The Snorkasaurus Hunter

The Snorkasaurus Hunter
Details
Show	The Flintstones
Season	1
Episode number	18
Production number	P-11
Original airdate	January 27, 1961 (ABC)
Crew
Animated by	Ed Love
Layout	Dick Bickenbach
Background	Art Lozzi
Written by	Warren Foster Michael Maltese
Chronology
Previous	"The Big Bank Robbery"
Next	"The Hot Piano"

"The Snorkasaurus Hunter" is the eighteenth episode of the first season of the original series, The Flintstones. It aired on January 27, 1961.

Synopsis

While vacationing in the mountains, Fred & Barney spot and try to capture a wild Snorkasaurus, who's anything but stupid.

Plot

Exasperated with inflated butcher's meat costs, Fred resolves that Flintstone and Rubble households obtain sustenance in a hunting expedition that could also serve as a vacation.

Mishaps include the couples' trailer being wedged in the Flintstone garage, which is dragged several feet by Fred's car before Flintstones and Rubbles discover that they have a garage in tow, the faultily fastened trailer coming loose from Fred's car and obstructing freeway traffic (with Fred being ticketed by a policeman for several violations of law), Barney felling a tree directly on top of the trailer, Fred in a makeshift tent snoring to blow neighboring tent's occupant Barney, also snoozing, off of a cliff, and Barney being swallowed from head to knees by a large fish.

Fred and Barney, clubs in hand, hunt for a snorkasaurus and encounter one (that looks like Dino) with superior intelligence and ability to speak in an obsequious voice. The snorkasaurus outwits his greenhorn foes by appealing to Wilma and Betty's compassion for animals (and to their vanity with praises of their beauty) so that the wives forbid Fred and Barney from harming the charming creature, which accompanies the Flintstones and Rubbles, their hunting expedition a failure, back to Bedrock with their rejuvenated trailer.

Characters

• Fred Flintstone
• Ed (only appearance)
• Mrs. Stonehead (only appearance)
• Junior (only appearance)
• Barney Rubble
• Butcher (only appearance)
• Wilma Flintstone
• Betty Rubble
• Police officer (only appearance)
• Dino

Locations

Bedrock

• Rockhead & Quarry Cave Construction Co.
• Supermarket
• Flintstone home
• Rubble home
• Bedrock Super Highway

Objects

• Rock Bell Phone
• Shopping trolley
• Hunting clubs
• Bronto-Kiddy Ride
• Minkasaurus Stole
• Bowling Ball
• Golf clubs
• Flintstones' Trailer
• Fishing pole

Food

• Fruits
• Dodo Eggs
• Instant Pterodactyl Soup
• Meat
• Bronto-Ribs
• Sandwiches

Animals

• Snorkasaurus
• Plateosaurus (as crane)
• Brontosaurus (as a crane, ribs and a kiddie ride)
• Turtlesaurus (as a jackhammer)
• Lizardsaurus (as a saw)
• Stegosaurus (as a dirt filler)
• Dodo Bird (as dodo eggs)
• Pterodactyl (as Pterodactyl soup)
• Minkasaurus (as a stole)
• Roostersaurus (only heard)
• Pterakeet
• Bird (as a car horn)
• Fish
• Mosquitosauruses
• Antasauruses
• Mammoth (as a vacuum)

Vehicles

• Flintmobile
• Canopysauruses
• Logrovers

Cast

Alan Reed	Fred Flintstone
Jean Vander Pyl	Wilma Flintstone Mrs. Stonehead
Mel Blanc	Barney Rubble Dodo Bird Mosquitosaurus
Bea Benaderet	Betty Rubble Junior
Jerry Mann	Dino Ed Butcher Cop

Notes/Trivia

• This marks Dino's first official appearance in the series (despite him having appeared in the opening credits since the episode, "No Help Wanted")
• In this episode, the company Fred works for is identified as Rockhead & Quarry Cave Construction Co.
• The Rubbles appear to have a pterakeet, but it is never seen or referenced again. Betty tells Barney to bring the pterakeet to Mrs. Stonehead while they're on vacation.
• Mrs. Stonehead and Junior are not that different from Mrs. Roxy and Junior in "The Sweepstakes Ticket".
• The Bronto-Kiddy Ride, especially the fact this episode was the first to center round Dino, is ironic because in 1994, Kiddie's Manufacturing made a Dino kiddie ride that would appear outside of grocery stores and in Toys "R" Us locations for years to come.

Allusions

• The music at the picnic, is, of course, the "Colonel Bogey March" from The Bridge on the River Kwai.
• Only in this episode Dino has a speaking voice and mannerisms reminiscent of Phil Silvers' Sergeant Bilko. These traits would later be used for fellow HB toon star Top Cat.

Errors

• The lamp next to Wilma's side, changes color and height from previous episodes.
• You can see the line of Dino's neck where the animators are working.
• Before Betty asks Barney to get all the gear ready for the camping trip, she walks out of the door and it seems that she walks above the bottom of the plant pot just outside her home. It's only slight though.
• This episode is infamous for giving Dino an introduction episode, despite the fact he was already in the show. Not only that, but he was also given the ability to talk, was colored light bluish-purple, and was more Wilma's pet than Fred's. He was never shown to talk again and The Flintstone Kids also contradicts this by having Dino be the pet of Fred's as a "puppy."
  • The way Dino talks to Scooby in the comic story, "Scooby-Doo, When Are You?", featured in Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #7, alludes to the posh way he talks in this episode.