The Man Called Flintstone is a 1966 animated feature film produced by and Hanna-Barbera Productions and released by Walt Disney. It was the second Hanna-Barbera feature, after Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! (1964) released by Columbia Pictures. The film is a theatrical spin-off of the 1960–66 television series, The Flintstones, and is a swan song (series finale) of the show, made immediately after the end of production on the series. The working title of the film was That Man Flintstone, with the film poster featuring Fred in the same pose of the Bob Peak poster for Our Man Flint. The film is a parody of 60s spy films.
This film was the first feature film voice role for Betty Rubble's voice actress, Gerry Johnson. Additionally, it marked the first voice work of Henry Corden, who supplied Fred's singing voice, and would go on to fully assume the role of Fred after Alan Reed's death in 1977. While the film includes numerous musical interludes, including one song performed by Louis Prima, the theme song from the show itself is not used. However, plots from several episodes of the TV series are used, including an episode in which Fred becomes involved in a spy caper spoofing Goldfinger, and another in which he encounters JL Gotrocks, the world's richest man, and his exact double.
Plot[]
Secret agent Rock Slag, who is physically identical to Fred Flintstone, is being chased through Bedrock. His pursuers, Ali and Bobo, think that they have finally killed Slag when they push him off a building. Meanwhile, the Flintstones and Rubbles prepare for a camping vacation which includes trying to drop Dino and Hoppy off at the veterinarian. On the way back, Fred crashes Barney's car, and they make a stop at the hospital where Rock Slag is also recovering. After Ali and Bobo find Rock and put him out of commission, Chief Boulder of the Secret Service enlists Fred to take his place in Paris for a special meeting. His assignment is to meet Tanya, the #1 female lieutenant of master criminal the Green Goose, who has agreed to turn over the Green Goose in return for a chance to meet the irresistible Rock Slag. Rock is not sure that this is such a good idea but the Chief reassures him that he will keep an eye on Fred.
Thinking that the Green Goose is an actual bird, Fred tells his family that their vacation has become an all-expense-paid trip to Eurock. Barney and Fred return all the camping gear and use the money to buy the Rubbles tickets to go along. Meanwhile, Ali and Bobo make several attempts on Fred's life assuming that he is Rock Slag. Once in Paris, the Chief tells Fred that he must now go to Rome instead, with the help of master of disguise Triple X. Fred makes attempts to sneak away from Wilma to meet with Tanya, but ends up spending the night trying to escape all of Rock's female admirers. After missing a date with Wilma, Fred buys her a "genuine imitation diamond necklace" from a street hustler to make it up to her, but finds that she slept soundly through the night without even realizing that he was missing.
Discovering the Chief's secret office, Fred tries to back out of his assignment but after finding out what the Green Goose really is, he has pangs of guilt over Pebbles' future and makes an excuse to get away and meet Tanya at a restaurant. Unfortunately, Wilma and the Rubbles go to the same restaurant and catch them together - thinking that Fred is having an affair. Rock actually shows up to replace Fred, but gets mistakenly pounded by an angry Wilma, Betty and Barney and ends up out of commission again. Tanya then leads Fred to the Green Goose (whose hideout is at an abandoned amusement park), but he is unaware that the Chief has been taken out by Ali and Bobo, so he has no back-up. Barney, meanwhile, has followed Fred to see what this is all about, and they both end up captured by the Green Goose. Barney is tortured in an effort to get Fred, who is believed to be Rock, to give him secret information. Fred refuses to talk, despite Barney's torture.
The Green Goose, who is revealed to be Triple X, makes plans to launch his deadly inter-rockinental missile, which is disguised as the park's space ride. Fred and Barney accidentally lock themselves inside the missile until the Green Goose overhears that Fred has an "expensive" necklace on him. When he offers to release them in exchange for it and opens the door, the boys turn the tables on Triple X and lock him in the missile with Ali, Bobo and Tanya—with the target now reset for outer space, sending them all to an unknown fate.
A huge welcome home ceremony is held in Bedrock for the return of Fred, now considered a hero, but he is just grateful to be back home with his family (after the restaurant mishap is cleared), who head on a secret getaway. Unfortunately, Roberta, one of Rock's admirers whom Fred met in Rome, and her brother Mario have secretly moved into Bedrock, and they chase Fred all over town, much to the confusion of Wilma, Barney, and Betty.
Starring[]
- Alan Reed as the voice of Fred Flintstone
Also Starring[]
- Mel Blanc as the voice of Barney Rubble
Featuring the Voices of[]
- Jean Vander Pyl - Wilma Flintstone, Pebbles Flintstone, Nurse #2
- Gerry Johnson - Betty Rubble, Nurse #3
- Don Messick - Hoppy, Ferocious, Dr. Moonstone, Recorder Bird
- Janet Waldo - Roberta, Miss Soapstone, Nurse #1, Stewardess
- Paul Frees - Triple X, Green Goose, Bobo, Rock Slag, Mario, Surgeon #1
- Harvey Korman - Ali, Chief Boulder, Street Salesman
- John Stephenson - Veterinarian, Airport Clerk, Surgeon #2
- June Foray - Tanya
Uncredited[]
- Mel Blanc - Dino, Mayor of Bedrock, French Cabbie
- Henry Corden - Fred Flintstone (singing)
Production[]
Development[]
Releases[]
The Man Called Flintstone was released in August 1966, just 10 months after Walt's death. It was a success, earning $13 million in just its domestic release, mostly due to the popularity of its musical numbers. The film was subsequently re-released in theaters in 1977, 1983, and 1988. The film made its VHS home video debut in Mexico on October 31, 1986, twenty years after its original release. This 1987 release was dubbed in Spanish. The Jungle Book was released in the United States on VHS in 1989 and Laserdisc in 1992 as part of the Walt Disney Classics product line. The American version was subsequently re-released in 1998 on Laserdisc and VHS as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection for the film's 30th anniversary; this transfer had washed-out colors. A Limited Issue DVD was released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment in 1999. The DVD was barebones and used the 1997 Laserdisc transfer with analog video. The film was released once again as a 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD on December 2, 2008, to commemorate its 30th anniversary. The Platinum Edition presents the film for the first time in 1.75:1 widescreen aspect ratio and also includes brand new luscious and rich colors. This is the first Disney release titled "Platinum Edition" in the UK instead of "Special Edition". The film was released on Blu-ray on March 12, 2013. On March 12, a petition was made to The Walt Disney Company to restore the original aspect ratio of the film to the Diamond Edition release. The other request the petition stated was to release the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack like its other Diamond Edition predecessors had before it. The petition has been proven effective by multiple people who feel the film's current release was not up to par with other Disney releases.
Reception[]
Critical reaction[]
Awards[]
Music[]
- "The Man Called Flintstone"
- "Spy Chief" (Instrumental)
- "Spy Type Guy"
- "Bobo and Ali" (Instrumental)
- "Team Mates"
- "Paris Bound" (Instrumental)
Side B:
- "(Someday) When I Am Grown Up"
- "The Happy Sounds of Pareé"
- "Pensate Amore (Think Love)"
- "Scooter Scootin'" (Instrumental)
- "Tickle Toddle"
Legacy[]
Trivia[]
- This is the first Disney and Hanna-Barbera animated feature released before Walt Disney's death after 4 month.
Gallery[]
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