JONNY QUEST (1964-65)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *cosmological, sociological *

The tradition of heroic adventure represented by the so-called "Golden Age of Newspaper Comics" was in decline by 1964. Yet thanks in large part to artist-animator Doug Wildey, Hanna-Barbera broke out of its rut of "kiddie-cartoons" with JONNY QUEST. Almost sixty years later, JONNY represents the "gold standard" for the company thanks to Wildey's skillful interplay of Caniff-like graphics with a greater usage of sci-fi concepts, possibly encouraged by the growing popularity of the James Bond films. Only a few key episodes can be deemed mythic under my definition-- I'll mark these with three asterisks-- but in the kinetic sense, there's not a weak episode among the 26 original tales.

THE MYSTERY OF THE LIZARD MEN-- This script was surely the first one written, for there's no reference to the cast-member Hadji, even though he appears with the others in the intro. There's just eleven-year old Jonny, his father Benton Quest, his "big brother"/ guardian Race Bannon, and his comical dog Bandit. Oh, and in a couple of scenes the Quests consult with a mini-computer known as UNIC (but pronounced "Eunice"). Most likely the showrunners decided that the heroes didn't need a computer to provide backstory, so UNIC disappeared.

Seeing MYSTERY again as an adult, it's evident how flimsy the main concept was. First, the viewer witnesses how ships drawing near the Sargasso Sea are annihilated by a red beam, later revealed to be a laser (just like the one on the 1963 GOLDFINGER film). These attacks come about because some foreign operatives plan to shoot down a moon-rocket with their ray-beam (a little like DOCTOR NO). Both the use of the laser and the agents' masquerade as "lizard men" in scuba suits actually draw the attention of the U.S. government to the anomalies. But then, who cares, given all the delirious pulp action made possible by these lizard-loonies?

Jonny's cultured father, despite being a scientist, is treated by the government reps as if Benton were a field-agent on whom they could call at any time (though in most other episodes Benton is called into action by non-governmental individuals). Rather comically, the government men claim that Race is there to protect the "security" of son Jonny, though of course the exploits of Bannon and the Quests are anything but "secure."

ARCTIC SPLASHDOWN-- Again the space-race is paramount, for a U.S. capsule has descended into the Arctic ice, possibly due to outside tampering a la DOCTOR NO. Rather than calling in the Air Force, the government wants Benton and company to make sure the capsule self-destructs before foreign agents can get it. (When said agents do appear, they have a general East European tonality.) Hadji joins the cast with no explanation, and he does the first of many "Hindu magic tricks" by pulling a dog biscuit from Bandit's ear. SPLASHDOWN is the first of many episodes in which Bandit and the boys have generally comical adventures with exotic animals, this time a walrus and a family of polar bears. This is essentially a naturalistic adventure.

THE CURSE OF ANUBIS-- This time Benton is summoned by a scholarly colleague, and the Quest group journeys to Egypt.  though Doctor Kareem actually hopes to frame the Americans for crimes involving the desecration of an Egyptian pyramid. Kareem's ambitions have something to do with Arab nationalism, though even when I was a kid, I didn't think that the current Muslim population of the so-called "Middle East" would have been that exercised about the profanation of a pagan tomb. Nevertheless, in keeping with established pulp-story tropes, modern Egyptians still act as if they believe in the ancient deity Anubis.

However, in the series' only usage of a supernatural force, that belief turns out to be justified, for a guardian-mummy in the profaned tomb comes to life. The mummy stalks around openly in its bandages but is only seen sporadically, not really taking vengeance on anyone until the bang-up finish.

PURSUIT OF THE PO-HO-- The wife of a Benton-colleague-- possibly an anthropologist, though the script does not say so-- summons the Quests to help liberate her kidnapped husband from a tribe of savage South American Indians, the "Po-Hos" of the title. Benton gets the idea of spooking the Indians by making them believe that he's a new god to whom the Po-Hos must bow down. To their credit-- and this is the natives' only virtue-- they aren't fooled for a moment, and they just kidnap Benton, planning to sacrifice him alongside the other man. Race's attempt to masquerade as a native god makes the episode "uncanny," as well as providing a comic conclusion.

