BCDB: Cartoon Reviews: Hot Lips Hannigan

By far one of the funniest and most memorable of the Flintstones. One reason is the inclusion of music with the show, which the writers have used several times later in other episodes. This episode features a jazzed up version of "When the Saints Go Marching In". I've read some reviews where it has been said that Alan Reed himself (Fred Flintstone) did the singing of the song.
Fred and Barney are able to escape the house for a night when Fred thinks that he has made Wilma and Betty disappear while doing a magic trick. The boys are able to take a stroll down memory lane and be musicians again for a night at a club that features Fred's old high school friend Hot Lips Hannigan. Little do they know that Wilma and Betty are sneaking behind them keeping a watchful eye in disguises.
One thing that struck me as funny about this episode and a later episode called "Girls Night Out" was that Fred actually has a good singing voice. In most episodes when Fred tries to sing he usually sounds like a broken record. But it is the inconsistencies that has made The Flintstones so memorable and it's what made this episode so memorable for me.

OK, there are a lot of first season episodes that are just as good as this one, but this one gets me rolling on the floor every time I see it. First, it plays into Fred and Barney's ignorance about reality. They are never told that the magic cabinet they put Wilma and Betty shouldn't work, so, they expect it to work. This episode would also start a recurring theme in the series; the boys aspiring to be "swingers" but still having the safety net of coming home to their wives. The character of Hot Lips Hannigan is well done. On the surface, his is a life of freedom, being on the road, fame. Underneath, he is just like every other shlub trying to make a living, sending his kids to school, paying a mortage, etc. When this is revealed, thru the changing of Hot Lips' voice from cool and sophisticated on stage, to geeky and nasal off, it is the most unexpected, hilarious moment in a Flintstones episode. That Fred can sing is even more unexpected. He does a good job with "When the Saints Come Marching In" and captivates the audience of snobby kids looking for musical nirvana. Some girls even swoon, they are so taken. By this time in the episode, Wilma and Betty have decided to disguise themselves and follow the boys to the music hall. When they arrive, Fred is singing his number, Barney is wailing on the drums and all the kids in the audience rush the stage to get a piece of "The Golden Smog." I won't ruin the rest, trust me, if you haven't seen it, see it. I watched it with my 10 year old daughter last night on Cartoon Network and we had a blast.