Post
by Steve Carras » June 4th, 2008, 5:21 am
Hey, I remember in 1964-69 when a whole commercial [Post General Foods CEREAL[] CAME to TELEVISION
"Linus the Lionhearted"
Linus/SHELDON LEONARD [hawked CRSIPY CRITTERS]
Sugar Bear (sounding olike crooner Bing Crosby then just as now!)/GERRY MATTHEWS [WE know what HE liked...SUGAR CRISP--I mean..GOLDEN CRISP]
Rory Raccoon/either CARL REINER or BOB McFADDEN [Post Toasties]
Claudis Crow, his pain in the neck LOL/JESSE WHITE
Granny Goodwitch, frequent costar and sometime friendly nemesis to Sugar?RUTH BUZZI
Lovable GTruly, the southern high-pitched POST-(get it) man (for the Alpha Bits brand), So Hi the chinese boy (for Rice Kringles)/BOB McFADDEN
Dinny Kangaroo, Sacha Grouse, and Billy Bird, all friends and loyal royal subjects of Linus/CARL REINER
Actually as much better series than the celebrity voices and pitching would suggest. Note also among well knowns, [JERRY] STILLER and [ANNE] MEARE and JOHNATHAN WINTERS, and voice veteran PAUL FREES in the second season [Ed Graham Studios; Irv Spector and Lew irvin headed].
In the 50-60s ,many of the best animated childrens TV commercials [Graham's Post Cereals as mentioned above, plus Hanna Barbera for Kelloggs and Ideal, jay Ward for General Mills along with Leonardo TTV, then the former of thsoe for Quaker Oats, Disney for 7-UP and Pepsodent (or whoever the Ipana Beaver was done for) toothpaste,etc.,etc.)
The best commercials, in my opinion were from the days when animaotrs had freedom to do mini cartoons within the cartoons., Of course one, by Fred Wold (who ironically would be responible for KICKSTARTING with Strawberry Shortcake the whole toy-to-cartoon thing, made of of the best and last goof and only rerun (among old school ones) television commercials, the minimal animation "How many licks does it take" (trunacted though), ad that first appeared in fall 1969.
"It IS 2706!"
-"A Hick, A Slick, & A Chick" [obscure Looney Tune short,1948,dir.Arthur Davis][.