RIDDLE OF THE GOLD-- A U.S. agent asks Benton to investigate the provenance of a new source of gold appearing in a Hindu mine, so the Quests are off to India. The gold does turn out to be counterfeit, created via uncanny science, but the main importance of the episode is that it's the first appearance of perennial enemy Doctor Zin, though Benton's dialogue establish that he and Race have met the villain before. Zin operates through a minion who can kill victims with a Bond-like device: a cigarette lighter with a poisoned needle in it. Hadji, raised in Calcutta, takes pleasure in visiting his native land. Modern kids won't understand Jonny's quip about using Mount Everest to hold a TV aerial.

TREASURE OF THE TEMPLE-- The Quests return to South America, though this time it's specifically the Yucatan Jungle, where Benton wants to investigate a Mayan Temple. The scientist's only interest is scholarly, but a scurrilous treasure-hunter, Perkins, thinks the Quests may chisel in on his hunt for Mayan treasure. This is another naturalistic adventure, and the villains suffer one of the show's grisliest fates, being implicitly devoured by crocodiles.

CALCUTTA ADVENTURE-- At last Hadji gets an "origin story." The story actually begins in media res, as the Quests reminisce about the time Benton went to Calcutta to lecture other scientists about his invention of a sonic weapon. (For some reason, Benton thinks this deadly weapon can somehow be channeled "for the good of mankind.") The Quests have also been called in to investigate mysterious ailments in the area, not knowing that their old buddy Zin has created a nerve-gas facility in the mountains. One of Zin's henchmen almost kills Benton, but street-urchin Hadji rescues him, earning the Quests' gratitude. Hadji puts the heroes in touch with his friend Pasha Peddler, a jive-talking merchant who helps the good guys access the facility-- though he charges the Americans heavily for his services. Pasha never appears again, but his love of money is arguably transferred to the character of Jade. Contrary to a Wiki-article, Pasha does not have lighter skin-color than other Indians in the story. Hadji goes back to America with the Quests and Pasha arranges for his adoption.

THE ROBOT SPY-- One of the most flamboyantly "sci-fi" episodes starts with Benton creating a ray-gun able to paralyze the systems of planes. Doctor Zin decides to become pro-active about invading Benton's own sanctum with a "robot spy," also described as a "Trojan Horse." The robot is a bit cartoony, consisting of a spherical "eye" and four spider-like legs, but its ability to plow through all manner of military attacks testifies that Zin is every bit Benton's equal at contriving super-weapons. Though the robot succeeds in stealing data about the para-power ray gun, Benton triumphs by using super-science to beat super-science.

DOUBLE DANGER-- It's another Zin episode, but this time he uses a much simpler method of espionage. Having learned of Benton's plan to harvest a rare Thai drug for the space program, Zin hires an impostor to masquerade as Race in order to steal Benton's research. While the real Race is being held prisoner, his double fools everyone--except the Quests' mercenary ally Jade, a chip off the old Caniff Dragon Lady. As was the case with Zin's initial episode, everyone in the Quest circle is already familiar with Jade despite this being her first appearance. Jade invites the double to greet her with a kiss, and so figures out that he's a phony. The episode culminates in a dramatic rescue that involves Hadji playing "mahout" to a rampaging herd of elephants.

THE SHADOW OF THE CONDOR***-- For the first time, no one summons the Quests to their next adventure. They just happen to be flying over the Andes Mountains, with Race in the pilot's seat, when the plane must make an emergency landing. To their surprise, there's  a private estate in the lonely, condor-haunted mountains, complete with a landing strip. The estate's owner is former World War I aviator Baron Von Frohleich, and he maintains a small contingent of fighter planes of that era. Frohleich secretly wants one last aerial dogfight in which he can kill an enemy pilot, and he maneuvers Race into such a dogfight-- but one in which Frohleich alone has loaded guns. The Baron is undone by his own disrespect for the local wildlife, though the condor isn't exactly a "good guy," since he almost carries off Bandit to be nest-food. This one's "uncanny" given the oddness of the Baron's murder-plot.

SKULL AND DOUBLE CROSSBONES-- When Benton tests a mini-sub in the Caribbean, local pirates hope to use his resources to unearth sunken treasure. This includes the odd sight of Bandit swimming underwater with the help of a special aqualung.

