The Magilla Gorilla Show

The Magilla Gorilla Show was an animated series for television starring Magilla Gorilla. The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera for Screen Gems between 1963 and 1967, and was originally sponsored in syndication by Ideal Toys from 1964 through 1966. The show had other recurring characters, including Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse, and Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long. In syndication, the main and supporting characters from the Peter Potamus show were also added. Like many of Hanna-Barbera's animal characters, Magilla Gorilla was dressed in human accessories, sporting a bow tie, shorts held up by suspenders, and an undersized derby hat.

Magilla Gorilla
Magilla Gorilla (voiced by Allan Melvin ) is a gorilla who spent his time languishing in the front display window of a pet shop run by Melvin Peebles (voiced by Howard Morris), eating bananas and being a drain on the businessman's finances. Mr. Peebles marked down Magilla's price considerably, but Magilla was invariably only purchased for a short time, typically by some thieves who needed a gorilla to break into a bank or by an advertising agency looking for a mascot for their new product. The customers always ended up returning Magilla, forcing Mr. Peebles to refund their money. Magilla often ended each episode with his catchphrase "We'll try again next week."

The trials of Magilla mirrored the attitudes that American citizens had towards racial integration during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Some say The Magilla Gorilla Show perpetuated the idea that non-whites should be segregated, with Peebles selling Magilla to white customers who would invariably return him to the pet shop by the end of each episode.

Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse
A hillbilly cat named Punkin' Puss (voiced by Allan Melvin) often chases and attempts to shoot a hillbilly mouse named Mushmouse (voiced by Howard Morris)

Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long
Ricochet Rabbit (voiced by Don Messick) works as the sheriff of Hoop N' Holler with his deputy Droop-a-Long Coyote (voiced by Mel Blanc). Outside of his super-speed, Ricochet Rabbit uses his trick bullets in order to help him take down and apprehend criminals.

Cast

 * Mel Blanc – Droop-a-Long Coyote
 * Allan Melvin – Magilla Gorilla, Punkin' Puss
 * Howard Morris – Mr. Peebles (1963–1965), Mush Mouse
 * Don Messick – Mr. Peebles (1965–1967), Ricochet Rabbit
 * John Stephenson – Additional Voices
 * Jean Vander Pyl – Ogee

Additional Voices: Bea Benaderet, Julie Bennett, Daws Butler, Herschel Bernardi, Walker Edmiston, Paul Frees, Ge Ge Pearson, Hal Smith, Janet Waldo, Nancy Wibble, Gerry Johnson

Crew
This Picture Made under the Jurisdiction of IATSE-IA Affiricated with A.F.L-C.I.O.
 * Produced and Directed by: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
 * Story: Tony Benedict, Warren Foster, Dalton Sandifer, Michael Maltese, Kin Platt, Harvey Bullock, Harvey Marshall, Joanna Lee, Sydney Zelinka, Jack Raymond, Larry Markes, Arthur Phillips, Herb Finn, R. S. Allen, Barry E. Blitzer, Walter Black, Ralph Goodman, Rance Howard, Alan Dinehart, William Idelson, Samuel Bobrick, Rick Mittelman, George O'Hanlon
 * Story Direction: Alex Lovy, Lewis Marshall, Paul Sommer, Art Davis, John Freeman,
 * Associate Producer: Alan Dinehart, Alex Lovy
 * Musical Direction: Hoyt Curtin
 * Animation: Hugh Fraser, George Goepper, Jerry Hathcock, William Keil, Harvey Toombs, Dick Lundy, Kenneth Muse, Irven Spence, George Nicholas, Ed Parks, Don Patterson, Carlo Vinci
 * Animation Director: Charles A. Nichols
 * Layout: Dick Bickenbach, Jack Huber, Walter Clinton, Iwao Takamoto, Dan Noonan, Bill Perez, Tony Sgroi, Lance Nolley
 * Background: Art Lozzi, Fernando Arce, Bob Abrams, Neenah Maxwell, Lee Branscombe, Robert Gentle, Fernando Montealegre, Richard H. Thomas, Anthony Rizzo
 * Production Supervision: Howard Hanson
 * Camera: Charles Flekal, Roy Wade, Franklin Paiker, Norma Stainback,
 * Film Editing: Greg Watson, Don Douglas, Warner Leighton, Larry Cowan, Joseph Ruby, Kenneth Spears
 * A Hanna-Barbera Production
 * Copyright (C) MCMLXIII Hanna Barbera Productions Inc All Rights Reserved
 * MPAA No. 1590536
 * RCA Sound Recording

DVD release
Warner Home Video released the entire Magilla Gorilla series consisting of 31 episodes of Magilla Gorilla, together with the 23 Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long and 23 Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse shorts in a boxed DVD collection on August 15, 2006. The DVD set doesn't include the 1964 Magilla Gorilla Show main/end title sequences and the cartoons are not yet restored.