List of TaleSpin characters
This is a list of characters from the animated series TaleSpin, along with the actors who provided the voices where known.
Higher for Hire
Baloo
Baloo von Bruinwald XIII (Ed Gilbert) is the main character of the story, based primarily on the sloth bear from Disney's The Jungle Book, but with a flight cap and a yellow shirt (and four-fingered hands instead of his Jungle Book counterpart's claws). Although lazy, slobbish, unreliable and always broke, as bears often are, he is also an excellent pilot capable of the most daring maneuvers in the air (and the courage to do them) and can selflessly come to the aid of those in need of help. He also has a penchant for getting into schemes that require him to dress up in drag to suit the situation, such as when he became Rebecca's "female" co-pilot Tan-Margaret (a play on Ann-Margret) in "Feminine Air". Some of his mannerisms survive from The Jungle Book, including his nickname of "Papa Bear" by Kit, which Mowgli had given to him. In Tale Spin, it is revealed that Baloo comes from a prominent noble family, (being Baloo, Baron von Bruinwald XIII) though he himself had been initially unaware; raising the possibility that he was adopted. In the episode The Balooest Of The Bluebloods he inherited 500 million dollars in the form of an extravagant estate, which was taken from him to settle the matter of his family's impressively long history of owing back taxes, thus restoring the status quo. Baloo only once mentioned any family, in reference to a gramophone record that had belonged to his father. He also calls Kit "Li'l Britches," as he did with Mowgli. His name comes from the Hindi word for bear: bhālū (Hindi: भालू, pronounced [ˈbʱaːlu]).
Kit Cloudkicker
Kit Cloudkicker served as navigator aboard Baloo's plane, The Sea Duck. His first appearance was in the pilot episode, “Plunder and Lightning”. He was voiced by R.J. Williams for most episodes, but Alan Roberts stepped in for a few.[1] His trademarks are a green sweatshirt, a blue and red baseball cap worn backwards and his ability to "cloud surf" (also referred to in the show as "cloud skiing"). The baseball cap was a gift to Kit from Baloo, as a sign of friendship and trust.
As a 12-year-old orphan who lived with the Air Pirates under Don Karnage one year prior to the start of the series, Kit's character was a unique one in the history of Disney - he had a very dark past, partially because the storyline originally had him as being Don Karnage's protege. The story states that he left the Air Pirates because he "got sick" of them. He first encountered Baloo when he hid in the Sea Duck to escape from the Air Pirates because they were trying to find him.[2] His ambition was to become a pilot and to purchase his own aircraft.
Occasionally showing a selfish streak, Kit sometimes put his dreams ahead of those of his friends. Having lived on his own for most of his life, Kit's distrust of adults was apparent in the show. He warmed to Baloo only after being given the chance to fly the Sea Duck, and even then was ready to leave for greener pastures.
Nevertheless, he looked upon the other members of the "Higher for Hire" company as a surrogate family, affectionately referring to Baloo as "Papa Bear" on occasion. He clearly demonstrated his fondness for Rebecca Cunningham's daughter Molly on a number of occasions throughout the show, having been seen giving Molly "Piggy back" rides, and on one occasion rescuing her on his airfoil (the device Kit uses for cloud surfing - see below). Baloo gives him the same nicknames, such as "Little Britches", that was bestowed on Mowgli from The Jungle Book.
In the episode "Stormy Weather", Kit chastised Baloo saying “You can't tell me what to do! You're NOT my dad!” - This was a decision Kit would come to regret later in that episode.
Kit had the ability to cloud surf; using a crescent shaped metal device called an airfoil and a regular cord attached to the back of the Sea Duck allows him to 'surf' in a similar fashion to someone water skiing, hence this is also referred to in the show as "cloud skiing". It was not made clear where Kit learned this skill, but he demonstrates at numerous times throughout the various episodes that he is incredibly adept at it. Baloo would often give his permission for Kit to tow behind the Sea Duck when appropriate, trusting in Kit's skill to let him have some fun. Baloo also had enough confidence in Kit to keep himself safe on the airfoil when separated and under attack, or when Kit had to be outside for something important. Outside of such situations however, he did not like Kit to take unnecessary risks, such as doing dangerous tricks or stunts.
Rebecca Cunningham
Rebecca Cunningham (Sally Struthers), a brown she-bear with long brunette hair in a french twist style, usually wears a white turtleneck sweater, and a purple-red jacket and matching slacks. Nicknamed "Becky," "Beckers", "Beck" (used only once in episode "A Star Is Torn") and/or "BC" (used once in "War of the Weirds") by Baloo which at first she highly resented being called, but soon grew accustomed to with affection (in return, she calls him "Fly Boy" on occasion)). She is a shrewd businesswoman with an MBA. Rebecca bought out Baloo's Air Service and his plane in the first episode when the pilot failed to pay his bank loan and renamed it 'Higher For Hire'. Although she originally relegated herself to the administrative and sales functions of the business, the series shows she eventually learns to be a capable would-be pilot in her own right. Baloo's laziness and carefree attitude towards his responsibilities often infuriates her. Rebecca lives with her daughter Molly in an apartment in an upscale part of Cape Suzette (after episode S1:3), one which incorporates a waterfall in its design. She acts as a maternal figure for Kit.
