Hong Kong Phooey - Volume 2 [DVD] [1974]

Fan-rrific! Hanna-Barbera's Hong Kong Phooey was the Saturday-morning cartoon answer to the mid-'70s martial-arts craze. Mild-mannered janitor Penry (voiced by Scatman Crothers) works in the police station alongside switchboard operator Rosemary (voiced by Kathy Gori) and beleaguered Sergeant Flint (Joe E. Ross), humans who never suspect that the diligent dog is actually "America's secret weapon against crime". Never mind that Hong Kong Phooey, although armed with his trusty book of kung fu and a Bond-meets-Wacky Races Phooeymobile, wouldn't even be able to get out of his quick-change file cabinet without a well-placed blow from his loyal cat, Spot (who's striped, naturally). The public is awed by him, Rosemary has a crush on him, and villains--including the Claw, the Giggler, Goldfisher, and the Gum Drop Kid--fear him, but no one notices that Hong Kong Phooey only succeeds through his own klutziness, Spot's help, or dumb luck. Classic stuff. And remember the catchy theme song? "Hong Kong Phooey, Number one super guy / Hong Kong Phooey, Quicker than the human eye". --David Horiuchi