Customer Reviews

Hong Kong Phooey - The Complete Series

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4 star:		(7)
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For many of us, Hong Kong Phooey was the last great Hanna-Barbera cartoon character when it debuted in the fall of 1974. He was a Kung Fu crime fighting dog who never could quite go off the book. He was helped by a stripped cat named Spot. He was voiced by the immortal Scatman Crothers. The great Joe E Ross played Sgt. Flint.

Now don't get confused with the claim of 31 episodes. There were only 16 half hour long episodes. Each "episode" listed below was half the show except for the final "Cowboy" adventure that was the full 30 minutes. It'll be great to have the complete collection on the shelf in time for the 32 anniversary of Hong Kong Phooey.

The episodes will be presented in Full Frame (1.33:1) video, with an English mono audio track (with subtitles in English, French and Spanish). Here's a look at the episodes:


Disc 1
Car Theives
Zoo Story
Iron, Head, The Robot
Cotton Picki' Pocket Picker
Grandma Goody (Cat Burglar)
Candle Power
The Penthouse Burglaries
Batty Bank Mob
The Voltage Villian
The Giggler
The Gumdrop Kid
Professor Presto (The Malevolent Magician)
TV or Not TV
Stop Horsing Around
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Great Movie Mystery

Disc 2
The Claw
Hong Kong Phooey vs. Hong Kong Phooey
The Abominable Snowman
Professor Crosshatch
Goldfisher
Green Thumb
From Bad to Verse (Roten Rhymer)
Kong and the Counterfeiters
The Great Choo Choo Robbery
Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Bakery Man
Mr. Tornando
The Little Crook Who Wasn't There
Dr. Disguiso
The Incredible Mr. Shrink
Comedy Cowboy

Special features include:

Documentary of the show from its development through its legacy. Includes production designs and never before seen original artwork as well as new interviews
"Hong Kong Phooey - The Batty Bank Gang: The Complete Storyboard" (11:56 mins) Motion Screen to storyboard comparison from the cartoon "The Batty Bank Mob"

The picture quality in these transfers is OUTSTANDING!!!!!! There are some nice extras with interviews from people who worked on the show. Just a very nice set. Only thing I did'nt like was the flipper disc, with a classic show like this I would have preferred 3 discs instead of 1 and a flipper , still this was well worth the money!!!!! A timeless classic to be enjoyed over and over. They did a great job with this DVD release!!!!! Can't say enough!!!!!

By 1974, even Hanna Barbera themselves admitted that the quality of stheir shows had gone downhill largely due to pressure from politically correct Children's TV watchdogs who wanted to sissify the cartoons into the sickeningly sweet New Zoo revue types, but I digress.

HKP was one of the last of the cartoon duo's classics.

First of all, the show was quite imaginative. A Kung Fu fighting dog janitor named Penrod Pooch in a police station who yearns to be a super hero, and his cat friend and sidekick who willingly puts up with his foolishness and resues him every time. Our man (OOPS! I mean dog) frequently refers to his "Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu" filled with bad advice that never works. If that's not creativity, tell me what is?

Secondly, brilliant voice talent. The great Scatman Crothers (who we kids of the time also knew as Louie the Garbage Man from Chico & the Man) was unbeatable as the title character. Joe E. Ross as the police sergeant and Rosemary the "Cuty whose always on the duty" added lively spark to the series.

Finally, it's just plain FUNNY! The humor is character based as opposed to bad puns. The sissy cowboy in the next to the last episode scolds his wild outlaw brothers for "messing up my crescent rolls."

Oh what a HOOT! Trust me, you and your kids will really enjoy this and this is one of those childhood pleasures that will not disappoint your memories when seeing it as an adult.

Where were you at 9am on Saturday mornings in 1974/1975? If you were a kid in the 70's, you likely were watching ABC and the series Hong Kong Phooey.

Hong Kong's janitor alter-ego name is Penry, though a lot of folks thinks it's Henry.

To clarify, there are 30 10-minute episodes, and one 20-minute episode (Comedy Cowboy) plus a couple of minutes of beginning and ending credits. Normally, two episodes were shown each Saturday. Commercials filled in the remainder of the 1/2 hour.

The video quality is excellent and the documentaries are typical "behind the scenes" material.

The main reason to watch these shows today is for the nostalgia. The animation and the episodes were mediocre at best. But to a kid, they were golden. I'm hoping my kids will enjoy them.

A must-have for 70's collectors!

Hong Kong Phooey returns to your TV screen in this latest release of classic animation from the renowned Hanna-Barbera studios. Always on top of the day's pop culture, the studio released this series (originally called KUNG FOOEY) as HB's answer to the Seventies craze of martial arts movies, Bruce Lee, and the David Carradine series KUNG FU.

