<em>Crumley Cogwheel</em> (1962) <em>Crumley Cogwheel</em> (1962)

Another week, another oddball adult-skewing Paramount cartoon from the 1960s. Unlike previous films I’ve posted recently, this one was indeed shown on theaters and on Saturday morning TV (hence the The New Casper Cartoon Show titles), but was left off the recent Complete Harveytoons dvd set.

Written by Irv Spector, Crumley Cogwheel features Paramount’s usual vocal team of Eddie Lawrence and Eddie Lawrence, using his two stock voice characterizations. If you enjoy his voices (and I do), you’ll like this picture. Once again, adult frustrations are at the core of the scenario: nebbish corporate employee Cogwheel hasn’t asked for a raise in 20 years and his boss challenges him to do so. Cogwheel eventually gets the nerve to ask, and becomes a man — but only after getting bombed at the local bar. It’s amazing this was considered suitable for Saturday morning. Note Casper in the end titles, shrugging his shoulders as if to communicate to the kids at home that he has no idea where this cartoon came from.

Jerry Beck

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