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Hanna-Barbera cartoons written by Michael Maltese
From Termite Terrace to The Flintstones!
Michael Maltese is remembered as a legendary Looney Tunes writer, credited with writing grand slam hits like What's Opera, Doc? and Hare Trigger. He even acted on occasion, performing live in You Ought to be in Pictures as the mean security guard, and voice acting as extras in cartoons like Bugs Bunny Rides Again. We have him to thank for over 300 classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, but he didn't stop there!
As the original Warner Bros. animation department began to shut down in the early 1960s, Maltese found new opportunities at Hanna-Barbera Productions. He brought his wise-cracking, jovial Looney Tunes humor to cartoons like Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, and many more. Going through his career, it's noticeable how he was at the center of everything in the Golden Age of Animation.
He got his start working on Popeye and Betty Boop at Fleischer Studios, became the go-to writer (and cartoon gag creator) at Warner Bros., and wrote on shows where he trained younger writers to take up the cartoon storytelling mantle at Hanna-Barbera. Let's take a look at all the Hanna-Barbera cartoons Maltese wrote!
Tom and Jerry
Before completely leaving Warner Bros., Maltese freelanced at MGM with Hanna-Barbera, writing Tom and Jerry cartoons. At MGM, he was reunited with his partner in toons, Chuck Jones, and they created classics like Snowbody Loves Me, Pent-house Mouse, and The Cat Above and the Mouse Below.
The Huckleberry Hound Show
Maltese also wrote four episodes of The Huckleberry Hound Show, including the Thanksgiving short, "Grim Pilgrim".
The Yogi Bear Show
Maltese cowrote 32 episodes of The Yogi Bear Show with fellow Looney Tunes alumni, Warren Foster. They would divide up the segments so one would write the main Yogi Bear story, while the other would write the Snagglepuss and Yakky Doodle segments. His most notable work of this era was creating Snagglepuss's catchphrase: Exit, stage left.
Top Cat
Maltese wrote on three episodes of Top Cat: "The Missing Heir", "A Visit From Mother", and "The Unscratchables".
The Flintstones
Maltese wrote five episodes of The Flintstones, but most importantly, he wrote the very first episode, "The Flintstone Flyer". He also wrote "The Snorkasaurus Hunter", "Carry on, Nurse Fred", "Ventriloquist Barney", and "The Hot Piano". That's right, we have Michael Maltese to thank for the "Happy Anniversary" song!
The New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series
The cartoons in this program were Wally Gator, Touche Turtle, and Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har-Har. The writing was split up between Maltese, Foster, and Tony Benedict. They would split up each episode with one writer focusing on the story, one focusing on visual gags, and one focusing on jokes.
Wacky Races
In collaboration with Larz Bourne, Tom Dagenais, and Dalton Sandifer, Maltese wrote on every episode of Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines. For The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Maltese was paired with two younger writers to mentor and supervise: Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. He mentored the guys who would go on to create Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?. The Golden Age of Animation sure was a small world.
The Secret Squirrel Show
This time Maltese was paired up with Tony Benedict, Warren Foster, and Dalton Sandifer, and all four writers were credited equally for Secret Squirrel, Winsome Witch, and Squiddly Diddly.
The Atom Ant Show
The same crew that did The Secret Squirrel Show also wrote The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show. Maltese wrote on each episode but got a special additional "story by" credit for "The Big Gimmick", a short where Atom Ant exposes a fake superhero who's been tricking kids for fame and attention.
The Funky Phantom (and honorable mentions)
Michael Maltese was one of the eight writers who collaborated on each episode of The Funky Phantom. He also wrote on Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, Quick Draw McGraw, and Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy.
