Top Cat is the leader of a bunch of trash-can dwelling cats who live in Manhattan in the eponymous 1961 Hanna-Barbera cartoon. In terms of inspiration, it almost certainly owes more to The Phil Silvers Show than anything else.
The main characters were as follows :
- Top Cat, voiced by Arnold Stang, who sounds very much like Sgt. Bilko in The Phil Silvers Show
- Benny the Ball, voiced by Maurice Gosfield, who sounds and acts very much like Dwane Doberman, the not-too-bright cannon-ball shaped solider in The Phil Silvers Show
- Choo Choo (aka 'Chooch'), voiced by Marvin Kaplan
- Spook, voiced by Leo de Lyon
- The Brain, also voiced by Leo de Lyon
- Fancy Fancy, voiced by John Stephenson
- Officer Dibble, voiced by Allen Jenkins
I have been unable to establish who wrote and performed the theme song, but please don't let that stop you from joining in.
Top Cat!
The most effec-tu-al Top Cat!
Whose intellectual
close friends get to call him "T. C."
Providing it's with dignity
Top Cat!
The indisputable leader of the gang
He's the boss!
He's the VIP!
He's a championship!
He's the most tip top - Top Cat!
Yes he's the chief,
He's the king,
but above everything,
He's the most tip top - Top Cat!
Sources:
- Cartoon Network's excellent site at http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/doc/topcat/index.html
- The Top Cat site at http://www.dfcom.freeserve.co.uk/hbw/topcat/ , a well-organized and informative fan site.
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