The Flintstones (TV Series) The Beauty Contest (1961) User Reviews

We searched high and low for Miss Water Buffalo

[williamlangan-22870 · 9/10 · 17 April 2020]

This review's title comes from the song sung in this episode. The episode is Season 2's The Beauty Contest, written by Warren Foster, Mike Maltese and Arthur Phillips. Along with the voices of Alan Reed (Fred), Mel Blanc (Barney and Dino), Jean Vander Pyl (Wilma) and Bea Benederet (Betty), you have Leo DeLyon (known for Spook and Brain in Top Cat) as the voice of tough guy Big Louie and John Stephenson as Mr. Slate (though his likeness was different from that as you may remember). Plot synopsis: Fred gets ready for a Water Buffalo lodge meeting and must stay clear from Dino who attacks whenever he sees Fred's lodge hat! The Grand Poobah announces a Beauty Contest and drafts Fred and Barney. They try to decline but get threatened with lodge banishment. So they reluctantly agree. The next morning, Fred accidentally drops a boulder on Mr. Slate, who forgives on the condition Fred pick his daughter Bessie in the Beauty Contest. Barney gets a visit from Big Louie who tells him about his sexy but not too bright girlfriend Cookie (voiced by Bea), who is also entering the pageant. So the 2 decide Fred pick Bessie to save his job and Barney pick Cookie to save his hide! When they arrive home, a woman has called Fred and left him her measurements! 2 ladies visit Barney and flaunt their fashion, much to the exasperation of Betty who chases them out. Fred, too, gets a surprise visit from an attractive blonde wearing only a swimsuit! Furious, Wilma chases her out, too! The night of the Lodge meeting, Betty and Wilma discuss all the attention their husbands got from young women and decide to visit the Lodge Hall and find out what the meeting is all about. After they find out, the Beauty Contest has 2 new contestants! Things I liked: I liked the washing machine bird who dances on the laundry and the camradery of Fred and Barney and how they're able to solve the Beauty Contest problem together. I also liked the Water Buffalo growl by Fred and Barney and the Burns and Allen tribute via Big Louie and Cookie. This story idea would be repeated in The Jetsons, another Hanna Barbera cartoon. I also liked Hoyt Curtin's jazzy music score, which he also used in Top Cat. Unlike in Season 1's The Drive Inn, Wilma and Betty are more good natured despite having a secret kept from them. 9 Beauty Queens out of 10!