Big Top Trap
- Studio
- Hanna-Barbera Studios
Synopsis
Penelope and The Ant Hill Mob perform in a circus and a parade.
Characters
Penelope Pitstop, Sylvester Sneekly/The Hooded Claw, Bully Brothers; Ant Hill Mob: Clyde, Chug-A-Boom, Dum Dum, Pockets, Snoozy, Softy, Yak Yak, Zippy
Credits
Directing
- Director
- William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Producing
- Producer
- Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
- Associate Producer
- Alex Lovy
Writing
- Writer
- Joe Ruby, Ken Spears, Mike Maltese
- Story Direction
- Alex Lovy, Earl Klein, Bill Perez, Howard Swift
Voices
- Voice
- Janet Waldo (Penelope Pitstop), Paul Lynde (Sylvester Sneekly/The Hooded Claw [uncredited]), Mel Blanc (Bully Brothers, Chug-A-Boom, Yak Yak), Don Messick (Dum Dum, Pockets, Snoozy, Zippy), Paul Winchell (Clyde, Softy), Gary Owens (Narrator)
Music
- Music
- Hoyt S. Curtin
Animation
- Animation Director
- Charles Nichols (as Charles A. Nichols)
- Animator
- Ed Barge, Jerry Hathcock, George Goepper, Dick Lundy, Volus Jones, Ed Parks
- Layout
- Willie Ito, Jack Huber, Lance Nolley, Takashi Masunaga, Joel Seibel, Terry Slade, Grace Stanzell
- Xerography
- Robert "Tiger" West
Art Department
- Production Design
- Iwao Takamoto
- Backgrounds
- Fernando Azrce, Cathy Clark, Dave High, Thelma Witmer
- Background Styling
- Walt Peregoy
- Title Design
- Bill Perez
- Ink & Paint Supervisor
- Roberta Greutert
Camera
Editing
- Editor
- David Horton, Joe Sandusky
Sound
- Sound Direction
- Richard Olson
Music Department
- Music Director
- Ted Nichols
Production Management
- Production Supervisor
- Victor O. Schipek
Crew
- Titles
- Robert Schaefer
- Technical Supervisor
- Frank Pakier
Companies and other credits
- A
- HANNA-BARBERA
- PRODUCTION© 1969 Hanna-Barbera Productions
- Inc
Production notes
When Penelope Pitstop made her debut on Wacky Races in 1968, it was clear she was destined for stardom. Therefore, no one was surprised when she was given her own spin-off in 1969. In The Perils of Penelope Pitstop the young lady was, once again, involved in a road race aboard her Compact Pussycat.
The twist to the plot was that Penelope was an heiress, whose vast fortune would go to her lawyer if anything ever happened to her (presumably, the lady had no next of kin). Her lawyer, Sylvester Sneekly, decided to follow his lawyerly instincts by spending every episode trying to do away with Penelope so that the fortune would be his. Disguising himself and using the pseudonym "The Hooded Claw," Sneekly launched a variety of assaults on the heroine. Of course, the Fates always seemed to be smiling on Miss Pitstop, and she always managed to escape harm, usually by inadvertently turning the tables on Sneekly so that he would become the victim of his own bad deeds.
Assisting Penelope whenever they could was the Ant Hill Mob. Previously seen on Wacky Races as well, the Mob was a collection of pint-sized gangsters, each of whom had a distinct persona. Clyde, the leader, sounded just like Humphrey Bogart. Softy always found something to cry about. Yak Yak could barely control his laughter. Pockets was always prepared. Zippy was quick on his feet. Dum Dum was not very smart, and Snoozy was the mob's narcoleptic driver. Even though they were entered in the race as well, they couldn't resist coming to the aid of the beautiful Penelope.
Sneekly had his own henchmen, of course- the Bully Brothers, two twins who spoke in unison, most likely because they shared a brain. With only half a brain each, the brothers actually did very little to assist Sneekly and most often ended up being a hindrance.
The series was modeled after the silent films of the 1920's, specifically The Perils of Pauline, and was narrated by Gary Owens, who managed to add a generous portion of mock drama to the cartoon.
Veteran actor Paul Lynde performed the voice of Sneekly but went uncredited. One can only assume Lynde was worried that his Hollywood Squares associates would find out and make fun of him, which is understandable, considering how nasty George Gobel could get.
The twist to the plot was that Penelope was an heiress, whose vast fortune would go to her lawyer if anything ever happened to her (presumably, the lady had no next of kin). Her lawyer, Sylvester Sneekly, decided to follow his lawyerly instincts by spending every episode trying to do away with Penelope so that the fortune would be his. Disguising himself and using the pseudonym "The Hooded Claw," Sneekly launched a variety of assaults on the heroine. Of course, the Fates always seemed to be smiling on Miss Pitstop, and she always managed to escape harm, usually by inadvertently turning the tables on Sneekly so that he would become the victim of his own bad deeds.
Assisting Penelope whenever they could was the Ant Hill Mob. Previously seen on Wacky Races as well, the Mob was a collection of pint-sized gangsters, each of whom had a distinct persona. Clyde, the leader, sounded just like Humphrey Bogart. Softy always found something to cry about. Yak Yak could barely control his laughter. Pockets was always prepared. Zippy was quick on his feet. Dum Dum was not very smart, and Snoozy was the mob's narcoleptic driver. Even though they were entered in the race as well, they couldn't resist coming to the aid of the beautiful Penelope.
Sneekly had his own henchmen, of course- the Bully Brothers, two twins who spoke in unison, most likely because they shared a brain. With only half a brain each, the brothers actually did very little to assist Sneekly and most often ended up being a hindrance.
The series was modeled after the silent films of the 1920's, specifically The Perils of Pauline, and was narrated by Gary Owens, who managed to add a generous portion of mock drama to the cartoon.
Veteran actor Paul Lynde performed the voice of Sneekly but went uncredited. One can only assume Lynde was worried that his Hollywood Squares associates would find out and make fun of him, which is understandable, considering how nasty George Gobel could get.