THE DREADFUL DOLL-- The Quests are still in the Caribbean, but now Benton's researching marine biology with the help of a bathysphere. A planter from a local island implores Benton for medical help with his daughter, who seems to be stricken by a voodoo spell from local witch doctor, Korbay. In the same tradition as the Lizard Men, Korbay is using a hoax to drive away most of the planters so that no one sees that his partner Harden is constructing a submarine beneath the island. Korbay is the only Negroid character in the episode.

A SMALL MATTER OF PYGMIES-- Though real pygmies only have tribes in Africa and Asia, for some reason the script seems to think they live in South America, where Benton maintains a lab. Race, Jonny, Hadji and Bandit are flying a small plane to rendezvous with the scientist. The plane fails, but the heroes survive the crash and start walking back to civilization. They see a lone pygmy about to be sacrificed to a black panther, so Race kills the beast with a rifle. This honks off the pygmies who set their victim out to be killed, so the little men take Race and company prisoner. The heroes then get help from the man they saved. For some reason the pygmies are also compared to Asian cargo cults. Hadji's use of levitation makes this one marvelous.

DRAGONS OF ASHIDA ***-- Benton is invited to a isle somewhere in the vicinity of Malaysia, going by the usage of Malay terms like "tuan" and "amuck." The diabolical-looking, presumably Japanese master of the isle is a zoologist who has devoted his life to breeding lizards into horse-sized "dragons," but he's no longer the respectable scientist Benton knew. He's become a worshiper of strength, claiming that "in nature, only the strong survive," and eventually the Quests learn that this distant descendant of Count Zaroff hunts people with his dragon. After Ashida challenges Race to a martial arts duel and loses, the sorehead terrorizes the Quests with both his monstrous lizards and with their trainer, the one-eyed sumo wrestler Sumi. Race's martial skills get a big workout this time.

TURU THE TERRIBLE-- While the Quests seek a special mineral in the Amazon jungle, they learn that the local natives are being abducted by Turu, a prehistoric pteranodon. The heroes eventually learn that a weird old man raised Turu from a "chick" and trained the creature to abduct natives in order to work in his mines. Great aerial battles ensue between the beast and the jet-pack-wearing adults, giving the two kids little to do this time.

THE FRAUDULENT VOLCANO-- Mount Tarawa on the island of Tabiti has been blowing its top quite often, which is only natural because Doctor Zin has set up shop inside, creating explosions for his own purpose. Benton happens to be in the area testing a new means of extinguishing oil-fires, so the Tahitian governor calls the scientist in for a consult. When Race and Benton fly over the volcano in a plane, Zin's men shoot down the plane with a ray-gun, and then capture the two men when they parachute to earth. Since Zin tells his captives that he means to sell his research to hostile powers, one presumes that it's the ray-gun he means to sell, and that the volcano-activity is yet another means of frightening away the curious. The minions of Zin's volcano sport some cool flying platforms.  Jonny and Hadji get to rescue the adults this time. Not much action for Bandit this time.             

WEREWOLF OF THE TIMBERLAND-- Some vague research leads the Quests to the Canadian woods. There the heroes learn that a gang of lumberjacks are smuggling gold, trying to scare away locals by having one man dress like a werewolf. The Quests get some help from a mysterious Amerindian man, White Feather, who has the habit of disappearing from sight when anyone looks away from him. Uncanny for sure.

PIRATES FROM BELOW-- For once the Quests stick close to their Florida home, and some villains come to them. Benton is developing a new submarine for the U.S. Navy, a vehicle complete with remote control grappling-arms able to dislodge annoying squids. Another submarine, full of spies with East European accents, descends upon the compound, taking Race, Bandit and Jonny prisoner. The foreign agents have even built a subterranean base, protected by a net-barrier. The villains have cool hovercrafts and mini-subs as well.

ATTACK OF THE TREE PEOPLE-- The Quests are vacationing off the coast of Africa when their boat catches fire. Race and Benton are rescued by a cruiser, while Jonny, Hadji and Bandit end up on the uninhabited coastline. A tribe of great apes takes a liking to the boys and their dog, making it harder for them to watch for rescuers. Two reprobates take the boys prisoner for the purpose of ransom, but they don't count on being "monkeyed with."

