Advice from Yogi and Wilma

Here’s a little something for Daws Butler fans.

Hanna-Barbera got together with the U.S. National Safety Council in 1973 and put together a record featuring the studio’s characters giving safety advice to kids. (Adults should pay attention to some of this advice today). “Hear See Do” features Jean Vander Pyl as Wilma Flintstone and Daws as a large barrel-full of characters. A colouring book was included.

What’s interesting listening to this is how Daws handles characters normally voiced by other people at Hanna-Barbera. As you may know, he voiced Barney Rubble for several episodes of “The Flintstones” after Mel Blanc’s near-fatal car crash. But the Barney on the record doesn’t sound like the Barney he did in the cartoons. His version of Top Cat is, as you might expect, the Bilko-ish sound he gave to Hokey Wolf. His Fred Flintstone is a little more growly than the Gleason voice he used in the Flintstones demo cartoon (mistakenly called a “pilot”) as well as in various Hanna-Barbera and Jay Ward productions. Perhaps his oddest voice—and I haven’t listened to all of the cuts below—is the lisping version of Magilla Gorilla which doesn’t sound anything like the way Allan Melvin played him. Daws also speaks for Boo Boo, So-So and Ricochet Rabbit; it’s a shame Don Messick wasn’t hired to voice his own characters. For some reason, there is no A-11.

This wasn’t the only public service campaign the studio was involved with. In 1989, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera were honoured by B’nai B’rith as ‘Men of the Year’ for their involvement in a long list of worthy causes, including such campaigns as A Drug Free America, Buckle Up For Safety, and Just Say No To Drugs (Variety also reported: “MCA prexy Sid Sheinberg, honorary chairman for the event, quipped that some people figure Hanna-Barbera is an “Italian woman with a Jewish first name.’”)

Anyway, listen and see what you think. It’s neat hearing the characters do something outside of cartoons. One of the cuts is missing. And I’m not quite sure what to make of that sabretooth mouse on the cover.




A1 The Safe Way To School


A2 Don’t Ride With Strangers


A3 How To Ride A Bike


A4 Obey The Safety Patrol


A5 Walking Where No Sidewalks Exist


A6 Lock Car Doors


A7 Don’t Take Chances


A8 Don’t Throw Stones


A9 Don’t Play With Strange Animals


A10 Walk, Don’t Run


A-12 Keep Arms Inside Car and Bus


A13 Be Careful On Skateboards


A14 Be Careful With Knives, Scissors And Sharp Objects


A15 Keep Toys Off The Floor


A16 Don’t Run With Things In Your Mouth


A17 Store Poisons Properly


A18 Green Means Go, Red Stop


B1 Safety At Night, Wear White


B2 Play in a Safe Place


B3 Enter And Leave Cars On Curb Side


B4 Wet Hands And Electricity Don’t Mix


B5 Never Step From Behind Parked Cars


B6 Cross Streets At Corners


B7 Watch For Cars In Driveways


B8 Fasten Seat Belts, Don’t Stand Up


B9 Never Swim Alone


B10 Stop, Look, Listen


B11 Use Lights And Reflectors On Bicycles


B12 Don’t Play In Streets


B13 Look Both Ways Before Crossing Streets


B14 Correct Signals For Riding a Bike


B15 Don’t Ride Double On A Bike


B16 Remove Skates Before Crossing Streets


B17 Don’t Run Around Swimming Pools


B18 Prevent Forest Fires