More cartoon fun.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In Athens the teams compete in a pole-vaulting contest and a discus throw. In the Ozarks they compete in a rail cart race and a keel-boat race.
This is simply a lot of cartoon fun. The slapstick throughout here is delightful. The great slapstick humor begins with the very first event. Yogi Bear's pole vault going out of control and the way Mumbly misses the bar are both hilarious. Another great gag in this episode comes before the slapstick even starts. Tiny little Yakky Doodle competing in the discus throw, when the discus is larger than him is funny in and of itself. The punchline itself is delightfully clever. This episode also is delightful because of great settings. Both the Ozarks and Athens prove to be prefect settings for Laff-A-Lympics events. They both have a good sense of atmosphere, and the background art is wonderful here. The background art is always a treat in Hanna-Barbera cartoons of this time but the artwork in the Ozarks scenes is especially lovely looking.
This is a wonderful bit of cartoon silliness that is a pure delight to watch.
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