Molly Cunningham
Molly Cunningham (Janna Michaels), Rebecca's yellow-furred, 6-year-old daughter. An adventurous child who even at six years old, is not afraid to speak her mind just like her mother. Molly has a thing for her favourite ice cream brand "Frosty Pep;" sometimes pretends she is 'Danger Woman' (the action/adventure heroine of a popular kids radio program) while seeking adventure along with Kit and Baloo. She carries a doll named 'Lucy'. She often outwits adveraries much older than her. Her middle name, Elizabeth, is revealed in "Mommy For A Day", and Molly is the only character to have any middle name revealed. No mention was ever made of Molly's father as series' creator Jymn Magon reportedly said that Rebecca is a widow, although at a 1998 U.S. fan convention Q&A online chat he did state in roundabout tones that she's actually divorced as originally written in the first Tale Spin press release.[3] Rebecca also nicknames her "Pumpkin."
Wildcat
Wildcat (Pat Fraley), a clueless and gangly lion who typically wears a mechanic's outfit. He is very childlike but a mechanical genius. For example; he can fix a smashed telephone in under ten seconds. He is infamous for being able to build the rare "overdrive" for airplanes. He has something of a lisp. Wildcat has a special place in his heart for dinosaurs as they are his favorite animal. He is also fond of pets and toys. He is honest and truthful, at times too truthful to annoy Baloo.
Air Pirates
Don Karnage
Don Karnage (Jim Cummings), the leader of the dreaded Air Pirates and commander of the massive airship, the Iron Vulture. He is a major antagonist in the series. He is an indeterminate sort of canine.[4] A skilled pilot and ruthlessly cunning with an over-sized ego that makes him blunder with whatever scheme or raid he conducts with his brigands, he speaks /t/ and /d/ as dental consonants rather than the normal English Alveolar consonants. When dogfighting he flies a hybrid that appears to be based on a low-wing monoplane but with wings added so that it is actually a triplane. Voice actor Jim Cummings has cited Ricky Ricardo as an inspiration.
Other Pirates
- Mad Dog (Charlie Adler), scrawny canine with a "Fu Manchu" style mustache, usually seen in the company of Dumptruck., but sometimes as Don Karnage's sidekick/whipping boy type. Has a whiny, nasal voice.
- Dumptruck (Chuck McCann), appearing to be second in command to Don Karnage since he was made captain of the Iron Vulture by Don Karnage in his absence in one episode. He is a hulking Great Dane who speaks with a thick Swedish-Dutch accent and wears a top hat. Frequently paired with Mad Dog.
- Gibber (Chuck McCann), the pirate who whispers advice and such into Karnage's ear. He has never spoken a word louder than his mumbles.
- Hacksaw (Charlie Adler), the big yellowish colored dingo pirate who has sticks of dynamite strapped around his arms and has his ears tied together. Speaks with a whining, Australian accent.
- Ratchet (Rob Paulsen), the mechanic of the group, who helped put together the lightning gun in the episode 'Plunder & Lightning'.
- Hal (Frank Welker), large, overweight, tan cat. Seen in only a few episodes, his only major role in the series (and probably the only one where he spoke) was when he accompanied Dumptruck and Mad Dog on their mission to take over the cliff guns ("Jumping the Guns"). His name stemmed from a throwaway line spoken by Don Karnage in "Plunder and Lightning": "Open the bomb bay doors please, Hal.", which is a pun on the famous line spoken by Dave in 2001: A Space Odyssey: "Open the pod bay doors please, HAL."
- Sadie (Chuck McCann), the short, fat, brown pirate who has a grey mustache and wears a Viking helmet.
- Jock, a black Scottish terrier and head engineer of the Iron Vulture. Tale Spin DVD release of Volume 1 verified it in the hearing-impaired English subtitles as being "Jock," due to his thick Scottish burr that made his name sound like it was "Jacques" instead. Don Karnage mistakenly calls him "Scotty"; a tongue-in-cheek reference by the writers to the famous Star Trek character portrayed by James Doohan. Jock originally is from Disney's Film Lady and the Tramp.
- Will, Don Karnage's second mate, seen very briefly as part of a single gag: Don Karnage ordered his crew to "Fire at will!" Ever obedient, they began shooting at Will running past Karnage instead of the Sea Duck.
Thembrians
- Col. Ivanod Spigot (Michael Gough), an unnaturally short boar with a Napoleon complex and prominent lisp who is the head of Thembria's "Glorious People's" Air Force. He never took a single flying lesson in his life, until he accidentally gave the High Marshall the idea to shoot every C.O. in Thembria who failed an upcoming flight exam. He considers himself to be highly famous, and always introduces himself thus: "Perhaps you've heard of me?" His grandmother was, apparently, devoured by polar bears, though whether as punishment for losing a national artifact (as that is the crime that warrants that punishment) or accident is unknown.
- Sgt. Dunder (Lorenzo Music), Spigot's second-in-command. He is gregarious and somewhat dense like Wildcat, but nowhere near as self-centered and ruthless as Spigot is. In fact, he is close friends with Baloo and Kit. He selflessly takes the blame for many of Colonel Spigot's numerous failures, and appears a devoted soldier.
- The High Marshal (Jack Angel), the highest-ranking military official in Thembria, he appears to serve as the country's strongman. He is dour, humorless and dislikes Spigot for his incompetence. He is married to an equally humorless unnamed female Thembrian who is strong enough to knock him out with a single punch. There are few problems the High Marshal does not solve without the threat of violence and death.
- Prof. Crackpotkin (John Stephenson), a mad scientist interred at Bedevilled Island Maximum Security Prison for terrorist acts. He hates gruel, and has been shown to be willing to commit suicide in order to destroy Thembria's gruel reserves with no regard for the resultant collateral damage.
