Call Me Stormy

Mr. Magoo’s Dr. Frankenstein

Hey kids (of all ages), it’s Saturday Morning Cartoon time again! Hallowe’en style, even!

The comically nearsighted yet impossibly lucky Mr. Magoo started off at the end of the ’40s in UPA / Columbia theatrical cartoon shorts. He made an early transition to television with the MISTER MAGOO show at the start of the ’60s… In 1962 he starred in the first major animated TV Christmas special, serving as pathfinder for The Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Frosty and the rest!

MISTER MAGOO’S CHRISTMAS CAROL depicted Magoo as a surprisingly competent stage actor starring in a production based on the Dickens’ classic tale. The actual play was presented straight, with Magoo’s trademark half-blind misadventures being mostly limited to the backstage segments. This convention was carried-over onto Magoo’s mid ’60s series, the FAMOUS ADVENTURES OF MR. MAGOO. There, he portrayed various characters from literature, fairy tales and popular fiction in straight adaptations.

For this season, I’ve selected his version of FRANKENSTEIN. A rather unique interpretation of the story, which combines elements from the original novel with the later movies. From 1965. More from the OldHorseman.