Clutch Cargo (IMDb) was given a big build-up before he arrived in Tulsa on our local version of the Bozo Show. "Watch for Clutch Cargo", "Clutch Cargo is coming"...we didn't know who or what they were talking about. Of course, faithful Bozo fans would watch whatever was put on the screen, and Clutch was no exception. Clutch Cargo proved to be an adventurous writer and pilot, who invariably got into hot water with his (ward?) Spinner, his dog Paddlefoot, and their pal, Swampy, voiced by Hal Smith, soon to become "Otis", the Mayberry town drunk. Paddlefoot, Spinner and all other female/child/animal voices were provided by Margaret Kerry, who was also the physical model for Disney's "Tinker Bell" (not Marilyn Monroe, as urban legend would have it). Clutch was voiced by radio actor Richard Cotting. The animation was the simplest possible, except for the lips, which were eerily life-like. This was due to the Synchro-Vox™ system, which used human lips with lipstick and makeup added to match the cartoon colors. Conan O'Brien is the most notable employer of this method today.
Flute was also a prominent voice in the music of the similarly-premised animated series of the mid-60s, "Jonny Quest". (In retrospect, Dr. Benton Quest and Clutch should have been up on multiple counts of reckless endangerment. Bruce Wayne, too.) The flutist was Paul Horn, a noted jazz musician, who later recorded atmospheric meditation albums inside the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramid. I've listened to these albums. No wonder the Clutch Cargo music was so good! As a charter member of Clutch's Adventure Club, I possessed a secret decoder. Messages given at the end of the show were clues to the plot of upcoming shows (5 per storyline). Decoded, they were almost as baffling; the thrill came from the decoding process itself.
Clutch Cargo opening
Clutch Cargo "Whassup?" spoof. Good!
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The theme and background music were rendered by
a spare flute and bongos (elements of the second season
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YouTube clips below: