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'''''Hong Kong Phooey''''' is a 16-episode (31 shorts) [[Hanna-Barbera]] [[animated series]] that first aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Saturday morning from {{start date|1974|09|07}} to {{end date|1974|12|21}}. It was a parody of [[kung fu]] shows and movies of the time.
'''''Hong Kong Phooey''''' is a 16-episode (31 shorts) [[Hanna-Barbera]] [[animated series]] that first aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Saturday morning from {{start date|1974|09|07}} to {{end date|1974|12|21}}. It was a parody of [[kung fu]] shows and movies of the time. Who is not a superohero Duff.


The main character '''Hong Kong Phooey''' is a [[clown]]ishly clumsy [[secret identity]] of ''Penrod "Penry" Pooch'',<ref name="IMDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070996/plotsummary|title=IMDB:Hong Kong Phooey-Plot Summary|publisher=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=November 11, 2009}}</ref> working at a police station as a "mild-mannered" [[janitor]] under the glare of Sergeant Flint ("Sarge"). He transforms himself into Hong Kong Phooey upon running into a magic filing cabinet despite always getting stuck - and unstuck by his cat Spot - and once transformed, gets equipped with the "Phooeymobile" vehicle that transforms itself into a boat, a plane, or a telephone booth depending on the circumstances by banging his gong or changes automatically whenever necessary. He fights crime relying on his copy of ''The Hong Kong Book of [[Chinese martial arts|Kung Fu]]'',<ref>CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records</ref> but he succeeds only thanks to his cat Spot who provides a solution to the challenges or they are solved by himself as result of a comically unintended side effect of his conscious efforts. Background was designed by Lorraine Andrina and Richard Khim.
The main character '''Hong Kong Phooey''' is a [[clown]]ishly clumsy [[secret identity]] of ''Penrod "Penry" Pooch'',<ref name="IMDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070996/plotsummary|title=IMDB:Hong Kong Phooey-Plot Summary|publisher=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=November 11, 2009}}</ref> working at a police station as a "mild-mannered" [[janitor]] under the glare of Sergeant Flint ("Sarge"). He transforms himself into Hong Kong Phooey upon running into a magic filing cabinet despite always getting stuck - and unstuck by his cat Spot - and once transformed, gets equipped with the "Phooeymobile" vehicle that transforms itself into a boat, a plane, or a telephone booth depending on the circumstances by banging his gong or changes automatically whenever necessary. He fights crime relying on his copy of ''The Hong Kong Book of [[Chinese martial arts|Kung Fu]]'',<ref>CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records</ref> but he succeeds only thanks to his cat Spot who provides a solution to the challenges or they are solved by himself as result of a comically unintended side effect of his conscious efforts. Background was designed by Lorraine Andrina and Richard Khim.

Revision as of 16:35, 24 March 2014

"Hong Kong Fuey" redirects here. For the snooker player with this nickname, see Marco Fu.

Hong Kong Phooey
GenreAction
Adventure
Comedy-drama
Martial arts
Created byHanna-Barbera
Directed byCharles A. Nichols
Wally Burr (Recording Director)
StarringHong Kong Phooey (designed by a Playboy cartoonist Marty Murphy (1933–2009))
Voices ofScatman Crothers
Joe E. Ross
Kathy Gori
Don Messick
Theme music composerHoyt Curtin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes16 (31 sub-episodes)
Production
ProducersWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Iwao Takamoto
Running time30 Minutes (Approx.)
Production companyHanna-Barbera Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 7 (1974-09-07) –
December 21, 1974 (1974-12-21)
Related
Laff-A-Lympics
CB Bears

Hong Kong Phooey is a 16-episode (31 shorts) Hanna-Barbera animated series that first aired on ABC Saturday morning from September 7, 1974 (1974-09-07) to December 21, 1974 (1974-12-21). It was a parody of kung fu shows and movies of the time. Who is not a superohero Duff.

The main character Hong Kong Phooey is a clownishly clumsy secret identity of Penrod "Penry" Pooch,[1] working at a police station as a "mild-mannered" janitor under the glare of Sergeant Flint ("Sarge"). He transforms himself into Hong Kong Phooey upon running into a magic filing cabinet despite always getting stuck - and unstuck by his cat Spot - and once transformed, gets equipped with the "Phooeymobile" vehicle that transforms itself into a boat, a plane, or a telephone booth depending on the circumstances by banging his gong or changes automatically whenever necessary. He fights crime relying on his copy of The Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu,[2] but he succeeds only thanks to his cat Spot who provides a solution to the challenges or they are solved by himself as result of a comically unintended side effect of his conscious efforts. Background was designed by Lorraine Andrina and Richard Khim.

Synopsis

Each episode begins with Rosemary, the telephone operator, getting a call (and routinely saying "Hallo, hallo, this is Rosemary the telephone operator, the lovely lassie with the classy chassis") and explaining the crime to the Sergeant Flint, upon which Penry does the routine of transforming himself into the person whom Rosemary has a crush on by going through the passageway behind the freezer then jumping into the top draw of his filing cabinet and coming out of the bottom (With help from his Cat). Even when he crashes into, harms, or otherwise inconveniences a civilian, the passer-by feels honored as opposed to annoyed or embarrassed when it is he who does it, such as when he drove the Phooeymobile through wet cement, splattering the workers, who responded that it was an honor to have a whole day's work ruined by "the great Hong Kong Phooey".

