August 6th, 2021 
Michael Lyons 
Talk about a “mash-up.” Spy Films and The Flintstones, two completely different pop-culture hallmarks of the 60s, came together fifty-five years ago this month for the full-length feature, The Man Called Flintstone. Hanna-Barbera’s landmark prime time animated series about the “Modern stone-age family,” which debuted in 1960, wrapped up its run in 1966 when the studio produced this theatrical feature.
Meanwhile, Sean Connery had debuted as James Bond in Dr. No in 1962, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a hit on TV since 1964, and James Coburn had just starred as Our Man Flint in early 1966, so spy-fiction was most definitely “a thing.”
Hanna-Barbera took advantage of this craze as a backdrop for a Flintstones full-length feature. In fact, Fred’s pose on the original movie poster is similar to that of Coburn’s on the poster for Our Man Flint.
The film’s one-sheet poster
Fred (with Wilma, Barney, Betty and kids in tow) is sent after the villainous Green Goose and devious plans involving a missile. However, the Chief leaves out such dangerous details, and Fred and the others think they’re on an all-expenses-paid vacation.
As a full-length feature, The Man Called Flintstone no doubt came with a larger budget that allowed for moments of fuller animation and lush backgrounds than usually seen in the weekly TV show.
This is evident in the opening moments of the film that include some almost dramatic prehistoric backdrops and a well-choreographed car chase between Slag and the film’s villains.
There are also some unique animation choices in the film’s musical numbers, including the psychedelic “Spy Type Guy” and in two songs from Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm. One of these, “(Someday) When I’m a Grown-Up,” includes some creative images with child-like drawings.
The songs in The Man Called Flintstone came from songwriters John McCarthy and Doug Goodwin. The inclusion of them (along with the adventurous plot) definitely “lifts” the film up from the feeling of an extended episode of the show.
Goodwin’s “Pensate Amore (Think Love)” is performed by singer Louis Prima over the film’s soundtrack (a full year before he would voice King Louie in Disney’s The Jungle Book). The lovely musical moment is the framework for a clever cartoon romantic fantasy for Fred and Wilma, as they imagine themselves as Romeo and Juliet-like lovers.
The regular Flintstones cast returns for the film: Alan Reed as Fred, Mel Blanc as Barney, Jean Vander Pyl as Wilma, and Gerry Johnson as Betty, taking over for Bea Benadaret, who had voiced the character for four seasons.
Carol Burnett Show regular Harvey Korman (who would voice The Great Gazoo in the series) was the voice of the Chief, and Paul Frees, one of the hardest working animation voice legends ever, provided several voices, including Rock Slag and the villain, Green Goose. Another voice acting legend, June Foray, portrays the film’s femme fatale Tanya (a call-back to her work as Natasha on Rocky & Bullwinkle).
Interestingly, actor Henry Corden provides the singing voice for Fred in The Man Called Flintstone. Corden would go on to take over the role of Fred after Alan Reed’s death in 1977.
Debuting on August 3, 1966, The Man Called Flintstone, comes together as the characters “First Tune-Full Adventure!” (as the original poster promises). Just like the show, there is plenty of “prehistoric technology.” This is particularly fun during a sequence in which a dinosaur is creatively used to operate an elevator and in the opening scenes where spy gadgets have to be filtered through The Flintstones’ “world.”
The Man Called Flintstone is the greatest mashup up of Bedrock and Bond you’re ever likely to see.
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