A-Z GUIDE TO MOVIES AND TV SHOWS PARODIED BY MAD, CRACKED, CRAZY, ETC. UP TO 1996. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. SPOILERS AND OTHER NON-SEQUITURS, TOO. SOMETIMES THESE THINGS HAVE WORDS OR SITUATIONS WE DON'T USE ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY'RE OLD.
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THE NIGHT PETER GONE CRACKED
MAD #50, October 1959
w: Larry Siegel
a: Bob Clarke
Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens) was a private detective known for being suave and sophisticated, modeled after Cary Grant, probably best known for its theme. There was always a jazzy score in the background as well. His contact at the police department was Lieutenant Jacoby (Herschel Bernardi).
Gunn worked at a club called Mother's where his girlfriend Edie (Lola Albright) worked there and it was run by “Mother” (Hope Emerson).
In the third panel are Harry and Bert Piel, mascots for Piel's Beer voiced by Bob & Ray
The substitute band is Lawrence Welk.
PETER GOON
Cracked #12, January 1960
w: Paul Laikin
a: Jack Davis
Matt Dillon (James Arness), Kitty (Amanda Blake), Chester (Dennis Weaver), and Doc (Milburn Stone) are in the last panel. L & M Cigarettes was the main sponsor for Gunsmoke.
PETE KELSEY'S BOOZE
Snafu #2, February 1956
w: Stan Lee
a: Joe Maneely
Movie with Jack Webb as a Prohibition-era bandleader with Janet Leigh as Ivy Conrad, Peggy Lee as Rose Hopkins, Edmund O'Brien as Fran McCarg, Andy Devine as George Tennel, Lee Marvin as Gannaway, and Ella Fitzgerald as Maggie Jackson
The panels are wide because the movie is in Cinemascope.
Pete Conrad is a jazz cornetist leading a band at Kansas City playing various speakeasies and parties. He and the band are shaken down by McCarg, a notorious mobster who demands a cut of the band. At a party the next night they play a party at Ivy's where he and Pete meet and she's constantly coming on to him.
Pete's drummer, Joey Firestone (Martin Milner) drunkenly answers the phone at the party and tells McCarg off, for which he is gunned bown my McCarg's men the next night. Pete tries to come to terms with McCarg who demands his gun moll Rose become vocalist for the band. She doesn't really want to be there and has become and alcoholic. George is a detetective who has been trying to take McCarg down and enlists Pete's help.
Pete goes to take down McCarg and his gang but is interrupted by Ivy, who doesn't know what he's doing and wants the dance with her he promised. He reluctantly agrees, they're caught, a shootout ensues, he takes them down, and goes back to the way his life was.
Similar to current talk shows now except the whole show focused on one celebrity with host, Edward R. Murrowinterviewing the person and their family from his studio while they were at their home.
HOUSE TO HOUSE
MAD #35, October 1957
w: Bob & Ray and Tom Koch
a: Mort Drucker
In the early days of MAD as a magazine, they often used the work of famous comedians, whether it was reprinted material or sometimes exclusive. Bob & Ray wrote their own material for the magazine and their shows, some was written by MAD writer Tom Koch. The Mad Cover Site credits the latter, so I'll take their word for it. It was through MAD editors discovering Mort Drucker's knack for caricature in illustrating the Bob & Ray pieces that they made him their go-to guy for most of their movie and TV parodies.
Harry Piel, half of the duo Bob & Ray voiced for Piels Beer, is the hood ornament in the first panel. Harry and Bert Piel make additioal cameos throughout.
From Adult TV Cartoons by Al Jaffee and Wallace Wood, based on the premise that since The Flintstones was based on The Honeymooners and made for adults, we'd soon be seeing lots of cartoons based on prime-time shows. From #63, June 1961, Edward R. Murrow was replaced by Charles Collingwood in the last few seasons.
From Russian TV Shows by Paul Laikin and John Severin in Cracked #19, April 1961
From If Political Figures Did Guest TV Shots in Cracked #20, July 1961, also by Laikin and Severin.
PERSON TO PERSONS
Sick #4, February 1961
a: Leo Morey
PERSONALLY TO PERSONALLY
Snafu #1, November 1955
w: Stan Lee
a: Joe Maneely
Amoco is a famous gasoline company, although it's Mobil that has the pegasus for a mascot.
Marilyn Monroe famously posed for a nude calendar early in her career.
There was a Bugs Bunny cartoon parodying the show as well.
THE NIGHT THAT PERRY MASONMINT LOST A CASE
MAD #48, July 1959
w: Dee Caruso & Bill Levine
a: Mort Drucker
Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) was a criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles. The criminal defense attorney was Hamilton Burger (William Talman) and the police detective was Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins).
Perry was assisted by Paul Drake (William Hopper) and his secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale).
The diagram on Della's head in the first panel is from the Anacin commercials' representation of a headache.
Cracked #10, August 1959
a: John Severin
From What Do TV Characters Do After the Show Is Over? in Cracked #45, August 1965, art by Bill Ward
From The Comedy Trend on TV in #50, March 1966, art also by Ward
PERRY MAZIN: THE CASE OF THE GUILTY CLIENT
Cracked #235, May 1988
w: Robert Loren Fleming
a: Bill Wray
Erle Stanley Gardner was the author of the books Perry Mason is based on. He is drawn here as Charles Bronson. The wall on the first panel has a picture of Lt. Col. Oliver North.
From TV Scenes That Make More Sense in Sick #47, by Calvin Castine and Angelo Torres.
Humbug #4, November 1957
w: Harvey Kurtzman
a: Jack Davis
Perry Como was a singer since the forties that hosted many variety shows on television and radio, and for a while had his own show. He was most famous for his laid-back personality.
SCTV did a fake ad written by Eugene Levy spoofing his known laconic persona. The sketch was a favorite of Como himself.
PERFECTLY STRANGE
MAD #270, April 1987
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Angelo Torres
The concept is that Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) has moved to Chicago and living away from home when his cousin Balki Barkotomous (Bronson Pinchot) has come from the country of Mypos and moves in with him. They work in a store on the ground floor of their building owned by their landlord, Mr. Twinkacetti (Ernie Sabella).
In the splash panel, the parody notes the show is derivative of other sitcoms. Ernie Sabella resembles Danny DeVito of Taxi, which also had the foreigner character Latka. The alien-out-of-water premise is taken from Mork and Mindy, while the clashing roomates concept comes from that of Tony Randall and Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple. It was on opposite The Cosby Show, the highest rated show on television at the time.
Mark Linn-Baker's breakout role was in My Favorite Year. Ming the Merciless is a character from Flash Gordon. 72 was the number for football player William “The Refrigerator” Perry.
The patches on Balki's jacket are Chicago sports team, except the last one, nickname for newspaper Chicago Tribune. The “Don't squeeze the Charmin” commercials with Mr. Whipple aired for at least two decades.
ALF's schtick was eating cats.
IMPERFECT STRANGERS
Cracked #231, October 1987
w: Joe Catalano
a: Walter Brogan
Yakov Smirnoff was a stand-up comic whose gimmick was also the bemused observational foreigner. Balki saying “don't be re-dick-u-lous” in his accent was his catchphrase on every show.
