Hokey Wolf

Hokey Wolf

Hokey Wolf's Title Card
Genre Comedy
Created by Hanna-Barbera
Written by Joseph Barbera
Warren Foster
Dan Gordon
Michael Maltese
Charles Shows
Directed by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Presented by Huckleberry Hound
Starring Hokey Wolf
Ding-A-Ling Wolf
Voices of Daws Butler
Doug Young
Composer(s) Hoyt Curtin
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 28
Production
Producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Running time 7 Minutes Per Short
Production company(s) Hanna-Barbera Productions
Distributor Screen Gems
Release
Original network First-Run Syndication
Picture format Color (NTSC)
Audio format Monaural
Original release January 1961 (1961-01) – December 1, 1961 (1961-12-01)
Chronology
Preceded by Yogi Bear (1958)
Related shows The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958)

Hokey Wolf is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon about the adventures of a con-artist wolf who is always trying to cheat his way into the simple life. He is often accompanied alongside by his young, diminutive, sidekick Ding-A-Ling Wolf, both of whom are featured as part of The Huckleberry Hound Show in their own segment.

History

The initial creation of Hokey Wolf occurred when another follow-up segment was needed, because Yogi Bear's rising popularity in preceding appearances warranted a promotion to his own self-titled show.[1] As a result of the change in schedule, Hokey Wolf had made its debut midway through the third season of The Huckleberry Hound Show [2] and became a regular appearance afterward on this segment. Hokey's theme music for his segment of the show was composed by Hoyt Curtin and used an instrumental version of the refrain from Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here.[3]

The segment follows the everyday misadventures of its protagonist, Hokey Wolf, and his young companion, Ding-A-Ling Wolf, through their typical con-artist routines of getting what they need in their daily lives.[1] Through each episode, Hokey would usually try to fool different characters with food-stealing schemes and/or finding a place to stay without cost, only for most of these tricks to back-fire on him in one way or another.[1]

Character Information

Both of the cartoon's feature characters were designed by animation artist and character designer Ed Benedict.[4]

Hokey Wolf

Hokey Wolf (voiced by Daws Butler impersonating Phil Silvers) is the smooth-talking title character throughout each cartoon. His main hobby in life was to outsmart and coax the clueless out of free meals or places to stay, much of which he seemed to do so with ease, despite possible consequences later on. Hokey typically wears his trademark green bow tie with white collar and a violet-colored hat. His personality would later be recycled for fellow Hanna-Barbera characters Top Cat and Yogi Bear, who starred in a prime-time sitcom that ran from 1961 to 1962 that followed a very similar concept.

Ding-A-Ling Wolf

Ding-A-Ling Wolf, who is Hokey's sidekick.

Ding-A-Ling Wolf (voiced by Doug Young impersonating Buddy Hackett) is the younger sidekick to Hokey Wolf who always accompanies him throughout each misadventure. He is usually eager to follow in Hokey's ambitious con-artist footsteps, but often reconsiders the plans Hokey will come up with in many situations. Ding typically wears a bowler hat (sometimes red, sometimes black), a sleeveless green shirt, and a black vest.

Original Segment on The Huckleberry Hound Show

In total, both Hokey and Ding-A-Ling Wolf have starred in 28 seven-minute cartoons throughout the third and fourth seasons (1960–1961) of The Huckleberry Hound Show.[5] Their pilot episode was Tricks and Treats. The Hokey Wolf series would come to an end with the episode Bean Pod’ners, airing on December 1, 1961. Below is a complete listing of all cartoon shorts with the protagonist Hokey Wolf:

1960 season

Nº Ep Title Air date
11"Tricks and Treats"September 11, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling set up Farmer Smith to gain free food handouts. Hokey then summons the news press to ensure his success.
22"Hokey Dokey"September 18, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling go house hunting. Hokey scares the Three Little Pigs out of their house, but the pigs and the Big Bad Wolf teach him a lesson.
33"Lamb-Basted Wolf"September 25, 1960
After Hokey reads Ding-A-Ling the story of "The Boy who Cried Wolf", Hokey uses the idea to nab some sheep from the farmer, but his plans backfire on him.
44"Which Witch Is Witch"October 2, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling nibble a witch's gingerbread house but she drives them away. She then summons them back for her stew, but the wolves escape with her broom.
55"Pick a Chick"October 9, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling go to raid the farmer's hen house. First they have to trick watchdog Douglas. Little do they know, is that the farmer wants to be rid of those chickens.
66"Robot Plot"October 16, 1960
A chicken farmer fed up with Hokey's egg snatching makes a robot to dispose of him. After a brief chase, Hokey reprograms the robot to get the farmer.
77"Castle Hassle"October 30, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling explore a castle, empty except for the cacophonic Queen. When the Queen sends the wolves to deliver an apple to Snow White, they sabotage her plan.
88"Booty on the Bounty"November 6, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling turn themselves over to an assistant warden for the reward bounty followed by a bail. They repeat this scheme many times successfully.
99"Hokey in the Pokey"November 13, 1960
Two thieves have stolen a valuable painting and hide in Hokey's cave. Ten months later they try to take the painting from the wolves at gunpoint until the wolves turn over to the police.
1010"Who’s Zoo"November 20, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling go to the lion cage at the zoo to try to get the meat off the lion. After several failed attempts, they join up in the wolf cage.
1111"Dogged Sheep Dog"November 27, 1960
Hokey convinces a sheep dog to train Ding-A-Ling as a sheep dog in order to steal a lamb. But the training is hindering Hokey's attempts.
1212"Too Much to Bear"December 4, 1960
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling go The Three Bears house to acquire their food and beds under the pretext of detective work until they are met with the house burglar Lightfingers Louie.

