Calvin and the Colonel
Encyclopedia
Calvin and the Colonel was an animated cartoon
television series in 1961 about Colonel Montgomery J. Klaxon, a shrewd fox and Calvin T. Burnside, a dumb bear. Their lawyer was Oliver Wendell Clutch, who was a weasel (literally). The colonel lived with his wife Maggie Belle and her sister Sue, who did not trust the colonel at all. Colonel Klaxon was in the real estate business, but always tried get-rich-quick scheme
s with Calvin's unwitting help.
The series was an animated remake of Amos 'n' Andy
[or, more or less, "Andy and The Kingfish"] and featured the voices of Freeman Gosden
and Charles Correll
from the radio series (in fact, several of the original radio scripts by Joe Connelly
& Bob Mosher
were adapted for this series). Using animals avoided the touchy racial issues which had led to the downfall of Amos 'n' Andy.
Because of low ratings, the show was cancelled after two months, but returned two months later to complete the first season contract (and to fulfill Lever Brothers
' agreement to sponsor the program; they originally sustained The Amos 'n' Andy Show on radio during the 1940s). For a year afterward reruns were seen on Saturday mornings, and eventually syndicated through the 1960s. It was also adapted as a comic book
by Dell Comics
, and as such the first of two issues was the final installment in the company's extremely prolific (more than 1,300 issues published) Four Color
anthology series.
A brief sequence from the show was seen on a television set in a 1966 episode of The Munsters
("A Visit From Johann"), which was also produced by Connelly and Mosher.
A Kayro Production (in association with MCA/Revue Television)
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
television series in 1961 about Colonel Montgomery J. Klaxon, a shrewd fox and Calvin T. Burnside, a dumb bear. Their lawyer was Oliver Wendell Clutch, who was a weasel (literally). The colonel lived with his wife Maggie Belle and her sister Sue, who did not trust the colonel at all. Colonel Klaxon was in the real estate business, but always tried get-rich-quick scheme
Get-rich-quick scheme
A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 1900s....
s with Calvin's unwitting help.
The series was an animated remake of Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
[or, more or less, "Andy and The Kingfish"] and featured the voices of Freeman Gosden
Freeman Gosden
Freeman Fisher "Gozzie" Gosden was an American radio comedian, and pioneer in the development of the situation comedy form. He is best known for his work in the Amos 'n' Andy series.-Biography:...
and Charles Correll
Charles Correll
Charles James Correll was an American radio comedian, best known for his work on the Amos 'n' Andy show with Freeman S. Gosden. Correll voiced the central character of Andy Brown, along with various supporting characters. Before teaming up with Gosden, Correll worked as a stenographer and a...
from the radio series (in fact, several of the original radio scripts by Joe Connelly
Joe Connelly (producer)
Joe Connelly was a television and radio scriptwriter born in New York City. He was best known for his work on Amos and Andy, Meet Mr...
& Bob Mosher
Bob Mosher
Robert "Bob" Mosher was a television and radio scriptwriter born in Auburn, New York. He was best known for his work on Amos and Andy, Meet Mr. McNutley, Leave It To Beaver, Ichabod and Me, Bringing Up Buddy, and The Munsters, along with his co-writer Joe Connelly who is buried in Culver City's...
were adapted for this series). Using animals avoided the touchy racial issues which had led to the downfall of Amos 'n' Andy.
Because of low ratings, the show was cancelled after two months, but returned two months later to complete the first season contract (and to fulfill Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
' agreement to sponsor the program; they originally sustained The Amos 'n' Andy Show on radio during the 1940s). For a year afterward reruns were seen on Saturday mornings, and eventually syndicated through the 1960s. It was also adapted as a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
by Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
, and as such the first of two issues was the final installment in the company's extremely prolific (more than 1,300 issues published) Four Color
Four Color
Four Color, also known as Four Color Comics and One Shots, was a long-running American comic book anthology series published by Dell Comics between 1939 and 1962...
anthology series.
A brief sequence from the show was seen on a television set in a 1966 episode of The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
("A Visit From Johann"), which was also produced by Connelly and Mosher.
Credits
- Created by Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll
- Music: George Bruns
- Animation Producers [Creston Studios]: Bob Ganon, Sam Nicholson, Gerald Ray
- Art Director: Norm Gottfredson
- Animation Directors: Chuck McKimson, John Walker
- Supervising Animators: Tom McDonald, John Sparey, Bob Bemiller
- Production Coordinator: Dave Hoffman
- Editing: Norm Vizents
- Sound: Phil Kaye
- Recording Director: Cliff Howell
- Production Executive: Al Amatuzio
- Produced by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher
A Kayro Production (in association with MCA/Revue Television)
Episodes
| # | Title | Teleplay by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|