Difference between revisions of "The $1,000,000 Derby"

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(Zorro's also in Jokebook.)
 
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{{Infobox episode
{{Infobox episode
|image= [[File:.png|300px]]
|image= [[File:Benny takes a picture of Arabelle.png|300px]]
|caption=  
|caption=  
|prodno=  
|prodno=  
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|cast= [[Arnold Stang]]<br />[[Maurice Gosfield]]<br />[[Marvin Kaplan]]<br />[[Leo De Lyon]]<br />[[John Stephenson]]<br />[[Allen Jenkins]]<br />[[Hal Smith]]
|cast= [[Arnold Stang]]<br />[[Maurice Gosfield]]<br />[[Marvin Kaplan]]<br />[[Leo De Lyon]]<br />[[John Stephenson]]<br />[[Allen Jenkins]]<br />[[Hal Smith]]
|music= [[Hoyt Curtin]]
|music= [[Hoyt Curtin]]
|writers= [[Harvey Bullock]]
|writers=  
|directors= [[William Hanna]]<br />[[Joseph Barbera]]
|directors= [[William Hanna]]<br />[[Joseph Barbera]]
|animation_directors= [[Charles A. Nichols]]
|animation_directors= [[Charles A. Nichols]]
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}}
}}
'''"The $1,000,000 Derby"''' is the first episode of ''[[Top Cat (TV series)|Top Cat]]'' season one. It aired on [[September 27]], [[1961]] on [[ABC]]. It was produced and directed by [[William Hanna]] and [[Joseph Barbera]], the creators of the series and the founders of [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Productions]].
'''"The $1,000,000 Derby"''' is the first episode of ''[[Top Cat (TV series)|Top Cat]]'' season one. It aired on [[September 27]], [[1961]] on [[ABC]]. It was produced and directed by [[William Hanna]] and [[Joseph Barbera]], the creators of the series and the founders of [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Productions]].
When Benny brings in a camera-loving horse as a new pet, his leader Top Cat tries everything he can to get rid of the animal. After it nets the gang a million-dollar debt, he later changes his mind to exploit the horse's shock-induced abilities in a horse race.


==Detailed summary==
==Detailed summary==
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|style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| [[Sergeant Flanagan]]
|style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| [[Sergeant Flanagan]]
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Dockmaster]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Dockmaster]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| John Stephenson
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| John Stephenson
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Head zookeeper]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Head zookeeper]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[Gertrude (The $1,000,000 Derby)|Gertrude]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[Gertrude (The 1,000,000 Derby)|Gertrude]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Horse buyer]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Horse buyer]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|-
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|style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Horse buyer's children
|style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Horse buyer's children
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Reporter #1]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Reporter #1]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Reporter #2]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Reporter #2]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| John Stephenson
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Reporter #3]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[Senator Flubb]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[Senator Flubb]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Reporter #3]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| [[Billy Blabbermouth]]
|style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| [[Billy Blabbermouth]]
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Mayor]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Mayor]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| John Stephenson
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Reporter #4]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| John Stephenson
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| John Stephenson
|-
|-
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|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
|-
|-
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters|Racetrack announcer]]
|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Top Cat characters#TV series|Racetrack announcer]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| [[Hal Smith]]
|style="background-color:#aaffaa"| [[Hal Smith]]
|-
|-
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===Filming===
===Filming===
==Music==
==Music==
The music was composed by Hanna and [[Hoyt Curtin]].
The music was composed by William Hanna and [[Hoyt Curtin]].


==Release==
==Release==
Dates are in order of release:
Dates are in order of release:


* United States: September 27, 1961 on ABC
* United States: September 27, 1961 at 8:30 pm on ABC
* [[United Kingdom]] and [[Ireland]]: [[June 6]], [[1962]] at 5:10 pm on [[BBC One|BBC TV]]


==Behind the scenes==
==Behind the scenes==
* Top Cat refers to Benny as Zorro when he's taking a photo of the horse.
* Top Cat refers to Benny as [[Zorro]] when taking a photo of the horse.
* Tea Biscuit is a parody of the famous racehorse Seabiscuit.
* Tea Biscuit is a parody of the famous racehorse Seabiscuit.
* In the UK, this was aired as the fourth episode, and was the last time the series was aired under the ''Top Cat'' name before being renamed to ''The Boss Cat'' due to a cat food brand called Top Cat in the UK. The cartoon wasn't called ''Top Cat'' again until [[April 6]], [[1999]].


==Errors==
==Errors==
* The mayor has two different looks from sitting at his desk to giving Top Cat the key to the city.
* The second reporter at the airport holds a paper called ''Bugle'', but when he shows up at the hotel, he says he works for ''The Tribune''.
* The back sides of a couple of horses are seen which could've belonged to either Tea Biscuit, Froufrou, Barmaid, Cucamonga, or Lucky Lady, but those horses seen aren't explicitly identified by name.
* The back sides of a couple of horses are seen which could've belonged to either Tea Biscuit, Froufrou, Barmaid, Cucamonga, or Lucky Lady, but those horses seen aren't explicitly identified by name.