- Warden Slammer, the stern warden of Bedevilled Island Maximum Security Prison. Although at first he seems ruthless, he is eventually revealed to be a more-or-less fair and levelheaded individual.
Khan Industries
Shere Khan
Shere Khan (Tony Jay), a Bengal tiger who also appeared in The Jungle Book, but here stands upright and wears a business suit. He sports retractable claws; a rarity in the show. He is sometimes accompanied by an unnamed emaciated tiger "yes-man" office aide. Khan is an extremely wealthy businessman who is the dominant economic force in Cape Suzette. He takes enjoyment out of running small companies out of business (Higher for Hire is sometimes on his hit list) with a sense of ruthlessness to skirt around the law as he chooses. He also likes to feed tiny insects to the many carnivorous plants he grows in his office. He once even hired the Air Pirates to create an artificial oil shortage so he could extort higher prices from the public (from "On A Wing And A Bear").
He has a well-armed air force and navy, complete with battleships. This is mainly to protect his shipping and business interests worldwide. However, he is willing to act nobly at times, such as ordering his forces into the air to protect the city from the Air Pirates, and has shown that he respects Baloo's piloting skills, most notably when he allowed Baloo to take over piloting his plane after having all pilots replaced with his own robotic pilots; his plane had been ambushed by the air pirates and the robotic pilot refused to deviate from its flight plan due to its programing causing Baloo to forcefully remove the robot and take control of the plane to evade the air pirates. The name is derived from Hindi: Shere or Sher, i.e., a lion/tiger (Hindi: शेर, Urdu: شیر, pronounced [ˈʃeːr]), and Khan, i.e., a South Asian title or surname (Hindi: ख़ान, Urdu: خان, [ˈxaːn]).
Others
- Buzz (Kenneth Mars), a short purple-haired bird of indeterminate species who is Khan's eccentric in-house inventor as well as an old friend of Baloo's. A self-described "loyal company man", he is also the captain of the company chess team. Buzz's most noted invention is a prototype helicopter which promises to allow his employer to be the first marketer of a revolutionary new kind of aircraft.
- Episodes:
- "Baloo Thunder"
- "Bullethead Baloo"
- Mrs. Snarly (Jennifer Darling), Khan's ruthless and loyal elderly secretary. She is (apparently) a shrew.
- Episodes:
- "Baloo Thunder"
- "On A Wing And A Bear"
- "Bullethead Baloo"
- Dr. Debolt (Rob Paulsen), Khan's head scientist, a slightly nervous rabbit who created the sub-electron amplifier to power Khan's industrial sectors, which was then stolen by Don Karnage and later used to power the lightning gun weapon.
- Episodes:
- "Plunder & Lightning" Parts 3-4.
- Douglas "Dougie" Benson (Mark L. Taylor), a tabby cat and an investor in the company who lost his job as a result of a combination of ridiculously bad investments (like glow-in-the-dark sunglasses), forging Khan's signature and flagrant misuse of Khan's private Air Force for personal gain. His quick temper and somewhat clumsy antics were a constant source of laughs for those around him (especially Khan's elite pilots), something he could absolutely not stand. Was constantly heard shouting "STOP THAT LAUGHING!!" at the top of his lungs.
- Mr. Perry (Michael Bell), a scheming and sharply-dressed cheetah who was cooperating with Khan's rival, the Miniversal Corp., to steal a top-secret helicopter from Khan Industries.
- Walters (Phil Crowley), a panther investor who was Douglas Benson's aide and confidant.
- Garth (Patric Zimmerman) and his unnamed partner (Tony Pope), are Khan's well-dressed tiger and panther goons who he sent to teach Baloo a lesson about greed after the bear foolishly took advantage of Khan's generosity. Garth's knees were in dire peril when he shouted angrily at Baloo during a phone call with his boss unintentionally, but he apparently avoided being the target of his employer's wrath.
- Captain Hotspur (Frank Welker), the gravelly-voiced lion commander of one of Khan's battleships (although not canon, it's believed by some Tale Spin fans to be called the Prowler) who is sent on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearances of Khan's cargo planes in the ultra-secret Master Run route near the towering Twin Spires, caused by the Air Pirates. He, much like Khan, is highly impressed with Baloo's abilities after seeing him in action with the Sea Duck when he alerts the ship in the nick of time from being dangerously lured into a minefield that he sets off beforehand and his aerial maneuvers in dodging the brigands.
- Episode:
- "A Bad Reflection on You" Parts 1-2
Other characters
- Louie (Jim Cummings), also from The Jungle Book, is a fun-loving orangutan who wears a Hawaiian shirt, a straw hat and lei, owns the island nightclub and motel Louie's Place, located near but outside the protection of Cape Suzette. It also serves as a refueling station/pit stop area for pilots. He is Baloo's best friend (not the case in Jungle Book) but sometimes can be competitive with him when it comes to women, treasure-hunting and, on occasion, in business matters. His hold on the island is somewhat tenuous, though through his own ingenuity and the aid of his friends he's managed to avoid losing it (in "Louie's Last Stand").
- Louise Lamour (Jim Cummings), Louie's rich and extremely ugly ace aviator aunt who loves to party. Much to her nephew's chagrin she wreaks havoc everywhere she goes (particularly in his place of business), calls him "Louis", and aggressively chases handsome men who speak with accents (like Don Karnage and dashing French pilot Jacques Toujour) and ruins their lives. She suffers a broken heart quite easily yet always bounces back with a new flame at the ready. Her name is a play on the Western novelist/adventurer Louis L'Amour, and the title and plot of the episode in which she appears are loosely based on O. Henry's short story "The Ransom of Red Chief".
