Magilla Gorilla: The Complete Series

The irresistible theme song says it all: "We've got a gorilla for sale / Magilla Gorilla for sale / Won't you buy him, take him home and try him?" In the pantheon of Hanna-Barbera cartoon stars, banana-loving Magilla ranks somewhere below Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, and Top Cat but above, say, Peter Potamus. Magilla is the front-window attraction at Mr. Peebles' pet store (and beleaguered Mr. Peebles is Ranger Smith to Magilla's Yogi). In the bulk of these cartoons, Peebles (voiced by Howard Morris) happily sells Magilla (Allan Melvin, whose sitcom credits span from Sgt. Bilko to All in the Family), only to have Magilla return to eat up the profits in bananas. In one, Magilla is unwittingly sold to a big-game hunter who wants a gorilla for his collection, while in another a football coach spots Magilla in the window and recruits him for the team. Other cartoons, such as "Motorcycle Mania," simply let Magilla wreak havoc around the shop. Two comedy teams in the classic Hanna-Barbera tradition are also featured in each of the 23 episodes from 1964-65 compiled here: Sheriff Ricochet Rabbit and his sidekick, Droop-a-Long (voiced by Mel Blanc), and the feudin' hillbilly cat and mouse, Punkin Puss and Mush Mouse. As has been the unfortunate practice with these Hanna-Barbera collections, the episodes are not presented complete—all are missing the opening/end titles and interstitials, which is part of the nostalgic fun. One nifty extra, though, is the original Magilla Gorilla promotional film that introduced the character to prospective TV stations (others include the theme song performed live, and an interactive feature that allows you to click on characters to hear interview clips and anecdotes). Children of the '60s will go ape for this; less certain is whether a new generation jaded by contemporary, ADD-enabled cartoons will welcome this wholesome, old-school series. Optional. (D. Liebenson)