Mr. Magoo Is a Classic Cartoon

Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo. UPA Productions of America, Inc.

A nearsighted Quincy Magoo (a.k.a. Mr. Magoo) wears thick glasses and uses a cane. Alongside his nephew Waldo, Mr. Magoo first appeared in 1949 in the theatrical short "Ragtime Bear." Created by writer Millard Kaufman and director John Hubley, Mr. Magoo was one of the only human characters to star in animated cartoons at the time.

Other characters from the world of Mr. Magoo include his dog, McBarker, and his mother, aptly named Mother Magoo. McBarker was voiced by legendary voice-over actor Frank Welker, while Mother Magoo was voiced first by Henry Backus, then by another legendary voice-over artist, June Foray.

The voice of Mr. Magoo was created by actor Jim Backus, better known as Thurston Howell III in Gilligan's Island. He portrayed the stubborn Magoo for more than thirty years. The voice of Mr. Magoo's rich uncle, Tycoon Magoo, was played by Mel Blanc.

The theatrical short When Magoo Flew won an Oscar in 1954. That award was followed by a second for Mister Magoo's Puddle Jumper in 1956.

TV Episodes

Mr. Magoo's TV career spans more than forty years, airing on NBC, CBS and in Mr. Magoo and Friends on USA Network's Cartoon Express.

In 1962, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, an adaptation of the classic Dickens tale, became the first made-for-TV holiday special, even before A Charlie Brown Christmas. Mr. Magoo continued to adapt stories from classic literature in 1964 in The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo NBC. Mr. Magoo moved to CBS in a new series titled What's New Mr. Magoo? on Saturday Morning TV in 1977.

Movies

Mr. Magoo starred in his first feature-length film, 1001 Arabian Nights, based on the classic story of Aladdin in 1959. It was directed by animation innovator John Hubley. In 1997, Walt Disney Pictures released Mr. Magoo, a live-action feature film starring Leslie Nielsen.

DVDs

Buy Mr. Magoo: The Television Collection at BN.com