- Episode:
- "The Ransom of Red Chimp"
- The Jungle Aces are a club of young wannabe pilots, whom Kit is a member of. Club members include: Ernie, (a hyena) Felix (a hippo), Sam (a rabbit), and Burt (a crane). The club rules state that all members must have had an adventure before joining. They briefly changed their name to "The Bullethead Brigade" in "Bullethead Baloo".
- Trader Moe (Jim Cummings), a diminutive international criminal alligator with a temper shorter than himself who is always accompanied by a pair of hulking and very dim-witted heavies, a rhinoceros and a gorilla (voiced by Chuck McCann and Jim Cummings) who are only known collectively as "The Goons".
- Episodes:
- "Double or Nothing"
- "Golden Sprocket of Friendship"
- "Time Waits For No Bear"
- El Gato (Jim Cummings), a huge, maniacal swarthy-looking feline with a thick Spanish accent and a nasty temper, wearing a colourful poncho, Mexican-styled sombrero and braided hair. Flying on a huge condor named Max, he's persistent on obtaining the Idol of Doom, a golden llama-statuette talisman famed to have great mystical powers for those who control it which he wants to use for evil and almost succeeds when he tries to wrangle it from Baloo and Kit's unwanted possession.
- Barney O'Turret (Jack Angel), the short and grizzled, but good-natured retiree pig cliff gun guard in Cape Suzette who worked on the cliffs for 50 years and never fired a shot (but claims to, according to his catchphrase; "have seen it done a million times"), wearing overalls and a captain's cap. Clueless and constantly underfoot as Baloo and Louie try to stop a plot by the Air Pirates in launching a raid on the city when they overpower the guards in order to let the Iron Vulture pass beyond the protective outer cliffs. Despite his bumbling, he along with the pilot and nightclub owner, manages to save the day.
- MacNee (Jim Cummings), a child-hating koala with a nasty temper and a gruff Aussie accent. This hunter/poacher will go to any lengths to bag the perfect beast, even endangering the lives of others in the name of profit, in particular when he captures, loses and re-hunts the mythical, but gentle Inkara, named "Henry" by Molly whom she protects from his clutches.
- Covington (Jim Cummings), was a smooth-talking, debonair jaguar con artist who wears a moustache, sharp clothing and a toupee. During a high-speed boat chase around Cape Suzette's inner harbor, he stashed an ancient wooden cat talisman that lead to a rich treasure on Skull Island in the Sea Duck to hide it from two criminal badger associates he recently double crossed. When Molly discovered it and took it for a doll the next morning, he charmed Rebecca's heart in order to get to the doll. Molly saw him for what he was and knowing that he was really not interested in her mother, did everything she could to drive him away and keep him from getting his hands on the doll. After a series of tangles and shin-kicks from the little girl, he recovered the wooden figurine and briefly possessed the ruby statuette it pointed the way to, only to be foiled by Molly who finally exposed him as a fraud to Rebecca. A little later on, after accidentally letting go of the ruby during a greedy struggle in a bubbling hot mud pit, he was finally caught by his ex-partners and received (off-screen) his just deserts from them.
- Daring Dan Dawson (Cam Clarke), sleazy owner and lead performer of an aerial circus. Appears to be a ferret wearing an old fashioned aviator's cap and goggles. Nearly destroyed the father/son bond between Kit and Baloo through manipulation and outright lies, briefly convincing Kit to run away and join his circus.
- Prince Neverhasbeenbroke (Jim Cummings), an eccentric but kindly hyena ruler of an unnamed Middle Eastern desert country who requests Higher for Hire to deliver a large iceberg to his country in order to create a ski slope near his palace that the crew manage to pull off, despite being temporarily hijacked by the Air Pirates thinking that diamonds are hidden in it and a know-it-all Rebecca who flies the Sea Duck in delivering it due to Baloo's suspended licence to fly temporarily. Wears a turban and tunic, speaks with a stereotypical Indian accent and has his own harem (seen briefly with him in "The Golden Sprocket of Friendship")
- Episodes:
- "I Only Have Ice for You," "The Golden Sprocket of Friendship" (cameo)
- Howard Huge (Charlie Adler), a rich but maniacal hippopotamus airplane designer. His name is an obvious pun on famed aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. When Baloo encountered him, he was kidnapping pilots and stripping their planes for parts and materials to build a gigantic flying wing, which he called the "Titanium Turkey".
- Jack Case (Brian Cummings), a semi-villainous rabbit and wannabe spy, currently imprisoned in Thembria. Was actually a mailman who accidentally sent the wrong package to the High Marshal. Planning to switch the wrong package for the right one, he convinced Rebecca that he was a government spy and that as a "matter of national security", he needed to be flown into Thembria. Shortly afterward, it was revealed that Case was a fraud: the package contained expensive fishing worms for the Thembrian High Marshall. Case endangered Baloo and Rebecca by getting them caught up in his espionage fantasies and making Colonel Spigot think they were involved in a bomb plot against the High Marshall, and in return they left him behind when they fled Thembria. Case is believed to have been incarcerated in a Thembrian prison for his irresponsible actions following his capture by Thembrian forces. His fate after this is not known.