Voiced by the venerable Scatman Crothers (whose enjoyment of this character shines through in every performance), Hong Kong Phooey was the alter-ego of mild-mannered janitor Penrod "Penry" Pooch, who worked at the local police station with the loud-mouthed, stress-riddled Sergeant Flint (Joe E. Ross, another great character voice) and gorgeous, chatty telephone operator Rosemary (Kathy Gori). When evil threatened, Penry sneaked away to a back room where he leaped into a file cabinet (and repeatedly got stuck) to become the champion crimefighter Hong Kong Phooey. Armed with his loyal but long-suffering cat Spot (who was striped, and thought HKP was a dolt), his trusty but ultimately non-useful Hong Kong Book Of Kung Fu, and his transforming Phooeymobile, Phooey waged a courageous if bumbling one-man war on crime.

This was one of HB's strongest mid-Seventies shows, with an unforgettable theme song (that even included a scat part, courtesy of Crothers) and a wonderful, hilarious title character whose obliviousness to his own ineptitude and complete dumb luck made for some great cartoon television. Part of Phooey's likability is due to the talented Crothers' characterization; his warm voice and good-natured delivery create a character who is sympathetic even at his most egotistical or boneheaded. His supporting cast is also well-realized; Ross's Sergeant Flint captures the right foil for Phooey in his continuous attempts to gain a promotion and properly run a police station; Gori's Rosemary, head-over-heels in love with Phooey (but ignorant of his real identity), is a bright spot in the proceedings. And of course, the hardworking Spot, who mutters and curses as he repeatedly saves Phooey from his own klutziness, is essential to the humor.

The packaging is well-done, with colorful slipcase artwork and a disc-container made to resemble Phooey's Hong Kong Book Of Kung Fu. The discs themselves are one single and one double-sided with storyboards for one episode and a documentary on the creation and longevity of Hong Kong Phooey.

Pick this up for your cartoon collection and enjoy the exploits of the Number One Super Guy again, without commercials (or that annoying laugh track). FAN-RIFFIC!!!

I've waited for years for this. I remember being a little kid waking up on Saturday mornings eagerly anticipating the exploits of Hong Kong Phooey and his sidekick Spot. As with many things, however, anticipation is often the best part. Looking at this with the eyes of a thirty-something, the plot lines, acting, and animation just can't match my memories. That was not unexepected. The show is what it is. If you want a deep thought-provoking cartoon series with greater depth, humor, and quality, buy Rocky and Bullwinkle. If you just want to relive part of your childhood, the grab a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, put on your flannel pajamas, and drop in this DVD. Seeing my kids enjoy this cartoon as much as I did makes me realize that the magic of Saturday morning cartoons had little to do with the cartoons themselves, and much more to do with the imagination and innocence of being a child--combined with the sugar rush from the Fruity Pebbles...

Honk Kong Phooey is much as I remember it, very good. If you remember the series, then you know that Hong Kong always gets his man... even if it's by accident or with the help of Spot, his cat. This show takes me back to a simpler time of fun and Saturday morning cereal. The animation is definately 70's, but is still vibrant and holds up well. The sound is good and Scatman Crothers is great as Hong Kong. Definately on my A list, not only for me and my wife, but also for todays children. A good time show that teaches good lessons, but more importantly, has a good time with laughs. A++

Finally they have put Hong Kong Phooey on DVD! Quality was great! Don't be fooled by the rip off's on auctions with ripped from tv copies. This one is the real deal.

If you loved the Hong Kong Phooey series you cant pass this up for this price.
Quality is great both in packaging and video and sound.
No complaints.

Hong Kong phooey is one of those shows that should have had more episodes made... I thought that the cartoon was a light hearted poke at the Kung Fu era.. Scatman really brings Hong Kong to life and really makes you this think the character exists.. Penrod would get his cases when Rosemary or the Sarg would talk about the latest crime.. As Hong Kong Phooey, he is not too sure footed. He solves cases by accident or with the help of spot...

This show is a lot of fun and has some great Behind the scenes stuff on the show and even some commentary from the people who made the show... Too bad there wasn't any interview footage from some of the voice cast...

Even though the cartoon is not up to what kids expect today, the water color backgrounds give it that classic look...

Favorite episodes

Car Thieves
Zoo Story
Professor Crosshatch
The Claw
Hong Kong Phooey Vs Hong Kong Phooey (Could have had the double in the same color robe)
Batty Bank Mob
Stop horsing Around
The Great Movie Mystery (Richard Dawson as Eric Von Eric)

Most times he depends on his Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu to figure out how to get out of a jam.. It often messes him up or has something funny happen.. Got to love the magic Phooeymobile! Could turn into anything "Ice Cream float and a fishing float."

He is a hero that has the skills but does not quite know how to use them right... Smiles all around.. :-)