Torch
- Studio
- Hanna-Barbera Studios
Synopsis
The Tamurs, a tribe that rides on prehistoric camels, returns to the valley for a raid. They notice a drilling machine that John has installed in the canyon. Meanwhile, Katie is having problems with a baby dinosaur she calls Funny Face. The Butlers decide to use him to turn the drill, and bring up fuel for torches. All goes well, until the dino's mother comes along. The Butlers and cave people end up turning it by themselves. Just in time, for the Tamurs have gotten through the barricade caused by a landslide. The torches are successfully used to drive the raiders away.
Characters
John Butler, Kim Butler, Katie Butler, Greg Butler, Gorak, Gara, Tana, Lok
Credits
Directing
- Director
- Charles Nichols (as Charles A. Nichols)
Producing
- Producer
- Zoran Janjic (Associate)
- Executive Producers
- William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
- Creative Producer
- Iwao Takamoto
Writing
Animation
- Animator
- Susan Beak, John Burge, Gairden Cooke, Chris Cuddington, Richard E. Dunn, Don Ezard, Cam Ford, Peter Gardiner, Warwick Gilbert, Sebastian Hurpia, Greg Ingram, Paul McAdam, Yvonne Pearsall, Vivien Ray, Kevin Roper, Robert Smit, Stan Walker, Gerald Wylie
- Animation Director
- Peter Luschwitz
Voices
- Voice
- Melanie Baker (Tana), Shannon Farnon (Kim Butler), Joan Gardner (Gara), Jack Haley (Greg), Alan Oppenheimer (Gorak, Narrator), Mike Road (John Butler), Kathy Gori (Katie Butler), Frank Welker (Lok, Glump), John Stephenson (Digger the Pet Dog), Andrew Parks, Stacey Bertheau
Music
- Music
- Hoyt Curtin
- Musical Supervisor
- Paul DeKorte
Editing
- Editor
- Larry Cowan (Supervising Film Editor)
Crew
- Storyboard Editors
- Clark Haas, Cullen Houghtaling, Lew Marshall, Paul Sommer, Irv Spector, Howard Swift
- Recording Director
- Wally Burr
- Executive Story Consultant
- Myles Wilder
- Story Editor
- Sam Roeca
- Production Design
- Bob Singer
- Production Supervision
- Victor O. Schipek
- Titles
- Iraj Paran
- Character Design
- Marty Murphy
- Layout Unit Manager
- Moe Gollub
- Layouts
- Bob Fosbery, Milton Fredlund, Wallace Logue, Alex Nicholas, Joe Shearer, Milan Zahorsky, Jr.
- Color Design
- Paul Julian
- Backgrounds
- Zophia Mylonas, Sue Spear, Milan Zahorsky, Snr, Richard Zaloudek
- Checking and Scene Planning
- Evelyn Sherwood, Glenn Dolan, Lesley Blayney, Klaus Rick, Louise Luschwitz
- Ink and Paint Supervision
- Billie Kerns
- Xerography
- Robert "Tiger" West
- Sound Direction
- Richard Olson, Bill Getty
- Music Editor
- Pat Foley
- Sound Effects Editor
- Terry Moore
- Negative Consultant
- William E. DeBoer
- Post Production Supervision
- Joed Eaton
- Camera
- George Epperson, Jerry Smith, Wayne Smith
- Production Co-Ordination
- Elly Kennedy
- Production Manager
- Art Scott
- Assistant Production Manager
- Jayne Barbera
Companies and other credits
- A Hanna-Barbera Production
- © 1974 Hanna-Barbera Productions
- Inc
Production notes
Debuting on the same day as Sid and Marty Krofft's Land of the Lost, Hanna-Barbera's animated Valley of the Dinosaurs told the story of a family unwittingly transported back to the Stone Age. While rafting on the Amazon, John Butler, his wife Kim and their two children, Katie and Greg, were sucked into a whirlpool, only to emerge in a strange, prehistoric world.
The Butlers were taken under the wing of a Neanderthal family- Gorak, Gera, Tana and Lok- whose ages closely paralleled their own. Even the Butler's dog, Digger, found a counterpart in Lok's pet Stegosaurus, Glomb.
The episodes dealt largely with the relationship between the two clans. At first both families were reluctant to trust each other, but they finally came to accept and ultimately learn from one another. The cave family had to shed its distrust of others and learn to use common sense, while John had to learn patience and respect before he could teach the cave family what he knew about civilization.
While Valley of the Dinosaurs didn't have the staying power of Land of the Lost, it did outlast Hanna-Barbera's other 1974 prehistoric program, the live-action Korg: 70,000 B.C.
The Butlers were taken under the wing of a Neanderthal family- Gorak, Gera, Tana and Lok- whose ages closely paralleled their own. Even the Butler's dog, Digger, found a counterpart in Lok's pet Stegosaurus, Glomb.
The episodes dealt largely with the relationship between the two clans. At first both families were reluctant to trust each other, but they finally came to accept and ultimately learn from one another. The cave family had to shed its distrust of others and learn to use common sense, while John had to learn patience and respect before he could teach the cave family what he knew about civilization.
While Valley of the Dinosaurs didn't have the staying power of Land of the Lost, it did outlast Hanna-Barbera's other 1974 prehistoric program, the live-action Korg: 70,000 B.C.
Reviews
Torch
Amusing line by the Tamur chief, the camel rider chief, when he is cut off by the flames from the lit gas, but about the most effective and worthwhile piece of dialogue in the entire show.
While it is fun to be impressed by "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids" or an occassional "Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan" episode, this has yet to occur with a single episode of "Valley of the Dinosaurs".
Each one has been as hokey as the next. This one got the briefest bit of relief from the Tamur chief, but only toward the very end.
Guest starring a stray dinosaur (instead of using regular castmember Glump to operate the drill) and over-indulged with endless cornball comments from Katie Butler, this episode seemed to just pile on problems on top of the solution to the previous problem; basically nothing substantial.
There would be a hint that a rescue plane could see the lit flames and the Butler family would be rescued. "Torch" would be the final episode of "Valley of the Dinosaurs" so I guess the assumption could be they were rescued.
Kathy Gori does the voice of Katie Butler with most annoying results. Gori also does the voice of Rosemary in "Hong Kong Phooey" and the female sidekick to "Inch High Private Eye". She actually sounds pleasant in "Inch High" but sadly none of that emerges in "Valley".