- Dr. Axolotl (Rodger Bumpass), a psychotic lizard inventor who sought revenge against Shere Khan with his robot, the Mechanical Electronic Laborer or M.E.L. (David Lodge), which he reprogrammed into a highly destructive and nearly unstoppable killing machine.
- Dr. Zibaldo (Dan Castellaneta), a short, manic fox mad scientist who invented a shrink ray for the purpose of fitting his clothes into luggage easier. After a mishap in which Molly Cunningham was accidentally shrunk, he abandoned his research in favor of a new "crackpot" idea: television. Needless to say, Baloo & Company were not impressed. An interesting fact about Dr. Zibaldo is that the voice Castellaneta used to play him is the same voice he used to play Megavolt in Darkwing Duck.
- Episode:
- "The Incredible Shrinking Molly"
- Colonel Grogg (Michael Bell) was a jingoistic, paranoid and overly-excitable military intelligence officer spaniel. Obsessed with the "threat" of an alien invasion, he clandestinely monitored and recorded Baloo's radio transmissions during his phony flight to Mars, which, unbeknownst to Grogg was actually a lame attempt to scam a two-week vacation at Lake Flacid out of Rebecca. Subsequently became convinced that a Martian invasion was imminent after Baloo faked a Martian attack over the radio in order to keep Rebecca from continually calling him. Overzealous in stopping the Martians and threatening to put those responsible in jail if it proved to be a hoax, he drug Rebecca — who was in on the "invasion" in order to teach her pilot a lesson about lying — and Wildcat along in a close encounter of the third kind at the lake. After seeing the convincing light show put on by Baloo and Kit, he went into a frenzy and attacked Baloo's camp with machine gun fire and grenades. He was soon confronted by Baloo (in a Martian outfit) and saw him "attack" Rebecca with a "flesh-melting Ooze Gun" that squirts guacamole on her. Terrified, Grogg fled from the scene to bring reinforcements led by his bulldog uncle general. Unfortunately for Grogg, upon return to the lake, not only were there no signs of an invasion (Martian or otherwise), but the only people there (actually the Higher for Hire crew posing as a "family" out on a camping trip) claimed to have seen nothing either. Embarrassed and convinced that his nephew was hallucinating (again), the General quickly busted Grogg down in rank to private, much to his disillusionment.
- Prof. Martin Torque, a Doberman inventor who sought to put Higher For Hire (and every other freelance cargo service in Cape Suzette, for that matter) out of business with his "Auto-Aviator": a coldly efficient robotic pilot that was bought by Shere Khan. After his attempt flopped in an incident with the Air Pirates (due to the robots' programming rendering them unable to deviate from their course), he attempted to sell his reprogrammed machines to uninterested Thembrian housewives at a miserable post in the middle of nowhere.
- Detective Thursday (Jack Angel), a hard-boiled canine detective who apparently runs a secret branch of the Cape Suzette police force, which is headquartered beneath a laundromat. Highly reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart. His main underlings are Officer Malarky (Jim Cummings) and Gertalin (Danny Mann).
- Heimlich Menudo (Kenneth Mars), a leopard criminal who is absolutely obsessed with diamonds, to the point that he practically worships them. Even has diamonds for teeth. He and his henchman Weazell (David L. Lander) tried to steal all the diamonds in Cape Suzette using a highly ambitious plan he called "The Heimlich Maneuver".
- Mr. Sultan, the president of Shere Khan's rival, the Miniversal Corporation. An elderly tiger, he paid Mr. Perry to steal Buzz's top secret helicopter prototype and apparently planned to pass it off as his own company's design.
- Kitten Kaboodle (Tress MacNeille), a seductive blond feline Starrywood (read "Hollywood") starlet with a husky Lauren Bacall-like voice who acts like a femme fatale and can manipulate any hapless male under her spell. She became a wedge between Baloo and Rebecca's relationship when he saved her life in an accident during a street film shoot and hires him to be a stunt pilot for her next film that's been plagued by a series of accidents by a mysterious saboteur that Rebecca discovers to be herself in order to boost her sagging popularity and poor acting skills. She outed herself during the failed plane accident she set up for the smitten Baloo (who gave her the nickname "Kiki") and was subsequently taken in by the police.
- Episodes:
- "A Star Is Torn"
- "Louie's Last Stand" (cameo)
- Katie Dodd (Ellen Gerstell), a vixen archaeologist who discovered the lost city of Tinabula in the desert nation of Ghaphia. This tall, feisty and voluptuous redhead has as much attitude as she does in looks and intelligence; prone to stand-offish behavior and not afraid to tell any man to go jump in a lake. However, this did not stop Baloo and Louie from showing off for her in a futile attempt to compete for her attentions.
- Episodes:
- "For Whom The Bell Klangs" parts 1 & 2
- Myra (Liz Georges), a petite brunette vixen dressed in khakis, a pith helmet and wears square-rimmed glasses, is the State Archaeologist and Minister of Culture for the tiny desert country of Aridia. Though not canon, many fans contend that her last name is Foxworthy. A genuinely nice, albeit somewhat absentminded woman, her sunny disposition is nearly the exact polar opposite of Katie Dodd's. Normally slow to anger, but not afraid to stand up and show some backbone when it really counts.
