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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VAGUE-$
MAD #210, October 1979
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Angelo Torres
This was a detective series set in Las Vegas about Dan Tanna (Robert Urich), mostly working for celebrities and solving casino and entertainment cases. He drove around town in a Ford Thunderbird.
One of his secretaries was Angie (Judy Landers) who also worked as a showgirl.
Tony Curtis also appeared occasionally as client Phillip Roth.
A contact at the police office was sergeant Bella Archer (Naomi Stevens). Dan's assistant was Binzer (Bart Braverman), who was also a pool cleaner.
Dave Nelson (Greg Morris) was another comtact at the police office.
Beatrice Travis (Phyllis Davis) was Dan's main secretary, and also a showgirl.
VAGUE$T
Crazy #53, August 1979
w: Murad Gumen
a: Kent Gamble
Some of the pictures of Dan Tanner look like they're swiped from caricatures of other actors. In one panel he kind of looks like Warren Beatty even though Urich and Beatty don't look alike.
David Brenner is the comedian Dan bumps into. The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast a/k/a Man of the Hour was a series of TV specials on the 70s where Jimmy Stewart, Liz Taylor, and Red Buttons were frequent roasters
“He never got a dinner” was Red Buttons' catchphrase during the roasts. Ruth Buzzi was another frequent roaster. Usually as her character Gladys Ormphby.
TAXING
MAD #212, January 1980
w: Stan Hart
a: Angelo Torres
Sitcom that took place at the garage of a taxi station. Alex Reiger (Judd Hirsch) was the starring character. Most of the other drivers had other pursuits. Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) was the mechanic there. Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway) was an aspiring actor, Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) was an aspiring art dealer, and Tony Banta (Tony Danza) was an aspiring boxer. John Burns (Randall Carver) was a hayseed from flyover country that was only used in the first season. Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito) was the dispatcher that was only shown at the garage.
Happy Days and Three's Company were on ABC that same night.
TAXING
Crazy #57, December 1979
w: Murad Gumen
a: Kent Gamble
Robert DeNiro made his mark in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.
TAXIII!
Sick #127, June 1979
w: Arnold Drake
a: Jack Sparling
HEY, TAXI!
Bananas Looks at TV (most likely a reprint), circa 1980
w: Jovial Bob Stine
a: Sam Viviano
John was later replaced by “Reverend” Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd), a burnt-out ex-hippie.
Latka's dialogue is from Mork and Mindy, Smokey Stover, and The Day the Earth Stood Still.
TVARZAN
MAD #112, July 1967
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Mort Drucker
There was a TV series of Tarzan. Though it's had many incarnations over the past 100 years, including parody characters, and a movie of his origin. Here is but one version.
This one starred Ron Ely as Tarzan.
Jane wasn't used in the TV series.
A native is a caricature of Godfrey Cambridge.
Jai (Manuel Padilla Jr.) was an orphan who befriended and assisted Tarzan.
MAD parodied the Tarzan we're all familiar with over the years. Here are a few examples.
MAD #114, October 1967
MAD #158, April 1973
This is what critical race theory actually is.
MAD #167, June 1974
MAD #206, April 1979
There was a 1981 version starring Bo Derek, directed by John Derek. This is from The MAD Academy Awards Show in #231, by Stan Hart and Mort Drucker.