1961 season

Nº Ep Title Air date
131"Movies Are Bitter than Ever"August 18, 1961
Hokey starts up a movie set in order to sneak out some sheep being herded by a sheep dog. The farmer and sheep dog wise up to the wolves' trick and chase after them.
142"Poached Yeggs"August 25, 1961
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling capture a fire-breathing dragon and turn him into a prince to kiss the Sleeping Beauty. But things don't turn out right for the dragon and wolves.
153"Rushing Wolf Hound"September 1, 1961
A farmer buys an exotic watchdog called Wau-Wau who hates wolves. After many failed attempts, Hokey turns the watchdog against the farmer.
164"The Glass Sneaker"September 8, 1961
Prince Charming hires Hokey and Ding-A-Ling as detectives to track down Cinderella. He overlooks her and tangles with her two stepsisters before giving her the glass sneaker.
175"Indian Giver"September 15, 1961
The young "Injun" Hiawatha hunts down Hokey and eventually brings him back to his tribe. Hokey then attracts the attention of more young "Injuns."
186"Chock Full Chuck Wagon"September 22, 1961
Hokey attempts to get close to a Chuck Wagon to swipe some of the sheriff's food. Just when the wolves drive the sheriff away, stampeding cattles drive them away.
197"Bring 'Em Back a Live One"September 29, 1961
After falling for one of Hokey's tricks, Farmer Smith hires a professional hunter and his hunting dog to capture Hokey alive. Sure enough there's no escape from the hunter.
208"A Star Is Bored"October 10, 1961
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling come to Hollywood to become stars. After bypassing security, the only part they play in is sweeping the studio.
219"West of the Pesos"October 13, 1961
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling enter Dry Gap Gulch Flat. With some trickery they arrest Orful Meany, but Hokey is then stuck as a sheriff.
2210"Phony-O and Juliet"October 20, 1961
After another failed attempt at wooing Juliet, Romeo sends for Hokey to reclaim his love. He succeeds but ends up empty-handed.
2311"Hokey's Missing Millions"October 27, 1961
Billionaire J.B. Goldstone gives to Hokey and Ding-A-Ling a large sum of money. Unfortunately, Hokey misses his opportunity and tries to get the money the hard way, all for nothing.
2412"Loot to Boot"November 3, 1961
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling apply for a watchdog job at Mula Manor. When a burglar robs the place, the wolves get the blame until Hokey clears the matter.
2513"Guesting Games"November 11, 1961
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling try to barge into a hotel, but the hotel detective is not allowing them around. Later, the police force them to ex-filtrate.
2614"Sick Sense"November 17, 1961
The Animal Hospital has had enough of Hokey's freeloading under false sickness pretense. Hokey manages to trick them again, but this time an operation is in store for him.
2715"Aladdin's Lamb Chops"November 24, 1961
Hokey and Ding-A-Ling disguise themselves as genies to fool Farmer Jones into giving them food. Jones soon discovers their game and also that the lamp really has a genie.
2816"Bean Pod'ners"December 1, 1961
Hokey accidentally grows a giant beanstalk. Up the beanstalk, they enter a castle inhabited by a nice giant and his dog. Of course the wolves run and chop down the beanstalk. (Note: The often-listed erroneous cartoon title Boobs In The Woods is actually an alternate or working title for Bean Pod'ners.[6]

DVD Release

The Episodes Tricks And Treats And Castle Hassle Are On The DVD Hanna Barbera 25 Cartoon Collection part of The Best Of Warner Bros. collection series.

Further appearances

Hanna-Barbera series

While the initial series ended in December 1961, Hokey Wolf went on to appear in four other animated Hanna-Barbera series alongside other classic characters. These were as follows:

Hanna-Barbera films

Other appearances

Hokey Wolf in other languages

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cartoon Scrapbook". Hokey Wolf
  2. ↑ http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com/2011/01/yogi-bear-anniversaire.html
  3. ↑ Mike's Classic Cartoon Themes – Hokey Wolf A small Hokey Wolf web page, featuring the opening theme music in MP3 format.
  4. ↑ "Animation Guild". The MegaCollector's Hokey Wolf and Ding-A-Ling
  5. ↑ The Big Cartoon DataBase (30 September 1960). "Hokey Wolf Episode Guide -Hanna-Barbera". Big Cartoon DataBase (BCDB).
  6. ↑ http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search%5FArg=bean%20pod%27ners&Search%5FCode=TALL&CNT=100&PID=xMD9j77fvZNKaJUEuGaWZJuPka550&SEQ=20151112172052&SID=1
  7. ↑ Yogi’s Birthday Party, Part 3 at The Big Cartoon DataBase

External links

External images
Toonarific: Hokey Wolf – Screenshots from Hokey Wolf at Toonarific.
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