Misterjaw
Encyclopedia
Misterjaw is a 34-episode made-for-television cartoon series, produced at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
in 1976 for The Pink Panther and Friends
television series on NBC
.
) was a blue-colored great white shark
(who wore a purple vest with white collar, a black bow tie and tall black top hat) who liked to leap out of the water and shout "HEEGotcha!" or "Gotcha!" at unsuspecting folks (who would, as would be expected, run off in terror screaming "SHARK!!!!!"). He spoke with a German accent and was known to mispronounce words (examples: "dumbkuff" and "knucklehead", pronounced as ka-nucklehead). He also had a sidekick
, a green-scaled, brown bowler
-hatted Brooklyn-accented catfish
simply named Catfish (voiced by Arnold Stang
) who usually referred to Misterjaw as "boss" or "chief"; Misterjaw usually called Catfish either "pally", "fella" or "sonny" when in a good mood, or names like "dumbkuff", "knucklehead", "macaroni brain" when angry or interrupted.
Sometimes, Misterjaw would mistakenly address his sidekick as "Dogfish," only to correct himself a split second later by saying, "I mean, Catfish." The two would get into all sorts of mischief, ranging from trying to catch Harry Halibut
(voiced by Bob Ogle
, and usually mispronounced "HAB-ill-up" by Misterjaw) to outwitting Fearless Freddy the Shark Hunter (voiced by Paul Winchell
), amongst other adventures.
All the shorts were directed by Robert McKimson
with co-direction from Sid Marcus and produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng
. The music and score for the series were composed by Doug Goodwin. None of the shorts contained any credit information; only the series title, episode title and copyright (all dated 1976), and end titles were shown.
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises was a Hollywood-based animation production company, active from 1963 to 1981. They produced theatrical cartoons, animated series, commercials, title sequences and television specials. Notable among these is The Pink Panther film titles and cartoon shorts and the Dr....
in 1976 for The Pink Panther and Friends
The Pink Panther Show
The Pink Panther Show is a showcase of cartoon shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1979. The television series was produced by Mirisch Films and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, and was broadcast on two American TV networks:...
television series on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Plot
Misterjaw (voiced by Arte JohnsonArte Johnson
Arthur Stanton Eric "Arte" Johnson is an American comic actor. Johnson was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. His best-remembered "character" was that of a German soldier with the catchphrase: "Verrrry interesting, but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other variations]".-Early life:Johnson...
) was a blue-colored great white shark
Great white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
(who wore a purple vest with white collar, a black bow tie and tall black top hat) who liked to leap out of the water and shout "HEEGotcha!" or "Gotcha!" at unsuspecting folks (who would, as would be expected, run off in terror screaming "SHARK!!!!!"). He spoke with a German accent and was known to mispronounce words (examples: "dumbkuff" and "knucklehead", pronounced as ka-nucklehead). He also had a sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, a green-scaled, brown bowler
Bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
-hatted Brooklyn-accented catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
simply named Catfish (voiced by Arnold Stang
Arnold Stang
Arnold Stang was an American comic actor who played a small and bespectacled, yet brash and knowing big-city type.-Career:...
) who usually referred to Misterjaw as "boss" or "chief"; Misterjaw usually called Catfish either "pally", "fella" or "sonny" when in a good mood, or names like "dumbkuff", "knucklehead", "macaroni brain" when angry or interrupted.
Sometimes, Misterjaw would mistakenly address his sidekick as "Dogfish," only to correct himself a split second later by saying, "I mean, Catfish." The two would get into all sorts of mischief, ranging from trying to catch Harry Halibut
Halibut
Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders . Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly and butt , for its popularity on Catholic holy days...
(voiced by Bob Ogle
Bob Ogle (actor)
Bob Ogle was a voice actor and a writer. Most characters he voiced are performed in the style of Bill Thompson's character Wallace Wimple from Fibber McGee and Molly....
, and usually mispronounced "HAB-ill-up" by Misterjaw) to outwitting Fearless Freddy the Shark Hunter (voiced by Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
), amongst other adventures.
All the shorts were directed by Robert McKimson
Robert McKimson
Robert "Bob" Porter McKimson, Sr. was an American animator, illustrator, and director best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros., and later DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
with co-direction from Sid Marcus and produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
. The music and score for the series were composed by Doug Goodwin. None of the shorts contained any credit information; only the series title, episode title and copyright (all dated 1976), and end titles were shown.
Episodes
All episodes directed by Robert McKimson and Sid Marcus- Flying Fool -
- Shopping Spree -
- To Catch a Halibut -
- Beach Resort -
- Monster of the Deep -
- Showbiz Shark -
- Aladdin's Lump -
- Little Red Riding Halibut -
- The Codfather -
- Davey Jones' Locker -
- Flying Saucer -
- The Shape of Things -
- Caught In The Act -
- Merry Sharkman, Merry Sharkman -
- Sea Chase -
- Aloha, Hah, Hah! -
- Never Shake Hands With a Piranha -
- Stand-In Room Only -
- The Fishy Time Machine -
- Transistorized Shark -
- The $6.95 Bionic Shark -
- Moulin Rogues -
- Holiday in Venice -
- Shark and the Beanstalk -
- The Aquanuts -
- Cannery Caper -
- Fish Anonymous -
- Maguiness Book of Records -
- Cool Shark -
- Deep Sea Rodeo -
- Mama -
- Easy Come Easy Go -
- No Man's Halibut -
- Sweat Hog Shark -
Production notes
- Misterjaw was one of two cartoon sharks created as a cash-in on the JawsJaws (film)Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
craze, release (the other being the Hanna-Barbera created JabberjawJabberjawJabberjaw is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired from September 11, 1976 to September 3, 1978 on ABC.-Premise:...
). - As of July 2005, Misterjaw has regularly been seen on Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's BoomerangBoomerang (TV channel)Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(along with The Pink Panther ShowThe Pink Panther ShowThe Pink Panther Show is a showcase of cartoon shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1979. The television series was produced by Mirisch Films and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, and was broadcast on two American TV networks:...
and other DePatie-Freleng cartoons). As of 2006, all the Misterjaw episodes have been aired. Three of the cartoons shown on Boomerang have been edited (some scenes from Beach Resort, Monster of the Deep, and the ending of Holiday in Venice were removed). - The show was also known as Mr. Jaws and Catfish.
- In the entry Little Red Riding Halibut, Misterjaw quips "Verrry interesting..." after looking in a picnic basket that Harry Halibut left behind which was boobytrapped with mousetraps. This catchphrase was first uttered by Arte Johnson (who voiced Misterjaw) on Laugh-inRowan & Martin's Laugh-InRowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
. - Misterjaw was featured on South African television in the 80's as a morning cartoon called "Grootbek en Katvis" and was dubbed into Afrikaans.