THE INVISIBLE MONSTER***-- On a remote island in the South Pacific, a physicist unleashes energy-forces that coalesce into a living creature that feeds on all forms of energy. Before being "consumed" by the creature-- which apparently means being disintegrated-- the scientist calls in the Quests, who as usual don't bring in the local authorities. The monster is terrifying both in its invisible phase and after the heroes manage to "paint" it into visibility. 

THE DEVIL'S TOWER-- Benton has to take off time from atmospheric research in Africa when his probe goes missing atop an escarpment. When Race flies the group to the top of the plateau, they're all captured by a surviving tribe of cavemen. The primitives are controlled by an ex-Nazi, Von Deuffel, who has been stranded atop the escarpment for years, having forced the cavemen to mine diamonds for him. Von Deuffel escapes in the Quests's airplane, but makes the mistake of trying to kill the heroes directly and meets his doom.

THE QUETONG MISSILE MYSTERY-- In a fictional Chinese city (probably an analogue of Hong Kong), Benton is asked to consult on more mysterious deaths of locals by poisoning. The poison comes from contamination produced by a hidden missile base, under the command of a Chinese mastermind wearing a uniform that looks Red Chinese. The base, hidden in a swamp, is surrounded by stationary mines able to destroy any invading boat. The general's minions kidnap Jonny and Hadji to make Benton and Race knuckle under, but of course that just provokes the heroes to come to the rescue.

THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GARGOYLES-- A Norwegian scientist invites the Quests to his castle just as an acquisitive spy uses a unique method to uncover the scientist's anti-gravity secrets. Of the seven gargoyles on the castle's parapet, one is a disguised acrobat posing as a stone figure, the better to steal the prized secrets. The acrobat works for a notorious local schemer, and the thieves fall out in the end, so that the heroes don't even have to do their own killing. The best scenes are those in which Jonny tries to convince the others that he saw a stone gargoyle move.

TERROR ISLAND-- Mad scientist Chu Sing Ling plots to unleash gigantic monsters-- giant crabs, lizards, and spiders-- on the world, and he wants help. The Quests happen to visit Hong Kong, so Chu has Benton kidnapped. Race tells Jonny, Hadji and Bandit to stay clear while he launches his own search for the missing scientist. To that end he enlists the services of winsome mercenary Jase, making the second of her two appearances. Jade didn't actually do much in her first appearance, but here she's shown to be ruthless with the use of a pistol as she questions the local riffraff. Chu is hoist on his own monstrous petard, and Jade and Race share an impressive liplock. Jade has a possible double entendre line when she tells Race, "I almost never kidnap my friends-- for money, that is." 

MONSTER IN THE MONASTERY-- The Quests pass over Nepal and Benton decides to visit an old acquaintance, a Nepalese spiritual leader with the odd name of "Raj Guru," which in real Sanskrit might mean something like, "King Teacher." The Raj Guru's city is being besieged by creatures that look like Yetis, though the monsters seem fully conversant in the use of human tools like catapults. Jonny and Hadji chase Bandit into the abandoned palace inhabited by the Yetis, and learn that the monsters are just men in costumes. (Not sure they're all Asians, but the leader is, suggesting another Red Chinese plot.) The boys only manage to escape the insurrectionists after many daredevil stunts, but by the time the adults make the scene, all the conspirators have been killed, albeit bloodlessly, by a real Yeti. The odd name of the ancient palace is "Kali Yuga," a real term connoting the last age of mankind.

THE SEA HAUNT-- The title may be a pun on the TV show "Sea Hunt," which had concluded three years previous to QUEST. The episode also provides a bang-up finish to the series. Flying somewhere near Sumatra, the Quests see an abandoned Dutch ship and they land their plane on it to investigate. Both the ship's log and a single survivor, a Chinese cook, attest that the ship is being "haunted" by a huge, near-invulnerable humanoid fish-creature, whom the Chinese cook calls a "dragon." The beast destroys the Quest plane, stranding the heroes on the ship, and they have to fight a tense holding action to survive. Charlie the Cook actually sends the "dragon" back into the deep. The ship's hidden cargo is a cache of gold, which is probably a clever reference to dragons and their association with treasure-troves.