about in an open-top flying saucer. He is named for his habit of making beeping sounds. When he spoke, he would hum the first line ofThe Alphabet Songand then sing his phrase to the tune of the next line. A high pitched, accelerated voice similar tothe Chipmunkswas used for the character and the words he sang/spoke appeared as arebusin aword balloonover his head. He appeared in the episodesAin't I a Little Stinger?andStrange Objects.
• Hopalong Catskill– a frog wearing a cowboy hat who walked with a limp similar to that ofDennis Weaver's "Chester" on the TV showGunsmokeand spoke with a Yiddish accent. His catchphrase was "HeyShmendrick!Would you like a cup of coffee? "The character was voiced byYiddishcomedy singerMickey Katz.
• PekingTom– a Siamese alley cat who sang about being a "very hungry guy; I've got to get some food 'cause I'm too egg-foo-young to die".
• Cora the Clinging Vine(aka Flora) – a voluptuous vine who has a crush on Cecil (who does not reciprocate her advances). She sings "groovy" and Jazz scats to Cecil as he tries to escape from her. She appeared in the episodesWildman From WildsvilleandCapture of the Three-Headed Threep.
• Venus the Meanest and Venice the Menace– two space robots from Venus who at first were reported to be invading Earth but came down for a picnic. Venice the Menace's name is a play onDennis the Menace(both the British and American versions), and acts likeLinus Van PeltfromPeanutsincluding his thumb sucking and "dirty old" blanket. Venus the Meanest was voiced by Arlene Harris, using her Chatterbox bit, where she speaks on the phone with an unseen Maisey about her troubles with Venice's mother.
• The Robot Ants– a group of ants brought by Venus the Meanest to be part of her picnic on Earth. They sing a march based on the children's song "This Old Man"that is shown in a speech bubble.
• The Boo Birds– a gang of mischievous ghost birds that haunt an abandoned castle where Cecil stayed. They sing a tune "Filet of Soul (Sole)" based on the song "When the Saints Come Marching In".Their catchphrase was" Whyyyy not? "
• Edgar Allen Po's Shadow– a shadow man who owns the Haunted Retreat Mansion in the episodeBeany and Cecil meets the Invisible Man.He is based onAlfred Hitchcockand speaks with an accent like that of the cartoon characterElmer Fudd.
• So What and the Seven What-Knots– a dixie jazz band who performed in a jazz club inLas Vegas, Nevadato the tune of "When the Saints Come Marching In".They are based on the fairy tale,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.The names of the 'What-Knots' all spoofed on musicians & actors of the day, such as $tash-do (Satchmo), Elfis (Elvis Presley), Dizzy R. Nez (Desi Arnaz), Harpsie McChord (Harpo Marx), Fred McFurry (Fred MacMurray), Screw-Loose Lautrec (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec) & Loverachi (Liberace).
• Stogie Bear– a detective bear who Beany and Cecil helped to arrest the gangster bears in the episode,The Warring 20's.
• Double Trouble Bubble Beast– a weird underwater creature who appeared inAin't That a Cork in the SnorkelandMake a Sea-Serpent Sore!
• Dinah Saur, The Singing Dinosaur- a dinosaur named and patterned after Dinah Shore who lived on the island of No Bikini Atoll & sang to the tune of "When the Saints Come Marching In".
• Gigi- a French poodle. Featured in the episodeDJ The DJ,she repeatedly thought she was being summoned by Cecil each time he would utter the "R-A-G-G" portion of the song "Rag Mop".
• Baby Ruthy- Beany's girlfriend, appears inBeany Blows His Top&Beany Flips His Lid.As he leaves to meet her, Huffenpuff tells him "You dine ashore..." (yet another Dinah Shore reference).
• Bridget the Crow- Crowy's girlfriend, she appears inBeany Blows His Top.
• U.S. Male- a postal ship, boyfriend of the Leakin' Lena, appears inBeany Blows His Top.
• Ida- Sweet as apple cider. Huffenpuff's girlfriend, she appears in just one episode, but is referenced in others.
• The Fleastone Kops- they assisted Detective Fido Vance when The Pincher kidnapped actress Bridgette Bow Wow.
• Snorky- a mischievous serpent tied to many dubious historical events.