- Episode:
- "In Search of Ancient Blunders"
- Princess Lotta Lamour (Kath Soucie), the vixen crown princess of the Middle-Eastern Kingdom of Macadamia is smart, beautiful and strong in comparison to her seemingly dim-witted monarch rabbit father King Amuck and not only becomes the target for Baloo and Louie's affections during a cargo pick-up to the country, but also of the power-hungry buzzard Chancellor Trample who wants to marry her in order to run the kingdom in staging a palace coup d'etat by withholding back the tax money of the national treasury to create a public uprising that she, Baloo and Louie foil in time, which he literally begs to go to jail from their antics. Although she does like both Baloo and Louie, she doesn't fall for either one of them but is grateful for restoring her kingdom back to the rightful rulers.
- King Amuck (Howard Morris), the aged and congenial rabbit monarch of the Kingdom of Macadamia and Princess Lotta Lamour's father. Dressed in a cross between a king and a court jester, he appears at first as not too bright but is a shrewd leader who is manipulated by his scheming Royal Chancellor Trample to consider abdicating his throne by making him believe he's too incompetent to rule the people and almost allows him to marry Princess Lotta against her wishes in order to restore the faith of the monarchy. After the plot fails, Amuck frugally rewards Baloo and Louie with the cargo order of ten sacks of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and an invoice of $192.12 that they came for in the first place.
- Chancellor Trample (Jim Cummings), a conniving vulture out to ursurp the throne of King Amuck in order to gain the riches of the royal house of Macadamia at first by secretly raising taxes to make the king unpopular and the kingdom's citizens and coffers poor. At the time of Baloo and Louie's arrival, he hatches another scheme to marry Amuck's daughter Princess Lotta Lamour as the three of them attempt to uncover the plot despite him having his own small army of Royal Guard rhinos at his command. When Trample's plans go awry, he confesses his crimes, begging to be locked up and tortured than endure more of Baloo and Louie's antics, which all parties agreed heartily.
- Owl Capone (Maurice LaMarche), a diminutive gangster, parodying the real-life gangster "Scarface" Al Capone. He overtakes the gigantic Spruce Moose (read "Spruce Goose"), which is a giant airplane where Baloo and Rebecca go out to a swanky businessman's ball, primarily since Rebecca wished to schmooze with the wealthy clientele. Capone steals jewelry from most of the people there (except Rebecca, who didn't have any on her) and takes the people in the plane hostage twice.
- Thaddeus E. Klang (Tim Curry), leader of a cult-like organization seeking the secret weapon hidden in the lost city of Tinabula. He is a green cobra with a black cloak, warlock-like hat, metallic jaw (capable of crushing hard objects with his bites), metallic limbs, and speaks with a metallic echo to his voice (the abundance of metal being the basis for his name). He managed to pose quite a threat and even obtained the lost city's weapon (a destructive bell that utilized sonic waves), but was defeated when the weapon backfired and buried the city. Afterward, his metallic parts fell off, revealing him to simply be a regular, albeit over-sized, cobra. He would appear to still be at large, though nothing has been seen of him since.
- Episodes:
- "For Whom The Bell Klangs" parts 1 & 2
- Ace London (Phil Hartman), a highly arrogant, yet highly-regarded gray wolf test pilot who went to school with Baloo, makes fun of him and his capabilities after winning a game of billiards against him. He then accidentally switches Baloo's cargo of pickles with a top-secret jet engine, but instead of telling the truth when asked, he lies and says that Baloo did it. When Don Karnage tries to steal the engine, the true test of the two pilots begins. Unfortunately for Ace, not only do Baloo and Wildcat break the soundbarrier instead of him, his lies are revealed and he is forced to deliver Baloo's cargo. Extremly egotistical, he not only lies about Baloo, he also claims that Baloo resisted his orders to hand over the cargo and forced him and the pilots sent to assist him to land, when in reality Baloo had no idea he had the wrong freight, and he himself fired on Baloo, who tried to return the engine, and didn't attack once.
- Episode:
- "Mach One for the Gipper"
- Whistlestop Jackson (Hamilton Camp), Baloo's childhood hero, Whistlestop was a "hero to millions" and a "legend in his own time" for his aviation mastery and trademark biplane. As a younger man, he once beat out start-up entrepreneur Shere Khan on an air cargo contract, leaving Khan a bitter rival. However, by the time Rebecca hires him to be Higher for Hire's Vice President, Whistlestop's skills were sorely obsolete and he did business solely based on his reputation. Although Baloo's opinion of Whistlestop was deflated when the aging pilot bungled a trial flight of the Sea Duck and made him take the blame, the two made up and again beat Khan in securing another lucrative air cargo contract for Higher for Hire, which allowed the aviation master to retire in the great bang he'd always hoped for.
- Episode:
- "Whistlestop Jackson, Legend"
- Cool Hands Luke (Ron Feinberg), a pun on the book and film Cool Hand Luke. Cold Hands is a large polar bear, rivaling Baloo in size, and has a highly aggressive and chauvinistic attitude. He makes fun of the fact that Baloo works for a woman, and presses the issue to drive business away from Higher for Hire. His winning streak in the Air Scavenger Race (achieved through cheating) was broken when Rebecca and Baloo (in his "Tan-Margaret" persona) beat him and revealed him to be a fraud.
