Who was the lead: Rocky or Bullwinkle?

[TMC]

Rocky got top-line billing originally.

But it seemed that all the oxygen in the show went to Bullwinkle while Rocky, in fact, played more of a supporting role.

And then, the name changed to The Bullwinkle Show.

[cd637299]

Very few ppl say “Bullwinkle & Rocky”; almost without fail it’s the other way around.

It was “Rocky and His Friends” 1959-61. Why the title change was done, I don’t know.

I say usually it’s the smarter or more creative of a pair that gets first billing.

True, in the openings of each episode you see “The Adventures of Bullwinkle and Rocky,” but if anyone has seen original ABC prints on YouTube, that sign wasn’t there originally. It was “Rocky the Flying Squirrel,” and later you see “featuring Bullwinkle the Moose.” The sign that was placed later for syndication means that showing the name “Bullwinkle” twice was certainly redundant.

There will be a test on this, so buckle down.

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[stevea]

Yes the show was originally called "Rocky and His Friends". As was the case with so many animated TV shows at that time, it was originally broadcast in black and white, but undoubtedly produced on color film.

But yes, it eventually became "The Bullwinkle Show" with updated openings and closings. The bridging animation was the same as always (how many times have we seen the three or so variations of "Hey, Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit outta my hat.")? Others can answer whether new segments were added to the rotation or whether The Bullwinkle Show just reran older segments.

In a nutshell, cheap animation paired with great writing. And some pretty well-known voice actors.

[cd637299]

^ That last sentence sums it up!

As to the rabbit-out-of-the-hat segment which is annoying even to the biggest fan, you see on the background curtain the letter “R” for Rocky.

No new segments of Fractured Fairy Tales or Peabody were made after 1961 AFAIK—but new Rocky & Bullwinkle stories were made until 1963-64. One story (“Mucho Loma”) had a reference to the NY Mets who started playing in 1962. I believe new Dudley Do-Rights were produced as well.

I once had the pleasure of talking to Jay Ward’s wife in California. I was interested in the Dudley Do-Right Emporium, which sold Jay Ward merchandise—long before Internet. She said that R&B ended production 1964. (i ordered a Bullwinkle “Graduate, Whats-a-Matta U” T-shirt.)

I assume that the full DVD package is what I have seen on YouTube. It has what had to be a computer colorized Rocky & Bullwinkle “rabbit out of the hat” from the earliest days. Rocky sounded more boyish, and maybe only one “rabbit” gag existed.

Study up!

cd

[cd637299]

As long as we’re on the subject, how about a quiz?

There is a “hidden joke” in this video:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vn0xQmPsQik

Play from 2:25 to 3:05. Listen carefully to the dialogue. Near the end, Bullwinkle was about to say something, then he stopped himself. Can you tell us what he was about to say?

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[stevea]

They were talking about Gunga Din (Drain), and Bullwinkle couldn't say the line about Kipling. Maybe I should read the poem...

[cd637299]

Originally Posted by stevea

They were talking about Gunga Din (Drain), and Bullwinkle couldn't say the line about Kipling. Maybe I should red the poem...

You’re close, Steve, but this is what it was:

It’s a reference to an old old joke. Here was the question and what the response was supposed to be….

“Don’t you like Kipling?”

“I dunno, I’ve never KIPPLED!” So even Bullwinkle couldn’t get himself to utter that horrible line.

Carry on!

cd