Production

Hong Kong Phooey was voiced by Scatman Crothers. Sergeant Flint was voiced by Joe E. Ross, best known as Officer Gunther Toody in the early '60s television series Car 54, Where Are You?. As Flint, Ross revived Toody's famous "Ooh! Ooh!" exclamation. Sergeant Flint was very similar both in voice and appearance to Botch, assistant zoo-keeper at the Wonderland Zoo on Help! It's the Hair Bear Bunch that Ross also voiced.

In the episode "Comedy Cowboys", several new cartoon characters (Honcho, The Mystery Maverick, and Posse Impossible) appeared and helped to clear Hong Kong Phooey of a crime he did not commit. This episode was a pilot for the characters, and Posse Impossible later appeared in their own continuing segment on The CB Bears Show.

Like many animated series created by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, the show used the limited Hanna-Barbera laugh track.

Theme song

The show’s theme song, entitled "Hong Kong Phooey", was written by Chester Stover, W. Watts Biggers, Treadwell Covington, and Joseph Harris and was sung by Scatman Crothers.

A cover of the show’s theme song, performed by Sublime, is included on the 1995 tribute album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph Sall for MCA Records.

Episode guide

Nº Title(s) Air date
HKP–1"Car Thieves / Zoo Story"7 September 1974

  • Car Thieves: A stolen car ring is operating in town, and it's up to Hong Kong Phooey to break through the ring's sneaky secrets and stop them in their fiendish tracks.
  • Zoo Story: A kangaroo helps Phooey capture a gang of animal thieves.
HKP–2"Iron Head the Robot / Cotton Pickin' Pocket Picker"14 September 1974

  • Iron Head the Robot: When a crook commands his robot to steal every safe in town, Hong Kong Phooey gives chase — resulting in a showdown in the crook's gym.
  • Cotton Pickin' Pocket Picker: Phooey is sent to capture legendary pickpocket Fingers Fazoo.
HKP–3"Grandma Goody (Cat Burglar) / Candle Power"21 September 1974

  • Grandma Goody (Cat Burglar): This time cats are being stolen all over town, including Spot — and Grandma Goody is not what she seems, as Hong Kong Phooey finds out in a bubble-filled climax.
  • Candle Power: Two villainous criminals force the city to use candles so that they can build their very own wax museum.
HKP–4"The Penthouse Burglaries / Batty Bank Mob"28 September 1974

  • The Penthouse Burglaries: Phooey is called to investigate a number of robberies from penthouse apartments.
  • Batty Bank Mob: Phooey enlists the help of Spot and a friendly octopus to stop a bank robbery.
HKP–5"The Voltage Villain / The Giggler"5 October 1974

  • The Voltage Villain: Phooey is called to investigate a criminal who can control electrical appliances.
  • The Giggler: A criminal uses laughing gas to rob the guests attending high-society parties.
HKP–6"The Gumdrop Kid / Professor Presto (The Malevolent Magician)"12 October 1974

  • The Gumdrop Kid: Phooey investigates a child-sized villain's plans to take over the town's sweet production.
  • Professor Presto (The Malevolent Magician): Phooey is asked to track down a magician who disappeared from the police station.
HKP–7"TV or Not TV / Stop Horsing Around"19 October 1974

  • TV or Not TV: Phooey attempts to sabotage plans by thieves to steal everyone's television sets.
  • Stop Horsing Around: Phooey tracks down a circus gang that's kidnapping horses.
HKP–8"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall / Great Movie Mystery"26 October 1974

  • Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Phooey investigates a number of robberies in a health salon.
  • Great Movie Mystery: Phooey is asked to participate in the filming of a bank robbery, unaware that it's real.
HKP–9"The Claw / Hong Kong Phooey vs. Hong Kong Phooey"2 November 1974

  • The Claw: Phooey investigates how a mechanical claw is stealing gold from the National Bank.
  • Hong Kong Phooey vs. Hong Kong Phooey: An impostor starts to claim all of Phooey's rewards for fighting crime.
HKP–10"The Abominable Snowman / Professor Crosshatch"9 November 1974

  • The Abominable Snowman: Phooey tracks down a snowman who's stealing equipment for a luxury ski resort.
  • Professor Crosshatch: Phooey is asked to capture an evil professor who has trained his pet bird to steal jewels from shop windows.
HKP–11"Goldfisher / Green Thumb"16 November 1974

  • Goldfisher: A villainous gang plans to raise the cost of fishing by stealing its competitor's fish.
  • Green Thumb: Phooey tracks down a gang who want to rid the entire city of plants.
HKP–12"From Bad to Verse (Rotten Rhymer) / Kong and the Counterfeiters"23 November 1974