Music

Cecil often sang the Ames Brothers' song "Rag Mop" throughout the series. One episode ( "Beanyland" ) featuredTchaikovsky's well-knowncelestapiece,Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy,fromThe Nutcracker.Other famed pieces ofThe Nutcrackerwere used in the series as musical interludes such as theChinese DanceandDance of the Reed-Flutes.Many other well-known classical music pieces were featured in the show as well, includingThe William Tell Overture(in the episodes "Beanyland" and "The Phantom of the Horse Opera" ),Ride of the ValkyriesandFlight of the Bumblebee.Some of the background music was also recycled fromLeave It to Beaver,as well as some earlyWalter Lantzcartoons and incidental music fromThe Alvin Show."The Can Can" was used in the episodeHarecules Hare & The Golden Fleecingas the music for the Guided Muscle. The tune of "When The Saints Come Marching In" was used in several episodes, by the Singing Dinosaur, So What & The Seven What-Knots & the Boo Birds.

Influence

TheAC/DCsong "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"is titled after the business cards of character Dishonest John, which read" Dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Holidays, Sundays and special rates ".

Bob Dylanpainted Beany in his 2017 Beaten Path paintingHamburger Stand, Long Beach,based on a home movie of Beany's Drive-in Restaurant in 1952.

Marvel Comicshas a minor character code-named Warstar who is two separate aliens named "B'nee" and "C'cil".

The puppet origins and the form of Cecil inspired the famousscience fictionauthorLarry Nivento invent an important extraterrestrial race calledPierson's Puppeteeras part of hisKnown Spaceseries of novels and short stories (as originally stated in the story "The Soft Weapon".Beany and Cecilwas also an inspiration forJoel Hodgsonto create the showMystery Science Theater 3000.

The artists

• Executive Producer: A.C.R. Stone
• Producer: Bob Clampett
• Animation Directors: Jack Hannah, Dick Kinney
• Story Material/Storyboards: Bob Clampett, Eddie Maxwell, Al Bertino, Jack Bonestell, Dale Hale, Lloyd Turner (Get Smartwriter)
• Layout: Terrell Stapp,Willie Ito,Tony Sgroi, Homer Jonas
• Master Animator: Art Scott
• Animators: Lou Appet, Harry "Bud" Hester, Bill Nunes, Al Stetter, Frank Gonzales, Bill Southwood, Carl A. Bell
• Backgrounds: Curtiss Perkins, Robert Abrams, Marie Reed
• Music Underscore: Bob Clampett, Sody Clampett, Hoyt Curtin, Jack Roberts
• Music Published by Merrifield Music Co., Inc. (ASCAP)
• Production Assistants: Dick Elliott, John Soh, Jeanne Thorpe, Mike Sweeten
• Voice Talents ofJim MacGeorge,Irv Shoemaker andBob Clampettas Cecil.
• A Bob Clampett Production, in association with Television Artists and Producers Corporation

The credits of the series did not show traditional job titles, but pictorial symbols indicating their jobs. Bob Clampett's writing credit was indicated by atypewritertyping out the words "...by Bob Clampett", for instance. Clampett also made sure to include his name in the lyrics of the often-repeated B&C theme song to gain more recognition with viewers and from the animation industry. Clampett finally got the rights from ABC to market his Beany and Cecil cartoons by video during the 1980s.