- Episodes:
- "Feminine Air"
- "Bringing Down Babyface" (cameo as "Tiny")
- Clementine Clevenger (Kath Soucie), a tall, smart, earthy and attractive blonde feline dressed up in Western clothing with an American Southern accent, she's the unwitting secretary/court reporter/Girl Friday of the corrupt and self-appointed Sheriff Gomer Cleghorn in the small, Western frontier-type mining town of Boomstone (read Tombstone, Arizona) owned by Khan Industries that the Higher for Hire crew of Baloo, Kit and Wildcat are forcibly landed by the unscrupulous sheriff and his dim-witted minion deputy, Wendell. Fed up with the corruption of Cleghorn for hijacking and kidnapping people to mine for the highly volatile and yet-to-be valuable substance urgonium and hording it from Khan, she (and the others) mistakes Wildcat for the corporate magnate after an explosion soots his face with tiger-like markings that makes him look like Khan (and decides to impersonate after Baloo convinces him to in order to leave), whom she has a deep admiration for. When the kidnapped "miners" hold Wildcat hostage to leave the mine, she sneaks off to phone Khan's international headquarters in Cape Suzette where she unknowingly speaks to the real Shere Khan about the situation, when she gets cut-off by a passing-by Cleghorn who locks her up in her boarding room and Khan decides to investigate his own "kidnapping." After a daring escape and rescuing Baloo and Kit from Cleghorn's jail cell, she leads them to the mine where the sheriff and deputy blow-up the entrance and decide to make their getaway just as Khan arrives by his private plane to find out what's going on. In the aftermath of catching the crooked lawmen and meeting the distant CEO, she becomes the new foreman of the urgonium mine. She appreciates Wildcat's gentleness, innocent sincerity and mechanical genius, with him having mutual feelings for her as well (calling her "Clemmie"); they both fall in love.
- Episodes:
- "Citizen Khan"
- "Sheepskin Deep"(cameo)
- Sheriff Gomer Cleghorn (David Doyle), a not-too attractive hog wearing a small-town Western frontier sheriff outfit with an abrasive voice who's actually a mine foreman in Boomstone working for Khan Enterprises, withholding information from Khan on the explosive urgonium. With his less-than-smart cohort and deputy Wendell, he forces any passersby to work in the mines on trumped-up charges and even imprisons them. Baloo, Kit and Wildcat manage to stop Cleghorn and Wendell in an exciting mid-air chase involving rotten kumquats that gum up their getaway planes. They're later charged and ironically sentenced to work in the very same mine they held their former captives in.
- Muffy and Buffy Vanderschmere, (Linda Gary (Muffy), Frank Welker (Buffy)), a fox con artist couple posing as a rich, snobbish clients who tricks Higher for Hire to transport some valuable family jewels to Hyenasport looking to get the Sea Duck in lieu of payment for the guaranteed clause for theft or lost of the jewellery as deemed by Rebecca, which they make an effort to lose the jewels at every opportunity that includes throwing them out one of the seaplane's windows and after landing at Louie's Place by putting the blame on Louie for the "stolen" jewels who find the nightclub/motel too seedy for their tastes. Later exposed by the nightclub owner as frauds wanted by the law and proving the diamonds are fakes, they're overpowered by him and Rebecca just minutes after they've taken-off with the plane. Muffy is dressed in a blue dress and wide-brimmed hat, a pearl necklace, bangles on her ankles and has blond hair (that turns out to be a wig) and Buffy is dressed like a golfer while both are imitating Bostonian blueblood accents, although Buffy does sound a bit like Thurston Howell, III.
- Episodes:
- "A Touch of Glass"
- "Mach One For The Gipper," "Vowel Play," "The Golden Sprocket of Friendship," "My Fair Baloo," "Last Horizons" (cameos)
- Oscar Vandersnoot (Ben "Ryan" Ganger), a short, geeky-looking yellow bear cub who wears a formal jacket, shirt and bowtie with thick glasses, is an upper-crust naïve friend of Kit's who wants to join his Captain Midnight Jungle Aces club, much to the consternation of the others as one rule stipulates you must have had experienced a real adventure. A series of mishaps by Kit to help him to join are thwarted by Don Karnage to kidnap Oscar in order to get his rich parents, in particular his very overprotective mother; to pay a hefty ransom for him. On a flight on the Sea Duck where Kit, Wildcat and Baloo hatch up a plan by dressing up as pirates in order to get him into the club (and a little convincing to Rebecca and Mrs. Vandersnoot), he and the pilot are actually held hostage, along with Kit and Wildcat; by the Air Pirate leader which in turn he manages to outsmart Karnage, save himself and his friends, becomes a local hero and an honorary member of the Midnight Jungle Aces.
- Broadcast Sally (Sheryl Bernstein), a large, strong and sensual female hippopotamus with a very sultry voice who works as a popular morning disc jockey at K-CAPE radio station in Cape Suzette (so popular that her broadcast range goes as far as Thembria, which her transmission is banned by law but is heard, regardless of the penalty of imprisonment that comes with it), mainly wearing a flower print dress and big picture hat plus spritzing herself in perfume habitually. She is possibly punned in reference to the World War II-era propagandist broadcaster Axis Sally during the war against the Allies by Nazi Germany with the same type of voice and patronizing tone in her broadcasts throughout war-torn Europe and on shortwave American radio. Baloo is the constant object of her desire as he owes her about a grocery list of favours that in return she want him to repay by going on a date with her, much to his reluctance and aversion to her blackmailing methods in doing so.
- Episodes:
- "The Time Bandit"
- "Louie's Last Stand," "Time Waits For No Bear" (cameos)
- Ralph Throgmorton (Ken Sansom), an immaculately-dressed gopher with round glasses works as a flight instructor for FLAP, a flight licensing regulation agency in Cape Suzette. Uptight and humorless, he goes by the well-reputed and dreaded nickname of "Love to Flunk 'Em". Throgmorton works by-the-book so meticulously in every aspect of his life, that he makes Baloo nervous, and causes him to lose his flying license (was also Baloo's driving instructor during his adolescence). In desperation, Baloo tries to find work in other fields that somehow gets him fired every time by Throgmorton in all situations, even by his bratty granddaughter Kathy (Sherry Lynn) at a carnival ride. He finally redeems himself in the instructor's eyes, and gets his license back when he rescues them all from a tight situation with the Air Pirates, after discovering they had been behind a series of oil raids and causing an energy crisis on behalf of Shere Khan.