  • From Bad to Verse (Rotten Rhymer): The villainous Rotten Rhymer plans to steal the nation's book collection.
  • Kong and the Counterfeiters: Phooey is called to investigate a bogus money-making scheme.
HKP–13"The Great Choo Choo Robbery / Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Bakery Man"30 November 1974

  • The Great Choo Choo Robbery: The villainous Jim Shady plans to steal every railroad car in the country.
  • Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Bakery Man: Phooey investigates the mysterious theft of jewels by people hiding in baker's food.
HKP–14"Mr. Tornado / The Little Crook Who Wasn't There"7 December 1974

  • Mr. Tornado: Phooey tracks down a super-villain who robs banks by using his tornado-strength lung power.
  • The Little Crook Who Wasn't There: Phooey is called to track down a criminal who can disappear without a trace.
HKP–15"Dr. Disguiso / The Incredible Mr. Shrink"14 December 1974

  • Dr. Disguiso: A villainous master of disguise uses his skills for a number of bank robberies.
  • The Incredible Mr. Shrink: An evil businessman terrorizes the town into buying his umbrellas.
HKP–16"Comedy Cowboys"21 December 1974
Tin Nose, a conniving cowboy of crime, frames Hong Kong Phooey for the theft of a rare map to The Lost Dutchman Mine from a museum. It's up to Honcho, The Mystery Maverick, and Posse Impossible to help corral Tin Nose and clear Hong Kong's name.

DVD release

On August 15, 2006, Warner Home Video released the complete series on 2-disc DVD in Region 1. The shorts "Car Thieves" and "Zoo Story" were also released on a 1970s Saturday morning cartoon compilation.

DVD name Ep No. Release date Additional information
Hong Kong Phooey- The Complete Series 16 August 15, 2006 Hong Kong Phooey- volume 1
  • Commentary on select episodes
  • Documentary of the show from its development through its legacy. Includes production designs and never before seen original artwork as well as new interviews
  • "Hong Kong Phooey – The Batty Bank Gang: The Complete Storyboard"

The series is also available in the UK as a Region 2 2-disc set, and 2 separate volumes And R4 also got 2 separate volumes

Although the episodes are listed in airing order, there is a slight error on the disc one/volume one menu and cover. Mirror Mirror, On the Wall/Great Movie Mystery is placed BEFORE The Gumdrop Kid/Professor Presto, thus causing a mix-up with the selection on the menu.

Voices

Other media

With a copyright of 2001, Alan Lau in conjunction with Wildbrain.com produced a flash animation webshow cartoon that was prominently featured on CartoonNetwork.com, and can still be found there. While Penry appears identical to the original incarnation, Hong Kong Phooey is a much larger, cut, and highly competent and skilled fighter without Spot the cat.

Hong Kong Phooey faces off against and easily defeats evil anthropomorphic animals: a trio of rabbits, what appears to be a crane, and a reptilianoid (that appears to be a komodo dragon). At the end he morphs back to Penry with a smile and sparkle in his eye.

Film

On July 12, 2009, it was announced that David A. Goodman had been hired to pen a Hong Kong Phooey film.[3] Alex Zamm is set to direct and Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, Brett Ratner, and Jay Stern are producing.[4] Alcon Entertainment will back the film.[5] It was announced August 10, 2011, that Eddie Murphy will be voicing Penry/Hong Kong Phooey in the film.[5] On December 28, 2012, test footage of the film with live action CG was leaked.[6] The film is likely to be released in late 2014.

Music

The Moldy Peaches song "Nothing Came Out" mentions Hong Kong Phooey among other cartoons: "I want you to watch cartoons with me. He-Man, Voltron and Hong-Kong-Phooey".

The song "Sugarcane" by The Space Monkeys mentions the side-effect of drugs as being "Quicker than the human eye or Hong Kong Phooey".

The song "Old School" by Danger Doom, features a few classic cartoon mentions. One of which is a mention of Phooey by rapper MF Doom in the line "Ooh Wee, like a Hong Kong Phooey Kick," reminiscing about his childhood.[7]

Literature

The short children's novel Hong Kong Phooey and The Fortune Cookie Caper by Jean Lewis, illustrated by Phil Ostapczuk, was published in 1975 by Rand McNally and Company, as well as Hong Kong Phooey and the Bird Nest Snatchers (1976).

See also

References

  1. ^ "IMDB:Hong Kong Phooey-Plot Summary". IMDb. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  2. ^ CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records
  3. ^ "'Hong Kong Phooey' lands Goodman". Hollywood Reporter. July 12, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2009.[dead link]
  4. ^ McNary, Dave (July 12, 2009). "'Phooey' kicks into high gear". Variety (magazine). Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Fleming, M. "Eddie Murphy Lends Voice To 'Hong Kong Phooey' Feature" Deadline.com (August 10, 2011).
  6. ^ "'Hong Kong Phooey' Movie Test Footage Revealed; 'Marvin The Martian' As Well (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. December 28, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  7. ^ Danger Doom; MF Doom, Danger Mouse, Talib Kweli. "Old School Rules". Epitaph Records. Retrieved May 28, 2013. Ooh wee, like a Hong Kong Phooey Kick.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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