Episodes

No.	Title	Original release date
1	"Spots Off a Leopard" "Invasion of Earth by Robots" "Cecil Meets the Singing Dinasor"	January 6, 1962(1962-01-06)
2	"Little Ace from Outer Space" "Super Cecil" "Wildman from Wildsville"	January 13, 1962(1962-01-13)
3	"Davey Crickett" "Strange Objects" "The Capture of Tear-a-long the Dotted Lion"	January 20, 1962(1962-01-20)
4	"A Trip to the Schmoon" "Grime Doesn't Pay" "Beany's Buffalo Hunt"	January 27, 1962(1962-01-27)
5	"Beany Meets the Monstrous Monster" "Tommy Hawk" "Yo Ho Ho and a Bubble of Gum"	February 3, 1962(1962-02-03)
6	"7th Voyage of Singood" "Cecil Meets Cecilia" "The Capture of Thunderbolt the Wondercolt"	February 10, 1962(1962-02-10)
7	"Rat Race for Space" "Beany & the Boo Birds" "B & C Meet Ping Pong"	February 17, 1962(1962-02-17)
8	"Greatest Schmoe on Earth" "B & C Meet Billy the Squid" "Capture of the 3-Headed Threep"	February 24, 1962(1962-02-24)
9	"Beany & the Jackstalk" "Humbug" "Custard's Last Stand"	March 3, 1962(1962-03-03)
10	"Hero by Trade" "Illegal Eagle Egg" "Cecil Gets Careless"	March 10, 1962(1962-03-10)
11	"Sleeping Beauty & the Beast" "Quackers in Bed" "D.J. Meets Cowboy Starr"	March 17, 1962(1962-03-17)
12	"Beany's Beany Cap Copter" "Indiscreet Squeet" "Phantom of the Horse Opera"	March 24, 1962(1962-03-24)
13	"20,000 Little Leaguers" "Malice in Blunderland" "Buffalo Billy"	March 31, 1962(1962-03-31)
14	"Dirty Birdy" "The attack of the Man Eater Skeeters" "Leading Lady Bug"	April 7, 1962(1962-04-07)
15	"Rin Tin Can" "Vild Vast Vasteland" "Invisible Man Has Butterfingers"	April 14, 1962(1962-04-14)
16	"Here Comes the Schmoeboat" "T'ain't Cricket, Crickett" "Cecil Always Saves the Day"	April 21, 1962(1962-04-21)
17	"Ain't I a Little Stinger" "Warring 20's" "B & C Meet Invisible Man"	April 28, 1962(1962-04-28)
18	"Ain't That a Cork In the Snorkel?" "Makes a Sea-Serpent Sore" "So What & 7 Whatnots"	May 5, 1962(1962-05-05)
19	"Cecil's Comical Strip" "Beany's Resid-jewels" "Wot the Heck"	May 12, 1962(1962-05-12)
20	"Dragon Train" "10-Foot Tall and Wet" "Dirty Pool"	May 19, 1962(1962-05-19)
21	"Thumb Fun" "Living Doll" "Beanyland"	May 26, 1962(1962-05-26)
22	"Beany Blows His Top" "Beany Flips His Lid" "Fleastone Kop Caper"	June 2, 1962(1962-06-02)
23	"Mad Isle of Mad-hatten" "Hammy Awards" "Hare-cules & the Golden Fleecing"	June 9, 1962(1962-06-09)
24	"Cheery Cheery Beany" "Nya-Ha Ha!" "Swingin' Singin' Sea Serpent"	June 16, 1962(1962-06-16)
25	"There Goes a Good Squid" "Ben Hare" "Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow"	June 23, 1962(1962-06-23)
26	"Oil's Well That Ends Well" "There's No Such Thing As a Sea Serpent" "D.J. the Dee Jay"	June 30, 1962(1962-06-30)

Home video

The entire series was released onVHSandBetamaxas thirteen volumes (each containing two episodes) byRCA/Columbia Pictures Home Videoin 1984, with the final releases issued by their "Magic Window" children's subsidiary imprint.

Image Entertainmentreleased "Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil the Special Edition"DVDin 2000, with 12 cartoon shorts and various show bumpers remastered from their original 35mm camera negatives. Bonus features included four complete episodes ofTime for Beany,audio tracks of original story sessions, backstage footage, lost animated works from Bob Clampett's studio, and a still gallery. After a considerable delay, Volume 2 was released by Hen's Tooth Entertainment during 2009, containing 11 cartoon shorts, plus two moreTime for Beanyepisodes, archival audio interviews with Bob Clampett, video interviews with celebrity fans of the series as well as animatorBill Melendez,original bumpers fromMatty's Funday Funniesand other special features. To date, the entire cartoon collection has not been released on DVD or Blu-ray disc, nor has it been made available for digital download.

External links

• Beany and Cecil DVD Website
• Beany and Cecil at Toon Tracker
• Beany and Cecil at Toonopedia
• Matty's Funnies with Beany and CecilatIMDb