Well, Crivs, do I have a treat for you! No, that isn't a question, it's a statement, as I'm now about to unleash on you the Gold Key comic strip adaptation of The Man Called Flintstone movie from 1966 - including some clips from the film itself. See if you can spot the plot flaw that suggests that not a lot of thought was put into the story. Either that or Hanna-Barbera's writers were making some of it up as they went along. Don't worry if it passes over your head, I'll spell it out at the foot of the post. Enjoy!
And now - the plot flaw. As Triple X is the Green Goose, he clearly would've known that Fred was standing in for Rock Slag and therefore be unable to supply him with the information he was looking for. Which, as he was a government agent himself on the same case, he wouldn't have had to look for as he'd surely have known from the beginning when the Chief gave him his mission instructions. H-B didn't think it through, did they?
Or maybe they did. I've just noticed that the Chief introduces Fred to Triple X as Rock Slag, not Flintstone, so maybe X/Goose didn't know that Fred was a stand-in. However, he still surely would've known the overall details of the case he (Triple X) was on, going on whatever his mission instructions were, and just what info the Chief and Slag were looking for about him.
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To call TMCF a “rush job” is an understatement–The trades announced the start of production at the end of January ’66, and seven months later, the film was unspooling in U.S. theaters. The haste shows in every frame, and explains the script's plot holes and the unmemorable songs.
There are many incongruities and missteps that bug me besides the one you mentioned–The grim-looking environs of the pre-credits opening sequence (wisely omitted in the comic book iteration) look more suitable for “The Herculoids” or “Dino Boy” rather than the lighthearted tone of “The Flintstones”. If Rock looks exactly like Fred (down to his leopard suit) and is swarmed by women, why aren’t they attracted to Fred before he becomes an agent? And the “Green Goose”? Really? Couldn’t a moniker more “Flintstone-y” have been concocted?
The only funny scene in the movie - Barney being tortured while unharmed Fred stoically encourages his tormentors - isn't included in the comic adaption for some reason. What a pity. That's a "no purchase" for me, then.
All in all, pretty lame IMO. Unfortunately, in the years to come, there would be even worse uses of this property.
I remember when I first saw the movie on the big screen, I got the impression that the animation was just a tad more 'lush' than the TV series, but unfortunately that didn't last all the way through the film and is particularly noticeable towards the end. I couldn't agree about the songs being unmemorable - at least not in regard to the theme song and 'Spy-Type Guy', which in my estimation are pretty good.
I, too, thought about why Fred wasn't as attractive to women as Rock Slag (except when they thought he was Rock), but concluded that Rock's appeal was down to more than looks, his voice and charisma and general demeanour being part of his charm.
So, my conclusion is that the film was mainly a winner, because the secret agent aspect made it different to the TV show, which is why it made such an impression on me at the time that remains with me to this day.
Thanks for reprinting this. You're right, I didn't even think about Triple X being in on the deception, so at most he might have ordered to have Fred killed to get him out of the way. Unless-- there was some advantage to making the good spy organization THINK that he The Green Goose had been fooled. But there's no point at which the villain tricks Fred into making a false report to his handlers, and as you say the Goose acts as if he's been fooled by the Rock Slag impostor. But the overall plot COULD have been salvaged with a little extra work, and the Goose's own exposure as a double agent, easily the best twist, could have worked-- IF Fred had already delivered a false report to his superiors. The writer probably thought, "The kids will never notice"-- and I for one did not back in The Day. I probably read this issue back then, though nothing about it triggered any memories, as with the Peter Potamus comic I mentioned before.
Without having watched the movie again in a good long while, GP, I can't say whether the Triple X/Green Goose aspect was presented there in a more ingenious and less flawed way, but I don't think it was. However, maybe the abridged and simple nature of the comic strip version makes it more glaringly obvious that it doesn't quite stand up to scrutiny. Then again, it could be just as obvious in both mediums, but if so, I have to confess that I never noticed it before until I read the comic.
I have very little memory of this movie Kid, if I saw it at all then it would have been on TV probably when I was in my teens and wouldnt have been that interested in the Flintstones at that age . However I do like the comic strip and that HB art style a lot
I'd have seen it in my local cinema when I was yet 14, McS, so the fact that it was still doing the rounds makes me wonder if it was ever shown on TV back then. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing it on telly, though the fact that the Yogi Bear film has been on TV means it's likely been shown at some time.
And I reviewed the movie last year as a sixty-something adult, and it didn't even *occur* to me to think about whether the plot tracked in the movie either. I feel like, as a kid, I took pleasure in seeing the Green Goose revealed as Triple X because it gave some reason for Triple X to exist in the movie at all. Certainly I didn't think the H-B schtick of "the spy who can make himself look like anything" was funny in the least. Now, the GET SMART schtick of spies who turned up hidden in mailboxes and lockers and so on-- THAT was funny.
It's been so long since I saw an episode of Get Smart that I can't remember whether it was actually funny or not. I do remember reading the comic strip in TV Century 21 though. Can't recall whether that was funny either. I did see a TV movie back in the '80s or '90s and all I recall is Don Adams' painted on hair.
I have vague memories of seeing AMCF when I was 8-ish. The eyes looking through hats thing is a bit weird though, or was that just nicked without thought from Secret Squirrel?
Get Smart stood up for years, IMO, with some great running gags and catchphrases that our 70s/80s youth group kids took as part of their lexicon, at least until The Young Ones turned up on TV. Then it was all "sausages, it was a Tuesday", "No tea" and "you b@$#@%!", mores (or lesses) the pity.
We did love the Get Smart TV reunion, which revealed (SPOILER ALERT) that Siegfried was actually a softy at heart and Starker was the true nasty. You did NOT ask me not to tell you that.
Can't remember whether Tanya or Secret Squirrel came first and too lazy to check, so dunno, Ex. Never liked The Young Ones, too puerile, just like Bottom. Maybe One day, I'll revisit Get Smart, but I'm in no hurry at the moment. Much prefer Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads.
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