The VHS Show - ALAKAZAM THE GREAT

ALAKAZAM THE GREAT - 1960
Starring Peter Fernandez (Speed Racer)
thevhsshow@gmail.com

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• VHS
• show
• alakazam
• the
• great
• 1960
• peter
• fernandez
• speed
• racer
• animation
• anime
• monkey
• kind
• saiyuki
• journey
• to
• west

[gamesDAMNED]

Great episode.  As for the name changes in Saiyuki/Alakazam, you have to remember what the US was like at that time. Segregation and Jim Crow were still being enforced in the deep south at the barrel of a gun. Americans were freaking out over the idea of a...gasp!...Catholic President! Hell, Elvis Presley swung his hips on national TV, and the country practically melted down. So it's understandable why any references to Asia or Buddhism would be removed.

[ritmouse8]

@Raptormon132 The REAL reason they were changed is because US audiences wouldn't know who Buddha was. Also, Buddha is pronounced Booda.

[83phatman]

@Xenorama >> Sadly, Peter Fernandez just passed away.

[anthonyvoneckstein18]

this is awesome.....I used to dance around my living room couches singing this stuff when i was five years old. I still can remember the words .....aliky aliko alikazamm ,,,,care free and happy ...that's what I am ...if you want sunshine all the day long....sing this happy song.....

[heishirosama]

Buddha, not Booda and I believe the names were changed because of it being a Buddhist story not because Japanese can't invent their own characters.

[batch1981]

hey can you tell me where can i buy a dvd of alakazam the great? pls?

[fargenbastich]

Please post the whole movie (in 10 minute clips). Who's gonna claim the rights to have you remove it? Please post the whole movie!

[Xenorama]

i talked to Peter about this recently, and he was NOT to be billed for the voice acting, it was all for Frankie. he said it was the worst kept secret in Hollywood. except for the moron Medveds who didn't bother to research that movie. Peter also wrote the English script for many of the movies and shows he dubbed with Titan/Titra studios.

this is one that should get a nice DVD treatment while Peter and Frankie are still alive.

[Raptormon132]

The reason why names were changed like Booda being changed to King Amoad is because the Japaneses aren't very good at inventing their own things or their own characters.

As for Peter Fernandez, he's not mentioned because he probably wasn't well known back when this movie was made.

BTW I have a couple of suggestions on what shows & movies to talk about next, that's a cartoon show called "Dinosaucers" & an anime movie called "Bagi, the monster of mighty nature". Those 2 were only out on VHS.

[Raptormon132]

I know who the narrator is, it's Sterling Holloway, he was voice actor for Walt Disney who did the voice of Winnie the pooh.

Your right that Peter Fernandez did the voice of Alakazam, but when you showed the scene where he's singing at 1:27-1:39 that's not Peter Fernandez singing, Alakazam singing voice was done by Frankie Avalon.