Though his accusations damaged many a
reputation, they hit Gerald himself even harder. Having a red-baiter in their
ranks did not endear Gerald to his employer, UPA, a studio known for its attachment
to liberal causes. Gerald went from being one of the studio’s top stars to
persona non grata, securing only odd bit parts, such as Tiny Tim in Mister
Magoo’s Christmas Carol. To add insult to injury, Gerald was stripped of the
unique contribution he could have made to this holiday special—his dialogue was
dubbed in by another actor.
This was to be Gerald’s last work for
UPA—or any other studio—for quite some time. When Sparky encountered him a few
years later, Gerald was decidedly down on his luck.
You’ll remember that Sparky and Gerald
were not on speaking terms—and if you don’t, the links to Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and
5 of this story will put you in the picture. Circumstances being what they
were, it seemed pointless to dwell upon the past. Putting their differences
behind them, the two embarked on a new friendship that soon proved profitable
for both.
The reunion was not entirely a chance
occurrence. Sparky had heard that the producers of a new sitcom were having
trouble finding just the right sound effect to sell their pilot to network
brass. Gerald came up with the effect; Sparky copyrighted and licensed the
rights to it; and the rest is history. Whenever Elizabeth Montgomery wiggles
her nose to make magic on an episode of Bewitched, half the magic
belongs to Gerald.
This went over so well that Gerald and
Sparky were commissioned to furnish a sound for Barbara Eden’s blink on I
Dream of Jeannie.
So it was that two cartoon characters
began a lucrative business providing signature sound effects for live-action TV
shows. If you’ve heard the Skipper getting crowned by a coconut in Gilligan’s
Island…
…you’ve heard Gerald.
Likewise with the instantly-recognizable
helicopter blades from M*A*S*H…
…Archie Bunker’s toilet…
…and, well, just about anything on Star
Trek.
Sparky and Gerald branched out from
television into other money-spinning sidelines. Gerald’s rendition of “La
Cucaracha” on a car horn continues to be a big seller.
The revenue from this joint venture has
assured Gerald a comfortable living, and forms the basis of the slush fund for
the care and upkeep of the Fortress of Funitude…including the all-too-frequent
repair costs we incur.
Sparky and Gerald would continue to be
producing and marketing new material, but they dissolved their partnership due to a
disagreement over ownership of the original concept for the squeaky sound
SpongeBob makes when he walks.
That, however, is a story I can’t tell you
‘til the courts are finished dealing with it. In any case, I’ve got no time to
tell it to you now. The Catwoman Fanciers Society of Funsville is having its
annual celebration of Julie Newmar’s birthday, and it’s always best to get
there early…especially this year. You see, Milady Madeira M’Dear has promised
that she and Miss Moose would take part in the occasion’s obligatory cosplay.
For something like this, I want to be sure
I’m in—you should pardon the expression—the catbird seat.
Uncle Fun
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