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Magilla Gorilla

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 0, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 4.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Kids will go bananas over this adorable classic.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 4 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Some mild teasing/poking fun, mostly directed at Magilla.

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.

  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Magilla Gorilla was written by Deirdre Sheppard

Parents need to know that the somewhat trouble-prone Magilla Gorilla is a loveable character. Aside from mild nagging and teasing on the part of Mr. Peebles toward Magilla, there's nothing objectionable about this series.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about self respect. Is Mr. Peebles disrespectful of Magilla? If so, how? Does Magilla give himself enough respect? Why is it disrespectful to poke fun at someone else? Is teasing ever OK? How can you tell if you've gone too far? How can you defend yourself when someone else makes fun of you?
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More on Magilla Gorilla

What’s the Story?

MAGILLA GORILLA, a classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon that originally aired from 1964-1967, follows Mr. Peebles (voiced by Howard Morris), a cranky, frustrated businessman who's desperate to sell Magilla (Allan Melvin), a sweet, fumbling ape who spends his days eating bananas and hanging around outside Mr. Peebles' front store window. Because he's lowered his asking price considerably, Mr. Peebles usually doesn't have a problem selling the gorilla -- but every time, Magilla's new owner ends up returning him and demanding his or her money back because of the ape's troublesome antics. The equally troublesome Ogee (Jean Vander Pyl) seems to be the only one who continues to ask "How much is that gorilla in the window?" But Mr. Peebles always turns her down, because her offer is always too low.
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Is It Any Good?

The only thing this series is guilty of is poking fun. Mr. Peebles views Magilla as a nuisance, so he treats him like one. As a result, some young viewers might get the idea that all animals are stupid. Parents should point out that even though humans are intellectually smarter than animals, apes are the smartest creatures in the animal kingdom -- and that lack of intellect or education is never a valid reason to degrade another person and/or animal.
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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Ylndgomez
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    I LOVE MAGILLA GORILLA.

    I LOVE MAGILLA GORILLA I LOVE MR. PEEBLES. I LOVE OGEE. I LOVE RICOCHET RABBIT & DROOP A LONG. I LOVE PUNKIN PUSS AND MUSHMOUSE.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Adult Reviewer
    sweet dreams
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    Great show!!!

    i love this show!!! i'm a classic cartoon fan and magilla gorilla is one of my favorites!! i always felt so sorry for him because no one wanted to buy him!!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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