Hong Kong Phooey

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File:Hongkongphooey.jpg
Hong Kong Phooey

Hong Kong Phooey is a 16-episode (31 shorts) Hanna-Barbera animated series that first aired on ABC Saturday morning from September 7, 1974 to September 4, 1976. The star, Hong Kong Phooey, is the secret alter ego of Penrod Pooch, or Penry (sometimes mispronounced "Henry"), a "mild-mannered" police station janitor. Although Penry/Phooey appears to be the only anthromorphic dog in the entire city where the series is set, no one ever connects his two identities.

Plot

Hong Kong Phooey is supposedly a master of kung fu and other martial arts. The stories begin at the police headquarters, where Hong Kong Phooey's alter ego, Penry, works as a mild-mannered janitor. He works with Sergeant Flint (Sarge) and Rosemary, the telephone operator, who has a major crush on Hong Kong Phooey. After Rosemary gets a call and explains the criminals' crime (which is one of the only reasons they call), Penry would run into a filing cabinet to transform himself into Hong Kong Phooey. In each episode, he ends up needing help from his loyal (non-anthopomorphic) cat and sidekick, Spot (who has stripes), to get him out. Hong Kong never quite notices Spot's help, but instead is always proud of himself because he thinks he is the one who does everything (similar to the later relationship between Inspector Gadget and his dog Brain).

Phooey would get into his Phooeymobile and would use the "bong of the gong" to turn it into whatever sort of vehicle best suited the occasion. He would find the thieves committing their crime. Mostly, Spot was the one who found a way to capture the criminals and foil their crime. But since Hong Kong was the reputed superhero, every time Spot would save the day, everyone else (including Phooey) credited Hong Kong Phooey with being the hero. Every episode would end with a return to police headquarters, where Penry would usually have some sort of accident that would cause Sarge to yell at him. Still, Penry was never hurt by Sarge's yelling but would find a way to compliment himself on his incognito crime-fighting prowess as Spot sighed.

A running gag was that Hong Kong Phooey was such a respected hero that, when his incompetence caused him to crash into, drench in water, or otherwise inconvenience a passerby, the passerby, seeming oblivious to any injury or embarrassment, would declare what an honor it was to have so interacted with "the great Hong Kong Phooey."

Overview

Sergeant Flint was very similar both in voice and appearance to Botch, assistant zoo-keeper at the Wonderland Zoo on Help! It's The Hair Bear Bunch. Hong Kong Phooey was voiced by Scatman Crothers, who was also the voice of Scat Cat in Disney's The Aristocats. Sergeant Flint was voiced by Joe E. Ross, best known as Officer Gunther Toody in the 50's TV series Car 54, Where Are You?. As Flint, Ross revived Toody's famous "Oooh! Oooh!" exclamation. Like many Hanna-Barbera shows from this era, Hong Kong Phooey was originally broadcast with a laugh track. In the episode "Comedy Cowboys," several new cartoon characters appeared and helped to clear Hong Kong of a crime he didn't commit. One, Posse Impossible, found their way onto The C.B. Bears.

The show's eponymous theme song later became a novelty hit, airing on The Dr. Demento Show several times. Ska-punk band Sublime would later cover this song and release it on the DVD of their 2006 boxset "Everything Under The Sun".

Hong Kong Phooey later appeared in Laff-a-Lympics as a member of the Scooby Doobies (joining fellow super-heroes Blue Falcon, Dynomutt, and Captain Caveman), and subsequently guest-starred in an episode of Duck Dodgers. In addition, he appeared in a Flash cartoon with Mortal Kombat-like overtones on the Cartoon Network website. Modeled on Ryu from Street Fighter, he was depicted as a muscular, serious martial artist who battled villains with the kind of violent skill that his previous series could not show.

A limited comic book series highlighting an aged Hong Kong Phooey on a last mission, apparently to clear his name from a crime he didn't commit.[citation needed]

Hong Kong Phooey also appeared in the Robot Chicken segment "Enter the Fat One" where he was one of the many opponents that Joey Fatone had to face in a martial arts tournament.

He would soon appear in an upcoming episode of Harvey Birdman.[citation needed]

Cast

Episodes

Episode Number Title Airdate
01 Car Thieves / Zoo Story September 7, 1974
02 Iron Head, the Robot / Cotton Pickin' Pocket Picker September 14, 1974
03 Grandma Goody / Candle Power September 21, 1974
04 The Penthouse Burglaries / Batt Bank Mob September 28, 1974
05 The Voltage Villain / The Giggler October 5, 1974
06 The Gumdrop Kid / Professor Presto October 12, 1974
07 TV or Not TV / Stop Horsing Around October 19, 1974
08 Mirror, Mirror on the Wall / Great Movie Mystery October 26, 1974
09 The Claw / Hong Kong Phooey vs. Hong Kong Phooey November 2, 1974
10 The Abominable Snowman / Professor Crosshatch November 9, 1974
11 Goldfisher / Green Thumb November 16, 1974
12 From Bad to Verse / Kong and the Counterfeiters November 23, 1974
13 The Great Choo Choo Robbery / Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Bakery Man November 30, 1974
14 Mr. Tornado / The Little Crock Who Wasn't There December 7, 1974
15 Dr. Disguiso / The Incredible Mr. Shrink December 14, 1974
16 Comedy Cowboys December 21, 1974

DVD Release

On August 15, 2006, Warner Home Video released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.

Cover Art DVD Name Ep # Release Date Additional Information
File:Hong Kong Phooey CS.jpg Hong Kong Phooey- The Complete Series 31 August 15 2006
  • Commentary on select episodes
  • Documentary of the show from its development through its legacy. Includes production designs and never before seen original artwork as well as new interviews
  • "Hong Kong Phooey - The Batty Bank Gang: The Complete Storyboard"

Hong Kong Phooey in other languages

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