- Plane Jane (Susan Silo), a highly-capable female hippopotamus pilot who learned to fly from Baloo (reputedly that it took her a minute), who shares almost the same mannerisms and behavior as her former mentor. Was once a finishing school attendee with Princess Gwace of Walla Walla Bing Bang, but "never finished." Despite her show-offy attitude (never misses a chance to rub it to Baloo that she's the better pilot) and oft-sneaky, competitive nature, she also has a heart of gold underneath and would help out a friend in need.
- Episode:
- "Waiders of the Wost Tweasure"
- Captain William Stansbury (Peter Reneday), a 19th-century lion naval captain who crashed his clipper ship a hundred years ago onto what is now the island where Louie built his nightclub on and whose ghost haunts when it is magically resurrected from during a casual night of carousing. Frightened off the island and back to Cape Suzette, both Baloo and Louie tell about the haunting to an overtired Rebecca who disbelieves them. Returning back with trepidation, the place is deserted until his apparition appears before them in solid form and is highly enamoured by the businesswoman. With his handsome looks and gentlemanly manners, Rebecca becomes smitten with him, but in reality he is a snobbish, judgemental and bothersome poltergeist who prevents them from leaving the island, so Baloo and Louie try to exorcise him out of the nightclub, if rather noisily. Seducing her under the moonlight with his charms during a walk on the island, the lonely ghost wants to take Rebecca away from the real world which she falls for in her tired state of mind. Finding a Book of Spells in the ruins underneath Louie's Place that will get rid of Stansbury forever and return everything back to normal, Baloo and Louie go through a series of the Captain's tricks to maintain the fantasy with Rebecca and keep them at bay which they partially succeed. After the pilot gently convinces his tearful employer that this isn't the life for her by connecting her responsibilities with Higher for Hire and her daughter Molly, Rebecca reluctantly finishes off the spell that sends the ghostly captain back into the spirit world, promising to wait for her in the afterlife. To console her broken heart, Louie gives Rebecca the painting of Stansbury that she hangs prominently on the wall in her bedroom.
- Crazy Edie (Billie Hayes), a female wild-eyed and gravelly-voiced bird mechanic con-artist who sabotages airplanes in order to charge high prices, with the help of her four cute, furry gremlins who are forced against their will to assist her with high-tech collars around their necks to carry out their acts and is accompanied by her mute alligator, Al. Found and befriended by Wildcat, who mistakes and refers to them as lobsters; helps to free them and returns them back to their home in the bayou after he and Baloo foils Edie's latest acts at a flying competition. Wildcat named the one with the red collar Sammy, the one with the green collar Frankie, the one with the pink collar Maxine, and the one with the blue collar Homer.
- Episode:
- "The Sound and the Furry"
- Hans and Helga (Stan Jones (Hans), Joan Gerber (Helga)), the homicidal servants of the von Bruinwald Castle in Bearvaria (read Bavaria) who live to serve and kill the von Bruinwald family in order to gain their inheritance from it when Baloo becomes the latest Baron to hold the title. The badger butler Hans provides everything from placing a great white shark into the pool and spooking him with a family curse to make him paranoid; while the shrew housekeeper Helga dishes out poisonous meals to serve the pilot. They then go on a rampage to finish him and his houseguests off. They finally are stopped after Baloo fakes his own death with Rebecca's help, tipping off the local authorities just as the von Bruinwald family lawyer tells him they're foreclosing the castle and confiscating the fortune due to centuries of unpaid taxes.
- Episode:
- "The Balooest of the Bluebloods"
- O'Rourke (Jim Cummings), an obnoxious, raspy-voiced bull who tricks Baloo and Wildcat into taking him to a mysterious land of dinosaurs that come alive with the aid of a magical waterfall, presumably to start a touring business, however his motives are considerably darker than what he leads the others to believe. After his plans are foiled, Baloo and Wildcat shut off the waterfall that hides the valley forever, but due to the mechanic's good nature and wonder over the prehistoric creatures, he secretly allows the waterfall to open up and allows the dinosaurs to live in peace.
- Wan Lo (Robert Ito) is an evil panda emperor of the city of Panda-La (read Shangri-La). When Baloo rediscovered the city and told him and his people to visit Cape Suzette, Wan Lo jumped at the chance and ordered them to fly the city there to invade and conquer it. With heat-seeking missles as their weapons, Panda-La took over the town. Being branded as a traitor, Baloo sought to redeem himself with the help of Rebecca, Kit, Wildcat and Louie. Filling the Sea Duck with ice, Baloo evaded the missles and destroyed Panda-La forever.
References
- ^ Alan Roberts' Filmography at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful World of Disney Television: A Complete History. New York: Hyperion. p. 24. ISBN 0786863595. OCLC 37180049.
- ^ Link to Jymn Magon online chat interview on the Tale Spin EMUCK page
- ^ Magon, Jymn. "Ask the Creators". Talespin Source. http://www.animationsource.org/talespin/en/custom_questions/Mad_Dog/174.html&nump=1338
External links