THE MAGIC FLUKE - "The Universe Is Laughing Behind Your Back!" (1949)

 

This week's Weird Wednesday featurette is a1949 Fox and Crow cartoon! I love how they made this look like it was done by a five year old with crayons.

It's called "Magic Fluke," and that's actually a title that makes sense for this cartoon!

As a kid's cartoon, I'm not quite sure this imagery would be acceptable by today's standards, in fact, I know it wouldn't, but in 1949, it was just fine!

The dictionary defines fluke as 'an unlikely chance occurrence, especially a surprising piece of luck,' but that's kind of a double entendre in this situation!

 

 

The Fox and The Crow are a classic combination of societal mores. The Crow does all the work............

...................And The Fox gets all the credit!

The Fox gets his big break!

And he's willing to leave his long time friend in the dust! After all, he is a sly fox!

While The Fox is drinking champagne, poor Crow doesn't have a gig anymore, and is totally down on his luck!

The Crow just happens to stumble on the place where The Fox is now conducting as Foxini.

The Fox's baton cannot be found, and he is unable to go on as planned.

The Crow sees what's going on, and goes out and snags a baton from a magician performing nearby.

This is where The Crow is seated. Talk about nosebleed seats! He can barely even hear the music from this distance!

Since it's actually a magician's magic wand instead of a conductor's baton, coupled with the fact that this is a cartoon, all kinds of bizarre things start happening during the performance!

A few balloons always add depth to any show!

The more The Fox waves the magic wand around, the krazier things get! 

The rabbits are more than just out of the hat!

They've taken up half of the orchestra!

The show must go on, but The Fox loses the battle to keep his sanity.

Lucky for The Fox, his buddy The Crow is able to save him!

 

When things get tough, just remember, You are a "Fluke of the Universe!"

THE TWILIGHT ZONE / "Kick The Can" - 1962

I thought it'd be cool to include that hypno-dealie thing at the beginning of the episode.

The story takes place here, at the Sunnyvale Rest, Home For The Aged...

In the background there is a choice 1953 Ford. David Whitley is there to talk to his dad, Charles, about moving in with him and his family. Charles packs up and is ready to go with his son when he finds out that the answer is no, the place is too small and they are expecting a new baby. Charles gets out of the car and waves bye to his son. Then he notices some children playing Kick The Can (a version of Hide And Seek) across the street.

The others at the home watch as Charles gets shut down.

Charles, played by the talented Ernest Truex, is nostalgic about his youth. He goes over and picks up the can and has a sit under a tree. A little fun fact, his son David was played by his real son, actor Barry Truex.

Long intro!

At the home with Charles is Ben, played by Russell Collins, his best friend since their childhood. Charles talks about how he thinks the the secret of youth is actually in the form of children's games. Ben keeps telling him that's silly, there is no way to stop aging. But Charles insists and starts acting out in children's antics.

Ben is concerned and goes to see Sunnyvale Superintendent Cox about how Charles is starting to act The Supe tells Ben that Charles is getting senile and if it doesn't stop acting out, they will have to isolate him. Ben goes back and tells his friend that he needs to straighten up and fly right or he'll be asking for trouble...

But, Charles struts around like a 10 year old and goes into the yard and runs through the sprinkler. Look at the faces on his room mates!

I like this shot of all the residents sleeping in one big room.

Anyway, Charles starts quietly waking up the sleepy heads, he has something very important to tell them.

So, they all meet (except Ben) and Charles brings up all the games they used to play when they were young. Eventually, they all agree to a plan Charles has proposed.

Charles goes back and begs Ben to join their game, but Ben just can't believe what he's telling him and will not participate...

The gang quietly comes out of the room and notice the night nurse downstairs.

Acting like kids, they create a diversion! These firecrackers will work, just drop them out the window to the ground, and...

The Night Nurse hears the noise and runs outside, the gang piles out of the building.

Ben goes to the Superintendent and they run outside. There they only see children running around, but where are the residents?

One kid comes out to kick the can and Ben recognizes him, it's Charlie, his best friend from their youth. Ben calls to him.. Charlie, don't you recognize me? It's Benny, remember? Please, take me with, please, take me with you! But Charlie doesn't understand and runs away, back to his friends playing games. Poor Ben.

It's a fanciful story to be sure, but, there's something to be said about being a child. I remember playing Hide And Seek with like 15 cousins (early fifties) in the country, one of my fondest memories of when I was a kid.

THE AVENGERS - "Who's Who???" (1967)

This evening's Saturday Night Special is Season 5, Episode 16 of "The Avengers," and especial it is. I get so tired of trying to find interesting things to watch, and then something like this pops up, and I'm re-invigorated for a week or two, and now I'm going to tell you why!

This episode of "The Avengers" from 1967 was titled "Who's Who???" and boy did they mean it! The title might be the only thing they were serious about. This thing is a cluster from the get-go. and I loved each and every minute of it!

The writers must have been having a real good time when they came up with this sub-title. but it's absolutely true. That's exactly what happens!

'The Villains' in this show are Patricia (Blood Beast from Outer Space) Haines as Lola, and Freddie (Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed) Jones as her significant other Basil, and they both do an exceptional job!

These are the real John Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel. This is the last time you'll see them as themselves for a while!

Arnold (The Revenge of Frankenstein) Diamond is whack job scientist Dr. Krelmar. He's invented this amazing mind-meld machine that is capable of transferring or exchanging the mind of one person with another person. Steed has been captured by the loathsome Lola and Basil, and is about to have his mind exchanged with Basil's.

Let the exchange party begin! Those red and blue dice are Basil's good luck pieces.

Now it's Lola and Mrs. Peel's turn.

Meet the new Avengers, aka Lola and Basil.

Twice during the course of the show, they break for an "Important Announcement."

The announcement is to let any late comers or otherwise confused peoples know that these two people who look like 'The Villains,' are in reality, Steed and Mrs. Peel.

And these two, who look like Mrs. Peel and Steed, are really "The Villains."

Patricia Haines should have won an award for her fantastic portrayal of Mrs. Peel, and I think she might be the only other actress who ever got to play the role besides Diana Rigg.

All her mannerisms are right on the money, and Freddie Jones playing Steed is equally impressive!

But the real fun part is watching 'The Villains" as Steed and Emma, because you get to see Steed and Emma act in ways you've never seen before.

Fans of "The Avengers" all know that these two have an interesting but quite platonic relationship, so to see them getting cozy is just crazy! Drinking Ale and smoking cigars, the Mrs. Peel character starts dancing.

'The Villains' plan is to destroy the whole "Floral Network," one flower at a time. They do get as far as killing Daffodil, Pansy, Bluebell, and a few of the other blossoming agents.

Steed finds out that the head of his new body is a lot smaller than his old one, and his boulder hat no longer fits properly!

The bodies of all the wilted flowers just keep piling up!

It's hilarious to watch Mrs. Peel as a gum chewing ditz!

And then it happens, something you've never seen before in an episode of "The Avengers," John Steed and Emma Peel share a romantic and passionate kiss. Of course it's not them, but it looks like them, so it's just plain good old fashioned weird!

After enough time passes Lola and Basil decide they like themselves better as Steed and Mrs. Peel, than they do as themselves. Life is better, they're better looking, and they have cooler stuff, so they decide to go ahead and finish the job, and rub out the real Steed and Mrs. Peel. That's when their caper goes astray, and they get caught and turned back into themselves again. I'll let you figure out who is in this last shot.