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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ZOO CHARADE
Panic #9, June-July 1955
w: Jack Mendelsohn
a: Joe Orlando
Marlin Perkins of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and announcer Jim Hurlbut would talk about various animals there. It was sponsore by Mutual of Omaha, sort of a precursor to the later Wild Kingdom series.
CURLEY SCHMERLEY'S GOREYBOOK
Panic #1, July 1958
artist unknown
Series of TV specials adapting well-known fairy tales and childrens' books such as Wizrd of Oz or Rip van Winkle hosted and narrated by Shirley Temple, former child star. This is apparently adapting Beauty and the Beast and sponsored by Piels Beer, whose commercials at the time featured Harry and Bert Piel, voiced by Bob & Ray.
MIKE HAMMY
MAD #255, June 1985
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Sam Viviano
Mike Hammer was a series of novels, novies, comics, and TV shows originated by Mickey Spillane. Most of the cliches of the 1940s film-noir gumshoe detective archetype originate from here. This particular iteration was updated to take place in the present-day eighties with Stacy Keach as this version of Mike Hammer. His secretary was Velda (Lindsay Bloom). The versions were all known for their voice-overs.
Stacy Keach was indicted for cocaine possession, temporarily shutting down production of the show.
The sayings on the Coke machine are graffiti from the comic strip Smokey Stover.
BLOOD, GUTS, A ROSCOE, AND YOU
MAD #38, March 1958
w: Tom Koch
a: George Woodbridge
This parodies the Spillane novels long before there was a TV show.
MY GUN IS THE JURY
Panic #1, February-March 1954
w: Al Feldstein
a: Jack Davis
Combines the book titles I, the Jury and My Gun Is Quick.
Pat Chambers was the Captain.
The themes of cross-dressing and trans-gender were a punchline in and of themselves two generations ago.
THE COLDGATE TRAGEDY THEATER
Eh! #7, November-December 1954
artist and writer unknown
There was a TV show called The Colgate Comedy Hour. In addition to parodying the title I, The Jury and My Gun Is Quick, it also combines the titles Vengeance Is Mine and One Lonely Night.
THE BELLES OF ST. TRINIAN'S (1954)
dir: Frank Launder
THE BELLS OF ST. TRIVIA
Panic #3, November 1958
a: Bud Schroeder
The Belles of St. Trinian's was the first in a series of films from the fifties and sixties about a group of precocious and sadistic girls at a boarding school, based on cartoons by Ronald Searle. It was remade recently under the alternate title Kick-Ass Girls.
ART SINKWETTER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Panic #1, July 1958
a: Bernard Baily
One thing I hate is when people say “You wouldn't know about that you weren't even born” when often I know more than the person telling me that. On the other hand, I understand that, hiding the anger inside when things obvious to me aren't known by others. Something as simple as a rotary phone. Not that I'm a walking encyclopedia, but I think I have a good knowledge of 100 years of popular culture.
Which brings me to my introduction to Art Linkletter, someone even people my own age (51) don't know about. He was a well-known TV personality back in the day, maybe the Steve Harvey of his time, hosting a daytime quiz/variety/talk show for years called House Party. One of the segments was called Kids Say the Darndest Things, unrehearsed interviews with children for which this parody is the basis. This eventually spun off into its own series and was later rebooted as a series hosted by Bill Cosby when he was still a genial personality.
Another thing you need to know is that the show's sponsor was Rinso White detergent.
AMERICAN BANDSTAND (1956-1989) ABC
a/k/a THE DICK CLARK SHOW American Bandstand started as a daily after-school show and then weekly on Saturday Mornings, first broadcast from Philadelphia and then from Los Angeles.
AMERICAN GRANDSTAND
Cracked #2, May 1958
a: John Severin
THE DICK LARK SHOW
Panic #3, November 1958
a: Angelo Torres
(not to be confused with EC's Panic)
He also had a show in prime-time show sponsored by Beech-Nut Gum.
SICK CLARK AROUND THE WORLD
Sick #16, December 1962
artist unknown