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==Home availability==
==Home availability==
* In the United Kingdom & [[Ireland]]:
* In the United Kingdom and Ireland:
** [[May 19]], [[1986]]: [[The Video Collection]] releases ''[[Top Cat: Volume 2]]'' on VHS.
** [[May 19]], [[1986]]: [[The Video Collection]] releases ''[[Top Cat: Volume 2]]'' on VHS.
** [[November 3]], 1986: The Video Collection releases ''Top Cat: Volume 2'' on VHS.
** [[November 3]], 1986: The Video Collection releases ''Top Cat: Volume 2'' on VHS.
** [[September 4]], [[1989]]: The Video Collection releases ''Top Cat: Volume 2'' on VHS.
** [[September 4]], [[1989]]: The Video Collection releases ''Top Cat: Volume 2'' on VHS.
** [[October 8]], [[2007]]: [[Warner Home Video]] releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' (HMV exclusive) on DVD.
** [[October 8]], [[2007]]: [[Warner Home Video]] releases ''[[Top Cat: The Complete Series]]'' (HMV exclusive) on DVD.
** October 8, 2007: Warner Home Video releases ''[[Top Cat: Volume 1 (2007)|Top Cat: Volume 1]]'' on DVD.
** October 8, 2007: Warner Home Video releases ''[[Top Cat: Volume 1 (2007)|Top Cat: Volume 1]]'' on DVD.
** [[April 1]], [[2008]]: Warner Home Video releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' on DVD.
** [[April 1]], [[2008]]: Warner Home Video releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' on DVD.
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** [[2019]]: Warner Home Video releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' (Hanna-Barbera Diamond Collection edition) on DVD.
** [[2019]]: Warner Home Video releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' (Hanna-Barbera Diamond Collection edition) on DVD.
* In the United States:
* In the United States:
** [[December 7]], [[2004]]: Warner Home Video releases ''[[Top Cat: The Complete Series]]'' on DVD.
** [[December 7]], [[2004]]: Warner Home Video releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' on DVD.
** [[January 10]], [[2017]]: [[Warner Archive Collection]] releases ''Top Cat: The Series'' on DVD.
** [[January 10]], [[2017]]: [[Warner Archive Collection]] releases ''Top Cat: The Series'' on DVD.
** [[June 6]], 2017: Warner Home Video releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' (Hanna-Barbera Diamond Collection edition) on DVD.
** [[June 6]], 2017: Warner Home Video releases ''Top Cat: The Complete Series'' (Hanna-Barbera Diamond Collection edition) on DVD.

Latest revision as of 08:35, 10 March 2024

The $1,000,000 Derby
Benny takes a picture of Arabelle.png
Premiere date September 27, 1961
Starring Arnold Stang
Maurice Gosfield
Marvin Kaplan
Leo De Lyon
John Stephenson
Allen Jenkins
Hal Smith
Music composed by Hoyt Curtin
Director(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Animation director(s) Charles A. Nichols
Episode navigation
← Previous Next →

"The $1,000,000 Derby" is the first episode of Top Cat season one. It aired on September 27, 1961 on ABC. It was produced and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the creators of the series and the founders of Hanna-Barbera Productions.

When Benny brings in a camera-loving horse as a new pet, his leader Top Cat tries everything he can to get rid of the animal. After it nets the gang a million-dollar debt, he later changes his mind to exploit the horse's shock-induced abilities in a horse race.

Detailed summary

Memorable quotes

Characters

Legend
Character debut Speaking debut Ep. debut No lines Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character Actor
Top Cat Arnold Stang
Choo Choo Marvin Kaplan
Brain Leo De Lyon
Fancy Fancy John Stephenson
Spook Leo De Lyon
Benny the Ball Maurice Gosfield
Arabelle Unavailable
Rin Tin Tin
Arabelle's father
Officer Dibble Allen Jenkins
Sergeant Flanagan
Dockmaster John Stephenson
Head zookeeper Unavailable
Gertrude Unavailable
Horse buyer Unavailable
Horse buyer's wife
Horse buyer's children
Reporter #1 Unavailable
Reporter #2 John Stephenson
Reporter #3 Unavailable
Senator Flubb Unavailable
Billy Blabbermouth
Mayor John Stephenson
J.J. Flitney Unavailable
Racetrack announcer Hal Smith
Tea Biscuit
Froufrou
Barmaid
Cucamonga
Lucky Lady
Miramar N/A


Organizations

Locations

Objects

  • Bugle newspaper

Vehicles

Production

Development

Filming

Music

The music was composed by William Hanna and Hoyt Curtin.

Release

Dates are in order of release:

Behind the scenes

  • Top Cat refers to Benny as Zorro when taking a photo of the horse.
  • Tea Biscuit is a parody of the famous racehorse Seabiscuit.
  • In the UK, this was aired as the fourth episode, and was the last time the series was aired under the Top Cat name before being renamed to The Boss Cat due to a cat food brand called Top Cat in the UK. The cartoon wasn't called Top Cat again until April 6, 1999.

Errors

  • The mayor has two different looks from sitting at his desk to giving Top Cat the key to the city.
  • The second reporter at the airport holds a paper called Bugle, but when he shows up at the hotel, he says he works for The Tribune.
  • The back sides of a couple of horses are seen which could've belonged to either Tea Biscuit, Froufrou, Barmaid, Cucamonga, or Lucky Lady, but those horses seen aren't explicitly identified by name.

Critical reception

In other languages

Language Name Meaning

Home availability

References

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