Jonny Quest (Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, 1964): USA
Reviewed by Joseph Schlitt. Viewed on TV.
Gratuitous violence, guns, bombs,and a variety of weapons, Great one liners, fast paced action, spies, and heroic action, spell one thing… Too much testosterone. all this and more spells one and one and only animated cartoon… Jonny Quest. Released in the early 1960’s it was the pinocle of action adventure cartoons of all time. What did it have? Each and every week for one season? A great script and plot, soundtrack, folly art skills, and action. This cartoon mainly derives it’s look from a comic book. This was the intention, to put a comic into animation but to pack it full of excitement, thrills, and action. Jonny Quest is a Hanna Barbara production along with The Flintstones, Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and others. What made this epic so great? Well the Music…….. of course. The accurate folly skills, music and one liners made it for what it is. Some of you may have fathers, and mothers that if one cartoon stood out for them if you said, adventure and science would most likely be Jonny Quest.
Jonny Quest is based on a all male family comprised of Dr Quentin Quest, his son Jonny, Rodger “Race” Bannon,Dr. Quest’s loyal long time friend , protector, tutor to his son, and aid, hadji, and India orphan adopted by the Dr. after saving his life, and Bandit, the family dog. Dr. Quest always involved in some secret government project, or investigation is never alone… They all are with him, and from time to time his arch enemy Dr. Zinn, and Ho Chi Mihn look alike is always trying to get some secret from him in order to help to over through democracy.
What made this show so popular was not so much the plot, but the score. Composed by Hoyt S. Curtin it is one of the masterpieces gone undiscovered during our time. He has a broad range of score he has done for Hanna Barberra, and if you watch any of these cartoons from the 60’s and 70’s, most likely he is the composer.
Many of these shows have been edited do to some language and the partaking of alcohol and smoking. In the 60’s many TV shows aimed at children had these elements in them, but now are banned. I have provided some YouTube links that show the five most popular episodes, and a short biography about Hoyt S. Curtin and his music, I hope you enjoy!
Rumor has it that a live full feature is to be made and realized around 2012.
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