Magilla Gorilla - TV-G
TV Rating: TV-G
Network: Boomerang Cast: Allan Melvin, Howard Morris, Jean Vander Pyl
Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: 
DVD
Common Sense Note
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 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?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Deirdre Sheppard
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.
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.
When watching Magilla Gorilla (which still airs in repeats and is available on DVD), expect to laugh and to relate to Magilla -- we all have our silly and clumsy moments! While many other Hanna-Barbera classics depend on violence, fast cars, explosives, and struggles between good guys and villains to entertain an audience, Magilla is harmless fun.
Enjoy Magilla Gorilla? Be sure to check out other Hanna-Barbera classics, like The Yogi Bear Show and The Jetsons.
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Social BehaviorSome mild teasing/poking fun, mostly directed at Magilla. |
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