Commander McBragg
Encyclopedia
Commander McBragg is a cartoon character who appeared in short segments (usually lasting 90 seconds) produced by Total Television Productions and animated by Gamma Productions. These segments first appeared in 1963 on the animated series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
, then on the Underdog animated television show from 1964–1973, and have appeared in some syndicated prints of The Bullwinkle Show, Hoppity Hooper
and Uncle Waldo's Cartoon Show.
! Did I ever tell you about the time I ...?" His colleague would, despite his initial reticence ("NO, Commander, but I-"), become very engaged in the exciting tale ("Good Heavens! What did you do?"), and at its conclusion would compliment the Commander on his cleverness—usually incorporating a terrible pun
— to which the Commander would always respond, "Quite."
, best known for his stammering Non-Stop Talking (as "Senator Claghorn" [Which morphed into the WB cartoon rooster, "Foghorn Leghorn"]) on the old Fred Allen
radio show. The character of McBragg is based upon C. Aubrey Smith, a famous English actor - from the 1939 movie "Four Feathers" ('War was war then') - who often played roles in films similar to the exploits related by McBragg. The stories, more often than not, were either taken directly from or were imitations of the Baron Münchhausen
stories of Rudolf Erich Raspe
. Other influences include the early animated character Colonel Heeza Liar, the subject of a number of animated shorts created by John R. Bray and directed by Walter Lantz
, who would later become better known for the Woody Woodpecker
franchise.
episode "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
" voiced by Maurice LaMarche
. He was acting as the judge for a scavenger hunt between Montgomery Burns
and the Rich Texan, both eccentric millionaires in the same gentleman's club, known in the episode as "The Excluder's Club" as it is known for being very exclusive.
Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales is a popular, semi-educational animated cartoon TV series that originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1966. It was produced by Total Television, the same company that produced the earlier King Leonardo and the later Underdog, and primarily sponsored by General Mills...
, then on the Underdog animated television show from 1964–1973, and have appeared in some syndicated prints of The Bullwinkle Show, Hoppity Hooper
Hoppity Hooper
Hoppity Hooper is a 1964 animated television series produced by Jay Ward, originally broadcast on ABC and co-sponsored by General Mills and Topper Toys.-Series premise:...
and Uncle Waldo's Cartoon Show.
Segment format
The segments opened with an image of a revolving globe and the title "The World of Commander McBragg." In each episode, the Commander would buttonhole a hapless member of his gentleman's club, and proceed to relate some story filled with unlikelihoods and outright impossibilities, always concluding with a hairbreadth escape. For example, McBragg would point to a map on the wall (or globe) and say: "There! ZanzibarZanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
! Did I ever tell you about the time I ...?" His colleague would, despite his initial reticence ("NO, Commander, but I-"), become very engaged in the exciting tale ("Good Heavens! What did you do?"), and at its conclusion would compliment the Commander on his cleverness—usually incorporating a terrible pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
— to which the Commander would always respond, "Quite."
Character origins
The deep, gravelly voice of Commander McBragg was provided by veteran voice talent Kenny DelmarKenny Delmar
Kenneth Howard "Kenny" Delmar was an American actor active in radio, films, and animation.-Radio:...
, best known for his stammering Non-Stop Talking (as "Senator Claghorn" [Which morphed into the WB cartoon rooster, "Foghorn Leghorn"]) on the old Fred Allen
Fred Allen
Fred Allen was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it...
radio show. The character of McBragg is based upon C. Aubrey Smith, a famous English actor - from the 1939 movie "Four Feathers" ('War was war then') - who often played roles in films similar to the exploits related by McBragg. The stories, more often than not, were either taken directly from or were imitations of the Baron Münchhausen
Baron Munchhausen
Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Freiherr von Münchhausen , usually known as Baron Münchhausen in English, was a German nobleman born in Bodenwerder and a famous recounter of tall tales....
stories of Rudolf Erich Raspe
Rudolf Erich Raspe
Rudolf Erich Raspe was a German librarian, writer and scientist, called by his biographer John Carswell a "rogue"...
. Other influences include the early animated character Colonel Heeza Liar, the subject of a number of animated shorts created by John R. Bray and directed by Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
, who would later become better known for the Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
franchise.
Other media
Commander McBragg appeared in The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
"The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" is the 13th episode of The Simpsons 17th season. It originally aired in the United States on March 12, 2006.-Plot:...
" voiced by Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
. He was acting as the judge for a scavenger hunt between Montgomery Burns
Montgomery Burns
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...
and the Rich Texan, both eccentric millionaires in the same gentleman's club, known in the episode as "The Excluder's Club" as it is known for being very exclusive.
External links
- The World of Commander McBragg at The Big Cartoon Database