Characters and Story
The show focused on Leonardo the lion (voiced by Jackson Beck), who was the inept yet well-meaning King of Bongo Congo (a fictional African nation). Leonardo was assisted in his adventures by a mild-mannered skunk named Odie Cologne aka "Odie O. Cologne" (voiced by Allen Swift impersonating Ronald Colman), an ironic play on "Eau de Cologne".
King Leonardo's incompetent brother Itchy (voiced by Allen Swift) attempts to overthrow Leonardo and rule the kingdom himself along with his friend, gangster and leader Biggie Rat (voiced by Jackson Beck impersonating Edward G. Robinson). Biggie would often employ the help of an evil German inventor named Professor Messer (voiced by Jackson Beck) and even obtain help from Odie's flirtatious sister Carlotta.
Episodes of "The King and Odie" that were exclusive to Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales had Biggie Rat and Itchy Brother employed by Mr. Mad (voiced by Norman Rose), a mad scientist with a domineering personality (easily cowing even the strong-willed Biggie) and his own nefarious plans for Bongo Congo, not to mention a creepy echoing voice. The title was a play on a king ruling over his "subjects", along with the common term "short subjects" for cartoons and other films whose duration is just a few minutes.
Read more about this topic: King Leonardo And His Short Subjects
Famous quotes containing the words characters and/or story:
“Hemingway was a prisoner of his style. No one can talk like the characters in Hemingway except the characters in Hemingway. His style in the wildest sense finally killed him.”
—William Burroughs (b. 1914)
“The psychiatrist’s office: the only place I can be sure my story will be treated as sad, but interesting.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)